5 Unusual Party Games Your Kids Will Love

Awesome activities to make their birthday parties memorable

By Vicky McDonald

I recently hosted a birthday party and we played pass the parcel, which is a classic birthday party game that’s very popular in the United Kingdom and Ireland. I was surprised to discover that this party game is not so well-known in the United States. Unsurprisingly, the kids all loved this fabulous party game in which everyone is a winner.

Here’s a list of some favorite childhood games from across the pond that will be a hit at your next birthday shindig.

Pass the parcel

Pass the parcel is a perfect party pleaser for preschoolers. You will need to prepare the parcel (gift) in advance.

What you’ll need: A group of kids, one decent gift (e.g., a small book or toy), some tiny trinkets or candies, wrapping paper, tape and music. Start by wrapping the main gift. Next, add another small gift on top (candy or trinket), wrap again, and so on, adding a small item to each layer of wrapping. Add enough layers so that everyone in the party will get a prize. If this all seems like too much for you, there’s always the option to buy the parcel wrapped and ready to go. (Check Etsy and Amazon.)

How to play: Sit the children in a circle and start playing some music. Ask the kids to pass the parcel to the person beside them and keep passing it along. When the music stops, the person left holding the parcel can open one layer of wrapping paper and keep the revealed gift. This continues until the final layer of wrapping paper is removed and the last child holding the parcel receives the big gift at the end.

Bonus tip: Use stickers rather than tape to hold the parcel together, as it’s much easier (and fun!) for kids to open.

What’s the time, Mr. Wolf?

This is a classic game of tag with a slight twist — terrific fun for the younger set.

What you’ll need: To play this game, you will need a group of kids and a large playing area.

How to play: One child is chosen to be Mr. or Mrs. Wolf, and that child walks about 12 feet away from the other kids and stands with their back to them. The other kids stand side by side in a line, and together they call out, “What’s the time, Mr. Wolf?” Mr. Wolf will respond by saying a number between one and 12. One o’clock means everyone takes one step forward toward the wolf, and 5 o’clock means everyone takes five steps forward toward the wolf. This is repeated a few times, resulting in the players getting closer and closer to the wolf. When Mr. Wolf is ready, he can answer “Dinner time!” instead of giving a number. Mr. Wolf then turns quickly around and chases the kids to catch his dinner. The player who is

caught becomes the next Mr. or Mrs. Wolf and the game continues.

Bonus tip: Use face paint to decorate Mr./Mrs. Wolf’s face or give them a Halloween mask to wear.

Blind man’s bluff This game was originally known as blind man’s buff, but the name somehow got lost in translation over the years!

What you’ll need: To play this game, you will need a group of kids, a large playing area and a blindfold. When we were kids, we used my dad’s tie or a scarf.

How to play: Choose one kid to be “it” and blindfold them. Have all of the kids stand in a circle around the blindfolded kid. Turn the kid with the blindfold around a few times to make them a little dizzy and disoriented. The kid with the blindfold then tries to tag one of the other children. Whoever is tagged will then become “it.”

Bonus tip: Before taking off the blindfold, ask the kid to try to guess the name of the party guest by feeling their face and hair.

Musical statues

This is a great game to burn off all that sugar- fueled energy from the party treats and get everyone dancing together.

What you’ll need:

To play this game, you will need a group of kids, a large playing area, some music and a prize.

How to play: Play some disco music and get everyone dancing. When the music stops, the kids must freeze. The kids who freeze on time get to continue playing in the next round; the kids who freeze too late are out of the game. The last kid standing wins a prize.

Bonus tip: To add some fun, hand out stickers to the kids who bust the most creative freeze poses.

Sardines

This is a version of hide-and-seek that’s just a little bit different.

What you’ll need: To play this game, you will need a group of kids and a large playing area with multiple places to hide.

How to play: Choose one child to be the first “sardine” and ask them to go and hide while the other children count to 20. Then, let the kids split off and go hunting for the sardine. When a child finds the sardine, they must squeeze in beside the sardine in the hiding place as quietly as possible. The last child to find the hiding place becomes the first sardine for the next game.

Bonus tip: This game is likely to end in a screaming gigglefest or a screaming wrestling match, so parents should stay close by to keep control. ■ Vicky McDonald is ParentMap’s digital editor. When not working, she can be found running after her two kids or cooking up something tasty in the kitchen.