Here you go! My 2012 TOP 10 Themed Birthday Party Games, complete with instructions on how to prepare and execute.
10. Pirate Treasure Hunt
Birthday Party Theme: PIRATE PARTY
Making it to the 10th place is the classic Treasure Hunt game. How the kids loved to show off their discovery skills, best tested by this game!
What you need:
Two or more treasure chests, Lollies (e.g. chocolate coins), Jewels (e.g. toy necklaces, tiaras, etc.)
Suggestion:
This game is best done outdoors so the kids will have plenty of room to run around (also, games outside means less mess inside!). Not enough outdoor space or weather is bad? Don’t fret, this game can also work indoors.
How it’s done:
Prepare at least two mini treasure chests and fill them with any Pirate-themed “treasure” available to you. There are lots of mini treasure chests and loots that can be found in party shops, but if you are not able to find one, try this quick DIY tip <link>.
Chocolate coins are the best loots you can put in your treasure chests as they look like gold coins (and the kids love them!). There are other great loots or “treasure” you can put in your chests, such as the sparkly toy necklaces or tiaras. If you don’t have any of these, any lolly will do. The kids will be more distracted in finding the treasure chests, not on criticizing what’s inside them.
Hide the mini treasure chests around your game area and ask the kids to find them.
9. Egg and Spoon Race
Birthday Party Theme: FARM PARTY
Number 9 on this list is a classic “farm-themed” game – the egg and spoon race. This game promotes teamwork, as it needs team effort in order to win.
What you need:
At least two teams of [more or less] 5 kids, Plastic spoons (one for each kid), at least two “eggs” (one for each team), at least two road cones or chairs, one for each team
How it’s done:
NOTE: Place the road cones or chairs at a good distance from the teams’ starting point. They will need to carry their “egg” placed on a spoon held by their lips, from their starting point, around the road cone or chair, then back to their team.
It is a relay game, where the kids group themselves into five [more or less] and run around a chair in the front with a spoon and a [tiny] egg (you can choose other egg-shaped props as your “egg”, for example, white chocolate eggs). They then have to go back to their team and pass on the egg to the spoon of the next team member without using their hands.
They must not drop the egg, or else, they would have to start again.
If all the members of the team finished their turns, they would have to should “Happy Birthday” to mark the completion of the race. The first team to shout the birthday greeting, wins a prize!
8. Longest Sheep Greeting
Birthday Party Theme: FARM PARTY
This is one of my favourite games – an adaptation of a classical birthday party game, “Longest Greeting”
How it’s done:
Ask the participants to line up in front. Then, each participant is to greet the birthday celebrant while sounding like a sheep and saying “Happy Birthday [celebrant’s name]!” The participant who can say the “sheep greeting” the longest, wins!
7. Guess The Superhero’s Real Name
Birthday Party Theme: SUPERHERO PARTY
What you need:
Small rolled papers with superhero images printed on each, bowl (to place the rolled papers)
Suggestion:
This game is best for a DAD-CHILD tandem. The child chooses the superhero from the lot; the Dad guesses that Superhero’s real name!
How it’s done:
Each participant (or team) should choose a rolled paper from the lot (or bowl). He (or the team) has to guess the superhero’s real name or secret identity. The participant (or team) who can guess the most names wins!
6. I Spy A LEGO Guy
Birthday Party Theme: LEGO PARTY
This is a fun game for the LEGO-lovers! It is also an adaptation of a classic game – treasure hunt. This time, instead of hunting for treasure chests, you hunt for the yellow LEGO guy hidden around the party area! How fun is that?
What you need:
Two or more yellow cardboards shaped as LEGO guys.
Suggestion:
Just to add fun to the hunt, make sure that a small portion of the “LEGO guy” can be seen from where it is hiding. One of the best hiding places is behind a photo frame that is hanging on the wall.
How it’s done:
Prepare at least two LEGO guy-shaped yellow cardboards. Hide them around the party area before the kids arrive. When hiding, make sure that a small portion of the “LEGO guy” can be seen. The kids who can find them first wins a prize!
5. Find the Princess’ Pea
Birthday Party Theme: PRINCESS PARTY
By giving another twist to yet another classic children’s party game, the Treasure Hunt, this game made it to the 5th place of our Best Theme Birthday Party games.
What you need:
Two or more small rounded green cardboards (that can be used as peas), double adhesive tapes (to stick the “peas” under the chairs)
Suggestion:
You can try what I did!
I started the game by saying something like this:
“We’ve got another surprise for all the kids in the castle…Who among you knows the story of the Princess and the Pea? The Princess is looking for three peas hidden under the chairs. If you help her find them, she’ll be able to sleep well tonight.
Look under your chairs as the pea might just be hiding there…”
How it’s done:
Prepare two or more small rounded green cardboards (or “peas”). Then, secretly stick each “pea” under three different chairs. For a touch of a “Princess/Fairy Tale theme”, announce the game by words such as “Princess and the Pea.” (see suggestion above)
Whoever finds the “peas” first wins a prize!
4. Dress The Farmer Relay Game
Birthday Party Theme: FARM PARTY
I simply love this game and have never seen this game in any party I have attended all my life. It is quite a LOLA’s original and has been proved to be one of the kids’ favourite games in the party!
What you need:
Depending on the number of teams (i.e. 3 teams): 3 Farmer or cowboy hats, 3 Farmer or cowboy scarves, 3 moustaches, 3 Farmer suspenders, 3 Farm boots, 3 Balloons, 3 Dads to pose as “the farmers”
How it’s done:
Placed the 5 farmer items (Farmers hat, cowboy handkerchief, moustache, suspender and boots) on each of the 3 chairs in the front. Your three Dad friends should stand in front (or beside the chairs) and pose as “The Farmers”.
Ask the children to group themselves into 5 and give each team a balloon.
As soon as you say “GO!” the first team member of each team have to run to the chair in the front, with a balloon in between their legs. Upon reaching the chair, they have to grab a farmer item and put in on their assigned “Farmer” Dad.
They, then, have to go back (still with the balloon in between their legs) to tag their next team member, who will also do the same. As soon as the last member of the team goes back to the group, they have to shout “Happy Birthday [birthday celebrant]!” to mark the completion of the game.
They will be judged according to their speed and how they “dress” their Farmer.
3. Musical Islands
Birthday Party Theme: PIRATE PARTY
Number 3 on the list is an adaptation of the classic birthday game – musical chairs. I gave it a twist by using island-shaped cardboards instead of chairs.
What you need:
5 or more island-shaped cardboards
Double adhesive tapes (to stick on the cardboards to the floor)
Music for the kids to dance to
Suggestion:
This game is best done outdoors so the kids will have plenty of room to run around (also, games outside means less mess inside!). Not enough outdoor space or weather is bad? Don’t fret, this game can also work indoors.
How it’s done:
Prepare at least five island-shaped cardboards (if you can colour them brown or green, that’s better). Stick the cardboards on the floor forming a circular shape altogether. The number of islands on the floor must always be less than the number of participants. Ask the participants to dance to the music while walking around the “islands.”
When the music stops, each participant has to find an island to step on. The participant who cannot find (or step on) an island, is out.
Like the classic musical chairs game, this game will continue until only one island is left. As soon as the music stops, whoever steps on that last island wins the prize!
2. Guess How Many LEGOs In The Jar
Birthday Party Theme: LEGO PARTY
Counting is fun. Estimating is even better!
What you need:
A medium-sized jar full of LEGO pieces
Small papers and pens
Remember!
Make sure that you count all the LEGO pieces before putting them all in the jar!
Don’t forget to ask the kids to write their name on the papers!
How it’s done:
Prepare a medium-sized jar full of LEGO pieces. Cover it and label it “How Many LEGO bricks are in the Jar?” Place the jar on the table, and beside it, small pieces of paper and pen for the kids to write their guess.
At the end of the party, the kid who guessed the nearest to the actual number of LEGO pieces will win the prize!
1. Jewel Harvest
Birthday Party Theme: SUPERHERO PARTY
This is proven to be the most fun and most favourite of all the “themed birthday” games in our list. The kids really enjoy trying to hoard as many balloons as they can and laughing out loud when some (or even lots!) of the balloons fly away from their grasp!
What you need:
Balloons (as the pretend jewels)
Suggestion:
You can try what I did!
I started the game by saying something like this:
“Let’s pretend that colourful jewels (balloons) will give us superpowers and will make us stronger and faster. It’s up to you how you hold on to the jewels, but the more jewels you can harvest, the stronger or faster you get. I wonder which one of you will harvest the most jewels in 20 seconds?”
To add more fun to the game, let the other participants do the countdown from 20, while someone is harvesting the “jewels.”
How it’s done:
Gather the balloons and the participants in the game area. Then, each participant (one at a time) will be given 20 seconds to “harvest” or hold as much “jewel” (balloon) as they can. The participant who can harvest the most jewels will be the strongest of all the superheroes and will win a prize.
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