[Earth Angel]

My son's 5th birthday is this coming saturday. I have planned 1 game to play (pass the parcel...you wrap little gifts and layer them to make one giant package then play some music and when the music stops whoever has the package unwraps a layer and gets what is inside) but I didn't plan on any other games. The kids seem to have more fun playing with each other.<br><br>
What have you all done? Do you usually plan a few games and see how it goes? How many do you plan? Do you plan for them to have a lot of free time at this age? I've been to parties that do both and they all seem fun to the kids. Just wondering?<br><br>
And ideas are always welcome <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/winky.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="Wink"> Pass the parcel is my only idea!!!!!

 

[ramlita]

Do you have some room to run around?<br>
I've been thinking lately about how kids these days don't seem to know how to play games like Kick the Can, Sardines, Red Light Green Light...<br>
and then I got my new issue of Mothering today, with the rules all spelled out (I've been wracking my brain trying to remember the details of Kick the Can!)<br><br>
I also like the idea of a big jump rope for group play.

 

[CarrieMF]

We've only done games once, last year for my dd's 6th bday. We did Pin the Tail on the Donkey. It's the 1 game i know of that they've played at parties she's gone to. She wants it again this year. the other games mentioned we can't do because there isn't enough room and it's too cold, dark(sun starts setting around 4:30pm right now), and snowy to go outside. Her bday is monday, but her party isn't until the 18th so it'll be closer to 4 when it's setting. Usually the kids just run around playing. We do a pinata too, I have to re-arrange my living room for that because some of the kids get a little wild.

 

[Earth Angel]

Oh thank you so much!!! Its gettin to be crunch time here (party is tomorrow) and the weather is iffy for...It is supposed to be sunny but windy in the morning with the winds decreasing in the afternoon. If it is windy like today and yesterday it won't be that comfortable to be outside for too long.<br><br>
Did you give prizes for your games? I am not sure that I want to do winners, but was thinking of pin the tail on the donkey too. Does someone HAVE to win?????<br><br>
Red Light Green Light seems lik it could work in our house too...but the more active games we just don't have enough space for.<br><br>
Any more ideas are VERY welocme today!!!!! <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/orngbiggrin.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="orange big grin">

 

[AAK]

I never give prizes...a party is supposed to be fun for all even if you really can't aim or whatever. We just cheer for everyone and announce the winner as in Wow, Haley got 8, she wins!!!!! My dd has a Jan. birthday (very cold here) and usually has about 10 kids. I let them play by themselves for the first 20 minutes or so, then have some activites (either planned games or project) then we do the b-day cake etc., finally she opens presents and then they play again until parents come to pick them up. This works well for me as I like a specific progression and not all her friends know each other. And with ten, chaos is likely if they just play for 2 hours.<br><br>
I haven't ever liked the parties where everyone just comes and nothing is planned.<br><br>
We make our own pinata every year for an activity. This year we are thinking of doing a scavenger hunt. We like to have games that everyone joins in at the same time rather than always waiting in a line for our turn. Depending on the kids coming (age, etc) we love the balloon stomp. Tie a balloon around each person's leg (leave some extra string). Say "GO" and every one tries to stomp on each other's balloon to pop it. The last one with an intact balloon wins. (Don't forget to pick up all the pieces afterwards). Musical chairs or "Freeze dancing" are fun too. (Freeze dancing which we think we made up but probably didn't is when everyone dances until the music stops. If you are caught moving, you are out. Repeat until one person left.)<br><br>
We normally have 3 "activities/games".<br><br>
Amy

 

[Earth Angel]

Thanks!!<br><br>
We were thinking at least 2 maybe 3 if the weather isn't great. We're doing the pass the parcel I mentioned above, egg cracking (white balloons with a little suprise inside, they sit on the balloons to pop them and find the treat inside. And then if the weather is bad, the freeze dancing...( I did see it on a website AAK....but I still think it prolly came from you guys <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/winky.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="Wink"> ). What do ya'll think??<br><br>
We will also have free play time, eating lunch, opening gifts, and cake

 

[CarrieMF]

<div style="margin:20px;margin-top:5px;">
<div class="smallfont" style="margin-bottom:2px;">Quote:</div>
<table border="0" cellpadding="6" cellspacing="0" width="99%"><tr><td class="alt2" style="border:1px inset;">Did you give prizes for your games? I am not sure that I want to do winners, but was thinking of pin the tail on the donkey too. Does someone HAVE to win?????</td>
</tr></table></div>
If you give out loot bags you could always give one to the winner and keep playing until every child has won their loot bag(leaving the children who've won theirs out of the game until everyone has won). OR -and I like this better with a shorter game or not many kids. When each kid wins, your child opens that kid's gift. Again, leaving the kids whose gifts have been opened out until all gifts are opened.<br><br>
Another game you could do is have a jellybean or peanut (or something else) hunt.

 

[flapjack]

Treasure hunts are always good.<br>
If you have space in the house and a powerball (do you have them over there? A super-bouncy little rubber ball) try standing on a chair in the middle of the room, kids touch the wall. The kids can only run to catch the ball if they're wearing red/ have a brother/ speak a foreign language/ go to school or whatever.<br>
Pin the tail on the child- a piece of wool tucked down the back of their trousers. The idea is to get everyone else's wool without losing your own (this is better, but slightly obscene, with an uninflated balloon.)<br>
A good but disorganised game to calm everything down is snakes; pick a policeman, preferably a grown-up, who gets sent out of the room, and a murderer. The murderer kills his victims by sticking his tongue out, so the children get to make horrifying, blood-curdling screams. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/smile.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="smile"> BUT they're sitting down, so its good for after tea so no-one is sick until you get them home.<br>
We always do apple bobbing at my eldest's birthday as well, because of the time of year.<br>
HTH

 

[mamachandi]

"Did you give prizes for your games? I am not sure that I want to do winners, but was thinking of pin the tail on the donkey too. Does someone HAVE to win?????"<br><br>
I gave a natural lollipop (magic cabin) to each particpant who played pin the wings on the fairy. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/lol.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="lol"><br>
and then we had a tea party (which they loved)I let my dd pour everyone tea (I had to stand nearby with the big pitcher and keep refilling.. because the tea pot was so small <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/lol.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="lol"> ) and they sat around drinking lemonade and eating cut up fruit and pistachios.<br>
then they played charades with my older dd (11) facilitating. It was a blast!<br>
good luck and have fun. One thing I know is have more game ideas in your head then you have planned and you may end up needing more or less. sometimes they just want to play,run around etc! I let them kinda guide the way..