Birthday Games

Egyptian Mummy Wrap

Divide the kids into pairs, with one the Mummy and the other the Mummy Wrapper. Give each wrapper a roll of toilet paper or crepe paper streamer. On the word "Go!" have the wrappers race to see who can wrap up their mummy first. The game is tricky because the faster they try to wrap, the more the tissue will tear, causing them to keep restarting!


Price Is Right

Here's a great wind-down game that also serves as the going-away favor. Buy inexpensive gifts for your guests, such as a big bag of candy, a small stuffed animal, a scary book, and so on. Distribute paper and pencil to each player. Hold up one item and have the kids try to guess how much it cost. Reveal the price tag and award the gift to the player who guessed the closest. That player is out of the game, while the rest continue guessing the prices of the gifts, until all of them are gone.


Pass the Parcel

Wrap a bar of chocolate (or some other gift), in a layer of paper. Now wrap it in another layer and repeat until you have about 10 layers. Finally wrap it in gift paper (so it looks nice).
Sit everyone in a circle and play a short snippet of music. When the music stops, the person holding the parcel removes ONE layer of wrapping. Repeat until the last layer of wrapping has been removed. The winner keeps the present!


Balloon Bounce

Have a contest to see who can keep the balloon in the air the longest using only their head. The person who can keep it in the air longest without using anything but their head is the winner. (This game can also be played in teams).


Musical Chairs

This is another children's favorite. Set up chairs in 2 rows back to back. Put out one less chair than there are children. Start playing music, and have the kids walk around the chairs (not touching the chairs though!) until the music stops. When the music stops, the kids must each sit on a chair. The child without a chair is "out". Then remove another chair. If there is ever a tie, the child with more bum on the chair wins.


Musical Statues

This game does not need much explanation. Put a group of kids in a room, play some music, and watch them dance. Then turn the music off during the song, and they must freeze in their current position. If they move at all, then they are "out". The people who are still in the game continue to dance/freeze as you control the music, until one person wins.


Hot Potato

This game is an old favorite. Have all of the kids sit in a circle, as one kid is chosen as the "leader". Begin passing a potato (or other object) around the circle, while the "leader" turns his/her head with eyes closed. Everyone must accept the potato, and may not hold it longer than a second. At any point the "leader" can yell, "Hot Potato", and whoever has the potato is out. Continue to play until there is only one person left, and he/she is the winner.


Name That Animal

This is a fun game for small children just beginning to learn their animals. Pass out animal stickers or small stuffed animals, and have the kids imitate the animal they receive.