Category — Games

Children’s Outdoor Party Games

Kids love playing outdoors. What better way to make a party fun, than to plan some fun children’s outdoor party games! Here are some ideas to get you started:

JUMP ROPE CONTEST
Take turns racing, while jumping rope, from a beginning to ending marker. The child that reaches the end first without falling wins.

THREE-LEGGED RACE
Pair off children and tie their right and left legs together. Race from one end of the yard to the other.  The team that makes it to the end of the yard first wins the race.

BADMINTON
Just about every kid loves badminton. Set up a net and separate kids into teams for a fun game of badminton. Play quick matches of 15 points, then mix up the teams and start all over again.

YARD SPRINKLER
Many department stores carry fun sprinklers that you can attach to your garden hose. These are always a huge hit for outdoor kid parties. Just screw the sprinkler into the end of the hose, set it in the middle of your yard, and let the kids have fun running through the water.

WATER BALLOON TOSS
This is another fun outdoor game for kids. After running through the yard sprinkler, have water balloons ready to go. Group kids together in pairs. Let them take turns tossing the balloons to each other from a distance. The pair that ends up with the remaining water balloon in tact wins.

WATERMELON SEED-SPITTING CONTEST
Cut big slices of watermelon and pass out to all the kids. See who can spit their watermelon seeds the farthest.

For more great Kid Party Games ideas, click here

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Free Children Party Games

Every kids party needs fun games. These free children party games ideas are sure to be a hit at your next party.

Shave the balloon:
Mess factor: 10 
Suitable ages: Pre-teens or teens
Supplies needed: balloons, shaving cream, disposable razors, and newspapers (optional)

Directions: Blow up balloons before party time. Spread shaving cream all over a balloon. Let kids take turns “shaving” a balloon. The object of this game is to shave your balloon completely without popping it.

Side note: This game should be played outdoors because of the mess factor. If playing indoors, spread newspaper on the floor before you begin.

Crazy Faces:
Mess factor: 0 
Suitable age: Pre-teen and younger
Supplies needed:  disposable cameras or digital cameras

Directions: Let kids take turns snapping pictures of each other making crazy faces. The object of this game is to see who can make the craziest face. Kids can take a vote and give a prize to the craziest face.

Pass the Egg:
Mess factor: 10 
Suitable age: All ages
Supplies needed: eggs, spoons

Directions: Group kids into pairs. Place one egg on a spoon, and then have a child to place the end of the spoon between their teeth. One child walks halfway to the finish line, and then passes the egg (from one spoon to the other) to their partner’s spoon. The partner then attempts to reach the finish line without breaking the egg. The object of this game is for partners to successfully pass the egg from one spoon to another and reach the finish line without splattering the egg everywhere.

Side note: This game is best played outdoors because of the mess factor.

Silly Story:
Mess factor: 0 
Suitable ages: Younger children
Supplies needed: articles of clothing, odd accessories (costume jewelry, floppy hats, etc.)

Directions: Sit kids in a circle. Make a pile of the story-telling items in the center of the circle. The first child starts the silly story by selecting a piece of clothing or an accessory from the pile. She puts it on, then makes up a silly story line. Example: A child might say something like, “Suzie needed a gallon of milk, but her hair was too short so she put a hat on her head.” While saying this, the child places a hat on her head. The next child follows in suit, choosing something from the clothing pile and putting it on while adding to the story. The story continues in the circle until every dress-up item is used and the story has ended. The object of this game is to have fun making up a silly story and dressing up.
For more great Kid Party Games ideas, click here

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Fun Kids’ Party Balloon Games
 by: Anne-Marie Killer

Here are some kid party balloon game ideas your kid and his/her guests will love!

Have lots of prizes for the winners.

These games are best played outdoors!

“Easy Teams” The kids have to line themselves up from shortest to tallest – BUT they are not aloud to talk! They may use gestures etc. but no talking. Once lined up, let alternate kids step forward. This is one team – the kids remaining in line is the other team.

“Nose the Balloon” Let the kids make teams of two. Each team gets a large balloon they must blow up. Between them, they must keep the balloon in the air bumping it only with their noses. Each time it falls on the ground they loose a point – each team starting with say 100 points. The team who takes the longest to loose all its points is the winner

“Pass the Balloon” Each team gets a sausage balloon they must blow up. Line the teams up, giving the kid in front each a balloon. They must squeeze the balloon between their knees, balloon pointing forward. On the word go, the kids must pass the balloon to the next kid in the line, without using hands and without dropping or popping it! A dropped balloon must be picked up using knees only. A popped balloon is replaced with a new one, but the team must start again. Have prizes for the winning team.

“Stomp the Balloon” Each kid gets a balloon and a piece of string about a yard long. They must blow up the balloon and tie the string to the balloon and to his ankle. There should be enough string between the foot and the balloon. The kids must now try to stomp and pop each other’s balloons. The winner is the last one with an un popped balloon.

“Balloon Relay” Each team gets 10 balloons. The first one to go in each team must blow the balloon up, then run to a marked line and then pop the balloon by sitting on it or stomping it. Once the balloon has popped they must run back and tag the next team member who repeats the process. The winner is the team who has popped all its balloons first.

“Toss the Water Balloon” Kids stand face to face in pairs holding one water balloon per pair. They toss it to each other. After each successful toss they take one step back. The pair whose tossing distance is the greatest, without dropping the balloon, is the winner

“Have a Popping Balloon” Kids in pairs stand in a line, back to back. Each pair has a balloon held between their backs. On “go” they should try and pop the balloon using only their backs. First pair whose balloon pops is the winner. Play until all balloons are popped.

“Balloon Number Game” Kids stand in a circle all numbered from one onwards. The kid with the highest number goes in the center. He holds a balloon, shouts a number and throws the balloon up in the air. The kid whose number was called must catch the balloon before it touches the ground. He or she then repeats the process. Whoever fails to catch the balloon is out. Have a parent throw the balloon when only 2 kids are left.

“Water Balloon Relay” Divide kids into two teams. Provide each team with a number of water balloons. (At least one balloon per team member) The first one to go in each team must place a water balloon between its knees and hobble to the finish line, dropping the balloon in a bucket without using hands. He/she then runs back to the team, tags the next kid and the process is repeated. If the balloon is dropped the kid must grab it by hand, run back to the start and start all over. The winning team is the one who manages to get the most balloons in their bucket.
About The Author

Anne-Marie Killer is a mother of two teenagers and a toddler. She is the webmaster and owner of www.Perfect-Party-Ideas.com.

Read her blog where she documents the process of setting up http://www.Perfect-Party-Ideas.com at http://www.perfect-party-ideas.blogspot.com 

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Fun Treasure Hunt
 by: Owen Winter

Treasure Hunt…

Make a Birthday (or any reason for a gift) into a fun time for all…… First the short simple version:- Put a clue in a Birthday card that leads to another clue, then another clue, until eventually they find the presant..just like a real treasure hunt. For the finer points ..read on….

For many years I have not GIVEN Birthday or Christmas presents to my children, instead they receive their Celebration card and in the card is a simple clue written on a piece of paper. (Depending on the age and ability of the birthday child would depend on the clue they receive).

The general idea is to play treasure hunt on whatever scale you feel the recipient can manage…E.g. Young children from 4 to 10 would probably be restricted to the house and garden. Teenagers may like to travel to local malls or shops..for adults unless you have a rocket to play with ..the world is big enough!!

This Idea works like this. Get a piece of paper and a marker pen and think of areas where you could put a clue that will direct them to another clue….e.g.. Clue— “Where does Buzz light year go when the play room is tidy?” The answer is “the toy box” When they figure that out, tell them there is another clue in the toy box. They now go to the toy box and find a clue (may be fixed to Buzz Lightyear) it could say “where do you store your bike??” The answer could well be the shed or garage…so the child goes to the shed or where ever the bike is stored and there, fixed to the bike, is another clue.

The Treasure hunter will enjoy this much more than just getting the present given to them. Try it yourself( do a dummy run with your partner and see what fun it is).I suggest making the treasure hunter work a bit so why not put the first clue down stairs and the second one up stairs and then the third one in the garage..think of two places a long way from each other then watch and enjoy as your treasure hunter runs around the place looking for the next clue! After four of 5 clues (or more if you like, sometimes a clue could send them to the fridge for an Ice cream..then they find a clue fixed to the ice cream!). They eventually find the present that you may have hidden in a draw or under the settee.

Some clues can be tricky so you may have to give hints or tips. This could take the form of the game “charades” where you can give a clue, but you can’t speak, you only give signs. Writing the clue is especially suited to personal family jokes or Information i.e. Clue:- “This is where the item that Granny broke last Christmas used to be”….may be she broke the vase on the fireplace, so they go to the fireplace where the vase used to be and find a clue there. (for an adult version, I guess you could hide the clues about your person! I shall say no more on that!!)

There are many variations on this simple Idea, for example… for teenagers this can be made into your major party game. Your clues could suggest they go to a few local shops or places of interest. The way that works is to select the places you think would be good to visit (may be you know the shopkeeper or assistant there) and deposit a clue in a brightly coloured envelope with the shopkeeper or assistant at each place. When preparing for the treasure hunt, just go to the selected place and explain you have a treasure hunt for a party game and would they mind if the their establishment was a place for a clue to be kept? (I find giving the assistant a few bucks as a tip is a good way to get it two work smoothly).

If the assistant agrees check they know what your treasure hunter looks like and give them a password that the treasure hunter must say before they receive the clue envelope. Tell them an approximate time (and day) that your treasure hunter should arrive. When the treasure hunter arrives they ask for the password (which was on the previous clue), if it is correct handover the clue. Once, in a candy shop, I pre paid for six packets of candy, this way, when my lad and his mates came in, they got a packet of candy as well as the clue…

As for the clues themselves write them in big letters on a sheet of A4 or A5 as you may have quite a few people in the treasure hunt party all wanting to read the same clue. The bigger and brighter the envelope you put the clue in , the better! (I tend to keep all the envelopes the same size and colour, this helps with continuity and is an assurance they are getting the correct envelope) . you can make the treasure hunters work out the location of the next clue with a word game. An anogram of GOD has the clue under their food bowl… You can really put some work in and bury a clue in a box or a bag, may be in the garden or even a public place like a beach or under some stones in a park. The places to hide the clues are endless..as the envelope has no value as such they should not be stolen if you hide them well.

How do they get around? they could all be on their bikes or you can say you will be the driver..that way you can enjoy the fun, they get to be the back seat driver and keep you can an eye on them all.

Have fun

This fun family idea is brought to you by Owen Winter http://www.creditcard-website.com
About The Author

Owen Winter

Family finance is important visit my site at, http://www.creditcard-website.com for the best cards and click the cards to see their offers. If a card suits you , you can sign up on line. 

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Glow-in-the-Dark Scavenger Hunt
 by: Wendy Legendre

A scavenger hunt is a fun and popular game that is adaptable to any age group, location or celebration. Variations to the classic scavenger hunt are only limited to the creator’s creativity and imagination. There are indoor hunts, outdoor hunts, internet hunts, corporate hunts, handbag hunts, video hunts, photo hunts… and NOW… glow-in-the dark hunts.

When planning your next evening scavenger hunt, consider a glow-in-the-dark scavenger hunt. Here are just a few ideas to get your creativity and imagination to work.

Gather several small objects like a penny, a ruler, an apple, etc. and paint each one with glow-in-the-dark paint. Allow the items time to dry and to get plenty of exposure to light. Next, make a list, hide the items and invite your guests to find them at your designated location in a specified amount of time.

Note: There are small tubes and/or bottles of glow-in-the-dark paint available in Walmart’s craft department or at many craft stores. I’ve even found some at the dollar store on occasion. The paint hardly shows when you put it on, so test your items in a dark room before you hide them to see how they look and to be sure they’ve had enough exposure to light.

More ideas…

Paint small things like a flower, a letter, a star or any other shape on various large items around your yard or venue and have your guests try and find where these pictures are located.

Paint letters on several different objects around the yard which spell a clue or secret word that the teams have to find the letters for and unscramble.

Paint different denominations of coins and have teams collect a specified amount of money. This will add an extra dimension, since the winner won’t necessarily be the team that finds the most coins but the team that finds a total of $5.00 first (or whatever amount you choose).

If your budget allows and you don’t feel like painting, purchase numerous glow-in the-dark items (bracelets, erasers, balls, tape – available at most dollar stores, novelty stores or party stores). Make up a list, assign a point value for each item and start your hunt.

Glow-in-the-dark items can be seen everywhere, from concerts to amusement parks, flea markets to your local department store. Whether you choose to use one of these ideas or make up one of your own, know that glow-in-the-dark paint and accessories are always a fun party addition.

Interested in taking this party idea a step further? Have glow-in-the-dark makeup available for your guests to paint their hands and faces. It’s fun to see everyone glowing as they’re searching for hidden items in the dark .

Remember… Play safe! Have Fun! Try something new!

About The Author

Wendy Legendre has hosted hundreds of kids’, youth, ladies’, and community programs and events, showers, birthday parties, slumber parties, and camps over the last 25 years. She also directs local theater productions and teaches drama at a small private school. If you are planning a party, shower, scavenger hunt or any other gathering or event visit http://www.diva-girl-parties-and-stuff.com/scavenger-hunts.html for party games and ideas.
 

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Christmas Parlour Games
 by: Wendy Legendre

Christmas parlour games are fun, relaxing, group-involving games played indoors in a cozy sitting room. They are competitive, yet scoring is rarely important. A hearty pat on the back for a game well played is usually the best reward. One of the most popular parlour games of all time is charades. To play Christmas charades compose a list of Christmas carols, Christmas movies or Christmas items and let the drama begin. (Note: To avoid being stumped for material at your gathering it is important to prepare these lists ahead of time.)

When you’ve finished acting up, gather the family in the livingroom (parlour) and enjoy some more Christmas parlour games. That’s right, take a break from the tv and share lots of good old-fashioned family fun. Try one or more of the following parlour games and create family memories that will last a lifetime.

Christmas Parlour Game #1 – Yes and No

Give each player five pennies. Have the players pair off and engage in conversation with each other. Players must trick their conversation partners into saying either ‘Yes’ or ‘No’. The first of the pair to say ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ is given a penny by his opponent. The players then split up and move to different partners. The first player to get rid of all five of his pennies wins.

Christmas Parlour Game #2 – Pan Tapping

One player is sent out of the room. The remaining players then choose a task they would like this player to perform when he returns (eg. pick up and open a particular book, remove another player’s shoes, sit on a particular chair). When the outside player returns he is guided towards the task he must perform by one of the players who has been given a pan and a spoon. This player taps faster and louder as the outsider gets closer to the object he needs to use for the task and taps slower and softer as the outsider moves away from it. This continues till the outsider has found the object and performed the task required. It then becomes the pan-tapper’s turn to leave the room while a new task is chosen.

Christmas Parlour Game #3 – Thimble Hunt

Everyone is sent out of the room except the person whose turn it is to hide the ‘thimble’ (or other small object). That person must hide the thimble in a place where it can be seen without moving anything. When the players are called back into the room, they are instructed to hunt for the thimble without moving anything or touching anything. The player who finds the ‘thimble’ will be the next one to hide it.

Christmas Parlour Game #4 – Picture Frame Game

Each player takes turns holding an empty picture frame in front of his face, through which he can look at the other players. He must keep his face completely immobile for a period of sixty seconds (except for the odd blink) while the other players make as many silly, distorted sounds and faces as possible to get him to laugh, smile, or move his face. Kudos to the player who can actually last for sixty seconds.

Christmas Parlour Game #5 – Pass the Stocking

Have all players sit in a relatively tight circle. Pick a player to sit in the center of the circle. Have this person close his eyes while a stocking is passed from player to player behind their backs. At a time of his choosing, the center person opens his eyes and the passing stops immediately. The center person must then guess who has the stocking. If he guesses right he trades places with that player. If he guesses wrong he closes his eyes and the passing begins again.

Christmas Parlour Game #6 – Odd or Even

Each player is given 10 pennies. A player puts any amount of those coins in one hand, chooses an opponent, holds out his clenched fist to that opponent and asks ‘Odd or Even?’ If the opponent guesses correctly he hands over one of his coins to his challenger. If he guesses incorrectly he is handed a coin by the opponent who just challenged him. These two players then reverse roles, going through the same challenge. Next, the two players split up and seek new opponents. The first player to get rid of all his coins wins.

About The Author

Wendy Legendre has hosted hundreds of kids’, youth, ladies’, and community programs and events, showers, birthday parties, slumber parties, and camps over the last 25 years. She also directs local theater productions and teaches drama at a small private school. If you are planning a party, shower, scavenger hunt or any other gathering or event visit http://www.diva-girl-parties-and-stuff.com/christmas-party-games.html for party games and ideas. 
 

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