Cheap and Easy Party Games Kids Absolutely Love
There’s no getting away from it, it’s easy for kids’ birthday parties to cost a tonne of money.
Playing a few well chosen party games is a great way to keep costs down and party guests thoroughly entertained.
Here’s a roundup of some of the most fun games that always go down well with kids and what’s more, they are cheap and easy to prep.
Fun birthday games that won’t cost you a fortune
This selection of games is perfect for kids aged six and upwards.
Kids of this age have pretty decent attention spans and are able to enjoy a little competition in the mix.
They are also able to wait their turn and enjoy watching others take part as much as taking part.
1. Pin the tail on the donkey
Pin The Tail on the Donkey is an absolute classic that brings out the giggles as well as competitive natures.
Rules:
- Blindfold the children one at a time. Then get the blindfolded player to try and attach the tail with Bluetak or a pin to the donkey (or other animal) in the picture.
- Write the child’s name in the spot where they pin the tail.
- The child who gets closest to where the tail should be is the winner.
Props:
- Blindfold or scarf
- Draw a donkey on a large piece of paper and make a tail from a separate piece of card.
2. Grandmother’s footsteps
Grandmother’s Footsteps is yet another absolute classic game that involves strategy as well as fun.
Rules:
- Get a willing adult to play ‘Grandmother’ and stand at one end of the room/garden with their back to everyone.
- Get the kids to line up at the other end of the room/garden.
- At the start of the game, all the children begin to move forward towards ‘Grandmother’.
- ‘Grandmother’ can turn around at any time.
- Any child caught moving or wobbling when ‘Grandmother’ turns around has to go back to the start line and start again.
- The first child to get to ‘Grandmother’ without her spotting them moving wins.
3. Egg and spoon race
Egg and spoon racing is a super fun game, especially for outdoor parties. Go old school and use actual boiled eggs (great for making egg sandwiches afterwards!!).
Rules:
- Boil some eggs until they are very hard. Or, you could buy an egg and spoon race kit.
- Provide paints or coloured pens for the kids to decorate the hardboiled eggs if you want to add an extra party activity to this game.
- Line the kids up at one end of the room/garden and give each child a spoon and an egg to balance on it.
- The children race to the finish line.
- Each time they drop the egg, they have to go back to the start and start again.
Props:
- Eggs and spoons! Either the real deal or buy an egg and spoon race kit
4. The chocolate eating game
I’ve yet to find a child whose eyes don’t light up at the mere mention of The Chocolate Eating Game!
Rules:
- You will need a large bar of chocolate, a knife and fork, a scarf, a hat and gloves. Oversized hats and gloves work super well for extra laughs. You will also need some dice.
- Get the children to sit around a plate with a large bar of chocolate on it.
- Each child takes their turn to roll a die until someone rolls a six.
- The child who rolls a six then has to put on the hat, scarf and gloves and start to cut and eat the chocolate using the knife and fork.
- The other children continue rolling the die until another six is rolled. At that point, the child eating the chocolate must stop eating.
- Now it’s the turn of the new six roller to don the hat, scarf and gloves and start eating.
- The game ends when the whole bar of chocolate has been eaten. And that’s when the real fun starts for the party host as the sugar rush hits!
Props:
- Bars of chocolate
- Hats
- Gloves
- Knives and forks
- Dice
5. The doughnut challenge
The Doughnut Challenge comes in as a tie with the Chocolate Eating Game for popularity.
Rules:
- You will need ring doughnuts, string, and a washing line or string for this game.
- Buy enough doughnuts for every party guest and tie strings around them.
- Attach all the doughnut strings to a washing line and then hang the washing line across the room. Alternatively, you could ask a couple of willing adults to hold the line if need be.
- Each child must try to eat as much doughnut as they can without it falling off the string.
- The extra tricky bit is that they must do the challenge without using their hands!
- Top tip 1: Make sure to have a kitchen roll to hand for wiping sticking hands and faces.
- Top tip 2: Have spare doughnuts for disappointed kids who watch their doughnuts tumble to the floor.
Props:
- Ring doughnuts
- String or washing line
6. pop the balloon relay race
A Balloon Relay Race is a great team game to play with larger groups of party guests.
Rules:
- You will need two (or enough for however many teams you plan to have) baskets or containers to put an equal number of blown-up balloons in.
- A child from each team has to run from a starting point to their team’s basket and grab a balloon.
- They then have to sit on the balloon until it pops, at which point they run back to their team, and the next child sets off.
- The first team to pop all their balloons wins.
Props:
- Balloons
- Baskets or boxes for the balloons
7. Kim’s game
Kim’s Game is a memory game made popular by Boy Scouts and Girl Guides using it over the years.
Rules:
- You will need a small selection of random items, a kitchen tray and a tea towel. Plus, a pen and paper for each party guest.
- Put the items on the tray and let the kids look at the tray for 30 seconds, then cover the items with the tea towel.
- The object of the game is for each child to write down what they remember as being on the tray.
- The child with the most correct items listed is the winner.
Props:
- A tray
- A selection of random items
- Notepaper and pens
8. Minute to win it
Minute To Win It games ROCK at kids’ parties. Based on the Minute To Win It TV show, they can either be played for fun or competititively.
Here are a fewMinute To Win It games that work well for six to ten-year-olds.
These games need few props. You will just need to have a phone or stopwatch to hand to track those minutes.
1. Keep ’em Up
Rules:
- Challenge the kids to keep a balloon in the air for a minute. Add interesting rules to the challenge, like keeping one hand behind the back or using no hands or only feet.
Props:
- Balloons
3. Junk in the Trunk
Junk in the Trunk is a hilarious game of skill!
Rules:
- Pit two kids against each other at a time.
- Fill two empty tissue boxes with ping-pong balls, the same amount in each box. Tie the boxes around the waist of each player.
- The kids must shake out the ping pong balls without using their hands against the clock.
- The first player to empty their box wins (or the player with the fewest balls left in their box after a minute).
Props:
- Empty tissue boxes
- Ping pong balls
- String or ribbon for tying the box around the waist
4. Oreo Face
Oreo Face is deliciously simple but effective.
Rules:
- Each player must place an Oreo cookie (Oreos are the perfect size for kids’ faces) on their forehead.
- They must then race against the clock to move the cookie from their forehead to their mouth without using their hands.
- The first player to get the cookie into their mouth wins.
Props:
- Oreo cookies
9. Saran Wrap Ball Game
The Saran Wrap Ball Game has become as popular as the more classic game of Pass The Parcel. It’s super fast paced and induces lots of giggles.
Rules:
- Wrap a selection of mini prizes (candy, chocolate, favours) in a ball of plastic food wrap, making sure there’s a prize then a layer etc.
- You will also need to provide a couple of dice.
- Start the game by rolling the dice to see who is the first to land a six. That person starts unwrapping the ball.
- Meanwhile the dice are passed to the next player and so on until someone scores a six.
- Once a six is scored that person gets the ball and continues unwrapping it until another six is scored and so on…
Props:
- Saran wrap
- mini prizes – candy, chocolate, favours
- 2 dice
10. Elephant march
The Elephant March game is a great way to get all the kids to fall about laughing.
Rules:
- You will need to buy a bumper pack of cheap tights (pantyhose) and a bunch of tennis balls.
- Plus, have a bunch of bottles filled with water to use as skittles (or use skittles!).
- Give each child a pair of tights to put on their head with a tennis ball stuffed in the toe. This is the ‘elephant trunk’.
- The aim of the game is to knock down as many water bottles/skittles as possible in the space of a minute.
11. The Opposite challenge
The aim of the Opposite Challenge game is for the party guests to do the opposite of what they are told to do.
How to play:
- Gather all the kids together and challenge them to do the opposite of what you tell them to do (this is great preparation for their teenage years!)
- For example, “jump forwards’ means everyone has to actually jump backwards.
- Each round eliminate whoever doesn’t manage to do the opposite until you are left with a winner.
12. Wheelbarrow races
Wheelbarrow races are hugely entertaining, especially when the kids collapse into a heap of giggles.
Rules:
- Divide the party guests into pairs.
- One child needs to be the wheelbarrow. This means that they have their hands on the ground and their legs held by their partner.
- Line all the pairs up on the starting line and challenge them to race to the other end of the racecourse.
- The first pair across the line wins!
13. Scavenger hunts
Scavenger Hunts can work equally well when played indoors or outdoors. However, I would suggest sticking with the outdoors if there are many kids at the party.
Rules:
- Kids can play this game as individuals, in pairs or in teams.
- Create a list of things for the kids to find. Choose a theme or go with a bunch of random things. You can illustrate the list with images to help younger kids.
- It’s up to you whether you set a time limit to add extra fun for older kids.
- The winner is decided by who completes the scavenger hunt list first or who ticks off the most items within the time limit.
Props:
- Create lists of items that the kids have to find – create one list and print out copies.
Want to have some games up your sleeve for chill time at the party? Take a look at our selection of party games bundles.
