Birthday games that will make you a Super Parent!

Want to be a super parent? In addition to cake and presents you could also have exciting birthday party games. At the very start it would be good for parents to avoid competitive games for younger children as they fail to be a sport and their feelings are easily hurt. Also ensure you involve your spouse, nanny and birthday kid’s sibling in the games so as to save your running around trying to oversee everything all at once.

Here are some great game ideas that would start off the party in a celebratory mood:

BYOB bike/tricycle race for kids above the age of 2:

This game would keep the kids happily occupied; make sure you mention in the invitation that it is a BYOB (or bring your own bike) party and parents also bring their kids helmets. It could be an obstacle course bike race, which includes a bike decorating contest and award ceremony.

Create a short obstacle course and time each rider separately, or let them all go together if it’s a large area like a park, vacant lot, cul-de-sac or driveway; the game can also be made into a relay race. Next let the kids decorate bikes with streamers, pennants and noisemakers made from playing cards placed between the spokes; you could also get traffic cones at any major home improvement store and plastic skateboard ramps at local supercenters. During summertime parties you can also have a water spray at the end of the race course. Hand out prizes like plastic trophies, water bottles and bike accessories, such as spokesters, horns and pennants at the end of the race.

Prize walk for children between the ages of 2 and 4:

Write numbers from 1-30 on squares and tape them to the ground in a circle; you could also draw the squares on the ground. Then make small numbered squares to correspond with the numbers on the ground and keep them in a basket. Let each child stand on a number and then walk/run around the circle when the music starts. When the music stops they have to stand on a number. Then a number is chosen from the basket for a prize. The game continues till all the children win a prize.

Bubbles wrap races for kids above 3 years of age:

Buy and lay out a 5 feet roll of bubble wrap in a yard or open space. Ask each child to cross the bubble wrap without popping any of the bubbles. To make the game more competitive, line up three sections and have teams race across to the other side without popping any of the bubbles. The team/child who crosses without popping any/pooping the least bubbles wins. This is a fun game that would have everyone giggling.

 Mummy wrap for ages 4 to 8 years:  

This game could be incorporated for a Halloween-themed party in October. Divide kids into small groups and have them pick someone to be the mummy; you could also have an adult be the mummy. Pass out rolls of toilet paper to each group to wrap around their mummy. The team that uses up all the toilet paper quickly to wrap up their mummy wins.

Balloon burst for ages above 4 years:

One of Riggs' favorite games all the kids have to bop a balloon in the air to music till it stops; whoever was the last to touch the balloon must pop it and complete the challenge that's inside. Write and insert challenges into balloons before inflating and have enough balloons to continue with the game; challenges can be anything from trivia questions to physical tests, like trying to lick your elbow or sing a song with a mouthful of crackers.

Photo scavenger hunt for all above 4 years:

This game is fun and can be adapted to guests of all age groups. You should sketch out a map and give kids pictures of the clues to be found along the route; there will be a small reward for every clue they find. For a pirate theme party the clues could be chocolate coins, with a treasure chest of prizes at the end.

Alternatively, the kids can bring their own digital cameras or cell phones and take pictures of items or scenes on a list; the winner is whoever finds the most items.

Origami boat races for kids above 5 years:

The kids/guests could be asked to blow through straw and power paper boats across a plastic pool, with the winner being first to make it across. This game could also be played in groups where the winners from each group or race could continue to play each other until a final winner is declared. The boats are easy to construct using origami paper with instructions on making the boats easy to follow.

Drama game for those above 6 years:

This game for older children starts by giving each child or group of children a grocery bag of props, which can include anything from kitchen items and costumes to make-up and assorted clothing. An allotted time is given to plan their skits before performances. Skits can be anything from a talk or cooking show, to a TV commercial. After everyone has finished, have a screening and award ceremony where each child receives a trophy for their part in the skit.

Creativity is the mother of invention; a little planning and initial preparation for a kid’s party would lead to a memorable evening that would be entertaining and fun for one and all.