BIrthday Party Games for Kids

I always looked forward to celebrating my cousins' birthdays with them as kids growing up, as they always had the neatest birthday party games to play. The following games can be played with a few children or as many as you wish. They can also be scaled down for little tikes or made difficult for the older kids. Some require a little preparation that you can do ahead of time.

Go Fishing - This is a great birthday party game for small children. As long as they can walk, they'll have fun. Adults can help out, too. Items - you will need to get colored construction paper, printer paper is too light. For as many guests you have you will need a color for each guest, a straw for each guest, a strand of yarn about 3 feet long for each, peel and press magnetic tape cut into a small square, maybe 1/2" size (2 per guest) and 3 standard size metal paper clips for each guest. Preparation - You will need to cut out 3 large fish from each peice of construction paper. You can easily draw them by hand, just an arch on top, an under arch at the bottom and a 3 sided tail at the end. The point of the fish is the mouth, where you will slide on a paper clip. You can with crayon or marker draw a small black "eye" on each side of the head just above the paper clip mouth. You can make any shape fish you prefer, keep it simple. Your "fish" is now complete. Tie one end of the cut yarn onto the tip of one straw tight enough so that it won't slip off. The other end of the yarn you will place between 2 of the magnet squares you cut out and press the sticky magnets together, which will hold the yarn in place. You now have your "fishing pole". To make the "water" get a blue plastic table cloth and spread it out on the floor. This is your playing surface. Scatter all the colored fish into the water and you are ready for fun. The Object - Give each child a colored fish they have to "catch". By using only the fishing pole they have to pick up a fish at the paperclip with the magnetic end of the pole and have them race to a bucket, place the fish in it and the first person to get all their fish in the bucket wins. You can add as many fish for each player as you wish. This is great for color learning and hand/eye coordination. Kids love it and this birthday party game can be played outside or inside.

Frog Jumping - Just like musical chairs. Using brown paper bags, cut the bottom off and discard. Cut the bag down a seam, open it wide and make it a circle pattern to resemble a lilypad. Make one less lilypad as you have guests. Arrange them in a circle on the floor with jumping space between them, and again you can use a blue plastic table cloth as the water if you'd prefer. Start some SpongeBob music or any other water related tune and have the little frogs (the guests) hop to each lily pad as the music plays. When the music stops, the little frog left in the water is out. Remove one lilypad. Begin again until just one frog is left on the pad. This birthday party game can be played inside or outside.

What's in the Bag? - This is a learning game for little kids and could be devilish fun for older kids at a Halloween party. Use a dark colored bag, pouch, or even a brown paper bag. Put an object in it. Have each child place one hand in the bag and try to tell you what it is by feeling it. You can use a peice of fruit, such as a banana, a small shoe, toothbrush, any thing that has a distinct shape and small kids would know. You can have a few bags lined up and ready to go each with different objects in it. Just be sure you don't use any pointed objects. They can all take a turn and have them just shout out what they think it is after everyone has had a turn and they will be eager to see who was right. For older kids try using hairy, furry things, like a kiwi, or a soft dampened sponge. Kids will get sqeamish feeling that in a bag. A great Halloween party game, too.

The Memory Game - This is fun for the older kids. Preparation - You will need one large serving tray, any shape. Collect 10-15 household gadgets and place them on the tray, not touching. Ideas - potato peeler, nail file, thimble, small dixie cup (empty of course), toothbrush, bar of soap, etc. Have all the guests gather close together. Carry out the tray with all the objects on it. Tell all the guests they have approximately 40 seconds to "study" the tray of ojects with their eyes only not touching anything on the tray, then carry the tray out of the room. When you come back in the room, have each guest whisper in your ear all the objects they can remember that were on the tray. The one who remembers the most, wins. You can repeat this by using different items, and making their study time even shorter with each tray you bring out. To keep track, have the guests names on a sheet of paper. List all the objects down the left side of the paper, names across the top. check off each object each guest names correctly. Definitely a brain bender. And you can use objects to reflect your theme, too. For example, haivng a Toy Story Party? Have little toy peices on a tray, lego, toy soldiers, small container of playdough, a slinky, etc. Have fun with it.

All these birthday party games are fun, easy to prepare and very inexpensive. If you choose to give out prizes, visit your local dollar store. Older girls - give out hair accessories, for a toy related theme, give out Jacks, silly putty, boys love cars, army men, etc. Use your imagination.

Have FUN!