Children's birthday party games for indoors

How do I choose the right birthday party games?

Variety is key:

There are many different games for children's birthday parties: fast-paced active games, funny singing games and quiet but exciting games that require concentration. It's best to have a good mix of games ready so boredom doesn't set in. That way you can also respond with an appropriate game if, for example, there has been a quarrel or the children get too rowdy.

Choose games suitable for the number of guests:

Games like blind man's buff or musical chairs are more fun with many children. Others, like pot-hitting or telling stories, also work with three or four children. Think about which games suit the number of birthday guests and, if necessary, move a few pieces of furniture aside for active games.

No obligation to play:

You've prepared a wide selection of games, but all the birthday guests are playing a game they invented in the playroom or happily running around? Let the children decide what they want to do, because birthday games should be an option, not an obligation. This also applies if a child doesn't want to join in. Maybe they'll enjoy the next game more.

Anything but old-fashioned: Classic children's birthday party games

Geburtstagsspiele | Dekorierter Tisch, im Hintergrund spielen Kinder

Blind man's buff, pot-hitting or musical chairs: Many active games were played at children's birthday parties the same way a hundred years ago. The great thing about the old birthday games is that they require hardly any preparation and few materials. This lets you be flexible at the party and decide, depending on the mood, whether you encourage a game or let the children play on their own.

Blind man's buff: A child's eyes are covered with a scarf or cloth. Another child spins them around in a circle a few times and they then have to walk around trying to catch one of the other children. If they catch someone, they must guess who it is. The captured child becomes the next blind man's buff.
Musical chairs: A number of chairs (one fewer than there are players) are arranged in a circle with the seat surfaces facing outward. Then music is played and all the children walk or dance in a circle around the chairs. As soon as the music stops, every child must sit on a chair. The player who doesn't get a chair is eliminated. Then one chair is removed from the circle and the music restarted. This is repeated until only two players and one chair remain. Whoever is the last to sit on the chair wins.
Spin the bottle: All the children sit in a circle and a bottle lies in the middle. First a task is chosen, e.g.: "Whoever the bottle points to must hop through the room on one leg!" Then the bottle is spun and the one the bottle neck points to must carry out the task. Afterwards they may name the next task and spin the bottle.
Chocolate eating with obstacles: For this game you need a bar of chocolate, well wrapped in several layers of newspaper and packing tape, as well as a hat, gloves and scarf, a knife and fork, and a die. All the utensils are placed in the middle and the children take turns rolling the die. As soon as a child rolls a six, they must put on the hat, gloves and scarf as quickly as possible, take the knife and fork and try to unwrap the chocolate bar with them. The other children, of course, continue to roll in the meantime - hoping that the next six will be rolled and another child will take over the hat, gloves and scarf.
Freeze dance: All the children dance together to the music until it suddenly stops. As soon as the music goes off, all the children must freeze in whatever position they're in. Whoever moves last is eliminated. Whoever remains at the end has won the round.

When it gets too loud: Quiet games for the children's birthday party

Telephone: A child thinks of a word and whispers it into the next child's ear. The child whispers what they understood to the next child and so on until the last child has to say the word out loud. Usually something completely different comes out in the end.
I'm packing my suitcase: This one requires concentration: The first child starts with "I'm packing my suitcase... a swimsuit." Now it's the second child's turn: "I'm packing my suitcase a swimsuit and... a ball." Each child repeats the previously said items and must therefore show a good memory.

Birthday party games & accessories