Classic Kids' Birthday Party Games

I have put together a list of classic kids' birthday party games.

Most children know these games very well, and they will be excited to play them!

I find that classic games are great icebreakers. When you invite kids who don't know each other very well, traditional games will bring them closer together.

They will think to themselves "I like this game. Other kids here seem to like it as well. Then I like those kids too!" Kids' birthday party games listed below will create a bond among children at your party.

If you're concerned that Simon Says and Hot Potato are only preschool party games, don't be. These games will be a hit among preteens as well!

Treasure Hunt: Pirates aren't the only ones who love to look for treasure - kids do, too. A treasure hunt is a wonderful activity for any type of children's birthday party, and best of all, everyone gets to take a bit of treasure home.

Before the guests arrive, hide the treats and toys all around the party room. (It's best to play this game before any others because children might accidentally discover some of the treasure while playing other games.)

Hide the items in plain sight by matching the colors or shapes of the other objects in the party room. For example, if you're hiding a red jelly bean, put it next to a red book on the shelf so it's camouflaged but still easy to find. Hide the items behind furniture or other objects instead of inside drawers or between seat cushions.

At game time, gather children together, hand them lunch bags to hold the treasure, and tell them to find the hidden goodies. Give them three minutes (or more or less time, depending on the group) to find the items. Every time they find a toy or treat, they should put it in their sack and quickly move on. When the time is up, count the items in each child's bag and see who found the most - that child is the winner.

"Treasure Hunt" Variations:

*Let the kids take turns hiding all the treasure - it's fun for them to watch the rest of the gang try to discover their creative hiding places.

*Instead of letting the treasure hunt be a free-for-all, write up some cryptic clues to lead children from one site to the next. (It's best for younger children to work as a team when they play kids' birthday party games).

If you've hidden treasure in the bathtub, write a clue that says: "Rub-a-Dub-Dub," and let the kids try to figure out where to go next to find the reward. You'll need to read the clues to preschoolers or use pictures of objects cut out of magazines for clues, and you may have to coach them if they get stuck.

Duck, Duck, Goose: This children's birthday party game is easy to learn and it is packed with action and suspense.

All of the players sit in a wide circle - they are the Ducks. Pick one child to be the Fox. The Fox walks slowly around the outside of the circle, tapping the top of each Duck's head lightly while saying "Duck".

After a few moments of this, the Fox chooses a Goose by tapping lightly one player's head and calling out, "Goose!" The Goose must quickly rise and chase the Fox around the circle. Goose has to tag the Fox before he reaches the spot where the Goose was sitting. If the Fox reaches the spot and sits down before being tagged, he is safe. Then the Goose becomes the Fox. If the Fox is tagged while running, he must start the game again.

"Duck, Duck, Goose" Variations:

*Change the Duck, Goose, and Fox to other animals or pets. The characters can be more contemporary - choose three characters from "Duck Tales," "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles," or The Little Mermaid.

*Another variation is to play Duck, Duck, Gray Duck, with the kids saying "Gray Duck" to signal the chase. For added fun, they can put other adjectives in front of the word "Duck" as they go around the circle. For instance, a child could say, "Red Duck," "Sleepy Duck," "Silly Duck" and then say, "Gray Duck," to signal the chase.

Pin the Tail on the Donkey: This game is a classic for pre-school party-goers. It is a great indoor game that's appropriate for a small or a large group.

Before the game, tape a poster of a donkey to the wall of the party room (make sure the area in front of the poster is clear of furniture.) Prepare a tail for each player by writing his or her name on it.

At game time, have the players form a line in front of the donkey poster. One by one, hand them a donkey tail, blindfold them, and spin them in a circle three times until they are facing the donkey again. (Make sure the blindfold isn't too tight and that it covers their eyes completely.) They must stick the tail where it belongs on a donkey. The player who gets closest to the correct spot is the winner.

"Pin the Tail on the Donkey" Variations:

*You can also use the "feather on the Indian", the "backpack on the hiker", or the "balloon on the clown's nose".

*Try a rabbit poster. Have the children stick a cotton ball onto the poster for the tail.

Simon Says: This is one of the most popular preschool party games. It will be popular with a young crowd, but even preteen players will enjoy it!

One player will be Simon. His or her job is to call out, "Simon says (describe the action)," and demonstrate the action that the group should mimic. Everyone in the group must do what Simon says only if he begins his command with the phrase "Simon says." If Simon describes and demonstrates an action but doesn't say "Simon says," the group should ignore the command. For example, if Simon says, "Put your hands on your head," any player who puts his hands on his head is out.

Another way Simon can trick the other players is by simply doing a movement without saying anything at all. Any kids who copy the movement are out. The faster Simon's commands, the more confused the other players get! The last player remaining wins the game and becomes Simon in the next round.

"Simon Says" Variations:

*You can play Simon if the group is made up of really young kids. Be sure to include some silly commands like "Simon says burp" or "Simon says do a silly dance." This is especially fun and silly when the kids come to the party in costumes.

*Have the kids use their own names when calling commands to personalize the game a little. Or use a funny name like "Terminator says..." to give them the freedom to giggle and act silly.

Blind Man's Bluff: How well do your guests know their friends? This fun game will help them find out! Best Man's Bluff is best-suited for a large group of children that know each other.

Choose one player to be the Blind Man and blindfold him. All of the players form a circle around the Blind Man with their hands joined. The players start moving in one direction until the Blind Man claps three times. At that time, the players in the circle must stop. And the Blind Man points out to one of them and is given one guess to name that person.

If the Blind Man guesses correctly, the two players switch places. And if he guesses incorrectly, the player steps into the middle of the circle with the Blind Man.

The Blind Man stays blindfolded and tries to catch his chosen player, who in turn tries to avoid being caught. Once the Blind Man catches the player in the circle, he must try to identify the player by touching the player's clothing, hair, and other features (the player must stand still while the Blind Man does this).

When the player is correctly identified, the Blind Man removes the blindfold and joins the circle, and the identified player becomes the Blind Man. Play continues until everyone has taken a turn being the Blind Man.

"Blind Man's Bluff" Variations:

*During the chase part of the game, the child in the circle with the Blind Man can make funny sounds to attract (or distract) the Blind Man.

*A fun variation eliminates the chase part of the game - instead, the players move in a circular motion around the Blind Man, while singing a song of their choice. When the song ends, the Blind Man points to one of the players and gives a funny command such as "Howl like a wolf," or "Talk baby talk." The Blind Man then tries to identify the player, and if he does, the two switch places. Otherwise, the game continues with the players circling and singing again.

Hot Potato: Hot Potato is a game that will really keep things "moving" at your party.

The players sit in a circle, facing the leader who is seated in the middle. The leader (you or one of your kids) starts the game by throwing or passing (depending on age) the potato to a player of her choice. Next, she closes her eyes once the game gets underway (she must close her eyes so she can't tell who has the potato at any given time). The first player must catch the Hot Potato and toss it to another player quickly.

Play continues with the Hot Potato getting tossed at random throughout the circle. If the Hot Potato is tossed out of play, the last person who touched it should be the one to get it. After a short period of time, the leader shouts out, "Hot Potato!" Whoever is caught holding the Hot Potato at that moment leaves the circle and is out of the game. The game continues in this manner with the players gradually being eliminated. The last player left is the winner.

"Hot Potato" Variations:

*If the game is played outdoors, use a water balloon for the Hot Potato so that the kids must handle it more gently. If it's dropped during play, it will break and splash water on everyone. This adds suspense to the game! Remember to tell the guests to bring bathing suits or old clothes to the party.

*Have the players toss hollowed, confetti-filled eggshells. Carefully poke two holes on either end of an egg and clean out the yolk by holding the egg upright and blowing though one hole. The yolk will drip out of the other hole - you might need to use a pin or needle to break up the yolk if it won't come out. Then rinse the eggshell with water and let it dry thoroughly. Once it's dry, use a funnel to fill it with confetti, tape both holes closed, and give it to the kids to toss back and forth - until the unexpected happens!

Musical Chairs: This birthday party game is a great way for a group of kids to let off some steam without getting out of control. Try some creative options and the kids won't want to stop playing!

Arrange the chairs in a line with every other chair facing in the opposite direction. If there isn't much space available, put the chairs back to back or in a circle. The players stand by the chairs, all facing the same direction. Choose one player to be the leader, or play the leader yourself. The leader stands away from the players and is in charge of the music.

When the leader starts the music, the kids march around the chairs in single file. As soon as the leader stops the music, the players scramble for the nearest empty chair and sit down quickly. Whoever is left without a chair leaves the game. One chair is then removed from the line so that there is one less chair than players. The game continues until two players are left to battle over the chair. The player who sits down first (when the music stops) is the winner.

"Musical Chairs" Variations:

*Instead of chairs, use pillows or sofa cushions.

*Play music the kids will like, such as tunes from "Sesame Street" or the music of popular children's folk singers. Or prerecord a variety of songs, spaced at 10-second intervals, so no one has to monitor the music. You can also spin the radio dial and have the kids scramble for chairs when you get to a song.

*Tape an inflated balloon to the seat of each chair before the game and tell the players that they not only have to sit in the chair but also pop the balloon! This should prevent any disputes over who is actually sitting in the chair (the one sitting on top of the popped balloon gets to stay in the game). After each round, tape another inflated balloon to each chair. The kids will love the sound effects!

*For a really different version, toss items of clothing on the floor and spread them out so each piece is visible. Have one less item than players. Then use the basic rules of Musical Chairs to play, with the kids putting on a piece of clothing quickly when they hear the music stop. The player who doesn't get an article of clothing to put on is out of the game. Remove one item every time a player leaves the group.