Hosting a little kids birthday party can be a bit like herding cats! Chaotic! Keeping everyone's attention can be challenging (and I know I'm understating it here!). The trick is to keep their attention on the game and off everything else. But that is easier said than done. You need to have some easy, bold, action games planned to keep them entertained and channel that never ending, sugar boosted energy.
I've hosted my fair share of birthday parties for little kids and these are my TOP 10 Birthday Party Games for Under 5's that are guaranteed to keep those little live wires entertained and help you keep your sanity intact for the next 120 minutes!
Hit the Balloon into the Basket.
This is a fun, fast paced game that is sure to wear out even the most energetic little sprite. Sounds simple enough, but it's not. The catch? You've got to hit the ball into the basket using a Pool Noodle. You can divide bigger kids into two teams and they have to try 'score' in each others goals, but for little kids - keep it simple. Everyone gets their own noodle and just toss a ton of balloons in the middle.
The Rules: No touching the balloon with your hands or feet. And yes. They will cheat.
What you will need for this game:
- A Couple of washing baskets for 'goals'.
- Pool Noodles - one for each child. You can get Pool Noodles in bulk delivered right to your door here.
Giant Catapult and Cardboard Boxes. - A Bag of Balloons. If you really want to take it up a notch, try adding a little helium to each balloon. Then sit back and watch them try and get the super floaty balloons into place.
Kentucky Derby Duck Race.
For this one, we bought a bunch of water guns and plastic ducks from the Dollar Store and the kids had to shoot their plastic ducks to move them down the PVC pipe. The first one to the end wins! This is loads of fun!
What you will need for this game
- Water Guns. Choose the water guns that store a lot of water like these or these ones. When the game's done, let the kids take their water gun home as a party favor.
- Plastic Ducks or little boats
The Bucket Challenge.
A no mess, hilarious game where no-one is a winner, but everyone gets a good laugh. The goal is to try and get the water to the back of the line by pouring it into the bucket behind you.
What you need to play this game:
- A couple of buckets (or plastic cups if you want to keep the water to a minimum). The bigger the bucket, the easier the game.
Monster Marbles.
Ever play this game with marbles as a kid? Cut some holes in cardboard boxes. Make them different sizes and score them. You get bigger scores if you get it the ball into the smaller holes. Ramp it up using soccer balls or these balls (I went through a few bags of these when my kids were little). Don't bother keeping score, the kids don't care. To keep the little ones entertained, give away prizes when they get it in the hole. This could be anything from an m&m to stickers or a stamp on their arm.
What you need to play this game:
- Some big cardboard boxes
- Colored Markers and scissors to make the holes in the box
- Plastic Balls
- Rewards: Stickers, Stamps or candy
Cardboard Box Maze.
You know this will be a hit! Stick as many cardboard boxes together. You are only limited to the space in your house! Add a couple of scavenger Hunt clues inside the cardboard fort and you've got yourself enough time to enjoy a cup of tea.
What you need to play this game:
- A LOT of randomly sized cardboard boxes (big enough to fit a kid inside - yeah. that doesn't sound strange at all :)
- Tough Sticky Tape to stick the boxes together because you need them sturdily stuck together while kids are crawling through. When in doubt, go with packaging tape. It's cheap and won't come apart even with a party of kiddie crawlers.
Tug of War
This is a classic! It's fun for all ages and never goes out of style. Divide the party group into two teams. Get each team to pull on an end of the rope. Tie a piece of cloth to the middle of the rope and make a line on the ground to mark both teams 'home'. Whoever pulls the flag across the oppositions home line first wins. PS: Try and make the teams as equal as possible.
What you will need for this game:
- A Good quality thick rope.
Magnetic Fishing Hole.
My kids loved this game when they were little. We teamed it up with prizes and wrote a number on each fish. We then stuck numbers to prizes and the kids got the prize associated with their fish they caught.
What you need to play this game:
- Plastic Swimming Pool
- Magnetic fish (You can Either make your own magnetic fish by sticking a magnet of each one, or get a full done for you 48 piece set for under $10 from Amazon)
- Fishing Rod
DIY Garden Bowls.
Stock up on empty Soda Bottles and light weight soccer balls and DIY your way to your very own outdoor bowling set. Full the bottles only ¼ of the way with water to make it easier to stand up, but not too hard to knock down.
What you need for this game:
- Empty Soda Bottles
- Bag of Balls
Pass the Parcel.
This Party game classic is ALWAYS a hit with big and small kids. The kids sit in a circle and you play some music. The kids pass the parcel round the circle until the music stops. The child holding the parcel when the music stops gets to unwrap a layer of wrapping paper. Wrap a little trinket, balloon or sticker under each layer of wrapping paper to keep the kids attention and have a bigger prize in the middle.
Keep to around 10-12 layers. Don't go too big as kids get bored. Rather have a second parcel. Make sure each child gets a chance to unwrap a layer. Trust me, they will let you know if they haven't :)
Giant DIY I Spy Game.
This takes the game of I spy up a notch. Full a tub with wheat, sand, rice or colored water and toss some trinkets or household items inside. Give the kids a list of items to find. Kind of like a scavenger hunt. Remember to keep items a bit bigger for kids under three because at least one WILL try and put them in their mouth.
I hope this little list of 10 of the Best Party Games for under 5's has given you some great ideas to get the party rocking! Remember to have some fun too!
