The best way to throw a party is with games. Games are fun and can be played anywhere — in the front yard, at the park, on the beach, or in your living room.

Besides, when you are hosting an outdoor party, it is not enough to have fun. You also have to make sure your guests have a good time. We have you covered if you are looking for a few kid-friendly indoor and outdoor party games. Here are our 16 favorite ideas — all of which are sure to get children talking and laughing!

Indoor Games

Indoor party games for kids are a great way to get your children involved in the fun of your event. You can play them at home, in a classroom and they are just as fun when you play them with other adults and children.

1. Musical chairs

Musical Chairs is a classic game that is perfect for indoor parties. Kids love to run around, and the music makes it even more fun. 

The object of Musical Chairs is the last one sitting on the previous chair when the music stops playing. The game is played by having everyone sit down in a circle and then shuffling the chairs around until one person sits in each empty chair. 

2. Blind Man’s Buff

Blind Man’s Buff is one of the oldest and most popular party games. The game involves one player blindfolded with a large ball in their hands while another player hides a smaller ball somewhere in a room that has been pre-arranged. First, the blindfolded person has to navigate the room to find the hidden ball. Then, they get to take the giant ball if they can guess where it is.

3.Pin the Tail on the Donkey

In this game, each player gets a piece of paper with an outline of a donkey’s tail. The first player places their tail wherever they want it to be placed. All players then have to try and put their tails on top of each other to form a complete picture – much like pinning a tail on a donkey!

4. Pass the Parcel

Pass the parcel is a great game for kids to play indoors. You will need two teams: one team goes into a room and puts their hands on the table. The other team will put their hands on these to ensure they do not mess with them until the end of the round.

The first team will then have to pass a parcel from one player to another, then pass it on to the next player. If someone touches someone else’s parcel, they lose their turn and must sit out until it is their turn again!

5. The Human Hamster Wheel

What you need: 

A hamster wheel, a ball, and some corn or beans for the hamsters.

How to play: 

Put one hamster on the wheel and give it a ball. When you say “go,” have another player put their hand on the wheel, spin it, and then take their hand off when it stops spinning. The winner is the first to get their hand back on the wheel! The other players can also hop on the wheel while they are playing this game to try to catch your attention while you are trying to win!

6. Bingo

Bingo is a great family game for kids of all ages and the most popular party game. It is perfect for kid-friendly parties, birthday parties, and more.

How to play:

There are two versions of bingo — regular bingo and mini bingo. The first is played on a table with five rows of five squares marked off in a square grid. Kids take turns drawing cards from the deck, placing them over one of the squares in their row or column. They get the point if they get all their numbers straight across their row or column. The first one to get 50 points wins!

Mini bingo is similar, but one of each number wins instead of all five as long as you can make a straight line across your row or column.

7. Charades

Charades is a fun party game that everyone can play. It is a simple concept: one person acts out an object while the other participants guess what they are doing. For example, you can act out “tree,” and then everyone yells “tree.”

The goal is to be the first person to guess what you are doing correctly. Therefore, it is best played with a group of people who know each other well and have played the game before.

8. Spin the Bottle

The Spin the Bottle game is a classic. You can play it alone or with friends, but you need to be careful because too many people will be in a compromising position!

Spin the bottle, and whoever it lands on has to do whatever the group asks them to. It can be a truth or dare or kissing the person beside you. If it lands on someone else, then you have to do so. The more people get involved in this game, the more fun it becomes!

Outdoor games

There are so many ways to have fun outdoors with your kids. The possibilities are endless, from playing in the dirt to building dens and making games. Here are some fun outdoor games to keep you entertained on warm summer days:

9. Capture the Flag

It is a classic outdoor game that can be played with as few as five players. The game’s object is to take your opponent’s flag and return it to your field side. The person who has their flag in their possession when time runs out is declared the winner.

10. Dirt Races

You can play this game anywhere! All you need is a small area free of obstacles, like grass or dirt. Then, divide your kids into two teams and give each team half of a big handful of dirt. The first team to run around their opponents’ legs three times wins! You may also want to add cones or other obstacles to make it more challenging for your kids.

11. Tug of war

The Tug of War game is fun and challenging; kids compete to see who can pull their opponent down. It is a great team-building exercise and provides an excellent way for kids to work together, bond over something, and have fun.

There are two teams, and the rules are simple, the team to pull down their opponent wins! 

12. Catch the Ballie

Catch the Ballie is a game you can play with your kids. It is also a great way to get them active.

The game involves throwing a ball and catching it with your hands. The person who catches the ball is then allowed to throw the next one. You can use a large beach ball or any other small object like a Nerf ball or tennis ball that is easy to catch.

13. Tag, you are it!

This game is simple: You and your friends take turns being it. If you are the last one to be tagged, you are out.

The first person tags another player, who has to run around the group, trying to avoid being touched by others. The player who was tagged is now out of the game but can still tag other players. It continues until there is only one person left standing.

14. Simon Says 

This classic game requires everyone to follow a series of instructions while standing in a circle. The first person whispers a secret word into someone else’s ear and then taps them on the shoulder when they say it. The game continues until someone is caught saying their secret word without tapping their shoulder first.

15. Cornhole

Cornhole is a fun game played with two boards (that look like giant beanbags) filled with sand. Each player turns, tossing the beanbags at a target board in the middle of the playing field. The first team to get all beanbags in their hole wins!

16. Skipping Stones

Skipping stones is a classic game that is perfect for all ages. It is highly popular with children because it can be played indoors or outdoors. You only need a large area of flat ground to play on and some skipping stones. You can use a large sheet of plastic or cardboard to keep track of the number of times each player has jumped over the rock without getting caught.

Ending

Our list of 16 party games for kids is a great jumping-off point if you are hosting or attending a kid’s birthday party shortly. Use these games as inspiration for creating an unforgettable celebration. In addition, you can make all of your friends, family, and especially your kiddos happy with the options on our list.