4 Fun Birthday Party Games

Birthday parties don't have to be big occasions for stressed-out parents and over-stimulated kids. They can be a carefully orchestrated event centered around a theme complete with a single game (or series of games) to keep kids entertained, engaged and having fun. Many birthday party games can be played with few, if any props and prizes can be anything your imagination dreams up. Below are four of multi-age birthday party games that can be adapted for the theme and age group of your party.

1. Party Guest
This game requires no props at all!

One child leaves the room (or area) for a pre-determined amount of time (no more than a minute). While he or she is out of hearing, the remaining guests decide who he or she will be when returning. When the person returns, the guests take turns suggesting things this person might have brought to the party. When the Party Guest guesses who he or she is, the Party Guest will trade places with the child whose clue was guessed. This birthday party game will probably not take a lot of time with younger kids and may be appropriate for a starting or ending game. For younger children it may help to offer some suggestions and help develop a list of items the guest may bring before the Party Guest returns to the room.

A variation on this game would be to have costumes or props that the guests then wear as each new Guest is guessed! This would work especially well with children who have a large dress up wardrobe that could be used in service to the game.

2. Mad Tea Party Croquet
This birthday part game requires a croquet set or a yard bowling/bocce set with garden stakes. You will need to create signs for each "wicket" with instructions such as "Jump", "Sing", "5 Jumping Jacks" or "Eat a cookie".

Obviously you will need warm weather and some room to romp for this giggle-inducing birthday party game. Set up the croquet course in any configuration you like, although for children who already know how to play croquet it may be easier to set it up in the traditional style. By each wicket, place a sign with instructions the party guests must follow. If you like, you can tape signs to the wickets, or, if you do not have a croquet set, create a garden stake maze with instructions on each garden stake. Each child takes a turn, either playing croquet in the usual way, or gently rolling lawn bowling balls at each garden stake. Each time a child passes through a wicket or touches a stake with the ball, he or she must follow the instructions on the wicket.

A variation would be to have the party guests create their own signs.

3. Razz-Ma-Tazz Balloons
You will need uninflated balloons for as many guests as you have. This can be an indoor or outdoor game.

Each child is given a birthday party balloon, a marker and (depending on the age) an adult helper. Have the kids put their name or draw some little picture on their balloon so they will be able to tell them apart. Line the party guests up at one end, with a goal or target at the other end. If you have a themed party, make the goal the "bad guy" from the theme. Children (with help from adults if need be) inflate their balloons, being careful not to pop them. On the count of three (or whenever!) have your guests release their balloons toward the target. The closet balloon to the target wins this fun, wacky and simple birthday party game.

A variation on this is to couple this game with tag -- where one child or team is "it" and tries to touch the other children, or team, with their deflating balloons. Another variation is to have the kids in teams and assign each a colored balloon (red team, blue team, etc). Designate points for how close to the target balloons get and keep score for several rounds. For most kids, just the sound of the "razzing" balloons is enough to make this game a riot.

4. Cotton-tail romp
You will need containers, spoons and cotton balls for this birthday party game. While you can play this indoor or outdoors, if you have wind this game will become quite frustrating.

Split your birthday party guests into teams. Each team has a container of cotton balls, a spoon (or for younger kids you may want a bigger object), an empty container and a blindfold. Teams take turns racing to get all their cotton balls into the other container -- blindfolded! Team makes can call out directions and warnings.

Variations: Use a bunny rabbit target and each team must secure the "tails" to the bunny. Another variation would be to have the children crawl, holding the spoons in their mouths (this cuts down on mid-course collisions, but you will want a spoon for each child)

The key to successful birthday party games is keeping track of what is working and what is not working. When you see the kids are not enjoying a game, or have grown tired of the game, move on! Be flexible and enjoy yourself. Your little birthday boy or girl will never be this age again and will remember the fun, not the details.