You Got Game? 10 Great Birthday Party Games

I have a 5-year-old daughter and a lot of nephews and nieces with whom I have celebrated and even helped coordinate parties. Birthday parties are the biggest hits for children and what makes them most popular is not only the sweets but the games. Here are 10 games that I've found to be quite popular with young and old alike. My daughter loves them. I've also noticed that there are multiple variations to some of these games to make them more challenging and applicable to a more mature crowd. The following list will include applicable age bracket, number of players, game description and rules.

1) Longest happy birthday

Age group: This game is applicable to children 3 years old and up

Number of players: 2 or more

Game description:

This is a vocal game wherein the player has to say "Happy Birthday" to the celebrant, extending the last syllable of the celebrant's name for as long as he/she can. The player who can extend the last syllable the longest is the winner

2) The ever popular "bring-me" game

Age group: This game is applicable to children 3 years old and up.

Number of players: 2 or more

Game description:

The object of the game is to be the first person to bring to the host what is the object being requested. The host calls out the name of an object or person which the audience have to bring to the front in order to win. The more mature the audience the more eccentric objects will be a lot more fun.

3) Relay games

There are multiple versions to this game depending on the age group, how active you want to get, and what supplies you have available:

a) Funny walk - there are also multiple versions to this game:

· * Balloon between legs

Age group: This game is great for children 3 years old and up.

Number of players: At least 2 teams with 5 in each group

Game description:

This is popular easy to play for school children. You will need a balloon for each team and a marker to be placed at the other end of the room. You may set a chair as a marker at the other end of the room where the players can go around and back to the starting point. Each team has 1 to go around this marker with a balloon between their legs. Each player has to pass the balloon to his/her next team mate when they go back to the starting point. The last player to go around the marker has to pop the balloon when he/she returns to the starting point. The first one to do this wins the game

· A simpler version is to have the players in each team stay in place and just pass the balloon from front to back. This is recommended for the toddler age bracket.

· Another variation of this game is instead of using a balloon placed between the legs, you can use paper plates and have the players in each team clip them under their armpits, between their legs and on their neck. You will need a total of 4 paper plates per team. This will be better appreciated by an older age group of kids because the game will be much more challenging. They are not allowed to drop the paper plates while they go around the marker.

b) Straw in the glass is another relay game you can play with teams. You'll have to prepare a series of bottles or glasses lined up in front of the teams. There is 1 straw for every bottle you've prepared. If for instance there are 5 bottles in front of each team, then there should be 5 straws for each team as well. Each player should place 1 straw in each bottle and then pick them up again as he/she goes back to the starting point. After which, the straws are passed to the next team member. The first team to complete the cycle wins.

c) Spell happy birthday - this is also a relay game that you can play with school children. You will need a big piece of paper and a pen for each team. The big piece of paper will be placed at the other side of the room. The team has to spell "Happy Birthday [Celebrant's Name]" on the big piece of paper. But each player can only write 1 letter at a time. After 1 player writes his/her letter, he/she must pass on the pen for the next player to write another letter until the greeting is completed. The first team to complete the greeting and say it out loud together wins the game.

d) Pass the marble/ egg with a spoon - this is a very common relay race using a spoon and a marble or egg. The players in each team carefully balance an egg or marble as they try to go around a marker set at the other end of the room. The first team to complete the cycle wins.

e) Obstacle race - if you're feeling energetic, you can prepare a full-blown obstacle course for the children to complete. In the same way, the first team to finish it wins the game.

4) Musical chairs is another popular game for children.

Age group: Children 3 year old and up

Number of players: 2 or more

Game description:

Check the number of players who will be part of the game and make sure that there are enough chairs to sit everybody except 1. These chairs should be arranged in a circle, their backs to each other. When the music is turned on, all the players go around in a circle dancing. Once the music is stopped, the players race to take a seat. The player left without a seat has to leave the game. The next round will begin when another seat is taken from the set in the middle of the play area. The cycle continues until there are only 2 players left and 1 seat. The last player to take the seat will be the winner.

This is a very popular game I've noticed, but what few people probably know is that there is a pair version of this game that is also quite a hit with the teen-age or adult crowd. Most fun when played with female and male partners, 2 circles are made around the set of chairs. When the music stops the males race to find a seat while the females race to sit on top of a male counterpart. The pair left with no seat is out of the game. This continues until only 1 chair is left and 2 pairs race to take the seat. The last male to get the seat and female to sit on his lap win the game.

5) Paper dance - I've seen the paper dance played in a lot of parties.

Age group: School age children and up

Number of players: At least 2 or more pairs

Game description:

You will need a judge for this game. The game is played in pairs. Each pair will have their own big piece of paper. A newspaper is often used in this game. When the music starts, each pair should dance. When the music stops the pair has to stop dancing and step on the piece of paper, making sure that their feet do not touch the floor. The next round starts with the pairs folding their sheet of paper in half, and then again when the music stops, the players should step on to the piece of paper making sure that their feet do not touch the floor. Pairs whose feet go out of the paper will have to leave the game. This will be decided by the judge. The last pair left who is able to keep their feet in the piece of paper as it gets smaller wins the game.

6) Statue dance - This is yet another common game played in parties

Age group: School age children and up

Number of players: At least 2 or more

Game description:

Again a judge will be needed to determine the winner of this game. The statue dance can be played in pairs or singles. When the music starts, everybody has to dance. When the music is stopped everyone has to freeze like statues. Players caught moving while the music is off will be out of the game. This cycle continues until there is only one pair or player left

7) Boat is sinking

Age group: School age children and up

Number of players: At least 10 or more

Game description:

This is usually a game played by school age children and is best for big groups. Children will be asked to form one big circle. After which a host will say, "The boat is sinking, group yourselves into [number]." Children will then race to form the groups. Those that are not able to form the group numbers will be out of the game. This continues until there are only a few left. The game usually ends with only a pair to win the game.

A version of this game that I recently just discovered is called "The company going bankrupt." This is more applicable to an adult group. Teams are formed with each team having to name a CEO, treasurer, secretary, VP, accountant, security guard and so on depending on the number of members in a team, there will also be a corresponding number of positions and number of players in a given position. The host here then will say, "The company is going bankrupt, carry the [position]." If for instance the host says CEO, the rest of the team members will have to lift the CEO. The host may also say that the team will have to lift more than 1 position. The team that is unable to lift the position/s in time or is unable to lift the right person loses the game.

9) There is this fun sorting game that is usually played in orientation parties and would be fun to do in birthday parties as well.

Age group: School age children and up

Number of players: At least 2 teams with 5 members each

Game description:

This game requires the teams to sort themselves according to a criterion given by the host. For example, the host can say arrange yourselves according to height. The shortest will then have to go in front while the tallest at the back. The host can also make the game a little more interesting by asking, arrange yourselves according to the first letter of your last name, or the day of your birthday perhaps. The first team to arrange themselves accordingly gets a point. The team to get the most points will win the game.

10) Longest line

Age group: School age children and up

Number of players: At least 2 teams with 5 members each

Game description:

I've encountered this game a number of times with school children. This game will require a big playing area though. The teams will be given approximately 3-5 minutes to make the longest line with whatever they have on their body. They can use their handkerchief, belt, socks or shoe laces. But they are not allowed to ask from a non-team member or use an object that is not with them when the game was started. The team to make the longest line in the allotted time wins the game.