Classic Birthday Party Games for All Ages
Piñata Either make or buy a piñata and fill it with goodies like individually wrapped candy, stickers, small toys, and confetti. Hang the piñata up, blindfold the first player, and hand them a stick to attempt to hit the piñata. Give each person a few swings, then give someone else a turn. Keep going until someone breaks the piñata and the treats fall to the ground. Make sure everyone stands a safe distance from the piñata so they don’t get hit.
Pin the Tail on the Donkey What’s a birthday party without a fun game of Pin the Tail on the Donkey? Hang a picture of a donkey on the wall, and hand one player the donkey’s “tail” (a piece of paper with a thumbtack through it). Blindfold the player and spin them around a few times. Then, see how closely they can stick the tail on the donkey’s rump. Do the same with each player, and whoever gets the closest wins!
Musical Chairs To play Musical Chairs, grab enough chairs for every player minus one and arrange them in a circle, or in two back-to-back rows. Start some music and have everyone walk around the chairs. When the music stops, everyone must rush to find a seat. Whoever is left without a chair is out of the game. Remove one chair and continue playing until you have a winner.
Charades Charades is a great party game because it can be as simple or complex as you want. Have everyone write down different things to act out, like concepts, celebrities, movies, animals, etc. Divide into teams and have one person from each team draw a slip of paper. Without talking, they must act out whatever is written on the paper while their team tries to guess. Whichever team has the most points at the end of the game wins!
Telephone Telephone is a hilarious miscommunication game that will have your whole group laughing. Gather everyone in a circle and choose one player to start. They will come up with a silly phrase and whisper it into the ear of the person next to them. That person will then whisper what they heard into the next person’s ear. Keep going until you reach the last player, who will announce what they heard to the group. Usually, the phrase is completely different by the time you reach the end, which is what makes the game so funny!
Saran Wrap Game The Saran Wrap Game is a fun way to give your guests small prizes! Grab some plastic wrap and an assortment of small goodies, like bags of candy, packs of gum, and dollar bills. Place the best prize at the center of your Saran Wrap ball, and wrap it thoroughly. Add more prizes to the ball as you continue to wrap. Once you’ve used a whole roll of wrap, you’re ready to play. Here are the rules: Gather everyone in a circle or around a table. Give one person the Saran Wrap ball and give the player next to them a pair of dice. When the game starts, the player holding the ball will unwrap as much as possible while the other player repeatedly rolls the dice. When the player with the dice rolls doubles, they pass the dice down, and the other player gives them the ball. Repeat this process until the ball is completely unwound. Any gifts that fall out while you’re unwrapping are yours to keep. To make the game more challenging, have the player unwrapping the ball wear oven mitts! If you don’t have dice, set a timer for each player instead. If you don’t have dice, set a timer for each player instead.
I’m Hosting a Party… I’m Hosting a Party is a fun brain teaser game for all ages! Announce that you’re hosting a party and that the other players will only receive an invitation if they bring the right items. Choose a secret rule (like everyone must bring something that starts with the first letter of their name), and go around the room asking each person what they’d bring. Tell them whether or not they’re invited based on their answer, and keep playing until everyone figures out the rule. For example, if everyone must bring something that starts with the first letter of their name, Alice could bring apples and Benjamin could bring bananas, but Candice couldn’t bring oranges.
Spoons To play the classic card game Spoons, gather everyone around a table and place several spoons in the center (enough for each player, minus one). Deal four cards to each person. The dealer will keep the rest of the deck and draw one card at a time. They’ll look at the card and either trade it for a card in their hand or pass it to the next person, who will do the same. When someone collects four of the same card, they reach for a spoon. Everyone else then tries to do the same. The person left without a spoon is out. Remove a spoon from the pile and play again. If you don’t have spoons, play with pieces of candy. Or, stick your tongue out when you have four of a kind. The last person to notice and stick their tongue out is out of the game.
20 Questions To play 20 questions, choose one player to start and have them think of a person, place, or thing. The other players will then take turns asking yes or no questions to try to figure out what the person is thinking of. They must guess correctly within 20 questions, or the other player wins. The player who guesses correctly is the next person to think of an item.
Limbo Limbo is a classic party game that tests players’ flexibility. Grab a long pole or a broom and have two people hold either end so that it’s parallel to the ground. Have everyone line up, turn on some music, and take turns bending backwards to go under the pole without touching it or falling over. After everyone has gone, lower the pole by a couple of inches and start a new round. Keep playing until you have a winner.
Birthday Trivia Find out which guest knows the birthday person best by playing birthday trivia! The birthday person will come up with several trivia questions about themselves, and the other players will compete to see who can answer the most questions correctly. They’ll get bragging rights for the rest of the party! There are a lot of fun “who knows me best?” questions to choose from. Ask simple questions like your favorite color or favorite movie, or come up with something more challenging, like your shoe size.
Birthday Party Games for Kids
Connection! Grab a ball of yarn or string and have everyone stand in a circle. Choose one player to go first, hand them the yarn, and have them start describing their life. When they say something that someone else in the circle has in common with them, that person will shout “Connection!” The first player will then toss them the yarn, holding onto the end of the string, and the second player will then describe their life. Keep playing until everyone has gone and the yarn has created a web among the players.
Minute to Win It Inspired by the classic Minute to Win It TV show, this game involves giving players different mental and physical challenges to complete in under a minute. Some options include picking up Cheerios with a toothpick, reciting the alphabet backwards, sorting M&Ms by color, and bouncing ping pong balls into an egg carton. Choose tougher challenges for older kids and easier ones for younger kids.
Odd-Even Odd-Even is a fun counting game that’s also educational! Choose one player (likely the birthday kid) to call out an odd or even number. The rest of the players must say the next number in the sequence. If they hesitate or mess up, they’re out! For example, if the player calls out “five,” the next person would say “seven,” not “six.”
Freeze Dance Turn your living room into a mini dance floor by playing Freeze Dance! Turn on some music and let the kids dance around for a while. When you stop the music, everyone must freeze in a silly pose. When you start the music back up, everyone will start dancing again.
Pass the Parcel To play Pass the Parcel, choose a small gift and wrap it in several layers of colorful paper (at least as many layers as there are players). Gather everyone in a circle, turn on some music, and have them pass the gift around. When the music stops, the person holding the gift gets to unwrap a layer. Keep going until the gift is revealed. The person to remove the final layer gets to keep it!
Treasure Hunt Send the kids on an adventure by setting up a treasure hunt. Hide small prizes, like candy or toys, in different places around your house. Create a treasure map and give the kids hints about the prizes’ locations. They’ll have a blast trying to solve your riddles!
Simon Says Simon Says is a classic game loved by generations of children. Choose one player to be Simon, and have them give instructions to the other players. If they say “Simon says…” before giving the instruction, the other players must do what they say. If they don’t say “Simon says…,” the other players do not complete the action. If someone messes up, they’re out.
Storytime Freeze If the kids are being a bit too energetic, play Storytime Freeze to calm them down. Gather everyone in a circle and start telling them a story. Pause at a dramatic moment and choose someone to take over. When they pause, they’ll choose someone else to continue, and so on until everyone has had a chance to go. This is also a great way for kids to show off their creativity!
Guess the Candy Count Fill a jar with candy, keeping count of how many pieces you use. Then, let the kids look at the jar and try to guess how many pieces are inside. Whoever guesses correctly (or has the closest answer) wins the entire jar!
Birthday Party Games for Adults
Flip Cup To play Flip Cup, divide into two teams and line up on either side of a table. Place one empty plastic cup in front of one member of each team. Those two players will place their cup upside down on the edge of the table and attempt to flip it to an upright position. Once they successfully do so, they pass it down to the next player in line. The first team to have every member flip the cup wins, and the other team has to drink.
Beer Pong To play Beer Pong, split into two teams and stand on either side of a long table. Arrange 10 cups in a triangle in front of both teams and fill them halfway with beer. Each team will take turns throwing ping pong balls into the other team’s cups. When a ball lands in a cup, someone from that team must drink its contents and remove it from the game. The first team to eliminate all the other side’s cups wins.
Most Likely Have all players sit in a circle and take turns asking “Who is most likely to…” followed by a scenario. That person will then count down from three, and on “one,” everyone will point to the person in the group most likely to do that thing. Whoever has the most fingers pointed at them takes a drink. For example, you might ask, “Who is most likely to rob a bank?” or “Who is most likely to become a billionaire?”
Telephone Pictionary Give each player enough strips of paper for the number of people playing (in a group of 10, each player would have 10 pieces of paper, for example). Have everyone write a word or phrase on the first strip of paper, then pass their stack of papers to the next person. That person will read the phrase, move that paper to the bottom of the stack, and draw their interpretation of the phrase. Everyone will then pass the papers again, and the next person will look at the picture and write down what they think it is. Keep going in this pattern until the stacks are returned to their original owner.
Mafia Mafia is a fun, yet slightly complicated, game in which players are split into two teams: the mafia and the townspeople. One player will also be a detective, and another will be a doctor. All players will close their eyes, and the moderator will instruct the mafia to select a townsperson to eliminate. The detective player will then open their eyes and point to a person they think is in the mafia. The doctor will then select which player they wish to save. When all players open their eyes, the moderator will explain the events that took place and allow players to vote on who they think is in the mafia. This game is also known as Assassin, Werewolf, or Village. Players’ roles are generally determined by shuffling cards, but another option is to write down the roles on strips of paper and have everyone draw them at random.
Kings Cup To play Kings Cup, have everyone gather around a table and shuffle a deck of cards. Place a can of beer or soda in the center and arrange the cards facedown around it. Assign each card value a specific action, which players must do when they draw the card. Before performing the action, however, the player must slide the card under the can’s tab. When the can pops, whoever placed the last card must drink it. Here is a list of some common actions associated with different cards, but feel free to make up your own!
Memory Lane If you want to make the birthday person feel special, have everyone secretly write down their favorite memory with them. Then, have the birthday person read each one out loud and try to guess who wrote what.
Medusa Gather a group of people and stand in a circle. Everyone will look down, and one person will count down from three. On “one,” everyone will look up at another person in the group. If two people are looking at each other, they will shout “Medusa” and take a drink or a shot. Keep going until everyone has finished their drink. If you don’t want to drink or you’re playing with people underage, eliminate players from the game when they look at each other. The one who shouts “Medusa” last is the one eliminated. Keep going until only one player remains.
Birthday Party Games for Teens
Never Have I Ever To play Never Have I Ever, have everyone sit in a circle and hold up ten fingers. Take turns saying “Never have I ever…” followed by something you have never done. If a player has done that thing, they’ll put a finger down. The last player with fingers remaining wins the game. For example, you might say, “Never have I ever been to New York City.” Anyone who has will then put a finger down.
Would You Rather? To play Would You Rather?, gather all players in a circle. Take turns asking “Would you rather…” followed by two challenging or outrageous scenarios. Each person will then decide which option they’d rather choose. Be prepared to defend your answer! For example, you might ask, “Would you rather eat a bug or eat dirt?” or “Would you rather swim in a pool full of Nutella or maple syrup?”
Head’s Up! Either download the Head’s Up! app or make a DIY version of the game by writing the names of different people, places, and things on notecards. One person will hold the phone or notecard to their forehead while the other players try to act out or describe the object listed. The goal is to make as many correct guesses as possible within one minute. Note that the Head’s Up app requires a one-time purchase to play.
Two Truths and a Lie Two Truths and a Lie is a fun game to get to know your friends better! Take turns saying three statements about yourself; two must be true and one must be a lie. Everyone else will then try to figure out which statement is the lie. Try to pick obscure details about yourself to make the game more challenging!
Sticker Stalker Sticker Stalker is all about being stealthy! Give every player a sticker sheet with an equal number of stickers (usually 5-10). Have everyone mingle and go about the party as usual. The goal is for each player to discreetly place their stickers on other party guests without getting caught. If they get caught putting a sticker on someone, they also get stickered. The first person to get rid of all their stickers wins.
Camera Hot Potato Choose someone’s phone to pass around the group, and set it to self-timer mode (10 seconds is usually best). Use the back-facing camera, and pass the phone around, having each person pose for a brief moment. Keep passing the phone until the photo is taken, then repeat. At the end of the game, look through all the silly photos you have!
In a Perfect World Have everyone sit in a circle and state that you’re describing your perfect world. Think of a secret rule that you don’t share with anyone else, like only using words with double letters. You might say, “In my perfect world, there are doors but no windows.” The rest of the players then take turns listing things that might be in your world. Tell them whether or not they’re correct, and keep playing until everyone figures out the rule. With our double letter example, someone would be correct if they said your perfect world had apples but not bananas or trees but not flowers.
Straight Face Have everyone write a silly or outrageous phrase on a strip of paper. Put all the papers in a hat and have the first person draw a piece of paper and read the statement to the group. The goal is for everyone to keep a straight face. Whoever laughs or smiles loses. Pass the hat around until all the statements have been read.
Name That Song Have one person hum a song (no lyrics or singing!). Whoever correctly guesses the song first wins and gets to hum the next one. Try a mix of some popular songs and more obscure tunes to make the game fun and challenging! If you don’t want to hum, try playing the instrumental version of the song or play it one note at a time.
Birthday Games for Babies & Toddlers
I Spy I Spy is an engaging game for toddlers and small children. Have one player secretly choose an object in the room. They’ll then describe that item one word at a time by saying, “I spy with my little eye, something…” followed by a word that describes the item. Other players will then try to guess what the object is. For example, if your object is an apple, you might say, “I spy with my little eye something red.”
Craft Corner Small children often love drawing and painting, so set up a craft corner where they can embrace their inner Picasso! Include colorful construction paper, washable paint and markers, stickers, and any other age-appropriate art supplies. It may be best to avoid the glitter unless you want to clean up a mess later!
Bubble Chase Set up a bubble machine and let the kids have a blast trying to chase and pop the bubbles. If they’re old enough, give them their own bubble wands to play with. This is a fun sensory experience for young children, and it will keep them active!
What’s the Time, Mr. Wolf? To play What’s the Time, Mr. Wolf?, choose one player to be the wolf and have them stand several feet away from the other players with their back facing them. The other players will line up and say, “What’s the time, Mr. Wolf?” The wolf player will say a time (like 3 o’clock), and the players will take a corresponding number of steps forward. At random, the wolf can answer the question with “Dinnertime!” The other players must race back to the starting line and avoid getting caught as the wolf chases them. The player who gets caught becomes the new Mr. Wolf.
Water Play If the weather’s nice, let the kids cool off and have fun playing in some water. There are lots of options depending on your child’s age and what they enjoy. Set up a water table they can splash around in, do a water balloon toss, or set up a fun splash pad.
The Animal Game Have all the kids line up on one side of the room. When you call out the name of an animal, everyone must cross the room while doing their best impression of the animal, including sounds and movements. Repeat with several different animals until the kids lose interest.
Sensory Bins Sensory bins are a great way to stimulate toddlers’ senses and keep them entertained. Fill different bins with different textures, such as rice, sand, and beans, and add small toys or objects for the kids to play with. Alternatively, buy a premade sensory kit that comes with all kinds of toys.
Guess That Puree If your baby is too young to play games with other kids, keep your guests entertained (and maybe a little grossed out) by playing Guess That Puree. Take the labels off several different flavors of baby food, and have everyone guess what the flavors are by sight, smell, and taste. Whoever gets the most correct wins!
Cookie Decorating Set out some plain cookies, along with icing and bowls of toppings (like sprinkles and mini marshmallows). With adult supervision, allow the children to decorate one or two cookies each. Then, they can eat their creations!
Indoor Birthday Party Games
Post-It Note Game Give everyone a sticky note and a pen, and have them write down the name of a well-known public figure or character. Have each player choose a sticky note at random and place it on their forehead or back without looking. Then, have everyone mingle and ask yes or no questions to discover their identity. Play until everyone has guessed correctly, or give out prizes to those who guess correctly.
How’s Yours? Choose one player to be “it” and have them leave the room. The other players will then choose a common object or characteristic, like hair, an article of clothing, or a body part. The person who’s “it” will then return and ask the other players, “How’s yours?” Those players will then give a one-word answer to describe theirs. Keep going until the person who’s “it” correctly guesses the object. For example, if players choose a shirt as their object, they may describe it as itchy, thick, or stretchy. Players must give a truthful answer that describes the object they personally own. So, if the object was hair, someone with straight hair couldn’t describe theirs as curly.
Mail Call Place chairs in a circle, using one less than the number of players. Have everyone take a seat, and have the player left without a chair stand in the middle of the circle. They’ll say, “Mail call for…” followed by a descriptor, like “everyone wearing a red shirt” or “everyone who has a dog.” The players who match the description must then get up and find a new seat, without reusing the one they were sitting in. The person in the middle will also race for a chair, and whoever is left standing will then take their place in the middle. Players also can’t sit in the chair immediately beside them.
Crossed, Uncrossed Crossed, Uncrossed is a fun brain teaser game similar to I’m Hosting a Party. Grab a pair of scissors and have everyone sit in a circle. Pass the scissors to the person sitting next to you and say, “I pass these scissors crossed” or “I pass these scissors uncrossed.” The scissors can be open or closed. The person who receives the scissors then does the same for the next person, and the host of the game announces whether they were right or wrong. The trick is that it doesn’t matter if the scissors are open or not; it’s whether the person’s feet are crossed. For example, if your feet are crossed, you would say, “I pass these scissors crossed.” If they were uncrossed, you would say, “I pass these scissors uncrossed.” The other players have to figure out the secret trick.
Thumper Have everyone sit or stand in a circle and demonstrate a hand or leg motion. Try to memorize these motions, and have everyone start clapping or stomping a regular rhythm. Pick one person to do their motion, followed by the motion of someone else in the circle. The next person will do their own motion, followed by the motion of a third person, who will do the same. There are no passbacks or hesitations allowed, and whoever messes up first is out.
Mr. Freeze Choose one person to be Mr. Freeze and have everyone else move around the party as usual. When Mr. Freeze freezes in place, everyone else also has to freeze. The last person to notice is out of the game. Keep playing for the duration of the party.
Keep Count Gather everyone in a circle and choose one player to say “one” out loud. Everyone then has to count as high as they can without saying a number at the same time. So, if one person says “two,” keep counting to three. If two or more people say “three” at the same time, the game starts over at “one.” See how high your group can count without having to start over!
Outdoor Birthday Party Games
Obstacle Course Set up an obstacle course using things like chairs, trash cans, and hula hoops, adjusting the difficulty for the age range of the participants. Then, set a timer and let each person complete the course one at a time. The person who completes the course in the shortest amount of time wins. If you don’t want to set up your own course, consider renting an inflatable obstacle course instead.
Balloon Relay Race To do a balloon relay race, divide players into teams of 4 or 6 people. Have 2 or 3 people from each team stand on either side of the playing area. Blow up enough balloons for each team, and have the starting players place their balloons between their knees. They then have to jump to the other side and pass the balloon to the next player. The first team to have all sit players cross the finish line wins.
Egg Toss To avoid a mess, hard-boil some eggs rather than using raw ones. Separate the players into teams of two, and give each team an egg. Have them stand a few feet apart and toss the eggs to each other. Each time a player successfully catches an egg, they must take a step backward to make each round more difficult. When a team drops an egg, they’re out of the game. The team that tosses the egg from the farthest distance without breaking it wins.
Sack Race Gather enough burlap sacks or large pillowcases for the number of players. Each player must place both feet inside the sack. On “go,” everyone will hop to the finish line, trying not to fall over. The first player to cross the finish line wins.
Egg and Spoon Race To have an egg race, line players up at one end of the playing area and give them an egg balanced on a spoon. When you say “go,” the players will race to the finish line on the other end of the playing area, trying not to drop their egg. If they do, send them back to the starting line. The first player to cross the finish line wins.
Wheelbarrow Race Wheelbarrow races are a fun game of cooperation. Split everyone into teams of two. One person will be the wheelbarrow and the other will be the driver. The driver will hold the wheelbarrow player by their feet, and the wheelbarrow player will walk on their hands. They must work together to be the first to cross the finish line.
Duck, Duck, Goose Duck, Duck, Goose is a classic playground and party game. Have everyone sit in a circle, and choose one person to be “it.” They’ll then walk around the circle, tapping each person on the head and saying “duck.” When they tap someone and say “goose,” the goose person will get up and chase them around the circle. If the “it” person makes it around and sits in the goose person’s seat, the goose person becomes the new “it.” If they get tagged, they’ll continue being “it” for another round.
Birthday Party Games to Buy
Buy some fun party games to keep your guests entertained. It’s great to make up your own games, but there’s nothing wrong with breaking out some board games or other commercial games. Here are a few popular games to buy for your next birthday party: Twister Ultimate Punch balloons The Floor is Lava What Do You Meme? Giant UNO Birthday Bingo
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