FOR AGES 3 AND UP
Smell It, Hear It
RULES
Wrap mason jars in paper and punch small holes in their lids, then fill them with cinnamon sticks, paper clips, pennies, etc. Pass them around for kids to shake or smell. Let each one guess what's inside, then reveal the contents.
YOU'LL NEED
- • Jars
- • Paper
- • Various odds and ends
Peanut Hunt
RULES
Hide lots of peanuts (or candy) around a big room, give each child a bag, then say, "Go!" to begin the hunt. Allow five minutes for children to seek, then have them count their finds. Have extras on hand to even out the stashes.
YOU'LL NEED
- • Paper bags
- • Peanuts/candy
FOR AGES 4 AND UP
Pass the Parcel
RULES
Wrap one prize in as many layers of paper as you have guests. Then have the kids pass it around a circle as music plays. When it stops, the kid with the parcel unwraps one layer. Continue until a child unwraps the last layer, winning the prize.
YOU'LL NEED
- • Gift wrap
- • Music
- • A small prize
Sock 'Em
RULES
Pile up at least six times as many socks as you have guests. Have the kids sit in a circle around them. As music plays, have them put on as many socks as possible, one over the other. When it stops, the child with the most socks on wins.
YOU'LL NEED
- • Socks
- • Music
- • A small prize
Clothespin Drop
RULES
Have the children stand or kneel, one by one, on a stable chair (facing the back) with their hands at chin level and try to drop clothespins into a jar (or bucket) below. Give each kid three tries, plus an extra turn for each "bucket."
YOU'LL NEED
- • A jar
- • A clothespin
- • A chair
Balloon Buddies
RULES
Have the kids partner up. Line the pairs up back to back in a row, with an inflated balloon wedged between each. Have them all walk sideways toward a finish line; if a pair's balloon falls, they start over. The first pair to reach the finish wins.
YOU'LL NEED
- • Balloons
- • A small prize
Musical Chairs
RULES
Set up chairs in back-to-back rows or in a circle facing out, a child in front of each. Play music and have the kids walk around the chairs. Remove one, stop the music, and have everyone try to sit. Repeat until one chair is left; the last kid seated wins.
YOU'LL NEED
- • Chairs
- • Music
- • A small prize
Button, Button
RULES
The birthday girl leaves the room while a parent hides a button. When she returns, she hunts for it while her guests tell her if she's "hot" or "cold." When she finds it, she chooses which child will leave next and hides the button herself.
YOU'LL NEED
- • A button
Egg Relay
RULES
Make two teams. Give each team an egg and each child a spoon. Have them race one by one to a marked location and back with the egg on the spoon, replacing fallen eggs with new ones. The first entire team to finish wins.
YOU'LL NEED
- • Eggs
- • Spoons
FOR AGES 5 AND UP
Bucket Toss
RULES
Line up a few buckets, each filled partially with prizes. Mark a line about three feet away. One at a time, for three turns each, have kids stand at the line and toss a Ping-Pong ball into the bucket, winning a prize each time they succeed.
YOU'LL NEED
- • Buckets
- • Ping-Pong balls
- • Small prizes
