Kids Birthday Party Games

Whether you are hosting your child’s birthday party inside or out, these party games are always a hit and everyone can participate.

Duck Duck Goose
Ingredients

To Play

Gather the kids in a circle, and choose one child (usually the birthday boy/girl) to be the "ducker".
The "ducker" gets to walk around the circle, tapping (not hitting!) each child on the head, electing to say, "duck", or "goose". If the "ducker" says, "duck", then nothing happens. But if the "ducker" yells, "Goose!" then the "goosed" child gets up and runs around in an effort to tag the "ducker".
If the child cannot catch the "ducker", then that child becomes the "ducker".
If the "ducker" is caught, then he/she has to sit in the "soup" (the middle of the circle) until another "ducker" is caught.

Musical Chairs
Ingredients

To Play

Set up chairs in 2 rows back to back. Put out one less chair than there are children.
Start playing music, and have the kids walk around the chairs (not touching the chairs though!) until the music stops.
When the music stops, the kids must each sit on a chair.
The child without a chair is "out". Then remove another chair.
If there is ever a tie, the child with more tush on the chair wins.
This is a great game when it is played with hats too! Pull out every winter, baseball, and cowboy hat in your house. Have enough hats for every kid except one. As the music starts, have each kid put the hat on and pass it to the right. Each time the music stops, the kid without a hat is out.

Freeze Dance
Ingredients

To Play

Put a group of kids in a room, play some music, and watch them dance.
Then turn the music off during the song, and they must freeze in their current position.
If they move at all, then they are "out."
The kids who are still in the game continue to dance/freeze as you control the music, until one person wins.

Hot Potato
Ingredients

To Play

Have all of the kids sit or stand in a circle.
One child is chosen as the "leader", he or she begins passing a potato (or other object) around the circle, while the "leader" turns his/her head with eyes closed.
Everyone must accept the potato, and may not hold it longer than a second. At any point the "leader" can yell, "Hot Potato", and whoever has the potato is out.
Continue to play until there is only one person left, and he/she wins!

Telephone
Ingredients

To Play

Have the kids sit in a circle on the floor.
The first player begins by whispering a phrase into the ear of the person next to him/her.
One by one, each person repeats the whispered sentence as they hear it when it is whispered to them.
When the last person receives the message, he/she repeats it out loud.
It is usually completely different than the original statement.
This game can also be played with goofy faces. The first person makes a goofy face, and then turns (with the goofy look on his/her face) to the next person. The goofy look is passed on until the last person and the first person compare goofy faces.

Red Rover
Ingredients

To Play

Divide players into two teams and line them up into rows facing each other about 25 to 50 feet a part. Make sure there is enough space for the kids to run back and forth.
Have each team securely hold hands.
Each side calls, “Red Rover, Red Rover, send Johnny (name) over.”
The person that is called runs over to the other side and tries to break through the other teams joined hands.
If the player breaks through then he/she can take an opponent back to his/her team.
The team with the most players at the end of the game wins.

A.B.C Birthday
Ingredients

To Play

Have all of the kids sit in a circle. Depending on the age of the children, you can either involve the parents or not. The idea is for the kids to come up with words related to birthdays. For a more difficult and educational version you can have them name birthday words that begin with each letter of the alphabet.
The first child names one word that has to do with birthdays, like cake.
The second child names another word and you keep going around the circle.
If someone repeats a word then that child is out.
The winners are the last players remaining.

Birthday Hats
Ingredients

To Play

Set up a table with craft supplies.
Provide enough materials for each child.
Gather everyone around the table and have them make a birthday hat.
Then, award prizes for the most creative and other categories. Make sure everyone gets a prize for his/her birthday hat.

Cake Building Contest
Ingredients

To Play

This game could get a little messy, so lay down enough tablecloths to cover the table and floor.
First, make a lot of cupcakes in a variety of flavors, about 2 or 3-dozen depending on how many kids you have coming. Use store bought icing to save you time.
Gather the kids around the table and have them build a cake out of the cupcakes and other cake ingredients.
You can have a race to see who builds a cake the fastest or award prizes for the messiest, highest, or most creative.
One suggestion is to make a cupcake-cake first so that the kids know how to build a cake.
Then once the game is over, the kids will enjoy their cake creations.

One other helpful hint for your party: Always have more games planned than you think you need!

Let the Games Begin!