Quiet Games

Sleeping Lions

Age: 3+

Equipment: None

This is a great game to calm down boisterous children at the end of a party.

All of the children lie down on the floor and pretend to be lions that are very tired and have fallen asleep.
Tell the children that the lions are not able to move at all, and if anyone so much as twitches they’ll have to wake up and be out of the game.
Any children who are out can sit down next to you and try to goad the other children into moving.
The last child to move is the winner.

Ignore any movement for a few minutes to give all the children a chance to wind down, and you a chance to relax!

What Animal are You?

Age: 2-5

Equipment: None

To play:

All the children sit in a circle.
You call one child forward and whisper an animal to them.
They then act out that animal (without making any noises) to the others, who have to guess what animal it could be.
The first child to get it right acts out the next animal.

For very small children, allow them to make the appropriate noises to help the other guests.

Funny Face Balloons

Age: 3+

Equipment: Round party balloons, pens, stickers

Give each child a balloon, felt-tipped pen and some stickers ask them to draw a funny face on their balloon. They can take their balloon home at the end of the party. If you’re feeling adventurous, you could glue wool to the balloons to represent hair.

Guess What!

Age: 3+

Equipment: Tactile items such as spaghetti, baked beans, cotton-wool balls, chopped fruit such as kiwi-fruit or grapes. Smelly items such as mustard, chutney, pickled onions, toothpaste, fresh herbs such as mint or rosemary.

To Play:

All the children sit in a circle.
One of the items is passed round to each child in a non-transparent bag.
Each child has to either smell the item in the bag, or put their hand in and touch the item, but they aren’t allowed to say what it is.
At the end of the round, each child has to say what they think is in the bag.
The winners all get a prize.