Party Games

I recently wrote a blog about Riddles considering why they’re not only fun but also beneficial to learning. This started me thinking about the benefit of Games, in particular, Party Games.

I know that games are FUN! When we start playing a game, particularly physical or humorous ones, endorphins are produced that act on our brain reducing pain and boosting pleasure, resulting in a feeling of well-being. I love using many different types of games in my storytelling workshops and as warm-ups in rehearsals.

I also know that Games include a great deal of PLAY. Play has been proven to be a hugely important element in children’s growth including healthy brain development. Play is how children explore the world, allowing them to ‘meet and imitate’ the world around them. It is certainly vital in my work in creating imaginative and magical theatre productions.

Play enables us all to explore our creativity, our relationships, stretch our mental and physical dexterity and increase self-esteem.

Party Games can be adapted to suit different age groups, from tiny children to teenagers. These fun and playful games can support our physical, mental and emotional well-being. Through games children learn how to take turns, pay attention, respect and listen to others, communicate, collaborate and play fairly. Games can support our dexterity, improve memory capacity, offer us new skills and knowledge, develop critical thinking and improve problem-solving. Stimulating the brain with strategies in a game can be a great brain workout!

When you’re creating party games for a children’s party, my suggestion, in general terms, is that you choose games that are collaborative, where children work as a whole team, for children under 7 years old. However as children get older introduce more competitive games, games that move quickly, so that each child needs to be alert and attentive.

Obviously you know your child better than anyone so always create party games to suit their needs and their interests. For some children competitive games are too stressful whilst others thrive on them.

There are a huge range of party games on offer, including many games for large groups, however  I’ve chosen to share games that are inexpensive and easy to make and can be played with 2 or more people to take account of ‘lockdown’ birthdays. It is possible to play a number of these games with friends on ‘zoom’ who can’t be with you physically.

  

 Seven Playful Party Games

 

1. Pass the Parcel

This is a great traditional party game with a number of people but can be played between 2 or more people and you can add your own twist to it by including dares / clues for treasure hunt / challenges / poems / pressed flower / inspiring quotes between layers. Preparing the parcel with care and attention will give added pleasure to this game. Mix up the wrapping paper to include newspaper, beautiful wrapping paper, put it into a box so it changes shape, draw or write a message on a plain wrapping which is close to the final ‘present’. Make sure that you wrap each ‘mini prize’ with two or three layers of wrapping.

You could put the child’s main present in the middle of the parcel with smaller presents, wrapped individually, contained within the layers of the bigger parcel.

Add music that allows for pauses between wrapping to dance and sing and play with whatever is the surprise within each layer.

2. Pick Up Sticks

The first player begins the game by holding all the sticks in their hand and then dropping them to the ground, scattering them across the floor. The player then proceeds to pick up the sticks, one by one, without moving any sticks other than the stick they are attempting to pick up. We play this with spoons, desert spoons and tea spoons and a few forks.

3. Thing Finder

Make your own thing-finder necklace, pirate hat or wand.

Ask the children to find five objects in the garden or your home, straws, feathers, beads, leaves, button, pipe cleaner so that you can thread or tie them onto a coloured piece of string, wool or ribbon or stick/sew them onto a hat. Whenever you come across something at home or out and about you may like to add it to your Thing-finder necklace – unless its an old Welly boot, then that might be tricky!

Get your thing-finder eyes wandering – Happy thing finding!

4. Assault Course

Decide where your assault course is going to take place, indoors or out – you don’t need a huge amount of room. Create a course with cushions, furniture, string, broom handles, pots and pans, buckets, sheet / blankets, dice, skipping rope. Hang a rug or sheet over two chairs to climb under, put a broom handle for them to limbo. Pile up some pillows for a “mountain climb’. Put a napkin on the floor for your child to pick up in their feet or nose and drop it into a bucket or pan. Create a blindfold taste test, so they have to work out three different foods tastes. Have a section where they have to roll a 6 on the dice before they can move on.

Mark the ‘starting line’ with a piece of wool or cloth.

Choose an age appropriate way for your child to begin at the starting line eg: a bow, turn around three times, sing a song, mime an animal, recite a poem and then choose a challenge for them to move to the first obstacle, for example  balancing a book on their head, hop, skip, juggle. Decide on some playful ways to move from obstacle to obstacle. A few ideas: walk like a crab or rabbit, slither like a snake, walk backwards or sideways, eyes closed etc.

If you keep a note of the time it takes for your children to finish the course you can then ask them if they can beat this next time round!

5. Tray with Objects

I’ve played this game since I was a child and I love it….. Place a number of random objects, from around the garden or your home, onto a tray or table. Ask the children to study the objects for 30 seconds and then place a beautiful cloth or napkin over the top of the objects. Can they remember every single item on the tray? You can amend and change this game in many ways, for example after the children have studied the tray ask them to close their eyes or leave the room, remove only one object from the tray – can they guess what is missing?  

You could move this into a storytelling game where you ask the birthday child to choose one object and between you answer three questions – what is it really? who does it belong to? where did it come from? This can create a wonderful spontaneous story between you.

6. Pin the Tail on the Donkey

Draw or print out an image of a donkey, minus the tail. Then draw or print out a number of donkey tails, cut around them and stick blu tack on the back so they can be fixed onto the donkey. Hang the donkey picture on the wall, at roughly eye-level to the players. Blindfold the first player, hand them a donkey tail and spin them around gently three times. Guide the blindfolded player in the general direction of the donkey, allowing them to make their own way to the wall, to place the tail on the donkey. Mark the spot where the player has placed the tail with their name. When every player has had a turn, the one whose donkey tail is closest to the correct position wins.

You can change this to suit your own theme: Harry Potter’s scar, Football next to the footballer’s foot/ head, fairy’s wand in the fairy’s hand.

7. Musical Statues

Another game that I loved as a child and still love to play now! Invite your child to move joyfully around in our home or garden – dancing, hopping, skipping, running – while the music is playing and to freeze into a statue when the music stop. They need to remain like a statue until the music starts again. Randomly stop and start the music thought out the game.