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Parties and Celebrations

25 Awesome Birthday Kids Party Games for Kids

Amanda Mitchell
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Cool Activities & Birthday Party Games For Kids

Are you about to host a birthday party but are struggling to find kids’ party games that will make the party enjoyable for the kids? We have got you covered. We understand how difficult it is to organize a birthday party for kids and keep things interesting and playful. To counter this dilemma, we have curated this list of fun, creative, and playful kids’ party games that you can easily incorporate into your party.

Birthday parties are memorable moments in anybody’s life, and more so when you are a kid. In this list, the kid’s party games mentioned are mostly indoors and don’t require extensive preparation from your side. From playing musical chairs to doughnuts on a string, we have covered all the bases to ensure that you host a memorable birthday party for the kids to cherish forever.

Let’s get started!

Cool Kid’s Party Games for Birthdays

1. Musical Chairs

Musical Chairs

Everyone knows the drill of this game, right? In case you forgot this classical game, let us refresh your memory. What you need to do is arrange one less chair than the number of kids in your party. You can arrange them in a circle or even a linear way, depending on your space and your preference. After arranging, tell the kids to walk or run around the chairs.

Play music in the background while the kids keep moving around the chairs. Then simply turn off the music, and each kid will be rushing to get a chair to sit on. The one kid who cannot find a chair to sit in will lose the game.

This kid party game gets quite competitive and tiring by the time you reach the end of the game. Ensure kids are dehydrated and nobody gets harmed while playing the game. This kid party game will ensure a musical party with lots of laughter and joy.

2. Passing the Parcel

Passing the Parcel

You might have heard this one too! This kid’s party game is awfully similar to the above. In this game, you don’t need multiple chairs. Rather a single parcel will do the job. What you need to do is, gather the kids and make them sit in a circle. Ensure that they are close enough to pass the parcel.

The parcel should ideally be light with soft corners so that the kids don’t get hurt while passing onto each other. Once all kids are in position, play the music, and the kids will start passing the parcel. When the music stops, the kid holding the parcel will be considered out of the game. And the game continues like this, with the remaining kids.

This kid party game is perfect if you don’t want a lot of hustle and bustle in your home. It’s fun for kids and not even physically exhausting, which means it can be played for a longer period of time.

3. Lemon and Spoon Race

Lemon and Spoon Race

One of the funniest yet clever games that you can arrange at a kid’s party is the lemon and spoon race. It’s very simple and doesn’t require much preparation. The only prerequisite is having enough empty space where kids can walk a little far. So to start this kid party game, you need to line up the kids behind a line.

Give them a spoon, and make sure it’s washed and germ-free as it will be in their mouth. When the kids are ready with spoons in their mouths, place the lemon on them one by one. Make sure that the lemons are of similar size to ensure fairness. Once ready, tell them to run to the predetermined finish line. Whoever reaches first with lemon in their spoon intact wins the race.

This kid party game sounds easy and fun but requires a lot of concentration and skill. However, it’s pretty fun to watch kids dropping out of the race midway when their lemons fall off the spoon.

4. Treasure Hunt

Treasure Hunt

Who doesn’t love to solve a mystery at a party? For a kid party game, it’s totally dependent on you as to how extensive and difficult you want to make the treasure hunt. Remember that if you are making the treasure hunt difficult and longer, keep the game exciting enough to keep things interesting. Otherwise, the kids might get bored, and your party will take a low turn altogether. To keep it simple, you can hide a number of candies or chocolates in your home. You can simply ask the kids to find as many candies as they want, and the rules are simple, whoever finds the most wins the treasure-hunting competition.

If not just collecting candies, you can hide clues around your home or backyard to reveal a really cool mystery at the end. This kid party game requires brainpower and physical effort from the kids as well as in setting up. So make sure you start in advance to plan it perfectly.

5. Balloon Relay Race

Balloon Relay Race

Balloons really excite children, and so does running, thanks to the unlimited energy that the kids have. So why not combine the both and end up creating a fun kids’ party game for your party? This kid party game will require a little bit of extra planning from your end to make the game happen. What you need to do is, divide the kids into two relay teams having equal members.

From the two teams created, one member will have a balloon between their knees and run in a predefined circle. The rule is not to let the balloon blow. Once completed, the kid comes back with the balloon, and another kid takes it over. So this is exactly like a relay race. The team that finishes first wins this competition.

This kid party game should be played in a safe environment, and the first aid kit should be readily available just in case anybody gets hurt, though we hope you never get to use it.

6. Pinata

Pinata

This kid party game requires extensive preparation and but we are sure it’s going to be worth it when you see all the kids being blindfolded trying to hit the pinata. If you are interested in hanging a pinata game at a kid’s party, you need to be mindful of certain things. First, it’s obvious, but the pinata shouldn’t be hung too high. Second, it should match your overall theme of the decorations. Lastly, if you fill treats in the pinata, make sure the treat is not heavy or pointy, or it might hurt somebody when it breaks open. When you are all done with the preparation, you can blindfold the kids and give them a little stick to hit the pinata. Don’t forget to turn the kid a few times so that they don’t memorize the location of the Pinata and the game remains interesting.

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You can also play this game without a blindfold, but to make this fun, hang pinata a little higher. This kid’s party game is fun and filled with laughter if played safely.

7. The Chocolate

The Chocolate

The name of this game itself is enough to bring happiness to the kids. This kid’s party game is suitable for ages five and simply because it requires eating chocolate which is not at all healthy for anybody when consumed too much, but can absolutely harm kids who are under five years old. To play this game, you don’t require extensive preparation. Just a ball of chocolate wrapped in foil will do. Arrange a few things like a hat, scarf, gloves, and dice. Kids can sit around the chocolate with the above items in close vicinity. Each kid rolls the dice once, and whoever gets six starts by wearing a hat, scarf, and gloves and then starts eating the chocolate. Meanwhile, other kids roll the dice, and if they get a six as well, then all the above items are passed.

As a party host, ensure that no kid consumes enough chocolate, or it might cause an upset stomach and other health issues. Always take their parent’s consent to play this kid’s party game.

8. Pin the Tail on the Donkey

Pin the Tail on the Donkey

This is an old, yet another classical kids’ party game called Pin the Tail on the Donkey. It’s fun to watch blindfolded kids trying to locate and attach the tale of the donkey. This game is simple, and you don’t have to do any preparation whatsoever to make this game a success at your birthday party. To make this even more interesting, you can divide the kids into teams, and whichever team member successfully pins the tail on the donkey will win the game.

This game is fun and easy to arrange. However, it gets a little monotonous, and you cannot hold the attention of the kids for long with just this game. So try to complement this game with some other kid party games mentioned in this list.

9. Sleeping Lions

Sleeping Lions

This kid’s party game is as unique as it sounds. And this game can be treated like a strategy when the kids’ excitement is getting out of control for you. Then you know that it’s time for playing a round or two of sleeping lions. This game actually puts you back in control of the party. The game is really simple to understand, and kids really love it.

The rules are straightforward, all the kids will lie on the floor with their bellies, and there should be absolutely no movement. The adult who is the host of the game can walk around, tell jokes, make funny noises, and so on. However, the kids cannot move, giggle, laugh, etc., or they will not be able to play the rest of the game.

It’s a perfect relaxing kid party game to incorporate. If you live in a quieter neighborhood where making noises late at night is considered disturbing, then this game is perfect for you.

10. Kim’s Game

Kim's Game

It is one of the oldest kids’ party games, still holding its ground steadily. This game is highly relevant for your party if you want something with less noise but don’t want to compromise on the fun. To play this game, you will need a tray, small toys like action figures, cars, dolls, tapes, spoons, basically all small items. Cover the tray with a towel or a box. To play, you will remove the box and let the kid see the items for a good one to two minutes but make sure nobody touches the tray. Simply cover the tray and ask the kid to write the list of items they saw. The kid who can remember the most and write it down will win the game and be rewarded with lots of chocolates.

To play with younger kids, who don’t know how to write, you will need someone to do the writing job. Make sure that after each turn, you juggle the toys a bit so that the game stays fair as well as fun.

11. Doughnut Challenge

Doughnut Challenge

A very messy kids’ party game, but filled with cuteness and lots of fun indeed. As the name kind of gives it away, this game is all about eating a doughnut but with a challenge. The challenge is that the doughnuts will be hung from the trees or fans, whatever is available, and they will be tied to different threads. They will be a bit high, so the kids have to stretch their legs a bit to eat the doughnuts. To make it interesting, no hands are allowed.

Make sure you have extra doughnuts to serve to fill the stomach of the hungry kids later on. As you can imagine, this will lead to a lot of messy but cute faces, so carry lots of tissues with you.

12. Under Over

Awesome Birthday Kids Party Games for Kids .jpg

To play this kid party game, split the members equally into teams of two, preferably keeping the members between 4-8 in each team. Each team will line up in line with their members. The kid who is in front will be holding a ball or balloon, and he/she needs to pass the balloon to the person standing behind them. To make it more fun, have a ball or balloon in between the legs as well, and the kids need to pass the same too in a similar way. When both the balls reach the last, the kid who stood first will dash to the last position.

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The team will win when the kid who started the game initially comes to the first position again. Play some music to add to the rhythm of the kids. Make sure to record these kid party games and share them with the kids later to have a laugh.

13. Partners in Pen

Partners in Pen 

Partners in the pen are like dumb charades that adults play for fun. Partners in a pen kid party game is almost similar to that. You need to divide the kids into two teams to play this game. And each team will have a bag filled with household items. And the member of the same team will draw what the other is describing. The rule is that the name of the item shouldn’t be said out loud. To keep score, if the member gets it right, the team gets a point.

Playing this kid’s party game will require a little bit of patience from the kids. So it’s definitely not suitable for kids below five years old. Try to keep the items similar to both teams to keep the game fair.

14. Obstacle Course

Obstacle Course

This kid party game will really test the agility and stamina of the cute little guests you will have over for the party. As the name suggests, this includes having an obstacle course set up in your backyard, and whoever crosses the obstacle and gets to the finish line first wins the game. Obstacles can be anything, i.e., cones, balloons, chairs, tables, etc. To turn this kid party game into something more fun, have multiple rounds, and whoever wins the most will win the ultimate treat – chocolate and cake.

As a host, please have a basic medical aid kit ready for the games that run a risk of causing an injury. You don’t want any surprises in your party.

15. Balloon Burst

Balloon Burst

Balloon Burst is one of the classical kid party games existing worldwide. Why is it so popular? Other than being extremely fun, this game doesn’t require much effort to set up, and the cost of this kid party game is also on the lower side. To play this game, kids will sit on the balloon and try to make them blow. They cannot use their hands or any sharp objects for the same. To set this game up, you simply have to fill the balloons with treats and blow them up. Make sure that you get heavy-duty or big-size balloons that can take a little bit of weight.

When playing this kid party game, send the kids one by one to try and blow different balloons, or it will be hard to manage the kids if you send them all at once.

16. Cup Stacking

Cup Stacking

The name itself gives the entire game away, i.e., stacking the cups as high as possible until they tumble down. The rule is simple, whoever stacks the cups highest without making the whole stack fall wins the game. This is also an example of one of the easiest kid party games to set up. It’s filled with thrill and keeps everyone on their toes since it requires a lot of dedication and patience.

You can play this kid’s party game in teams or individually. We suggest playing this game in teams if you have a lot of kids coming over. You simply need to get a lot of cups and a diary to note down how many levels of stacks one team or a kid has successfully built.

17. Strip the Present

Strip the Present

Strip the Present is one such kid party game that will keep everyone on the edge of their seats throughout the game. In this game, kids gather around and remove the first layer on the pre-packed gift and pass the gift to the next in line and whosoever gets to remove the final layer can keep the gift. So you can tell how exciting and patient everyone has to wait for their chance. As a host, you need to make some extensive arrangements.

That will include wrapping gifts with a lot of layers. Ideally, have as many gifts as the number of kids wrapped up so that no kid leaves the party with a frown on their face.

18. Guess the Number in a Jar

Guess the Number in a Jar

Put different toys, preferably small in size, and put them in a transparent glass jar. This kid’s game is awfully simple. The kids just have to guess the number of items in a jar, and whoever gets it right or at least comes the closest wins the game and gets all the candies. This game doesn’t take much time, so it’s essential to complement this game with other games for a more fulfilling and enjoyable night.

To keep the game interesting, make sure the toys you include are of various sizes. Don’t forget to shuffle the items after each turn to keep the game fair.

19. Toe Grab

Toe Grab

A perfect kid party game to beat the summer heat as well as elevate the fun in your party. Toe grab is a simple game, though it might require you to arrange a container and fill it with artificial colorful marbles and one empty container. Kids will take turns grabbing the marble, which is submerged in water with their toes, and drop them in an empty containerwhich is placed next to it. Whoever puts the most marble in an empty container wins the game.

Make sure that the marbles that you buy don’t have sharp edges, or they might hurt the feet of the kids and can also make them bleed.

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20. Sock It Up

Sock It Up

We must say that this kid party game will be a breeze for you if you have lots of socks lying around in your home. Why? Because to play this game well, you require at least 5 pairs of socks for one kid. This kid’s party game is one of the funniest around. Just gather the kids around and start the timer of a minute and tell them to wear as many socks as possible. The kid who wears the most socks will win this game.

It is a perfect kid party game to play in winter, as the kids will be layering up with many socks to keep them warm. Avoid playing this game in extreme summers, or the feet of the kids might blister due to excessive heat.

21. Ping-Pong Blow

Ping-Pong Blow

This kid party game is not only popular with kids, but it’s also one of the favorite pastime games for adults as well. In this game, you need to arrange a table with a smooth surface or a ping pong table and several ping pong balls. The ball will be placed in the center of the table. Two kids will be playing against each other by blowing the ball in each other’s court, and whoever is successful wins the game of ping pong blow.

Do carry breath mints and give them to kids before you start the game. Also, keep water around as blowing dries the mouth, which might irritate the throats of children.

22. Hole in My Bucket

Hole in My Bucket

Hole in my bucket is a sort of kid party game that will take a long time to complete, so it’s advised to start this game as soon as possible. In this kid party game, the teams are divided, and each team has two kinds of buckets, i.e., one with holes and another bucket placed several feet away. When you say “Go,” each team should fill the bucket with a hole, carry it on their heads, and pour the water into the intact bucket. The team with the most water in the buckets wins the game.

Needless to say, this game is not advisable for someone below 7 years of age. Also, the bucket should be small and light to carry so that no one gets injured and the game stays fun.

23. Mummy Wrap

Mummy Wrap

Well, if your kid’s birthday falls in the month of October, then you should definitely incorporate this kid’s party game called mummy wrap into your plans. This game is spooky, goes along with the Halloween theme, and is extremely fun. There is no extensive preparation that this game requires, except that you will need a lot of toilet rolls. So, to start this game, divide the kids into two or three teams, and have them choose a kid to be the mummy. And when you start the timer, the kids will wrap the chosen mummy in the toilet roll, and whichever team rolls the most wins the game.

This game can teach kids the power of coordination and teamwork. On a lighter note, the kid wrapped in a toilet roll will be a sight to see for all your guests.

24. Bubble Wrap Race

Bubble Wrap Race

This kid’s party game will surely spread giggles and laughter at your party. Just get a large roll of bubble wrap, and go to the yard or any empty space where you can lay the wrap around 5 feet on the ground. The goal is to pass over the bubble wrap without bursting any bubbles. If you want to make it more competitive, you will need a bigger space where you can lay another bubble wrap in the same way. Then the kids can race to the finish line. Or you can set a time limit to cross the entire section of bubble wrap.

All in all, this game is super fun, and you can later use the purchased bubble wrap to pack up delicate things in case you move homes later or gift those items to someone.

25. Musical Statues

Musical Statues

Another kid party game that is famous worldwide and widely played on all sorts of occasions. Any game involving music is more fun than usual, and this is true for musical statute games. It’s the simplest game, and you don’t need any preparation to arrange this game. Gather the kids around, play some music, and pause the music abruptly. When the music stops, each kid should become a statue in the same position they were in. Whosoever moves even a bit loses the game and is out for further rounds.

This game gets quite funny, as you will see kids in various poses, which will be funny to see. Give chocolates to the eliminated kid so that everyone is happy at the end of the day.

Final Thoughts

We hope you enjoyed going through these different kid party games, their rules, and how to set up and play these fun games with your cute little guests. Some of these kid party games require preparation before the game, so make sure to do this in advance so you don’t run into any last-minute troubles.

Remember that the goal of the party is not to plan a perfect game but rather to have fun with the kids and give them a time they cannot easily forget.

Moreover, games will often have winners and losers, but it’s your responsibility as a host not to send kids back home with sad faces. So arrange enough treats for every kid, be it winners or losers.

Amanda Mitchell
Amanda Mitchell

Amanda Mitchell is a creative writer with over 15 years of experience in children's event planning who has graduated from Stanford University. Her experience includes a decade at a leading event management firm specializing in children's parties. Previously, she worked as a children's therapist, where she developed a deep understanding of child-friendly environments. She is well-known for her imaginative themes and attention to detail. Her hobbies include painting and writing children's books, which reflect her passion for celebrating life's special moments.

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