Party Party Party!  Oh the memories. Birthday cakes, pretty dresses, games, lolly bags, more games, party food!  Birthday parties these days seem to have moved to a whole different level with entertainers, venue hires and more which is all fun but you can’t beat some good old simple, cheap party games if you ask me.

If you’ve got some goodies you remember from days gone by, or games that go down a treat with your children and their little friends year after year, lets us know by leaving a comment below.

Pass the Parcel

A favourite amongst many. You’ll need:

1. A present to be your parcel. This doesn’t need to be expensive a chocolate bar or $2 item will suffice.
2. Some old newspaper
3. A handful of little treats lollies or little items.

What to do:

• Wrap the main parcel then place a trat within the layers of the parcel and the next layer of paper.
• Contine this process until you have enough treats for eveychild and a coulple more for good measure (in the excitment of it all some children rip through multiple layers and so it does pay to add a few extra treats)!
• Get the children to sit in a circle.
• Give the birthday boy/girl the parcel and start the music.
• Allow the parcel to be passed around the cirle a bit and then stop the music
• ONE layer of the parcel is opened.
• Continue this until the last layer is reached.

Note:  It pays for whoever is in charge of the music to keep track of which child has opened the parcel stopping the music to ensure each child gets something.

Musical chairs

• Make a circle of chairs all facing outwards. you need one less chair than there are children.
• As the music begins the children start to walk /skip around the chairs.
• When the music stops the race is on to get bottoms on seats. One child will miss out.
• A chair is then removed and the process continued until one chair and two children are left.
• The winner get a prize.

Pin the ___ on the  ___ !

It could be a tail, nose or other body part. Really there is no end to the options of what to pin to what.

Memory game

Good fun and good brain training too!

What you need:

1. A tray of items 10- 20 depending on the age and memory capabilities of the players.
2. Pen and paper for each child
3. A watch.

What to do:

1. Cover the tray and place it in the center of the circle of children.
2. With watch at the ready unveil the tray and give the group 1minute to view and memorize the items
3. Cover the tray and then give them another minute to recall and write down as many items as they can recall.
4. The party goer who remembers the most items wins.
5. If it’s a tie make up a new tray and repeat.

Limbo!

Jack be nimble, Jack be quick, Jack go under limbo stick.

What you need:

1. A broom or long stick
2. Two people to hold it
3. Music

What to do:

1. Get the children to line up behind the stick.
2. Hold stick horizontally starting at chest level
3. Play the music and one by one the children must limbo under the stick without touching it.
4. If they do touch teh stick they’re out of the game.
5. After each child has gone under, lower the height of the stick.
6. Continue until the most flexible just can’t flex anymore!

Use your body game

Aim of the game:

To create shapes and objects using the human body.

How to play:

1. Play some music and have the children mixing and mingling
2. The leader calls a number and an object
3. Participants quickly form groups of that number, then use their bodies to make the object. For example, “2, rocking chair!” and you’ll suddenly see pairs forming themselves into rocking chairs. Once everyone’s made their object and have been suitably congratulated, then it’s time for more mingling and the next object!
4. Some guaranteed hits: washing machine, car, toaster, elephant, piano.