45 Childrens Party Games, Sorted by Age

A children's party game has about four minutes before the room turns. That is the whole design brief. The games below are sorted by age, because a game that delights a five-year-old will insult a nine-year-old, and every one has been cut back to the shortest version that still works.

Childrens Party Games for Under-5s

Short, simple, and no losing. At this age "out" means crying, so keep everyone in.

1. Musical statues. Music on, dance, music off, freeze. Nobody is out — whoever moves becomes a judge, which they enjoy more than dancing.
2. Sleeping lions. Everyone lies still. Last one still still wins. The only quiet game on this page and it buys you five minutes.
3. Duck duck goose. Circle, tap heads, chase. It has survived a hundred years for a reason.
4. Pass the parcel with a small prize in every layer. Every layer, not just the last one, or someone cries.
5. Simon says. The first game most children ever learn to cheat at.
6. The color hunt. Shout a color, everyone runs and touches something that color. Endless and free.

Party Games for 5 to 8 Year Olds

Old enough to compete, young enough that the round has to be over quickly.

1. Pin the tail on the donkey. Draw the donkey badly on purpose — it gets a bigger laugh than a good one.
2. Musical chairs. One chair fewer than children. Count twice; getting it wrong ruins the round.

3. The limbo. A broom handle and two chairs. Lower it a hand's width each round.
4. Egg and spoon race. Boiled eggs, or a potato if you value your floor.
5. Sack race. Pillowcases work perfectly and you already own them.
6. Balloon pop. A balloon tied to each ankle, last one with an unpopped balloon wins. Loud, fast, over in ninety seconds.
7. Hot potato. Pass it while the music plays. Anything soft works.
8. The treasure hunt. Five clues, each one leading to the next. Write them the night before.

Birthday Party Games for 9 to 12 Year Olds

They will tell you they are too old for games. They are not, but the games have to be worth their while.

1. The scavenger hunt. Teams, a list, a deadline, photo proof on a phone. The best game on this page for this age.
2. Charades. Films they actually watch, not the ones you did.

3. Minute to win it. Stack cups, move cookies from forehead to mouth, bounce a ball into a cup. Each round is exactly one minute.
4. The floor is lava. Clear the room first, then mean it.
5. Wink murder. One assassin, everyone watching everyone. Works right up into adulthood.
6. Dodgeball with soft balls. Outside if at all possible.
7. Quiz teams. Split them, ask questions about the birthday child. Competitive and flattering at the same time.

Outdoor Childrens Party Games

Louder is fine outside, and everything is easier to clean up.

1. The water balloon toss. Pairs, one balloon, a step back after every catch.
2. Obstacle course. Cones, a hoop, something to crawl under. Time each child and read out a leaderboard.
3. Tug of war. One rope, two teams, instant drama.

4. Piñata. Blindfold, stick, adult supervision, and a rule about how close everyone else stands.
5. Capture the flag. Two teams, two flags, one large space. Twenty minutes minimum.
6. The sponge relay. A bucket at each end, a sponge, and a race to move the water. They will be soaked and thrilled.

Quiet Games for the End of the Party

The come-down. Run these before parents arrive, not after the cake.

1. The memory tray. Twenty objects, thirty seconds to look, then covered. Write down what you remember.
2. Sleeping lions, again, shamelessly.
3. The drawing relay. One child draws, the next continues without seeing the start.
4. Story circle. One sentence each. Start with something ridiculous.
5. Riddles. Our riddles for kids list has 179, sorted by age.

Party Games That Need No Equipment

For the party where you have forgotten everything.

Simon says · Sleeping lions · The floor is lava · Charades · The color hunt · Categories · Wink murder · Story circle · Freeze dance · I spy

Any of these can be started in ten seconds with nothing in your hands, which is exactly what you need when the entertainer is late.

How to Run a Children's Party Without Losing Your Mind

Loud games before cake, quiet games after. Learn this once. Have twice as many games as you think you need and expect half to fail. Every round under five minutes. And a prize for everyone by the end, even if it is a sticker — the child who wins nothing all afternoon is the one whose parent hears about it in the car.