Inside: We have best toddler birthday party game ideas!
Nothing is sweeter than a fun birthday celebration, we are FIRM believers in that around here, add toddlers to that mix and talk about a good time! Planing a party for your little ones can be difficult. I mean toddlers are notorious for having their own STRONG opinions and put 10 of them in a room together and things could get dicey. But these fun toddler birthday party game ideas are sure to make your next toddler birthday bash go a little smoother. Plus let’s be honest they are all there for the cake.
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How do you Plan Party Games for Toddlers?
- The first time I have for planning a toddler birthday party game is – Keep It Simple. These little kiddos are excited to play and eat cake, so to avoid any fussy tantrums and those short attention spans keep the games simple and fun!
- Go with it – We all have this dream of every kid going with the flow and following all the rules and doing all the activities perfectly, but for a toddler’s birthday bash that doesn’t always happen. So make each game something that if a kid gets bored or distracted they aren’t affecting the other party-goers. Just go with the flow and have fun.
- Plan some Open-Ended games, I will have some ideas of those types of games below, but basically have games and activities that anyone can play at any time. A few ideas are an inflatable pool, sandbox, or have a movie playing.
- Create Stations – While some toddlers won’t use them at all, others will enjoy having a short break from the mayhem. And shy kids often appreciate having a place they can go to quietly play as they warm up to the party. Activity stations don’t have to be complicated, either. One of my favorite stations to set out is a fun craft or a fun word game. These are similar to having open-ended games but you can have several different options and have the kids just rotate around at their own pace.
- Throw in some fun classic group games that everyone will enjoy!
Open-Ended Toddler Birthday Party Game Ideas
Open-ended party games are great to have always available that kids can go to if they don’t want to participate in something. This way they don’t feel left out and they can have their own fun. Here are a few ideas:
- Create a mini gymnasium with basketball hoops and soccer nets.
- Make a toddler-friendly obstacle course
- Have a fun and SAFE water activity, such as a sprinkler or slip and slide.
- Open up for playroom for the kids, this allows them to free play.
- For an outdoor birthday have a fun sandbox set up with different tools for digging and making.
- Have a movie going, some kids are shy and need a moment to warm up to the chaos. So having a familiar moving going is inviting to them.
Activity Station Toddler Party Game Ideas
- A coloring table with crayons and coloring books
- A reading tent or nook
- A play-doh table with plenty of colors and cookie cutters to choose from
- Dress-up stations for the kids to make-believe
- Craft Stations – I love all the ideas from this cute birthday party!
Classic Toddler Birthday Party Games
Duck Duck Goose: The most classic and fun game ever. This is a perfect game for toddlers and a party MUST!
Sleeping Lions: If excitement is getting a little out of control, and there’s more frantic crowd control than fun, then it might be time for a round or two of Sleeping Lions. Watch as your herd of marauding elephants, a.k.a. party guests, transform into motionless silent cute slumberers. The aim of the game is to remain motionless even with the adult walking around, and perhaps telling jokes. Anyone who itches, wiggles or giggles is out – reward with a sweet. The winner is the one who stays still the longest.
Pin the (Blank) on…: There are so many different variations of the is game you can play. You can fit it to the theme of the party like, pink the hat on the cat for a cat in the hat birthday or one of my favorite ideas is printing off a large photo of the Birthday boy or girl and pin the party hat on the top of their head! I love this fun variation for a 3-year-olds birthday party!
Kim Games: This has to be one of the oldest party games around, and it’s still going strong. Lay a tray with an eclectic mix of objects from toy figures to random items like sticky tape or a spoon. Cover the tray with a tea towel. Allow the children a minute or two to look at the tray (no touching allowed!) before covering it back up. The children quickly write down everything they can remember from the tray (for younger children use older ones as scribes). The one who remembers the most items is the winner.
Donut Challange: Grab a couple dozen donuts and some string and you have one FUN toddler birthday party game idea! I love this messy, sweet, and hilarious game!
Musical Statues: Another great game for burning off some excess sugar and excitement is Musical Statues. Get the kids boogying to their favorite party tunes, and when the music stops they must freeze. We find this game works best if you keep everyone ‘in’ but give the best pose-holders a sticker. This stops children wandering off away from the main party happenings. The children with the most stickers at the end get a prize.
Sand Treasure Hunt: Throwing a pirate party or summer bash? A fun sand treasure hunt is a great toddler birthday party game idea. Hide toys in the box and let kids dig and discover! This website has some cute outdoor ideas to go along with the sandbox game!
Under Over: Split your party guests into teams of approximately 4-8 each. Each team lines up with the front child holding a ball or balloon. On ‘go’ the children must pass the ball, alternately, backward over their heads and between legs until it reaches the last in the line. This child then dashes around to the front to repeat the process. This continues until the original front child is back at the beginning when the whole team sits down. The winning team is the first to sit down.
I hope you love these fun toddler birthday party game ideas as much as we do! Let us know in the comments what your little ones’ favorite is!