I'm trying to come up with 2-3 simple games that a group of 3 years olds can play at my daughter's birthday party the end of this month. For some reason I'm only coming up with pin the tail on the donkey.
What other games are fun, but also simple and age appropriate for the party?
Thanks for the help!
Wrap some small dollar store type toys in a big tin foil ball, so as you pass the ball around play some music, when the music stops the child with the ball unwraps until he/she finds a toy. That child keeps the toy and steps out of the circle. Game continues until all children get a toy. No losers! Some type of fishing game would be fun. Duck duck Goose, Simon Says, Hokey Pokey!
3 yr olds want to play and eat. no games.
Not sure how many kids your expecting, but I can say from experience, there isn't much "structure" to a birthday party when the kids are ~3! :) We did just recently go to one where they played bean bags (made the target out of a cardboard box and bags out of socks with rice/beans), balloon pop (balloons have tickets inside, some say "WIN"), water balloon toss, and kickball (yeah, the adults & older kids joined in this one). Growing up (as older kids), we also did egg walk (raw egg balanced on a spoon--held in mouth or hand), egg toss, relay races, and the usual simon says, mother may I, red-light green-light.
Whatever you do, pay attention to the kids--make sure they are actually having fun & participating--not just getting bored with "another game."
I would do a very simple make & take craft, and wouldn't worry about games at that age. Keep it kind of loose & unstructured, vs. being on a forced type of time schedule. At that age, they're happy with toys (if the party's at home) or if it's outdoors, at a park, they're happy with with that.
At my son's 3rd birthday last year we had a space theme, so we played pin the astronaut on the moon (like pin the tail on the donkey), made alien masks (different kinds of stickers and sticky things on masks we premade), and I had planned something like musical chairs, but we didn't get to that. They also ran around our house and played a good chunk of the time. I would say plan one simple game and one simple craft, and maybe one backup game, and then let them do their own thing after that. We had 4 kid guests, and parents, and it lasted at least three hours, everyone was having such a great time.
Have a treasure chest filled w/sand.
They have to dig through the sand to find little treasures (ltl toys).
If you use sand, do it outside. If you must do it inside, use packing peanuts.
-crayon coloring station w/pages torn out of a coloring bk & lots of crayons
-Fish (stick w/string tied to it & a clothespin at the end). They fish over a cardboard or sofa & you attach a sm toy to the clothespin. Fish on!
-Building blocks station w/tons of building blocks. Buy extra
-balls to kick around outside
-Hide a few big dinosaurs in the living room for them to find
-bean bag toss
I like the old-fashioned games but a lot of 3 year olds can't manage the coordination (e.g. walk with an egg) or the rules, and they get frustrated if they are "out" in red light/green light.
See if you can find some plastic eggs (like they have at Easter) - and fill them with little toys and favors (safe, of course). Hide them around the house or yard and let kids find their own. You can give them each a color to find, or add adult help, to keep it even. The prizes become the "goody bag" as well as the game. When my son was into dinosaurs, we played "find the dinosaur eggs" and put little dino figures in them. When he was into insects, we played "find the giant bug eggs" - same game, just call it something different.
It's semi structured and results in everyone getting a few treats/toys.
My son is 3 and LOVES to freeze dance. Also - maybe a pinata?
Bean bag toss, hot potato with water balloons, or a water balloon toss where they throw it back and keep inching back each toss. Hope this helps, happy birthday to your little one!
I hope you get some good ideas. My experience has been that at that age they want to play and eat and play some more. We usually do a bounce house for the kids, all ages love them. For my guy's 3rd birthday earlier this year we went to a children's museum where he and all the kids could run, climb and get out their energy ; ) Hopefully by 4 we can do a couple of games!
I agree with Mama, that it's hard to get a lot of structure for a 3 y/o birthday party. Pin the tail is a good one. I like the idea of giving them all balloons and then seeing how long they can keep them up in the air. Most of them will just bop them around and many will hit the floor, but it's fun. You could also do races in the back yard...you can spice it up by having kids put their feet on frisbees or in shoe boxes to "skate" race across the lawn or carpet.
Another vote to just forget about the games. Every under-5-y.o.party that I've ever been to where the hosts try to organize games, I always think, "Why bother?" The kids don't get it at all.
Do a "cakewalk" activity. Instead of giving a cake, get prizes at the dollar store. Make numbers, play music, stop the music, etc.
