Birthday Party Games

1. COTTON BALL RUN-- Supplies needed: A bag of cotton balls (check out your local market, dollar store, etc.); Soup Spoons (one spoon for each
team); Two Cups for each team

First split your group into as many teams as needed. Usually between 5 and 10 people on a team works well. If you have mixed age groups, you can make sure there are some older and younger people on each team, or make the teams the young against the seniors, etc.

Second, set up a start and finish line. The teams line up behind each other on the start line. Give the first person in the line the spoon. You place one cup at the start line with 10 cotton balls in it and one cup (empty) at the finish line for each team.

Third, on your count -- ready, set, go! The first person in line scoops up a cotton ball on the spoon. (They must not touch the cotton ball with their hands) That person must 'race' to the finish line without dropping the cotton ball. (If the cotton ball falls, they must scoop it up --no hands-- and continue their race to the finish line. Then they put the cotton ball in the finish line cup and race their spoon back to the start line. They hand off the spoon to teammate #2 and that racer scoops up his cotton ball and makes their cotton ball run. This continues until all 10 cotton balls have been transported successfully.

Objective: Be the first team to complete the Cotton Ball Run and your team is the winner. The final runner must race back to the start line and tag his teammates to win the game. Make sure you add this to your list of great Birthday Party Games.

2. Golf Ball Water Hazard-- Supplies needed: Old golf balls (Make sure you have at least 3 to 4 dozen.) You can usually buy these really cheap if you check out yard sales, church bazaars, golf courses, newspaper ads, etc. ; Permanent marker; Large spoons, soup ladles or scoops(one spoon for each team); Large rubber storage container or tub (something that will hold water and be at least 1 to 2 feet deep); Water; A timer, stop watch or a clock with second hand

First you'll need to use your permanent marker to mark the golf balls with 'point' numbers. I usually mark them with 5, 10, 15, 20, etc. Each ball will have a different number on it. Example: With 3 dozen balls I would mark 1 dozen with a '5', 1 dozen with a '10' and 1/2 dozen with a '15' and 1/2 dozen with a '20'.

Second, fill your tub 3/4 full of water and dump your golf balls into the tub.

Third, split your group into teams (I usually like to have at least 4 teams)

Fourth, on your count -- ready, set, go! The first person on each team has 20 seconds to scoop up golf balls using only their spoon/scoop.(NO HANDS) (All 4 teams are scooping at the same time so it makes quite a mess!) When the 20 seconds is up you add up the points on the golf balls for that round. Then, the second person on each team does the same and so on until all players have completed the task.

Objective: Hope your team scoops the highest counting golf balls for the Golf Ball Water Hazard. The team with the highest combined points wins this great Birthday Party Game

3. Rubber Chicken Toss -- Supplies needed: Hula hoop and Rubber Chickens (you can buy these at a party supply store or can often find them at a dollar store)

First, split your group into teams.

Second, place the hula hoop in a central location

Third, Each team must stand at least 20 feet from the hula hoop

Fourth, on your count -- ready, set, go! The first person on each team tosses their rubber chicken toward the hula hoop (Aiming for the center of the hoop)(All tossers must toss at the same time--this makes the chickens bounce off each other and is part of the fun) When all chickens have landed, you give points as follows: 20 points for any chicken that lands completely inside the hoop; 10 points for any chicken that lands partially in the hoop; and 5 points for any chicken that was thrown but didn't land in the hoop.

Objective: Have your team make their chicken toss count! The team with the highest score at the end of the toss, wins this great Birthday Party game