Pass the parcel
A classic game kids of all ages get excited about. Beforehand, buy a main prize, a few inexpensive toys and a pack of chocolate bars. Using a newspaper, wrap the main prize first. Then wrap the parcel about a dozen or so times, placing a toy or chocolate bar between each wrapping. To play, the kids sit in a circle and you play some music. When the music stops the child holding the parcel gets to unwrap it and reveal their prize.
Musical chairs
Another easy game involving music! Set up chairs in a circle (start with one chair less than the number of kids playing). When the music stops, the kids scramble for a seat and the child left standing is out. Take another chair away and repeat until there is only one child left standing!
Pin the tail on the donkey
Another simple game for children of all ages. You can buy kits for this game, or you can use a poster of an animal, a pack of stickers/tails and a blindfold. To play, each child is blindfolded and spun around before being directed to the donkey (or other animal) with a tail in their hand. The child who sticks the tail closest to the spot where the tail should be wins!
Egg and spoon race
This one is pretty self-explanatory – put each child on a starting line with an egg on the spoon. The first to the finish line with the egg still on their spoon wins the race. Make sure you boil your eggs first to avoid messy clean-ups.
Treasure hunt
Kids love hunting for treasure! You could buy some inexpensive prizes or confectionary and hide them around your yard. Or you could hide some tokens so that the child who collects the most can exchange them for one main prize.
Simon Says
This classic game can be a lot of fun at parties. An adult directs the kids to do what ‘Simon Says’ (eg Simon says touch your nose). The kids who do the action when Simon didn’t say are out. The last child standing wins the game!
Birthday quiz
Ask the kids a dozen or so questions about the birthday child (eg. What is their favourite colour? What is their middle name). The child who answers the most questions wins. The only downside is the birthday child can’t play!
Poison ball
This game is a great one for the outdoors. Line the kids up and throw the ‘poison ball’ at them. Kids who are hit or go outside the designated area are out. The last child left wins the game! Just be sure to use a soft ball to avoid injury.
The chocolate game
A fun and yummy game you may remember from your own childhood! You’ll need a block of chocolate, some dress-ups, two dice, plate, fork and a butter knife. To play, the kids take turns at roll the dice. When a pair of sixes are rolled, the child puts the dress-up clothes on and then cuts away at the chocolate. The child must cut one square at a time and eat it using the knife and fork. They get to keep eating the chocolate until the next pair of sixes are rolled. Yum!
Pinata
For this game, you’ll need to buy a pinata from a party shop and fill it with confectionary. On the day, securely hang the pinata so it is around head height. To play, the kids stand a few metres away and take turns to hit the pinata with a wooden stick or bat until it breaks open and the treats fall to the ground! Usually players are blindfolded, however this isn’t necessary (pinatas can be tough to break and you don’t want the kids to hit anyone).
