You want the kids to have fun at your child’s party and what better way than with some party games! There are so many different games to choose from. However, toddlers and smaller children aren’t so great at following lots of rules or instructions at once or waiting for too long. They also haven’t quite fully comprehended the concept of winners and losers and tears often result when they feel left out because they didn’t get a prize!
In this month’s blog we will cover ten toddler friendly party games and activities to keep all the kids entertained at your next kid’s party.
1. Pass the parcel / ball
A kid’s party classic. Kids love this game and the excitement that comes with it. To avoid feelings of being left out, it’s common with smaller children to wrap a small favour such as a sticker, balloon, lolly in each layer (making sure there are the same amount of layers as children) so that each child gets a prize.
Toddlers can also tend to hold on to the parcel or just begin to unwrap it as soon as they receive it! A great alternative is to pass around a ball or balloon. Whoever has the ball when the music stops gets to leave the circle and pick a prize. You can even add a little more fun by having small mystery prizes in a sack for the kids to choose from. The child at the end gets the game prize!
2. Fishing Game
Our fishing game comes with 6 fish in 4 different colours. Each colour has 6 different shapes on each fish. Have a race to see who can catch all their chosen colour first or who can get can all the fish with a chosen shape first. There are 2 rods so only 2 players at a time. However, the kids can team up so that once they have caught a fish, they pass on the rod to the next player like a relay.
3. Scavenger Hunt
Scavenger or treasure hunts are lots of fun for children of all ages! For the younger children you may want to keep it simple by hiding one small gift for each child in the hunting area. Make sure children come back to the circle or designated area once they have found a gift so that each child gets to find a treasure.
You can even add a twist to the game by utilising one of our ball pits as the hunting ground and hiding the small gifts in amongst the balls. Watch the children dive around in the ball pit as they try and find a prize each. Once they do have them jump out of the ball pit so that they don’t grab more than one.
4. Dancing and Singing
Really young children won’t be able to sit still for long or follow instructions and so games like pass the parcel may be too much for them. For these children a simple activity like dancing to nursery rhymes or children’s classics like The Wiggles will be entertainment enough.
To turn it in to a game you could offer prizes for the most interesting dance, the silliest dance, the most gentle dance and so on. Further still for children a bit older who can follow instructions a classic is musical statues!
5. Tenpin Bowling
Tenpin bowling is a classic game that any child can play once they can hold and throw a ball. Our giant tenpin bowling set makes it even easier for smaller children to knock down all the pins down. Just have fun knocking down the pins or see who can knock down the most pins for a prize.
6. Pin the Tail on the Donkey
This classic game is for the older toddlers but one they have a real giggle with. Pop up a poster on the wall, blindfold a child at a time, spin a few times and then guide them to the wall to place the tail on the donkey. Be aware that some kids may get a little nervous with the blindfold. Tie the blindfold loosely or use a beanie that they can pull down over their eyes. Keep a hand on their shoulders the whole time so they feel reassured.
You can also customise this game to your particular theme and have pin the pirate hat on the pirate or pin the mermaid tail on the mermaid.
7. Bubbles
Kids love bubbles! They go crazy trying to catch and pop as many as they can. You can let them play or you can turn it in to a game and see who can pop the most!
Our bubble machines send out dozens of bubbles at a time and are serious fun! We now also have a LED bubble machine which chnages colours as it fills the air with bubbles.
8. Obstacle Course
Create a bit of adventure by setting up an obstacle course for the kids. The kids will line up to each have a turn at getting from one end to the other. You can make it a game and see who completes it the fastest, the one who completes it with the least falls etc.
Tunnels, balance beams, limbo, zig-zag in and out of cones, the possibilities for this activity are endless and completely up to you! Our single hide and climb soft play set and our balance logs and river stones would be perfect for this activity.
9. Mega 4
Mega 4 is a bit hit at kids parties. The size and colourful setup makes it engaging and our Little Monkey just has fun putting in the counters and then watching them all fall down when she pulls out the bottom tray!
10. Balloon Burst
Place a small gift inside a balloon and then blow it up. Add multiple balloons or even hand over one balloon per child. The kids then have to pop the balloons to get the prizes. You can mix it up with only a few balloons having gifts or having all balloons having a gift.
This is one for the older toddlers as it may be a bit scary and loud for the youngest children. Also remember to collect all the bits of burst balloon to prevent any choking hazards.
We hope you have enjoyed our toddler party games and activities blog and have found some inspiration. Don’t forget that we can help enhance some of the games mentioned above with our ball pits, soft play equipment and garden games including the Mega 4, Fishing game, tenpin bowling and balance logs and river stones so don’t forget to contact us if we at Little Monkeys Party Hire can assist you!
Thanks for reading.
Love the Little Monkeys Party Hire Team! xxx
Comments