Hosting a kid’s birthday party can be overwhelming with so many details like food, themes, invitations, cake and more. Trying to come up with fun games that everyone will enjoy adds to the stress. Here are five great activities that are easy to plan. A bonus:  you can find the materials around your house.
Dress Up Relay – Fill two suitcases or boxes full an equal amount of clothes that are large enough to fit the players. Put the suitcases or boxes next to each other in a large area like a back yard where kids can race to them. Divide the kids into two equal teams. Have the teams form two lines at the start of the relay. The first players in the lines run to the clothes and put them on over what they are wearing. When completely dressed, the players take off the dress up clothes, put them back in the box and run to the end of the team line. Then the next players go. The team to finish first wins.
Elephant Tug of War – Divide kids into two even groups. Try to make sure each group has the same number of smaller and larger kids. Have the teams pick one child to be the elephant. Make a line on the ground or floor with a piece of tape or chalk. The elephants hold hands and try to pull each other across the line. Each child gets a chance to be the elephant. The team that pulls its opponents across the line the most times wins.
Guess What’s in the Bag – Put things from around the house into a non-transparent bag. Items can be toys, fruit, coins, dog biscuits and other things that might be difficult to guess by feel. Have players put a hand in the bag, hold one item and guess what it is.
Three-Legged Race – Pair up the children with kids of similar sizes. Have each kid stand next to his or her partner with arms around waists. Tie partners’ inside legs together with scarves or other pieces of fabric so the team has only three legs. Use ropes or something to mark the starting and finish lines. The pair that crosses the finish line first wins.
Treasure Hunt – Hide objects or party favors indoors or outside. Have kids find the items off a list you provide them. The list can provide clues. The treasure hunt can be done in teams or individually.