A fun children’s birthday party needs the right games. No matter how old your child is and whether their birthday is in winter, spring, summer or autumn, we have the right games for every age group and every occasion.
How do I choose the right games for the children’s birthday party?
To make the children’s party really fun, you should always have some good games ready. Of course, not all games are automatically suitable for every birthday. Therefore, you should consider the following points when choosing games:
- The games should match your child’s preferences: Your child is the centre of attention on his or her birthday, so the games should be especially appealing to him or her. Why not make a pre-selection and then discuss it with your child? This way, the birthday child is guaranteed to be happy.
- The age of the children must be taken into account: Depending on the age of the children, it can sometimes be uncool to play games. That’s why we have always indicated the size of the group and a recommended age for the games. In addition, the younger the children are, the easier the game or the rules should be.
- The number of children should be considered: Depending on the size of the group, some games are more suitable or unsuitable. We therefore have ideas for larger and smaller groups.
- Have an alternative ready: If a game does not go down well with the group, you should have thought of an alternative game beforehand.
- Material and space: Make sure that you have the necessary materials and space for the game you have chosen.
- Games that fit the party theme: Often there are games that fit a certain party theme particularly well or are adapted to the theme. You can find tips on this in our games list.
Games for toddlers (4-6 years)
| Age recommendation: |
| 4 - 6 years |
| Group size: |
| 4 and more players |
| Game duration: |
| Approx. 30 min. |
| What you need: |
| • A blindfold or scarf • Enough space (make sure there are no loose, dangerous objects or obstacles around where the blind cow could run into). |
| How it works: |
| One child is chosen to be the blind cow and is blindfolded. Everyone walks around freely and the blind cow tries to catch someone. If a child is caught, he or she is now the blind cow. |
| Tip: |
| This game can also be adapted to the respective theme, e.g. the blind detective, the search for the clown, etc. |
| Age recommendation: |
| 4 - 6 years |
| Group size: |
| 6 and more players |
| Game duration: |
| Approx. 30 min. |
| What you need: |
| Two blindfolds or scarves |
| How it works: |
| The children form a big circle and hold hands, in the middle are two blindfolded children. One child is the catcher (the cat) and must try to catch the other blind child (the mouse) by calling out "Mouse, where are you?" - the other child answers "Here I am!" and tries to dodge. |
| Tip: |
| This game can also be adapted to the respective theme, e.g. for a dinosaur party with T-Rex and Triceratops or for a prince/princess party the prince is looking for the princess, etc. |
| Age recommendation: |
| 4 - 6 years |
| Group size: |
| 6 and more players |
| Game duration: |
| Approx. 30 min. or as long as the children like. |
| What you need: |
| enough cloths or pieces of rope, for each kite group |
| How it works: |
| The children divide into two or more groups. Each group lines up and grabs each other's hips to form a dragon. A piece of cloth or rope is put in the waistband of the last child. The respective dragons must now try to capture the cloths by pulling the cloth out of the waistband of the opposing group(s). However, only the dragon head, the person in front, is allowed to pull the cloth. In addition, the dragon may not disperse, otherwise the capture of the cloth does not count. |
| Tip: |
| For small children, for the sake of simplicity, each child can be a dragon and thus wear a dragon's tail in their waistband and then try to capture the other children's cloths. Whoever loses the tail is eliminated. |
| Age recommendation: |
| 4 – 6 years |
| Group size: |
| 4 and more players |
| Game duration: |
| Approx. 30 Min. |
| What you need: |
| • Sunshine (so that you can see shadows on the ground) |
| How it works: |
| One child is chosen as the catcher. This child tries to catch the shadows of the other children. When a child is caught, it has to stand still with its legs open. The other children can release it by crawling under its legs. After a while, the catcher is changed. |
| Tip: |
| This game can also be adapted to the respective theme, e.g. at a dinosaur party the T-Rex catches all the other dinos or the detective tries to catch the shadows. |
Games for school children (6-12 years)
| Age recommendation: |
| From 7 years (this game is particularly suitable for older children, an adult should help with younger children). |
| Group size: |
| 4 and more players |
| Game duration: |
| Approx. 10 - 30 min. (depending on age and number of runs) |
| What you need: |
| • Several rolls of toilet paper • A reward, e.g. sweets, stickers, balloons, bubbles, etc. |
| How it works: |
| The children form two or more groups. Each group should consist of 3 to 5 children. One child per group is chosen to be the mummy. This child has to stand still while the other children in the group wrap it from head to toe in toilet paper. At the end, it should look like a mummy. The group that finishes first wins and receives the reward. |
| Tip: |
| So that the other children don't go away empty-handed, you can have something small ready for each group. At the end, don't forget to free the "mummies" from the toilet paper again. |
| Age recommendation: |
| 7 - 10 years |
| Group size: |
| 6 and more players |
| Game duration: |
| Approx. 20 min. |
| What you need: |
| Nothing but the participants and funny sentence ideas |
| How it works: |
| The children sit in a circle. One child thinks of a funny sentence or a word that is as complicated as possible and whispers it into the ear of his neighbour. Now the "whispering in the ear" goes around the to the last child in the circle. This child now says aloud how the "whisper telegram" reached him or her.The result is often amazing. 🙂 |
| Tip: |
| Perhaps you can support the search for good sentences as an adult or even start the game. For older children, you can also make up a short story from a few sentences. |
| Age recommendation: |
| 7 - 10 years |
| Group size: |
| 4 and more players |
| Game duration: |
| Approx. 20 min. (several rounds can be played) |
| What you need: |
| Nothing but the participants and a good concentration |
| How it works: |
| The children sit in a circle. The first child begins "I am packing a jumper in my suitcase". The second child adds "I am packing a jumper and a bathing suit in my suitcase". Now each child adds what he or she is packing and always names the previous items. Whoever forgets something is eliminated in this round. |
| Tip: |
| Rather a calmer and more concentrated game. |
| Age recommendation: |
| 6 - 14 years |
| Group size: |
| 6 and more players |
| Game duration: |
| Depending on your mood, as several rounds can be played. |
| What you need: |
| • It is best to get a bingo game consisting of: o Bingo cards o Enough cover tiles o Bingo tokens in a small bag or in a rotary drum o Control sheet for the game leader• Age-appropriate bingo prizes: e.g. sweets, lollies, Rimuss bottles, Pokemon cards, cool stickers, etc. |
| How it works: |
| The cover tiles and bingo cards are distributed to the children (one or more per child). The game leader continuously draws number tiles from the bag and announces them. Whoever has a full row first wins a prize by shouting "Bingo" loudly. If necessary, the first child to have a full card wins a special prize (shouting "Super Bingo"). |
| Tip: |
| The game is exciting for all ages and can even be played with older children. |
| Age recommendation: |
| 6 - 10 years |
| Group size: |
| 6 and more players |
| Game duration: |
| As long as you feel like it, several rounds can be played |
| What you need: |
| Reward for the winning group, e.g. sweets |
| How it works: |
| The children form two or more groups of equal size. All the group members lie on their bellies behind each other and each one and everyone grabs the ankles of the person in front. The snake formed in this way now tries to move forward without breaking apart anywhere.The winner is the group that reaches the finish line first. |
| Tip: |
| Especially suitable for older children. |
| Age recommendation: |
| 9 - 12 years |
| Group size: |
| 4 and more players |
| Game duration: |
| Approx. 30 min. (several rounds can be played) |
| What you need: |
| • Post-it and pen • Reward for the winner, e.g. Rimuss Fresh 20cl, sweets etc. |
| How it works: |
| Everyone thinks of a famous person and writes it on a Post-it. Now the Post-it is stuck on the forehead of the different players, but in such a way that they cannot see what is written on it. Now it's time: The other players must now take turns and find out who they are as quickly as possible by asking specific "yes or no" questions (e.g. am I a woman, am I a sportsman, etc.). If a question is answered in the affirmative, the respective player may ask another question. The winner is the first to know who they are. |
| Tip: |
| An exciting game that even adults will love. To simplify the game a bit, you can also agree on a professional genre (e.g. famous singers) or something similar. |
| Age recommendation: |
| 6 – 8 Years |
| Group size: |
| 4 and more children |
| Game duration: |
| Approx. 30 Min. |
| What you need: |
| • Ball |
| How it works: |
| The children form a circle and one of the children stands in the middle of the circle. Then the children throw the ball wildly back and forth. The child in the middle of the circle tries to catch the ball. If the child succeeds, the ball thrower must move into the circle. The throwers can of course use various tricks in this game, e.g. only fake a throw in a certain direction several times and suddenly throw spontaneously in another direction. |
| Tip: |
| If it's really hot, you can refresh the children with a sprinkler or, if available, they can play directly in the water, e.g. in a pool or in the swimming pool. A perfect match for the balloon party. |
Games for all ages (4-12 years)
| Age recommendation: |
| 4 – 8 years |
| Group size: |
| 6 and more players |
| Game duration: |
| Approx. 30 Min. |
| What you need: |
| • a pot • a wooden spoon • a blindfold or a scarf • individually wrapped sweets such as candies, lollipops, smarties or chocolate bars |
| How it works: |
| One child is blindfolded. Then the other children place the upside-down pot anywhere in the room. A sweet is hidden underneath. Now it starts: the blindfolded child crawls around the room on all fours and feels his way with the wooden spoon to find the pot. The other children help the searching child with words to make clear whether the direction is correct: "warm" = you are getting closer or "cold" = you are moving away. As soon as the child has found the pot and hit it with the wooden spoon, the round is over and he/she may take the sweet under the pot. It is the next child's turn. |
| Tip: |
| An exciting game that even adults will enjoy. Remove any obstacles or things that could get in the way or fall down so that the blindfolded child can easily crawl to the spot without hurting himself. The pot should be easily accessible. |
| Age recommendation: |
| 5 - 9 years |
| Group size: |
| 4 and more players |
| Game duration: |
| Approx. 45 Min. |
| What you need: |
| • Knife & fork • Bar of chocolate wrapped in paper or newspaper • A cap • Mittens |
| How it works: |
| The above-mentioned items are on the table. Here we go: The dice are rolled in turn. Whoever has a 6 gets to start. He puts on his hat and mittens and begins to unwrap and eat the chocolate with a knife and fork. As soon as the next child rolls a 6, the gourmet has to give up the place and this child can continue eating as quickly as possible... before the next child rolls a 6. Action guaranteed! |
| Tip: |
| An exciting game that usually involves a lot of shouting. The older the children are, the more difficult you can make the game, e.g. by wrapping the chocolate very well or by making the children put on additional materials (e.g. bibs). |
| Age recommendation: |
| 4 - 9 years |
| Group size: |
| 6 and more players |
| Game duration: |
| Approx. 30 min. or as long as the children have the energy to keep going. |
| What you need: |
| • Radio or mobile phone with "groovy" music • Enough space to dance • If necessary, sweets as a reward |
| How it works: |
| The music is switched on and all the children dance around wildly. As soon as the music stops, the children have to stand still in the respective movement for at least 10 seconds. Anyone who moves is eliminated. The winner is the one who stays until the end. |
| Tip: |
| A good game to loosen up when the kids want to let off some steam. |
| Age recommendation: |
| 5 - 10 years |
| Group size: |
| 6 and more players |
| Game duration: |
| As long as you feel like it, several rounds can be played |
| What you need: |
| • Enough chairs (one less than players) • Radio or mobile phone to play and stop music • Reward for the winner, e.g. Rimuss Fresh 20cl, sweets, candy bar or the like |
| How it works: |
| The chairs are placed in a circle. Let's go: While the music is playing, the children run around the chairs in a circle. When the music stops, each child must immediately try to sit down on a chair. Whoever does not is eliminated for this round. Then a chair is removed before the next round begins. The winner is the one who sits on the last chair at the end. |
| Tip: |
| If you like it wilder, you can criss-cross the room with the chairs and the children can also criss-cross. |
| Age recommendation: |
| 5 - 10 years |
| Group size: |
| 6 and more players |
| Game duration: |
| As long as you feel like it, several rounds can be played |
| What you need: |
| A balloon or small ball |
| How it works: |
| The children form a circle. One of the children is the game maker in the middle of the circle. Let's start: The game maker begins to count and starts loudly with "1", then he counts to 17 in his mind. When he reaches 18, he counts again loudly and at 20 he calls out "burst the balloon". The child who has the balloon in his hand is eliminated. The winner is the one who does not hold the balloon in his hands until the end. |
| Tip: |
| The faster you pass the balloon around, the more exciting it gets. |
| Age recommendation: |
| From 4 years (depending on the age of the children, the games or difficulty levels can be varied). |
| Group size: |
| 4 and more players (it is best to form at least 2 groups that compete against each other) |
| Game duration: |
| 40 - 60 min. (depending on stamina and number of rounds) |
| What you need: |
| • Various materials that can be used to run a sports course o Large cloth sacks (for sack race): who is the fastest from A to B? o Skipping rope: e.g. who can do 20 rotations with the rope first? o Hula hoop: e.g. who can do 10 rotations without dropping the hoop? o Traffic cone, spoon and potato: for a slalom around the traffic cone with a spoon in the mouth and a potato on top. • Reward for the Olympic winners and possibly a consolation prize for the losers (e.g. Rimuss Fresh 20cl bottle for the winners and a small sweet for the losers). |
| How it works: |
| The children form two or more groups. Each group should consist of at least 2 children. Now it is a question of which group completes the outdoor course the fastest, most elegantly or most amusingly. The difficulty of the tasks can be varied according to the age of the children. |
| Tip: |
| The game is perfect for a farm party or circus party. And when the children are all exhausted from playing, the reward is a glass of tractor punch or a circus spritz. |
| Age recommendation: |
| 5 - 10 years |
| Group size: |
| 3 and more players |
| Game duration: |
| 40 - 60 min. (depending on stamina and number of rounds) |
| What you need: |
| • Children should bring a bathing suit and towel. • Enough water pistols (1 per child, if necessary have them bring one with them) • Various pieces of paper on which to draw a target |
| How it works: |
| Attach the target to the children's clothes or swimming trunks. Then the children can aim at each other with water pistols, similar to paintball. If you have a larger group, you can divide the children into two teams or organise different hiding places in the garden (for example behind the garden bench, behind the paddling pool, etc.) to add even more excitement. The winner is the one who first splashes the other team completely wet. |
| Tip: |
| A fun game that usually involves a lot of screaming 🙂 and refreshes the children nicely. The game goes well with the sea party theme. |
| Age recommendation: |
| 4 - 9 years |
| Group size: |
| At least 4 players |
| Game duration: |
| 40 - 60 min. (depending on stamina and number of runs) |
| What you need: |
| • 4 sufficiently long cloths or ropes • Prize for the winners, consolation prizes for the losers (e.g. sweets, stickers, balloons, bubbles etc.) |
| How it works: |
| The children line up in pairs. With a large cloth or rope, one leg of each pair of children is tied together to form a "tripod". On the command "Go!" the three-legged pairs hobble to a predetermined destination. Whoever arrives first wins and may receive a prize (possibly also consolation prizes for the losers). |
| Tip: |
| If you want to increase the level of difficulty, you can have the children complete a course. This fits in with the pirate or Wild West theme: the three-legged pirates or cowboys then receive a pirate drink or a cowboy drink as a reward at the end. |
| Age recommendation: |
| 5 – 10 years |
| Group size: |
| 2 and more players |
| Game duration: |
| Approx. 30 min. to 60 min., depending on how many natural things you have to look for |
| What you need: |
| • You have to go with the children to the forest or to a meadow where you can find enough nature things • Things from nature that you look for beforehand in the forest / meadow: e.g. pine cone, stone, branch/ twig, certain flower, leaves of a certain tree, moss, etc. • Reward for the winner (e.g. bird whistle, plant seeds, etc.) and possibly a consolation prize for the rest of the children. |
| How it works: |
| The things they are looking for are put out and shown to the children. Now the children have to search for the same objects in the forest or in the meadow. The winner is the first to find all the things and add them to the list. |
| Tip: |
| The more things you have ready, the more difficult it becomes. You can round off the game with a nice campfire in the forest and a fine rimuss (e.g. in the practical 20cl bottle to take away). |
| Age recommendation: |
| 5 – 10 years |
| Group size: |
| 3 and more children |
| Game duration: |
| Variable depending on the route and age of the children, approx. 30-60 min. |
| What you need: |
| • A (treasure) map or a first clue (e.g. a letter) to find the first post. • If you do several posts with riddles, you have to prepare them. Possible riddles: o a text code that can be deciphered with a caesar disc o a cut-up picture or text puzzle that the children have to put together correctly to find the clue o a mirror text o a riddle that the children have to solve • A treasure/reward that the children can find (e.g. sweets, stickers, bubbles, Rimuss Fresh 20cl bottle etc.) |
| How it works: |
| The treasure map or the individual posts must be prepared in advance. If you have several posts, they must be placed in advance. |
| Tip: |
| The treasure hunt is ideal for a pirate party, for example, where you can search for the missing treasure, or for a detective party where various riddles are solved that lead to the posts. |
