Ideas and Games 2

KIDS-PARTY Games If you are planning a party and want to keep the kids busy so the party goes smoothly and doesn't turn into chaos, try this. Begin with a quiet game, then play an active game or two, then calm the group down again with a last quiet game. Here are suggestions for both.

"Switch" - Begin with a quiet game like Switch. Divide the kids into two teams and take Team A into another room. Team A must switch various items of clothing or accessories with one another, then return to the game room. Team B must try to guess all the switches that have been made within a five-minute time period. Add up how many items Team B guessed correctly. Then let Team B have a turn to "switch" and let Team A guess the switches. The team with the most correct answers in the allotted time period wins a prize.

"Wrap the Mummy" - Divide the kids into pairs, with one the Mummy and the other the Mummy Wrapper. Give each wrapper a roll of toilet paper or crepe paper streamer. On the word "Go!" have the wrappers race to see who can wrap up their mummy first. The game is tricky because the faster they try to wrap, the more the tissue will tear, causing them to keep restarting!

"Pass the Parcel"- Have the children sit in a circle. Wrap a present several times, and send it around the circle. As it goes from person to person, have each child unwrap one layer of paper (You can also wrap the gift with tin foil, plastic bags, etc. to make it different). The child who unwraps the last layer to discover what the present is gets to keep it.

Your ideas

"Musical Present"- Gather the kids in a circle and give one of the children a wrapped present. Play music and have them pass the present around the circle. When the music stops, the child holding the present gets to keep it, and then drop out of the game. Start another present around the circle.

"Balloon Bounce"- Have a contest to see who can keep the balloon in the air the longest using only their head. The person who can keep it in the air longest without using anything but their head is the winner. (This game can also be played in teams).

"Musical Chairs"- This is another children's favourite. Set up chairs in 2 rows back to back. Put out one less chair than there are children. Start playing music, and have the kids walk around the chairs (not touching the chairs though!) until the music stops. When the music stops, the kids must each sit on a chair. The child without a chair is "out". Then remove another chair. If there is ever a tie, the child with more bottom on the chair wins. This is a great game when it is played with hats too! Pull out every winter, baseball, cowboy, etc. hat in your house. Have enough hats for every kid except one. As the music starts, have each kid put the hat on and pass it to the right. Each time the music stops, the kid without a hat is out. "Statues "- This game does not need much explanation. Put a group of kids in a room, play some music, and watch them dance. Then turn the music off during the song, and they must freeze in their current position. If they move at all, then they are "out". The people who are still in the game continue to dance/freeze as you control the music, until one person wins.

Your ideas

"Hot Potato"- This game is an old favourite. Have all of the kids sit in a circle, as one kid is chosen as the "leader". Begin passing a potato (or other object) around the circle, while the "leader" turns his/her head with eyes closed. Everyone must accept the potato, and may not hold it longer than a second. At any point the "leader" can yell, "Hot Potato", and whoever has the potato is out. Continue to play until there is only one person left, and he/she is the winner. "Feather Blow"- Give each of the kids a feather. When you say, "GO!" the kids have to start blowing the feather in the air. Whoever can keep the feather in the air the longest (using only his/her breath) is the winner. This game can also be played in teams (the team to keep the feather in the air longest using only breath wins)

"Dress-up Relay"- Make 2 piles of the same type of clothing. Divide the group into teams and have the first players race to dress up in all the clothes from one pile. When finished, he/she must take all the clothes off and have the next player dress up. The team that dresses and undresses first wins the game.

"Smell Smell "- Test their powers of smell! Fill paper bags with a variety of items that have an aroma, such as coffee beans, salami, toothpaste, orange peels, chocolate, and so on. Be sure the smells are familiar to the age group. Then pass the bags around and let the kids smell them without looking inside! Give prizes to whoever guessed them all correctly (or whoever guessed the most correctly).

"Pass it On"- Have the kids sit in a circle on the floor. The first player begins by whispering a phrase into the ear of the person next to him/her. One by one, each person repeats the whispered sentence as they hear it when it is whispered to them. When the last person receives the message, he/she repeats it out loud. It is usually completely different than the original statement. This game can also be played with goofy faces. The first person makes a goofy face, and then turns (with the goofy look on his/her face) to the next person. The goofy look is passed on until the last person and the first person compare goofy faces.

Your ideas

"Good Guess"- Find a variety of items that your guests can guess "How much…" For example, "How many smarties in a jar," "How many words on a page in a book, "How many pages in a magazine". Award a prize to the person who has the closest guess for each item.

"Pass the Spoon"- First of all, you need to tie a spoon to the end of a ball of yarn. Line up both teams single-file. When the host/hostess says, "Go," the first person from each team must put the spoon down his shirt, as well as his pants. When it comes out of his pant leg, he must then pass it to the next player (As it is still attached to the first player). When it has gone through the entire line, and everyone is attached, then the last person at the end of the line must reverse the process (While the first person winds the string into a ball as it comes back out of each person's clothing). When the team finishes unwinding the string then the first person in that line needs to shout, "Done!" The team to finish unwinding the string first wins. One other helpful hint for your party: Always have more games planned than you think you need!

Let the KIDS-PARTY begin

Your ideas