Games with Prizes

If one child seems to be dominating as a frequent winner, try to think of a way of dividing the prizes so that everyone can win something either by playing a quiet game, or splitting the children into teams, so that everyone in the team can win a prize.

Musical Bumps / Musical Statues / Musical Cushions / Musical Chairs

Age: 3+

Equipment: Cushions for Musical Cushions and chairs for Musical Chairs

The fundamental rules for each of these four games are the same. All the children move around the room to music. The music is stopped momentarily, and the children…

Musical Bumps... sit down on the floor as quickly as possible. The last person to sit down is out. The music re-starts and the next round is played. The final player remaining wins the game
Musical Statues… stand a still as possible – like a statue. The first person to move slightly before the music starts again is out. The music re-starts and the next round is played. The final player remaining wins the game
Musical Cushions… sit down on one of the cushions already laid out on the floor. For the first round of the game, there should be a cushion available for each child. The music re-starts and the next round is played. A cushion is removed after each round, so that when the music stops one child remains without a cushion, and is out. The final player remaining wins the game.
Musical Chairs… sit down on one of the chairs already laid out around the room. For the first round of the game, there should be a chair available for each child. The music re-starts and the next round is played. A chair is removed after each round, so that when the music stops one child remains without a chair and is out. The final player remaining wins the game. Musical Chairs is not recommended for the under fives.

Pass the Parcel

Age: 3+

Equipment: A small present wrapped in several layers of paper/newspaper

This is a great game for all ages.

The children sit in a circle and one child is given the parcel to start the game off.
As the music plays, the parcel is passed around the circle.
When the music stops, the child holding the parcel unwraps a single layer of the paper.
The music re-starts, and the parcel is passed around the circle again.
The child who unwraps the final layer wins the prize.

If you want, you can also add a small present between each layer of paper.

The Chocolate Game

Age: 5+

Equipment: Bar of chocolate, knife, fork, hat, scarf, sunglasses and woolly gloves. A large die.

All the children sit in a circle. Place the bar of chocolate, knife and fork on a plate in the middle, with the clothes nearby. The children take turns to throw the die. The first child to throw a six has to go into the circle, put on the clothes and start to cut and eat the chocolate.

Meanwhile, the children in the circle continue to throw the die. The next child to throw a six goes into the middle of the circle, puts on the clothes (the person already in the circle has to take them off) and tries to cut and eat the chocolate.

The first child to successfully finish the chocolate wins. In other versions of the game, the scarf is used to blindfold the contestant, and/or a bowl of jelly is used instead of the chocolate.

Simon Says

Age: 3-6

Equipment: None

The children sit on the floor in front of you, and have to follow your instructions each time you say “Simon says…”

For example, if you say “Simon says pat your head” all the children pat their head. However, if you don’t say “Simon says…” before an instruction, the children must stay still.

Anyone who does the action without Simon saying so is out. Instructions to try include:

Hop on one leg
Jump up and down
Wave your arms in the air
Sit down

Pin the Tail on the Donkey

Age: 4+

Equipment: A large picture of a donkey with no tail, a tail for each child with his name written on it, a scarf to use as a blindfold.

Put up the picture of the donkey at a height that the children can reach easily, and mark the place where the tail should be.

Sit the children on the floor.
Call up one child, cover his eyes with the blindfold and turn him around.
Give him a tail with his name on it and lead him to the picture.
Ask him to stick the tail where he thinks it should go on the picture.
Remove the blindfold call up the next child to have a go.
The winner is the child who has stuck the tail nearest to the right spot.

If you have a party with a My Little Pony theme, an alternative to this game is Pin the Cutie on the Pony.

Treasure Chest

Age: 2-5

Equipment:

A special treasure prize in a small box
Some small pieces of ‘loot’ e.g., chocolate coins or shells
A box filled with sand (if you’re playing outside, this game can be played in the sand pit)

Before the party, bury some ‘treasure’ in a sand pit or box of sand. Give the children spoons, and ask them to pretend that they’re archaeologists (or pirates if you’re having a pirate party) looking for buried treasure, and whoever finds the treasure chest wins. The children dig in the sand to find the treasure, and can keep the small pieces of treasure they find on the way. The winner is the child that finds the treasure chest.