50 of The Best Party Games

Awesome decorations and birthday cakes on fine dessert tables will delight young party guests for a little while, but great kid’s party games will get everyone involved in playing together, laughing, and really having fun.

You will love these Party Game ideas!

 This collection of 50 fun party game ideas lists a variety of activities for ages ranging from young kids to young adults. Some are strictly for outside, some are for inside, but all are sure to make for a good time. Since you can’t predict group dynamics, be sure to have more activities planned than you think you’ll have time for—that way you will keep the party energy stoked.

See Also:

• There are great ideas for a surfing birthday party
• Kids will love these 21 Dinosaur Party Craft Ideas

The Best Party Games

1. Scavenger Hunt

Who doesn’t enjoy a good hunt and discover contest? The idea for this outdoor game comes with a free printable, which makes it easy and fun for mom, too!

2. Relay Race

What a fun game! Kids won’t mind if they win or lose with this one because there is a built-in reward for everyone. 

3. Partners In Pen

Guests work in pairs, back-to-back. Each team is given a paper bag with household items/toys. One team member draws what the other is describing to them, but the name of the item and what it is used for cannot be spoken. If the partner draws/figures out what the item is, the team makes a point. The team with the most points wins.

4. Obstacle Course

Everyone is familiar with an obstacle course but the balloon table, wagon slalom, and newspaper walk are novel ideas. Include these activities when you want to create lots of party ballyhoo. 

5. Elephant March

This game means you have got to wear pantyhose on your head…weighted with a tennis or baseball. While you’re in this elephant-like disguise, you knock over target bottles with your new trunk. This one is always good for lots of laughs! 

6. Balloon Bust

Pre-party, fill each balloon with a small prize or candy. Blow them up and tie them off. Each young guest chooses a balloon. The goal is to make the balloon break so they can retrieve the prize—but they can only break the balloon by sitting on it. 

7. Camera Game 

Set a timer on an inexpensive point-and-shoot camera. The camera gets passed around the circle while each guest briefly holds the camera in a selfie pose. When the flash goes off you get some fun photos. Reset the timer and begin again.

8. Punch Box 

Kids love surprises. Making a punch box assures that everyone gets to grab a prize. 

Birthday Party Games

9. Cup Stacking 

Go it alone or make it teamwork. Everyone holds their breath on this one! 

10. Can Knock Down

Decorate (or not!) empty cans for an economical stack ‘em, knock ‘em down game. 

11. Snowman Slam

Styrofoam cups and socks get a party-worthy makeover for game time. 

12. Balloon Catch

Balloons should always be invited to the party! There are so many things to do with them—like this simple and joyous balloon catch. 

13. Treasure Dig 

Exciting at any party, but pirate, puppy, and dinosaur digs practically beg for this activity. 

14. Strip The Present

Pre-party, a gift is wrapped and re-wrapped in layers of newsprint, foil, wax paper, plastic, paper, etc. All guests sit in a circle. Each one removes one layer of wrapping and passes the present on. The guest who removes the last wrap keeps the gift. 

15. Ring Toss

Construction cones and a ring and you’ve got a game. You can also ring tall cans or stakes in the ground. 

16. Glowing Ring Toss

Make this popular game even more of a thrill by using glow-ring necklaces. 

17. Musical Hearts

Kinda like musical chairs—without the chairs—and played with lots of construction paper hearts. Silly fun for a range of ages. 

18. Guess The Number In The Jar

Put a number of objects (LEGO pieces, beans, pennies, etc.) in a jar and let the kids guess how many. 

19. Balloon Pop

Enjoy colorful stompin’ and rompin’ while everyone tries to break each other’s balloons. 

Outdoor Kids Party Games

20. Opposites

The goal of this game is for guests to do the opposite of what they’re told. You say, “stick out your right foot” and they stick out their left. You say, “look up” and they look down. However, if they do what you say, they’re out of the game. The last one left wins…little rebel!

21. Water Balloon Pinata

Definitely a hot-weather, outdoor game, but oh, the giggles! 

22. Fishing Game

There are lots of variations on kidlet-friendly fishing. Use cardstock fish with paper clips on their mouths so they can be caught with a magnet on a stick pole or make hooks with wire. 

23. Airplane Toss

A runway, hoola-hoop, and toy airplanes make a great, themed party game. 

24. Cracker

This is a game of observation. Everyone wears a party hat. Throughout the party, they all get taken off while no one is looking. You don’t want to be the last one still wearing the hat. 

25. Toe Grab

Play this game with or without water, but have one container filled with marbles and one empty container. See how many marbles kids can pick up and move from one container to the other, using just their toes.

26. Lego Spoon Race

LEGO pieces, spoons, and kids that like to race are a winning combination. 

27. Wacky Dice

With a roll of the oversized cardboard dice, party guests discover if they must “walk like a dinosaur” or “slither like a snake” or whatever motion is written on the cube. Great fun, especially for the younger crowd.

28. Who/What Am I?

Each guest has a name of a person, animal or object taped to their forehead or back. Each person gets to ask 20 questions of various guests to figure out who he is. 

29. Feather Blow

Each guest is given a feather. The idea of the game is to see who can keep it up in the air the longest by only blowing. 

Fun Party Games

30. Who Is It?

One blindfolded guest is led to the middle of the circle of guests. When the host shouts, “GO!” the center player must reach out and grab someone from the circle, asking, “Who is it?” That guest answers in a disguised voice. If the center player can guess who it is, the discovered person becomes the blindfolded player in the middle.

31. Fox & Hen 

Kids sit in a circle. Have two bean bags (or actual toy animals) to represent the fox and the hen. Give one of each item to kids on opposite sides of the circle. Pass the fox and hen around the circle, seeing if the fox can catch up with the hen. 

32. Face Cookie

A wafer cookie is placed on the forehead. The object is to get it into your own mouth, only using your face scrunches to move it there.

33. Balloon Waddle Relay

Kids must run to the finish line with a balloon between their knees. Drop or pop the balloon=start over. 

34. Breakfast Scramble

Cut cardboard cereal box fronts into puzzle squares. Guests must put them together within a specified time. 

35. Bean Bag Toss

Here’s a stylish variation of the popular bean bag toss game. Use a circle of chairs. Each guest sits in one. The host asks a series of questions. If your answer is “yes”, move one seat to the left. If you cannot answer yes, stay seated. Get ready to share your seat! The first person that makes it back to their original chair wins. 

Indoor Party Games

37. Laughing Game

All guests are seated in a circle. Go around the circle, with each one saying, “Ha”, “Ho” or “Hee”. Anyone who laughs is out, so the last one left in the circle wins. 

38. String Treasure Hunt

Place colored strings all over the party venue—inside and out, around furniture, etc. Use a variety of colored strings for the number of teams you have. Teams must wind up their string to get to their treasure at the hunt’s end.

39. Dice Game

Each guest is given a craft stick to hold in their mouth. They must stack six dice on top of each other on the end of the stick and hold them for three seconds. It’s more difficult than it sounds! 

40. Spoons

A family favorite for many, Spoons is simple enough for almost any age to play. All you need is a deck of cards and one less spoon than the number of players. Wild and crazy fun! 

41. Noodling Around

Using an uncooked spaghetti noodle in the mouth—and no hands—each contestant must pick up six pieces of penne. 

More Party Game ideas you’ll love

42. Pool Noodle Target

Joined pool noodles make great targets for all sorts of balls, discs, etc. Assign points to different colored targets. 

43. Sock ‘Em

Have at least six times the number of socks as party guests. Put them in a basket. Kids sit in a circle. They must try to put as many sock layers on as possible within a specified time period. The one with the most socks on wins. Repeat! 

44. Sleeping Lions (or Bunnies)

Need a quiet-down game? This is it. Everyone must lie on their belly, being as still and quiet as possible. If they really stay quiet for five minutes, they receive stickers for a prize.

45. Ping Pong Blow

All that’s needed is a table and several ping-pong balls. And maybe breath mints! Two teams kneel, with hands behind their backs, as they attempt to blow their opponent’s balls off the table.

46. Flashlight Treasure Hunt

Flashlights + the dark of night = excitement! Hide glow-in-the-dark items (stars, bugs, etc.) and let teams of kids discover the treasures. 

47. Hole In My Bucket 

Each team has a bucket with holes in the bottom and a container of water, plus an intact bucket that sets several feet away. At “Go!” team members must fill the “hole-y” bucket with water, balance it on their head, run to the intact bucket, empty their water into it, and run back to their teammates who repeat the race. The team with the most water in the intact bucket wins. 

48. Bubble Gum

Each guest gets a paper plate with a piece of fresh bubble gum buried in whipped cream. Using only their mouths, guests must find their bubble gum and be the first to blow a bubble. 

49. Blindman’s Swag

This game is played in pairs. One member of the team wears a blindfold—no peeking! There is some desirable prize that the blindfolded member needs to get. The team member who can see guides him/her to the prize, but only using words. The first team to grab the swag wins.

50. Bouncing Basketball 

Start with colored ping-pong balls and a trash can. Party guests circle the trash can and see who can bounce the most balls into the can.

When it comes to kids party games, it’s all about making sure that kids have fun and feel included in the celebration. By planning ahead, you can make sure all party guests have a memorable time of their own and create lasting memories.

Plus, check out Outdoor Party Games

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