Recommended for kids' birthday parties! Exciting party games
A once-a-year birthday.
Many families hold birthday parties for their children, don’t they?
At those times, you might invite not only family but friends as well.
In this article, we’ll introduce “party games” that are perfect for kids’ birthday parties!
They’re also great for home parties with lots of children.
We’ve gathered ideas kids will love, so feel free to copy them and enjoy a fun time.
It’s packed with exciting, crowd-pleasing games!
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Recommended for kids' birthday parties! Exciting party games (1–10)
balloon bomb
Balloons are useful as decorations for birthday parties, and there are so many cute ones these days.
Here’s a slightly nerve‑racking game that uses those balloons, called “Balloon Bomb.” Stick pieces of cellophane tape all over a balloon at random.
At the starting signal, carefully peel off the tape from the balloon and pass it to the next person.
Whoever pops the balloon is out, but there’s also a penalty rule where if you take too long being overly cautious and time out, the balloon is forcibly popped.
It’s a lively game where you can’t rush, but you can’t be too careful either!
Pinata-smashing game
A piñata is something done at Mexican celebrations such as birthdays.
It’s a spherical object like a kusudama, filled with candy and toys.
You put on a blindfold, hit it with a stick, break it, and take out what’s inside.
You can also make a piñata by hand using balloons, newspaper, and cute ribbons.
You can just picture the children’s delighted faces when it breaks and lots of candy spills out.
Beef Tongue Game
Let me introduce a classic party game that’s simple yet exciting: the “Gyutan Game.” Everyone stands in a circle, holds their hands out, and waits with palms together.
After choosing a starting person and the direction of play, the first person says “Gyu” (cow), the next person claps to represent “tan” (tongue), and you pass it around in the rhythm: “Gyu–tan, Gyu–tan, Gyu–tan–tan.” On the second round, one extra “tan” is added to the end; on the third round, another “tan” is added, and so on—each round increases the number of “tan” at the end.
If your rhythm is off or you make a mistake, you’re out.
If everyone clears it, speed it up to raise the difficulty!
Recommended for Kids’ Birthday Parties! Exciting Party Games (11–20)
What’s inside the box?
It’s the “What’s in the box?” game you’ve seen on TV variety shows! Cut hand holes on both sides of a box and leave the front open so everyone can see.
You can easily make it with an empty box, wrapping paper, or colored construction paper.
As for the crucial contents, items you can identify by touch are recommended—things you often see, like stuffed animals or toys.
Things with distinctive textures, something chilly to the touch, or squishy items also get everyone excited!
Picture shiritori
Picture shiritori is also a popular party game.
In regular shiritori, you pass along words using speech.
However, in picture shiritori, you convey the words through drawings.
The most exciting part is that, depending on how the illustration turns out, the word might not be conveyed correctly.
By the way, there are also online services that let you enjoy picture shiritori.
So it’s perfect when you want to play with friends who are far away.
Forehead cookie
When it comes to birthday parties, it’s common to prepare snacks and drinks and have a good time.
Among those snacks, how about choosing cookies and playing a game called “Forehead Cookie”? The rules are simple: tilt your head back, place a cookie on your forehead, and at the start signal, move your facial muscles to slide the cookie down into your mouth—if it makes it in, you win! You can only move the cookie with your face; using your hands is against the rules.
If it falls off your face, you have to start again from your forehead.
It’s a game that’s fun to watch too—you’ll be so desperate you won’t even notice you’re making silly faces!
Paper Cup Stacking Showdown
How about trying a paper cup stacking showdown that puts your concentration and reflexes to the test? This is a game based on sport stacking.
Sport stacking is a sport where you compete for time by quickly shuffling cups and stacking them into pyramids.
In this version, the cups are replaced with paper cups—that’s the paper cup stacking showdown.
Once you get used to stacking the paper cups, try the downstack, the motion of taking the cups back down.