Birthday Party Games

Kids of all ages will enjoy putting their skills to the test and competing with their peers as they play various birthday party games. Playing a game may be a fun way to exercise your mental and physical skills. Through these activities, children may learn and practice essential life skills like teamwork, leadership, and sportsmanship. If you plan on hosting or organizing a birthday party, it’s a good idea to have some fun games ready to play. Look at this list for some simple, low-cost birthday party games that may be adapted for younger children and older people.

Musical Chairs

You’ll need a group of at least five people and a few seats to play. Chairs must be set up such that there is one fewer seat than there is in the group. If there will be five players, set up four chairs, and so on. The players circle the chairs when the music starts, and when it stops, they scramble to claim a seat. Whoever doesn’t have a seat gets eliminated. Until just one player is left, chairs will be removed one at a time.

 Kids run around chairs playing a game outside in summer period

Simon Says

Someone elder in the family, such as an adult or an older brother, can play the role of “Simon” and give instructions to the group, such as “Simon says, sit down,” at which point everyone sits down. However, for the participants to carry out the action, they must first hear “Simon says.” Otherwise, they will be eliminated. The winner is the last player remaining.

Egg and Spoon Race

Each participant has a hard-boiled egg and a teaspoon at the starting line. Tell them to put the egg on the teaspoon’s end and hold the other arm behind their back. A race to the finish line is on, and they must travel as quickly as possible without dropping their eggs. The game is over for whoever has the egg that rolls out of their spoon. The player wins when they reach the finish line first while carrying the egg in a spoon and with one arm behind their back.

Close up of hard-boiled egg in shell on metal spoon held by a woman's hand outside in summer in front of a green hedge- being used for egg and spoon race

Pass the Package

Prepare a package ahead of time by wrapping a reward. Rewrap it with as many layers of colorful paper as possible. Lightly securing each layer will allow the players to remove the paper without ripping the layers below. Add a modest prize to each level to increase the game’s excitement.

Let the players arrange themselves into a circle. When the music starts, everyone in the circle passes the package to the next person. When the song ends, the player carrying the package begins to remove the outer layer of wrapping. Once the music starts up again, the package is passed around. This process continues until all the wrappings have been removed. The player who’s holding the parcel gets to keep the prize.

Treasure Hunt Game

Young minds are naturally curious and thrive when given the opportunity to solve puzzles and unearth prizes. A birthday party game where attendees follow clues to several locations in the house or yard in search of a reward. Before the celebration, fill little bags with cheap objects like rings and necklaces, plastic toys, and even safe cooking utensils. You may make this inexpensive birthday party game as easy or as complex as you like.

Cute Asian little girl holding magnifying glass smiling

Reverse Charades

Ages 6 and above, for teams of three or more players. Clues are enacted by a group, and a single player is tasked with identifying them. The game’s universal appeal makes it ideal for celebrations of many kinds, from birthdays to family reunions. It’s a certain way to have everyone at the party laughing and enjoying each other’s company.

Broken Telephone

The group of players forms a circle and sits down. When one player wants to communicate with another, they whisper in their neighbor’s ear. It then travels around the group as each participant repeats the message. Any time a player has trouble understanding the message, they may say “operator,” and the message will be repeated. The last recipient of the message says it aloud. Look at the difference between the given message and the delivered message. The game’s complexity may be adjusted by the messages you send to the communicating player, such as tongue twisters or well-known movie phrases.

Group of young classmates whispering each other curious phrase or sentence while playing leisure game

Two Truths, One Lie

Select three self-descriptions: “I swim professionally, I can speak Mandarin, and I like dogs.” You should have two truths and a lie. When one person tells a lie, everyone has to figure out which one it is before moving on to the next person. This is a fantastic way to learn more about your friends and family, especially if you play with them and choose some unusual details to try to mislead each other.

Stop Dance (Freeze Dance)

A game of Stop Dance is guaranteed to have your visitors in fits of laughter. Turn up the volume and dance the night away with your party pals. Those players who are still bopping when the music stops are “out” for the rest of the game. Keep going until there’s just one player left standing!

 Family and Friends Dancing together at the Garden Party Celebration

Paint Me a Picture

Players of Paint Me a Picture will enjoy unleashing their imaginations during gameplay. This is the kind of game that’s more enjoyable with many players. Based on the number of people playing, split them up into teams. Make a plan for how your group will pose in response to the scenario the game master presents. The situation could be something like “a dog is chasing a group of people,” for instance. Then the teams will pose as if a dog were chasing them for a photo. The game facilitator will decide which group is the funniest and most creative in making poses.

Bring Me

A great way to get the group moving is with Bring Me. The rules are easy to learn, and there are countless possible variations. The Bring Me game revolves around the facilitator asking each player for a specific item. Anyone who tries to find and brings the thing to the game facilitator first earns a point. Depending on how many rounds you play or what you decide to get, you can tailor the length of this game to your preferences.

A group of happy children of boys and girls run in the Park on the grass on a Sunny summer day

Birthday party games are one way to make your celebration enjoyable for visitors. These games are not only fun, but they also get people talking to one another and interacting in ways that other forms of entertainment don’t. They promote social interaction, the sharing of information, and the development of analytical and strategic skills. If you are hosting or planning to celebrate a birthday party soon, consider including the party games above in your party flow. 

Aside from games, there are more things that can make a birthday party fun. If you want to learn about these, you may read our Ultimate Guide to Throwing a Kids Birthday Party.