Tag Archives: Birthday Party Games

Easy Obstacle Course Ideas – Using Things You Already Have

July 30 8:23 pm ⋅

Obstacle Course IdeasAn obstacle course is a fantastic way to get the kids to have fun, but also it burns some of their energy, which is always a good thing! It does take some more planning on your part, but it’s definitely well worth it. Note : You don’t necessarily have to have an obstacle course outside. If it’s a winter party and you’re stuck inside, you can still make an obstacle course in the house (if you can handle the noise, that is).

Tips and Ideas For Making an Easy (but Great!) Obstacle Course:

  • Laundry baskets are great for making a station in an obstacle course. You can fill them up with other things you have around the house, or you can flip it over and make it a jump (or climb or step) over obstacle.
  • Use balls (or pillows!) and have the kids throw it up once and catch it.
  • Use sticks that have fallen from trees to make an outline of an obstacle.
  • Place a pitcher of water along with a few cups and have the kids transfer the water from the pitcher to the cups.
  • Cut holes in a piece of cardboard and make foil balls. The obstacle – throw the balls through the holes! (Make the holes fairly large)
  • Hoolah Hoops and jump ropes make great stations.
  • Bikes, skateboards, scooters, roller blades – all great obstacles. They don’t even need to know how to ride any of them…just pick it up and lay it back down. Or jump over them. Or put them on and take them off. (Skateboards are great for scooting on.)
  • Cardboard boxes make great tunnels.
  • How about a shoe tying station?
  • Drawing station?
  • Water hose station?

You can make an obstacle course out of anything. If you see it laying around then it can be used. You can time the kids, team them up, or have them do it individually. The sky really is the limit when creating an obstacle course for kids. Once you get the ball rolling, you’ll start to think of things you may never have thought about using. Keep your eyes wide and your mind open, and you’ll be up to your eyeballs with ideas for homemade obstacle courses in no time!

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Happy Birthday Party planning!

*To get more kids birthday party ideas and kids birthday party games, click on the links below.

Simon Says | The Balloon Ping Pong Game | Obstacle Course Ideas | Charades for Kids | Printable Bingo Cards for Kids

 

Image credit : Juicy Juice

Posted in: Kids Birthday Party Games ⋅ Tagged: ,

Bingo For Kids – Printable Cards and Instructions

July 30 6:35 pm ⋅

Printable Bingo Cards for KidsBingo is such a fun game to play at kids birthday parties. Every kid loves playing bingo (and really, what adult do you know who doesn’t?) Below are instructions on how to play Bingo at a kids birthday party. Also, here’s some good news –  you can print the bingo cards directly from here – for free (because that’s what we do!)  The only thing we ask is that you share this page before you leave.

(To print the cards, scroll down to the bottom of the page. You’ll find the print option there.)

Set Up:

  • Be sure to print off enough bingo cards for each child who wants to play – each child will need a different card)
  • Don’t forget to print a “master card” for the bingo caller – generally this will be yourself.
  • Cut your copy along the individual bingo squares
  • Place the cut squares into a bowl or something you can easily draw from.
  • M&M’s or Hershey Kisses are great for game markers – and the kids can eat some too!

How to Play:

  • Set the kids up with one card and a stash of game markers (make sure you tell them not to eat them all – they need to use them for the game!)
  • Draw one square out and read it out loud to the kids
  • If the square says “party”, all children who have “party” on their card will cover up any square with a game marker
  • Draw another square, and repeat the process
  • This continues until someone fills in a row (vertically, horizontally or diagonally) and yells “BINGO!”
  • The winner gets a prize (in some cases, there MAY be more than one winner for each game. Just make sure you have a few extra prizes on hand just in case)

If you have more than 20 children playing, that’s okay. Just print out as many bingo cards as you need. If you end up using duplicate bingo cards, there will be more than one winner for each game. And really…that’s okay. Kids just like to yell “Bingo!” :)

To print the free bingo cards, just click on the link below, or the printer image below. This will open up the cards and instructions in a PDF document. From there, you can simply click “Print”, or you can save it onto your computer to print them later. (You’ll also always have them on your computer for any future uses you may need. Who knows – Bingo may become a household tradition for your family!)

Tip: Print them off on card stock. They look nicer and hold up better!

PrinterPrintable Bingo Cards for Kids – Print Now

 

 

If you found this post helpful, please share it with the buttons to your left or below so others can enjoy it as well!)

Happy Birthday Party planning!

*To get more kids birthday party ideas and kids birthday party games, click on the links below.

Simon Says | The Balloon Ping Pong Game | Obstacle Course Ideas | Charades for Kids | Printable Bingo Cards for Kids

Posted in: Kids Birthday Party Games ⋅ Tagged: , , ,

Charades for Kids – They’re Going to Love it!

July 30 5:14 pm ⋅

Charades for KidsIt has become a family tradition in my household to play charades. Even though it may not be evenly teamed by age, we always do boys against the girls.  I have 2 girls and 2 boys and they range from ages 5-12. It’s a great activity for birthday parties because it has an organized method of playing, and all the kids get to participate.

How to Play Charades – For Kids

The idea of the game is simple. Taking turns, 1 person from each team must act out the opposing teams list, and the winning team is the one with the most correct guesses.

Preparation:

  • Group the kids into two teams
  • Give each group a piece of paper and something to write with
  • Tell each group to come up with 10 different things from 4 categories (Book, Movie, Song or T.V show)
  • Have them write each one down on the piece of paper and then cut them into individual pieces of paper so that the other team can select one.
  • Make sure they write the title and the category. Example : Curious George – Book
  • Once both teams have their list of 10 and they’ve been cut into pieces, now the fun begins!

How to Play:

  • One person from a team selects one of the other teams slips of paper.
  • They get 30 seconds of prep time to think about how they want to act it out.
  • The person acting it out then has 2 minutes to try to get his/her team to guess the correct movie, song, book or t.v show.
  • Once either the timer runs out, or the correct guess was made, that team gets a point, and it is now the other teams turn.
  • Take turns until all 10 items from both teams have been acted out.
  • Everyone gets a turn to act something out.
  • The winning team is the one with the most points.

Rules for Charades

  • There can be no talking from the person who is acting
  • Start with acting out whether it’s a book, movie song or show, and then tell them to give the number of words in the title.
  • Using clues like “sounds like”, syllables, and “small words” – if, and or, but, the, etc. are great ways to get started.

Symbols for Charades

  • Small words – put their thumb and index finger together to make a gesture indicating it’s a small word
  • Book – put their hands together as though they are clapping, and then open and close them to indicate it’s a book
  • Movie – put their hands up to their face and “roll” one hand indicating it’s a reel from a movie
  • Song – put one hand up to their lips and then extend it out, indicating a song is being sung
  • T.V show – draw a box with box fingers in the air, indicating it’s a television set
  • First word, second word, etc – put up the number of fingers to show what number the word is
  • Syllables – put the number of fingers together to indicate it’s a syllable
  • Sounds like – put their finger up to their ear to indicate it’s a word that rhymes with what they are acting out

The only real rule is there is no talking. Let the kids have a good time with figuring out how to get their team to guess what they are acting out. You’ll be surprised at the creativity they come up with! (Or…maybe you won’t be surprised. :) )

Age certainly does not matter when playing charades. Younger kids may need a little more supervision, but the joy and fun they have is all worth it in the end!

If you found this post helpful, please share it with the buttons to your left or below so others can enjoy it as well!)

Happy Birthday Party planning!

*To get more kids birthday party ideas and kids birthday party games, click on the links below.

Simon Says | The Balloon Ping Pong Game | Obstacle Course Ideas | Charades for Kids | Printable Bingo Cards for Kids

 

Image Credit : Spoonful

Posted in: Kids Birthday Party Games ⋅ Tagged: , ,

How to Play Balloon Ping Pong – A Super Fun Activity For Birthday Parties

July 10 3:56 pm ⋅

Balloon Ping Pong is a great game to play at birthday parties. Not only does it give the kids a fun activity to do, it also incorporates an awesome craft idea (which of course keeps the kids occupied for longer, getting you that much closer to peace and quiet!)

How to Play Balloon Ping PongHow to Play Balloon Ping Pong

What you need:

  • Paper plates
  • Craft sticks (the big ones – think tongue depressor size)
  • Glue or tape
  • Crayons, markers or paint
  • Anything else you want to let the kids decorate with (glitter, streamers, etc.)
  • A bag of balloons

Set the kids down where ever you have chosen to be the craft table. Have them decorate the paper plates any way they want. They can also decorate the handle if they really want to get into it.

After the decorations have been completed, glue or tape the paper plates to the craft stick. Their own ping pong paddle has just been created! (If you are using glue, it’s a good idea to let the glue dry before playing…you could have some very sad kids if their paddle breaks in the middle of the game.)

Blow up a few balloons. The rules of the game are simple – don’t let the balloons touch the ground!

Other tips and ideas for Balloon Ping Pong

  • Decorate the balloons with marker or use different colored balloons and give each balloon a different point value. For example, if the red balloon touches the ground, everyone has to do 5 jumping jacks, but if a blue balloon touches the ground, everyone must freeze for 10 seconds.
  • You can do an organized game of ping pong, or just let the kids go at it. The kids will have a blast just trying to keep the balloons off the ground, but if you think the kids may do a little better (and you’ll keep your sanity) with more of an organized game, play it that way.
  • If you have to let the ping pong paddles dry, make sure you have an activity for the kids to do while they wait. Otherwise you’re going to get an earful of “are they dry yet?” and “can we play now?” Just a word to the wise.
  • This game can be played inside or outside. Obviously if you play inside, make sure all breakables are out of the way…it’s likely to cause a bit of a ruckus.

You can make up as many rules as you want. Use your imagination, and get the kids involved with deciding on the rules (or not).  This game will provide at least a couple of hours of fun, so you can relax soon enough!

If you found this post helpful, please share it with the buttons to your left or below so others can enjoy it as well!)

Happy Birthday Party planning!

*To get more kids birthday party ideas and kids birthday party games, click on the links below.

Simon Says | The Balloon Ping Pong Game | Obstacle Course Ideas | Charades for Kids | Printable Bingo Cards for Kids

 

Posted in: Kids Birthday Party Games ⋅ Tagged: , ,

How to Play Simon Says – And Fun Ways to Change it up for a Birthday Party!

June 19 4:46 pm ⋅

A great game to play at a child’s birthday party is Simon Says. No matter how old the children are, it’s one of the most beloved games that every child enjoys, and it just never How to Play Simon Saysseems to get old. Remember how much you loved it as a kid? Below are the instructions on how to play Simon Says…and then even further below that, you’ll find some great ideas on how to spruce up the traditional game for even more fun!

How to Play Simon Says – The Traditional Way

  • One person is “Simon” and the rest of the kids stand in a group spread out so they have enough room to move.
  • “Simon” then tells the kids to do something, such as touch their elbow or touch their nose, by either saying “Simon says” or just “touch your elbow”.
  • If “Simon” says Simon says, then the kids are supposed to follow the instruction.
  • If he doesn’t say Simon says, all the kids who do it are out and must move away from the group.
  • Continue on until there is only one person left standing. That person is the winner, and gets to be “Simon” next.

Simon Says is the “basic of the basics” type of game, but as stated above, for whatever reason the kids love it (believe me I know…I have 4 children and each and every one of them absolutely adores this game.)

Try these different and fun spins on the traditional game:

  • Give “Simon” a costume to wear. Even just a silly hat can get the kids more excited to be Simon.
  • Give “Simon” a can of silly string. You can buy this from a dollar store. When someone gets called out, Simon gets to spray them with the silly string to make it official. (Silly string cleans up really easily and nicely, in case you’re worried about the mess.)
  • Divide the kids into 2 teams. Have a “Simon Says” battle off. The winning group can get a prize, or the losing group may have to do something for the winners…or how about give the winning group each a can of silly spray and let the festivities begin!
  • Let the kids make up rules for the game. Obviously, the first rule is this has to be done before the game starts. Give the kids an idea of a rule, and then let their imaginations do the rest. An example of a “rule” is you must hop on one foot before doing what Simon says.

So there you have it! Some quick ways to spruce up the ol’ fashioned game of Simon Says.

If you found this post helpful, please share it with the buttons to your left or below so others can enjoy it as well!)

Happy Birthday Party planning!

*To get more kids birthday party ideas and kids birthday party games, click on the links below.

Simon Says | The Balloon Ping Pong Game | Obstacle Course Ideas | Charades for Kids | Printable Bingo Cards for Kids

Posted in: Kids Birthday Party Games ⋅ Tagged: ,