Classic Party Games 

Classic Party games for kids. Many of these we may remember playing when we were young. You can add variations to match the theme of your party by changing up the colors or the decorations. Many can be done indoor or outdoor and require very little to set up.

Quick Links to Our Classic Party Games

Pin the Tail on the Donkey

This can be changed to any theme....Pin the _______ on the _______. Get creative! We used this idea for a Dora and Diego themed birthday party.
Pin the Tail Variation
This classic party game Pin the Tail on the Donkey can be changed to accommodate your party's theme or any holiday. There are premade games you can purchase from any party supply store or store with a party section such as WalMart. You could print a picture, use a poster or if you are artistically inclined, draw one.

Materials

  • Large picture or poster
  • Blindfolds, Bandanna, or Extra Large Hat (covers eyes of the kids). Another idea is a sleep mask that you get from the Airlines.
  • Blu Tac is great for walls to protect them from paint chipping or peeling.
  • Masking or packing tape to attach poster, colored painters tape is useful to mark the starting line. Painters comes off easily without damage to carpets or wooden flooring.

Instructions

  • Tape the picture or poster low enough for the youngest child to reach on wall or stand up easel. Use Blu-Tac if you are concerned about paint peeling.
  • Mark the floor with painters tape to show children where to start from.
  • Assist child in placing bandanna, blindfold or hat on their head.
  • Place tail or token in their hand ready to place on poster.
  • Spin slowly in a circle a couple times for older children.
  • For younger children, guide them in the direction of the poster.
  • Child closest to the designated target is the winner, we like to give consolation prizes for all the children.

Tips

  • Be sure that the path is clear of objects when child is walking, no tables, sharp corners, rugs to trip on.
  • Young children may not want to wear the blind fold, they just enjoy sticking it on the poster.
  • For very young toddlers spin slowly, or not at all.

Pinata

Pinata's are wonderful birthday party games. Children love the challenge of hitting a pinata and waiting for the treats to fall. Fill with small candies, snacks or small toys or school supplies like erasers and pencil toppers. If it's near a holiday or holiday themed, you can find small plastic toys and items at the Dollar Tree. For a girls party, hair bands and clips can be added as well. We made our minecraft pinata with paper mache.
Pinata for Birthday Parties
  • Piñata
  • String or wire to hang Piñata.
  • Tree or somewhere to hang Piñata.
  • Blindfold
  • Piñata stick
  • If Pinata is home made or sold empty, small candies, small toys, erasers, pencils are great fillers. You can find some at stores like the Dollar Tree.

Instructions

  • Hang low enough for the youngest child to hit.
  • Designate an area for children to wait their turn safely. They will get excited and move closer when the candy starts to fall.
  • Place stick in child's hand and blindfold.
  • Guide them if necessary to the piñata.
  • Allow one or two swings so each child has a turn.

Safety Tips

  • Be sure to have a safe area for children to wait their turn.
  • Have rules for collecting the candies when they start to fall so they don't just rush in while someone is still swinging and also so that each child gets some of the prizes.

Mystery Objects

This birthday party game is great for all ages. Fill brown paper bags or a shoebox with various items and have children guess what it is. The winner is the one with the greatest number of items identified. This can be an ice breaker game or a game to start when some kids are finishing last activity like eating or while waiting for other kids to arrive.

Materials

  • 4-6 Small Shoe boxes
  • Wrapping Paper to cover boxes.
  • Scissors to cut a hole in the lid
  • Tape
  • Various small items (balls, shells, pebbles, sponge, buttons, etc)
  • Paper and pen for each child to list the objects they feel in the box.

Instructions

  • Decorate small shoe boxes with matching theme wrapping paper or stickers.
  • Cut a small hole in the top of the lid of a shoe box, just enough for a hand to fit comfortably.
  • Fill each with items.
  • Tape down the lid of the shoebox.
  • Allow each child 30 seconds to reach inside and feel the objects until each child has a turn. The one with the most correctly named objects is the winner.

Musical Chairs

Classic party games for kids birthday celebrations that will bring many laughs! Use entertaining music to make it interesting and decorations on chairs to make it festive. Substitute pillows for chairs for younger toddlers. Use fun music that sound like animals and have children walk around like elephants, or monkeys or marching music to march.

Materials

  • Chairs or pillows
  • Radio or stereo for music
  • Balloons or decorations for chairs (optional)

Instructions

  • Have enough chairs for all but one child. Example: If there are 10 children, you need 9 chairs.
  • Place chairs in the room so they are arranged either back to back in a line or in a small circle with seat facing out.
  • Have the children to form a larger circle around the chairs.
  • Instruct children to walk or march around the chairs until the music stops.
  • When the music stops, the children will sit in the chairs as fast as they can.
  • The child who is without a chair is "out" of the game.
  • Remove one chair.
  • Repeat until you have one child left who is the winner.

Tips

  • Have children who are out sit in an area away from the marching children to prevent accidental tripping
  • Have children who are out participate by cheering or clapping to keep them entertained
  • Depending on age you may want to limit number of children per game and length of music being played accordingly.

Cake Walk

Another kids birthday party game that will bring many laughs! Use entertaining music to make it interesting and decorations on chairs to make it festive. Substitute pillows for chairs for younger toddlers. Use fun music that sound like animals and have children walk around like elephants, or monkeys or marching music to march.

Materials

  • Construction paper, cardboard or cardstock
  • Radio or stereo for music
  • Marker or print out numbers
  • Tape (optional)
  • Small prizes
  • Small bowl with numbered pieces of paper

Instructions

  • Number squares of cardboard with marker or print out numbers and affix to square. Make one per child.
  • Arrange in a circle or oval.
  • Write or print numbers on small pieces of paper corresponding with the number of squares.
  • Have each child stand on a square.
  • Instruct children to walk or march in order until the music stops.
  • When the music stops, the children will freeze on the closest numbered square.
  • Pick a number from the bowl. The child standing on that number wins a small prize.
  • Continue until each child has won a prize.

Tips

  • For young children, make large numbers for children to match to the square they are stepping on.

Easy Games

Here are some easy classic party games for filling in time and waiting to transition to the next part of your party. They are easy to follow and require no props to set up.

Simon Says

    Choose someone to be Simon. Simon gives commands. When someone follows a command that does not begin with "Simon says..., he or she is out out the game. Simon continues giving commands until there is only one person left. This person becomes Simon if you continue with a second round.

7-Up Heads Up

    Have 7 people stand in front of the group. Have the rest sit down. One person in the front say, "Heads down, thumbs up" When each of the original seven have touched one person's thumb, they stand in front again, and someone says "Heads up Seven Up". Each "tagged" player has to guess who tagged them out of the original seven people. If they get it right, they become one of the seven people, so basically they switch spots. If they get it wrong, these people stay where they are.

I Spy

    This is a great classroom or birthday party game when you need a few minutes before the next activity. One person is the "Spy" and says, "I spy with my little eye something that begins with the letter "__". The other children try to guess what it is. The child who guesses correctly gets to by then next "Spy".

Duck Duck Goose

    Easy class or birthday party game. Children sit in a circle. Choose a person to walk around the outside of the circle. As they walk they tap each head gently and say, "Duck..." On one child's head say, "Goose." That child gets up and chases the person tapping heads. If they catch them by tagging, then that person remains the tapper. If that person runs around the circle and sits where the "goose" was without getting caught, the goose becomes the next tapper.