Traditional Party Games
Have you forgotten all those wonderful party games that you used to play when you were little, like pass the parcel, musical chairs or musical statues? It’s time to bring back some old-fashioned fun and celebrate the traditional way.
Most of the bits and pieces you need for traditional party games are very easy to find and most things you will need can be brought.
1) Pin the tail on donkey: This is a classic party game that is great for indoors and can be adapted for any party theme (age 4+). Each child takes it in turns to pin the tail as close to the point where the tail should be, whilst blindfolded.
2) Doughnut Game: Another messy challenge is the doughnut eating game where children have to eat a suspended doughnut without using their hands or licking their lips! You can hang a doughnut for each child by creating washing line out of string. The child who uses their hands or licks their lips is out of the game. This game also works well with apples.
3) Apple Bobbing: Apples are also essential for the ‘bobbing’ game where children take it in turns to try and retrieve a floating apple with their teeth, with their hands tied behind their back. Fill a large tub with cold water and place enough apples for each player. Children can then either bob for the apples together or individually, but the player to get the apple first or quickest is the winner.
4) Pass the Parcel: An all-time favourite party game that is a must and best for ages 3 +. You can pre-prepare the parcel beforehand and ensure the present is wrapped in many layers, each layer with a sweetie attached. Sit all the children in a circle and when the music starts they pass it around until the music stops. Whoever is holding the parcel at this point must tear open a layer and the music begins again. This continues until the last layer and the child who removes this wins the prize.
5) Tray Memory Game: This is a quieter game and will also get the party guests to think! All you need is a tray filled with weird and wonderful objects you find around your house along with some pen and paper for each child. Once the children are sitting around a table ready with pen and paper, place the tray with objects in the centre of the table and give them 1 minute to try and memorize what’s on the tray. Once the time is up, remove the tray and each child has to write down as many objects as they can remember from the tray. The child who remembers the most number of correct objects is the winner.
6) Musical Statues, Bumps & Chairs: To play these games you need a fun CD as children will love dancing to their favourite songs. For musical statues, get the children to dance about and when the music stops they have to keep as still as possible. The one that moves the most is out and keep playing until you have a winner. Musical bumps is a similar game but instead of standing still, players have to sit down on their bottoms. The last person to sit down is out. If you have enough room, musical chairs is another fun game where players have to dance about until the music stops, at which point they have to find the nearest chair to sit on. Make sure there is always one less chair than the amount of players so there will be one person without one. Each time a player is out, remove another chair until you have a winner!
7) Simon Says: A perfect game for younger children and can be adapted to fit with any party theme. Firstly choose a leader (this can be yourself or another adult) to act as ‘Simon’ who will call out a series of commands that the children have to follow such as ‘Simon say’s put your hands in the air’. The children must do any commandment that begins with ‘Simon says . . .’ However the leader will put in some trick commands without beginning with ‘Simon says’ such as ‘turn around’ and the children who do this task by mistake are out.
8) Sleeping Lions: After lots of activity this is a great game to quieten things down. Choose a large open room and get all the children to lie down and pretend to be sleepy lions. If you are doing a particular theme you can get them to pretend to be fairies, pirates, dinosaurs or whatever fits your theme instead. Explain that whoever moves after the game begins will be out. During this time you can walk around the room, talking to them and trying to make them laugh. Each child who is out can help you try and make the others laugh. The last person left sleeping is the winner.
For more help with party games and party planning contact Sweet Candy Event & Party Planners today.
Have you forgotten all those wonderful party games that you used to play when you were little, like pass the parcel, musical chairs or musical statues? It’s time to bring back some old-fashioned fun and celebrate the traditional way.
Most of the bits and pieces you need for traditional party games are very easy to find and most things you will need can be brought.
1) Pin the tail on donkey: This is a classic party game that is great for indoors and can be adapted for any party theme (age 4+). Each child takes it in turns to pin the tail as close to the point where the tail should be, whilst blindfolded.
2) Doughnut Game: Another messy challenge is the doughnut eating game where children have to eat a suspended doughnut without using their hands or licking their lips! You can hang a doughnut for each child by creating washing line out of string. The child who uses their hands or licks their lips is out of the game. This game also works well with apples.
3) Apple Bobbing: Apples are also essential for the ‘bobbing’ game where children take it in turns to try and retrieve a floating apple with their teeth, with their hands tied behind their back. Fill a large tub with cold water and place enough apples for each player. Children can then either bob for the apples together or individually, but the player to get the apple first or quickest is the winner.
4) Pass the Parcel: An all-time favourite party game that is a must and best for ages 3 +. You can pre-prepare the parcel beforehand and ensure the present is wrapped in many layers, each layer with a sweetie attached. Sit all the children in a circle and when the music starts they pass it around until the music stops. Whoever is holding the parcel at this point must tear open a layer and the music begins again. This continues until the last layer and the child who removes this wins the prize.
5) Tray Memory Game: This is a quieter game and will also get the party guests to think! All you need is a tray filled with weird and wonderful objects you find around your house along with some pen and paper for each child. Once the children are sitting around a table ready with pen and paper, place the tray with objects in the centre of the table and give them 1 minute to try and memorize what’s on the tray. Once the time is up, remove the tray and each child has to write down as many objects as they can remember from the tray. The child who remembers the most number of correct objects is the winner.
6) Musical Statues, Bumps & Chairs: To play these games you need a fun CD as children will love dancing to their favourite songs. For musical statues, get the children to dance about and when the music stops they have to keep as still as possible. The one that moves the most is out and keep playing until you have a winner. Musical bumps is a similar game but instead of standing still, players have to sit down on their bottoms. The last person to sit down is out. If you have enough room, musical chairs is another fun game where players have to dance about until the music stops, at which point they have to find the nearest chair to sit on. Make sure there is always one less chair than the amount of players so there will be one person without one. Each time a player is out, remove another chair until you have a winner!
7) Simon Says: A perfect game for younger children and can be adapted to fit with any party theme. Firstly choose a leader (this can be yourself or another adult) to act as ‘Simon’ who will call out a series of commands that the children have to follow such as ‘Simon say’s put your hands in the air’. The children must do any commandment that begins with ‘Simon says . . .’ However the leader will put in some trick commands without beginning with ‘Simon says’ such as ‘turn around’ and the children who do this task by mistake are out.
8) Sleeping Lions: After lots of activity this is a great game to quieten things down. Choose a large open room and get all the children to lie down and pretend to be sleepy lions. If you are doing a particular theme you can get them to pretend to be fairies, pirates, dinosaurs or whatever fits your theme instead. Explain that whoever moves after the game begins will be out. During this time you can walk around the room, talking to them and trying to make them laugh. Each child who is out can help you try and make the others laugh. The last person left sleeping is the winner.
For more help with party games and party planning contact Sweet Candy Event & Party Planners today.