Crédit : The sweetest occasionDIY party hats
To get them to know each other and set the mood, make all guests make their own party hat together at the beginning of the party. You can prepare the cones and let them add details with crayons, sparkles or stickers, or simply let them make the whole thing from scratch if your group is crafty!
Unwrap a gift with mittens
It’s a famous game that never gets old. Wrap a small gift in many layers of paper and use a lot of scotch tape. Put your gift in front of your child, give them mittens and a winter hat and give them 30 seconds to put them on and unwrap the gift. Then, he or she must pass everything on to the next child. If you want everyone to participate even more, make them sing “Happy birthday” instead of counting to 30. And if you want to make it even harder, use oven mitts. Whoever opens the gift gets to keep it!
Costume chest
Have you collected swords, princess costumes, wigs, and masks over the years? Put all your Halloween costumes and accessories in a chest and let children use their imagination. This little exercise will also force you to put everything in one place. Isn’t it wonderful?
Donkey game
This game is not as popular as it used to be, but it should be! A dizzy child who tries to find where to pin the donkey’s tail wearing a blindfold is hilarious, for him or her and their friends too! You can buy a donkey in party stores or make one yourself. You can also adapt the game to your theme and pin a pirate’s eye patch, a princess’ crown or an astronaut’s helmet. Be creative with this one!
Makeup artist
Makeup always works. Just remember the lines at the festivals. So buy a few makeup crayons or jars and transform the children into whatever they wish to be! Usually, small children ask for butterflies, flowers, suns, Spiderman or cats. You can draw it on their cheek or paint their whole face, starting with their nose. If you haven’t drawn for a while, you can practice and watch a tutorial of each. You will find several tutorials online.
Obstacle course
Around five or six years old, children love to show off their new abilities. Give them an opportunity to have their minute of glory with an obstacle course. Make them carry an egg in a spoon from point A to point B, jump in rings, run with their legs tied and last the longest at a hula-hoop contest. They will have fun for sure! You can also make homemade medals to reward them.
Chocolate kebabs
Cut bananas, strawberries, mangos, other soft fruits and marshmallows to help children make fruity kebabs. It will become a nice snack to eat with a chocolate fondue after your little workshop. Parties always rhyme with sweets!
Decorate cupcakes
Instead of a big cake, bake cupcakes and let children decorate them as they please. Put chocolate chips, jelly beans, marshmallows, candies and icing in bowls and ask them to show you their creation before asking the birthday girl or boy to blow out their candle and make a wish!
Musical chairs
A classic! The musical chairs is a perfect game for young children. If you can’t remember the rules, you must count one chair less than there are children. Then, place the chairs in a circle and ask the kids to dance around them until the music stops. When it does, they must find a chair and sit on it. The one child with no chair to sit on is out of the game. At the end of the game, there will be 2 children standing and one chair... the last one who sits wins the game!
Spin the bottle… 21st-century style
Many years ago, you had to spin the bottle and uncomfortably kiss someone in front of everyone. That version is a bit outdated (and not really appropriate for young kids) so you can rewrite the rules. Write challenges on pieces of paper, like jumping around the group on one foot, building a clay elephant in 30 seconds or singing a song and put your challenges in a bowl. The one who gets chosen by the bottle must pick a challenge… This fun and different game can occupy them for hours!
