5 Great Party Games to Keep Children Engaged
Children are notorious for their lacking attention spans. The younger the child, the more curious they are about their surroundings. Trying to keep them busy can be really hard work. Getting them involved with some interesting party games will allow them to have fun, while making your life a little bit easier. Try playing a variety of simple games that will allow every child to win a prize, reducing the risk of tantrums and improving the friendliness of the competition.
Have a Scavenger Hunt
This one is time-consuming, so it’s a great way to utilize the transitional time between larger activities, such as preparation for a birthday cake. All you need to do is prepare a variety of clues that you will then proceed to hide around the house. Children who can’t read will do better with photo clues, whereas brief written clues are excellent for older children.
Simply place clues for every child in the chosen locations. Each clue should lead to a new spot. The game can ultimately be as short or as long as you want – just place prizes at whichever destination you intend on being the final one. Anywhere between five to ten clues should be sufficient.
Don’t Move!
This game is excellent when you have rambunctious children that are eager to run around. Start with playing some music in a large, open space and tell the children they are expected to dance and run around while the music is on. When you pause, the children should stop moving immediately. Whoever is still moving when the music stops is out.
This game is a great way to make sure every child gets a prize. You can award children for being the best dancer, or having the funniest dance moves. This game will also help tire them out a little bit if you have an upcoming activity that requires their attention.
Improv Night
Kids like using their imagination, especially when they can make others laugh. Get together some old clothes and random household objects. Create a small stage area, even if it’s just a portion of a room that you’ve removed the furniture from. Write out simple prompts on pieces of paper, such as “TV news” or “lion tamer”. Allow pairs of children to randomly pull a prompt out of a basket. The prompt will determine the performance they’ll be giving.
After they’ve all performed their comedy skits, you can hand out the prizes. Everyone can be a winner if you award them based on what their strengths are, no matter how vague or how specific they may be.
Arts and Crafts
The good thing about art projects is that there is more than one way to do them and they don’t necessarily require a prize. Use recycled cardboard or long rolls of plain paper as canvases and give the children plenty of options. Glue, tissue paper, and tempera paint are fun materials that will encourage their creativity.
If you’re looking for something a little less messy, you can always set up a table to make simple beaded jewellery, rubber band bracelets, or perler crafts. Just make sure that younger children have adequate supervision if they’re playing with small plastic parts as they can be dangerous.
Obstacle Course
Children who are athletically inclined will really appreciate an obstacle course. Using safe items such as pool noodles, inflatable rings, and wet tarps, create a complex course for children to prove their skills on. You can award first, second, and third place, and keep the game going by allowing children to attempt to beat each other’s times.
Just remember: Don’t start all of the children at once for safety reasons. Wait until each child is a few stations ahead before placing another child on the obstacle course.
With a little creativity, just about anything can be turned into a party game. Children love to use their imagination; so sometimes barely setting the stage is all that’s required of you. Don’t forget to take shifts with the other adults in supervising the games, allowing everyone to have a little rest.
Christine Maurice has always loved blogging and working with children which led her to become a part of Yabadoo – professional entertainers for children. Her free time she usually spends with her family.