Perfect Party Games
by Amy Dusek

Games can be the life or death of any party. A good game can ensure that your guests are entertained and happy. But if one flops and you don’t have a Plan B, it could spell disaster.

Pin the Tail on the Donkey and Musical Chairs are definite crowd pleasers, but kids have been there and done that! For fresh renditions on classic games Atlanta Parent Magazine spoke with birthday party guru Penny Warner. Penny is the author of numerous kids’ party books including Kids Pick a Party Book, Kids Party Games and Activities and Creative Party Ideas Your Kids and their Friends will Love. Here are the kid-approved games she shared with us.

Bumbling Bubble Gum
Materials: Large garden gloves and lots of bubble gum.
Directions: Split your guests into two teams and arrange the children in two lines, so the teams are facing each other. Give each player a piece of wrapped bubble gum and a pair of gloves. At the start of the game the first player in each line must unwrap the gum and stick it in his mouth. Once he’s successful (it will be a struggle, thanks to the gloves), he taps the next player to start unwrapping her gum. The first team to have all members chewing gum wins!

Something’s Missing
Materials: Treasure (costume jewelry, cookies or candy) and written clues.
Directions: For this game you’ll be assembling a treasure hunt. First, assemble what’s missing. It could be a type of party food, party favors, really anything you can build a short story around. Next, find a hiding place for the loot and write clues for the party guests. Your clues can be in pictures if your guests are young, in simple words or in riddles if your guests are older. Each clue should lead guests closer to the loot. At the last clue, the guests should find the loot and that there’s enough for everyone.

Do-It Dice
Materials: White, square boxes from a mail or office supply store. Black permanent marker.
Directions: Take one of the boxes and write down a different physical activity on each side. (Examples: hop on one foot, walk backwards, turn around three times, etc.) Take the other box and write down a different thing to say on each side, such as “Recite the alphabet,” “Sing your favorite nursery rhyme” or “Recite the Pledge of Allegiance.” At the party have each guest roll the dice and then follow their instructions. Everyone is sure to giggle as they watch their friend singing “Mary Had a Little Lamb” while hopping on one foot. This is silly and spontaneous fun!

Name That Tune
Materials: A radio with a tape deck. Audio cassette tapes.
Directions: All it takes is a little preparation ahead of party time to make this game work. Record the intro and chorus to popular songs, leaving a considerable pause between each segment. You can tailor your song list according to the age of your audience. The themes to preschool TV shows and nursery rhymes work for young guests. For children a little older you can record songs from your child’s favorite radio station. At the party, ask your guests to “Name That Tune!” If you like you can hold a bonus round where the top players try to guess how many seconds it will take to name the tune.

Tail Tag
Materials: Socks or scarves.
Directions: Stuff the sock or scarf in the back of each guest’s pants, so that everyone has a tail. The object of this game is to gather as many tails as possible without losing your own. Kids can run wild and burn off their sugar highs after cake and ice cream.

Wacky Water Brigade
Materials: Buckets, spoons, pails, Tupperware, bowls – anything that will hold water.
Directions: This version of a water brigade has a wacky twist. Instead of only using buckets to transport water from one end of the relay to the other, each guest has a different object. Give guests their objects – spoons, pails, etc. Divide the guests into two or more teams of four or five players. Place one bucket of water per team at one end of your play area. Place an empty bucket on the opposite end of the play area. Each teammate must use his or her object to fill the empty bucket. The team to fill their bucket first wins.

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