Kid Party Games

I LOVED volunteering as the “Homeroom Parent” during my children’s elementary school years.  It was a fantastic way to see my kids interacting with classmates.  One of the main duties was to plan kid party games and activities for the three holiday parties of the year – Halloween, winter, and Valentine’s Day.   My first few years, I tried some pretty elaborate crafts and games.  I had this notion that the more complicated it was, the better it would be… boy was I wrong!  Generally the more simple the idea, the better.  Here are some of the successful games and crafts!   

Bingo

Kids LOVE Bingo!  There are many free printable cards online (https://myfreebingocards.com/), or use to create your own.  I usually purchased some dollar store toys as prizes – pencils, playdough, bouncy balls, etc.   

Charades

This is a super quick and easy game that was always a success!  In a few minutes you can create a word bank specific to your school or party theme.  All you need is a list of words, a container for the kids to draw from and timer!  You can divide the class into two groups and keep score for friendly competition or have them go individually and let the whole class guess. 

Pictionary

Create a list of words or phrases that fit the party theme and you’re done!  You can even use the same word list as Charades.  As long as the classroom has a white board and markers, all you need is a timer.

Word Searches, Crossword puzzles, other word games 

You can easily find printable games online or pick them up for a few bucks at your local store.  I sometimes partnered the kids up and challenged them to see which group could complete the puzzle first.  The competition made this simple activity feel more exciting, especially if prizes were involved! 

Madlibs

I always brought a book of Madlibs in case we had extra time or my plan totally flopped.  These never get old, kids can do them all day long! 

Minute To Win It Games

These games were always so much fun!  I made a lot of the games out of materials I had around the house, but others costs a few dollars each.  I would suggest having 4 – 5 games and setting up stations.  Divide the kids into groups and have them rotate between each game station.  Set a timer for one minute for each game.  Here are a few of my favorites:

• Face The Cookie – Tilt your head back and place a cookie on your forehead (I used Oreos).  Try to get the cookie to your mouth without using your hands! 
• Cereal box puzzles – This one takes a little bit of prep work, but uses items you probably already have.  Collect a few cereal boxes and cut out the front side. Cut into 15 – 20 pieces, shaped like typical puzzle pieces.  Give one puzzle to each child and see who can solve within the minute! 
• Sort The Colors – Give each child a pile of skittles, m&ms, or any colorful candy and have them sort into individual Dixie cups of by color.  This can get expensive depending on the age of kids and how many pieces they’ll need to make it challenging.  Colorful cereal may be a lower cost option. 
• Stack The Golf Balls – If you’ve got golf balls around the house, then this is a cheap and easy game.  Give each child 3 – 4 golf balls and see who can stack them up! 
• Balloon challenge – Blow up enough balloons for each child in the group (but bring a few extras, just in case).  Keep the balloon from touching the ground without using hands. 

Valentine’s Day: 

I found there was usually less time for activities during the Valentine’s Day parties.  The kids often have cards and treats to exchange with each other, which takes up more time than you’d expect.  Talk to the teacher ahead of time – in some cases, the teacher allows class time to make Valentine card boxes or they create them at home ahead of time, and other times this makes a great party activity.  

• Create cards for nursing home residents, veterans groups, etc. – I found this to be a great activity for all ages.  The kids really seemed to enjoy creating thoughtful cards to give to others.  I called a local nursing home and they gladly accepted them!  I purchased colorful construction paper, stickers, markers, and let them create as many as they wanted