Six Birthday Party Games for Kids

What stands out in your mind about the birthday parties you went to when you were a child? If you're like most people, you probably remember the fun birthday party games. So when it's time for your birthday boy or girl to have their own party, you want to be sure to choose memorable games that will dance in the memories of your child and his friends long after the party itself has wound down.

There are several popular games that will give kids hours of fun. These include:

Stomp the Balloon

Blow up a balloon for each child and use a short piece of ribbon or string to attach the balloon to the child's ankle. At your signal, the children try to pop the other kids' balloons by stomping on them. The last child with an intact balloon wins. This is a great game to play outdoors or in a room with lots of space for running and jumping around.

Variations: If you like, you can sort the kids into teams of two or three. Each team wears the same color of balloon.

A word of warning: Some children are sensitive to noise and are frightened by the loud bang of balloons popping. If your child or another partygoer is easily startled by loud noises, give this one a pass and choose other birthday party games.

Scavenger Hunt

Scavenger Hunt is one of the classic birthday party games. Divide the partygoers into teams of two to three people each. Then give them a list of items to find. The first team to find every item on their list wins. For your own sanity, restrict participants to a certain area of the house or yard for their search-you don't want to be trying to monitor kids who are racing all over the neighborhood.

Variations: Outdoor partiers can look for items in nature-a rock, a bird feather, an orange leaf, etc. Indoor partiers can look for common household items such as a spoon, a pencil, or a shoe. You can also hide items that match the theme of the party.

Farmyard Jubilee

Write up slips of paper with the names of farm animals on them, one animal per slip of paper. Each animal should appear three times (e.g., there should be three horses, three chickens, three cows, etc.) Kids then draw the slips of paper, but they are not allowed to show their slips to anyone or tell anyone the name of the animal they have drawn.

At your signal, the kids start making the noise of "their" animal (e.g., neighing, clucking, mooing). They also start looking for the other two people who have drawn the same animal. The first group of three to correctly identify each other and sit down at a predetermined spot wins.

A word of warning: The larger the group, the more fun this birthday party game can be, but it can get awfully loud at times.

Save That Balloon!

This birthday party game works well for a relatively small group. Have the kids number off and form a circle. The birthday child stands in the middle of the circle holding a balloon over his or her head. The birthday child then drops the balloon while at a same time calling a number. The child whose number has been called must rescue the balloon before it touches the ground. If that child succeeds, she is "safe." If not, she trades places with the birthday child and becomes "It."

This birthday party game is popular with many parents because there are no winners or losers. It can also go on indefinitely as long as the kids are having a good time. Lively music can make this game even more fun.

Costume Relay

Divide the kids into two teams. Put together two wacky costumes, one for each team. A costume might consist of large shoes, skirts, tops, funny hats, jewelry, etc. Put each costume in a bag. At your signal, the first player on each team puts on the costume, races to a predetermined spot, removes the costume and puts it back in the bag, and then races back to the starting point where the next player in line is waiting to put on the costume. The first team to complete the race wins.

Variations: If there are several children attending the party, you can divide up into more than two teams. Just be sure that each team gets a costume. You can also tailor the costumes to reflect your party's theme. Princesses, for instance, might wear long skirts whereas explorers might where khaki shorts and large floppy hats.

A word of warning: Very young children might not have the coordination or the attention span to enjoy this game.

M&M Count

Fill a small jar with candy and give each child a chance to guess how many pieces of candy are in the jar. The child that guesses closest to the correct number wins the jar.

Variations: If you're trying to cut down on the sugar rush, you can also play this game with marbles, inexpensive toys, or pennies.

Your choice of games can make or break your child's birthday party, so take a little extra time and plan a truly unforgettable experience.