When it's nice enough to play outside, these games are perfect for birthday parties to help burn up extra energy while having fun. You only need a few items for each game, and you may already have many of the items on hand. These games are sure to delight your guests.
Bail out the Boat
Things you’ll need:
- Two large buckets that are the same size
- Two smaller buckets that are the same size
- Water
- Large plastic cups, you need at least one for each guest, more is better
Before the guests arrive:
Step 1: Fill the large buckets with water.
When the guests arrive:
Step 1: Split the guests into two even teams.
Step 2: Line them up in front of the two smaller buckets, leaving about two feet between children.
Step 3: Put a full bucket of water and half the cups at the back of each line.
Step 4: When you say “The boat is sinking!” the last guest in each line fills a cup with water from the bucket and passes it to the next person in line.
Step 5: The full cup is passed to the head of the line, and the first child dumps it into the empty bucket.
Step 6: The children should keep passing full cups of water up the line, so there are several going at once.
Step 7: The team that fills their bucket to the top first wins!
Ball, Squirt, Score!
Things you’ll need:
- 2 Strong Pump-Action Water Guns or Hoses with Pistol-Type Nozzles
- 2 Beach Balls
- 4 Goal Markers, Such as garbage cans, lawn chairs or cones
Before the guests arrive:
Step 1: Set up two goals using the cans, chairs, or cones.
Step 2: If you’ve got squirt guns, get them filled. If you’ve got hoses, get the nozzles put on.
When the guests arrive:
Step 1: Choose two children to play first.
Step 2: Have each child stand in front of their goal at opposite ends of the yard.
Step 3: Give them the water guns or hoses, and put a beach ball by their feet.
Step 4: When you yell “Fire!” they have to use the guns or hoses to get their ball across the other child’s goal line, while blocking their opponent’s ball from crossing their goal.
Step 5: The child that gets their ball across the opposing goal line is the winner.
Step 6: You can have the next child play the winner, or select two new children to play the next round.
Knights and Dragons
Before the guest arrive:
Step 1: Make two lines in the grass that are about 20 feet apart. This is your moat.
When the guests arrive:
Step 1: Choose one child to be the dragon. All the other boys are knights.
Step 2: Have the dragon stand in the middle of the moat. The knights should stand behind one of the two lines. Be sure to have all the knights behind the same line.
Step 3: To begin play, the dragon yells, “Try and cross!” All the knights must try and run past the dragon to the other side without being tagged.
Step 4: Any knight that is tagged becomes part of the dragon’s tail and must hold hands with the dragon and any other captured knights. Once part of the tail, the captured knights must help to tag the knights that are still free.
Step 5: The knight that is caught last is the winner and gets to be the dragon in the next round.
Pop Goes the Planet
Things you’ll need:
- One balloon for each guest
- Two magnifying glasses
- Tape
Before the guests arrive:
Step 1: Tape several balloons to a fence or wall outside. They should be about 1-2 inches apart, and should be in the sun at the time of the party.
When the guests arrive:
Step 1: Give two children each a magnifying glass.
Step 2: Show them how to position the magnifying glass to catch the sun’s rays, which will warm a spot on the balloon and make them pop.
Step 3: A bright spot will appear on the balloons right before they pop.
Step 4: The first person to pop his balloon wins. Give the winner a small prize and let another child play. Continue to play until each child has had a chance to pop a balloon.
Three Musketeers Race
Before the guests arrive:
Step 1: Mark two lines on the ground, about 20 feet apart.
When the guests arrive:
Step 1: Divide the guests into teams of three.
Step 2: Have the members of each team line up on the starting line with their backs to each other, in a triangle, with their elbows locked.
Step 3: Once all the teams are ready, yell, “One for all and all for one!”
Step 4: The teams have to run to the second line, turn around, and run back keeping their arms linked the entire time.
Step 5: If a team comes unlinked, they must go back to the starting line and start over.
Step 6: The first team who gets to the second line and back wins.
Your guests can play one or more or all of these fun party games. They go well with any birthday party theme you choose. Your guests will have hours of fun and should be almost exhausted from the activity. Boys have a ton of energy, and these games are a great match for that energy.
The image featured at the top of this post is ©iStock.com/wundervisuals.