When my daughter turned 11 recently, I was on a mission to make her birthday party special. But let’s be real—keeping a bunch of preteens entertained indoors is no small feat. While I brainstormed party games for her and her friends, I also borrowed ideas from other birthday parties she’s attended (because why reinvent the wheel?).
Spoiler alert: The games were a hit! So, if you’re looking for fun indoor games that kids will enjoy (and remember fondly), here’s a list based on my party experience and her friends’ party adventures.
kids party games
Odd-Even
This one was a crowd-pleaser at our party. The kids stood in a circle, and my daughter got to play the boss. She called out one number ( odd or even) and the kids had to say next numbers in the sequence. A wrong number or hesitation? Out they went!
Why It’s Fun: It’s a mix of focus and fun, and kids love the little challenge.
Pin the Tail
Hang a donkey poster on the wall, blindfold one player at a time, and give them a few spins before they try to stick a paper tail as close to the donkey’s rump as possible! Of course, it doesn’t have to be a tail or a donkey – we’ve gotten creative and played “Pin the Mermaid Flower on the mermaid head” according to our theme.
Get imaginative and customize it to fit your party theme.
Musical Chairs
Ah, the good ol’ musical chairs. We pushed the furniture aside, arranged chairs in a circle, and let the music do the magic. The kids were giggling and racing to grab seats like their lives depended on it.
Space-Saving Hack: Use cushions instead of chairs if your party room feels cramped.
Freeze Dance
This game turned our living room into a mini dance floor! The kids danced like they were on a reality show, and when the music stopped, they froze in hilarious poses.
Messymom Tip: Joining in on the dance will earn you the “Cool Parent” badge for the day.
Pass the Parcel
This one’s always a favorite. I wrapped a small gift in multiple layers of colorful paper. As the music played, the parcel went around, and each time it stopped, the person holding it unwrapped a layer. The excitement built with every layer until the final prize was revealed.
Treasure Hunt
This one was my personal favorite. I hid little goodies around the room and gave the kids clues to find them. Watching them solve riddles and scramble to find the treasures was so much fun!
Simon Says
Simple, classic, and always a hit! “Simon says clap your hands,” “Simon says jump twice,” and so on. Of course, the trick was throwing in commands without Simon’s permission to trip them up.
Messymom Pro Tip: Sneak in “Simon says sit quietly” when you need a breather.
Storytime Freeze
This game worked perfectly to wind things down. I started a story and paused at a dramatic moment. The kids then took turns adding their own twists. Let’s just say their creativity blew me away!
Guess the Candy Count
A friend’s mom played this game at her party, and it was genius! She filled a jar with candies, and the kids had to guess how many were inside. The closest guess won the entire jar (cue big smiles!).
Obstacle Course
We created a mini obstacle course using pillows, chairs, and a hula hoop. It wasn’t Pinterest-perfect, but the kids loved crawling under chairs and jumping over imaginary lava.
Craft Corner
This isn’t exactly a game, but it kept the kids occupied when they needed a break. I set up a table with stickers, markers, and glitter (yes, I regretted the glitter later), and they made their own bookmarks and party hats.
Balloon Pop Relay
At a friend’s party, the kids had a blast with this one. They had to sit on a balloon to pop it, then run back to tag the next player. The squeals of laughter were contagious.
Safety Tip: Choose soft balloons to avoid any frustration (or accidental tears).
Cup Stack
I placed 10 cups in each corner on table and challenged the kids to stack them up within a time limit. The twist? They could only pick up one cup at a time from any corner.
Birthday Trivia
This was such a fun way to spotlight my daughter. I asked questions like “What’s her favorite color?” and “What’s her favorite snack?” The kids loved answering, and my daughter enjoyed being the center of attention.
Memory Game
Place 15 items on a tray and show it to the kids for 20 seconds. Remove the tray and ask them to write down the items they remember. The one with the most correct answers wins.
Balloon Balance Challenge
In this exciting game, one child starts by tossing a balloon into the air. While the balloon is floating, they must quickly stack paper cups (or any other thing as per your wish) one by one. As soon as the balloon starts coming down, they need to toss it back up and continue stacking. The goal is to keep the balloon from touching the ground while building the stack as high as possible. If the balloon touches the ground, the turn ends. The player with the tallest stack wins.
Wrap up
Planning games for an indoor birthday party doesn’t have to be overwhelming. With a little creativity and some tried-and-tested ideas, you can turn your party room into a hub of laughter and excitement. Whether it’s odd-even fun, a treasure hunt, or freeze dance chaos, these games will ensure the kids leave with big smiles.
So, go ahead, pick your favorites, and let the birthday fun begin. And hey, don’t forget to sneak a slice of cake for yourself—you deserve it.
Related post: Unique budget friendly return gifts
This blog post is part of ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’ hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla.
I had forgotten how simple things were during childhood. I loved so many of these games-pin the donkey, pass the parcel, musical chairs, stack the cups. I like the idea of story freeze. Am sure your children are having a grand time during their parties.
This is an interesting games list you have shared. except for the story freeze, I have tried all I guess.
Such cool game ideas!!! Managing kids and keeping them entertained is no small feat and with your game ideas i am sure the party is going to be super hit. They’re not just fun but also a great way to keep everyone actively involved!
Oh! Anjali what I am feeling is hugging you tight. What awesome ideas you gave, Actually you get half the job done for me. My son’s birthday is nearing and I was thinking ” Kya kiya jai naya isbar” and then your post came in front of me. This is called telepathy… Love you and Hugs.
Wow that makes things easier. I had been following only musical chair and passing the parcel, followed by dance parties. Great to know of so many options.
Interesting birthday party game. I have to bookmark the post. Out of these stack a cup, pin the tail and bindi we played.
Some great party games Anjali!
I have not been very creative with party games, it was mostly pass the parcel, or memory games and donkey tail but among the game suggested I’m sure Balloon Pop, Craft corners, Birthday Trivia are games that would make the party very interesting.
So many beautiful and useful games to keep children engaged. Sometimes, adults too can join in !
Totally reminded me of my own birthday parties as well as the parties I arranged for my kids. Nowadays though (I live outside India) people here just take their kids out to a play area – much to my disappointment! Tried having one party at home here and soon enough got a complaint from neighbours!!
I think we should also list somethings for adults who accompany their kids to these parties! I have seen so many birthday parties where kids are having fun and kept engaged, where parents are in one corner getting bored
Fun-filled games! I was laughing and smiling as I read the list, imagining the laughter and joyful shrieks as the games were played. I’m past the age of having to organize such things. But the list is definitely to be saved. Some of them could work even for adult get-togethers.
I don’t have kids but I love a good party game, and these ideas are pure fun! It’s amazing how simple activities can bring so much laughter and energy to a gathering. Some of these games remind me of childhood birthday parties.
This is such a fun list of party games! I’ve heard of almost all of them, but Birthday Trivia is new to me, sounds like a great way to make the celebration even more special!
Have played quite a few of these games as a kid and they were so much fun! Introducing kids to these simple but fun games is a good way to show them how great screen-free time can be.
This couldn’t come at the right time. My nephew is celevrating his birthday int he first week of March and I will be sharing this article with him! Yay, such wide variety of games. He can easily pick and chosse his favourite.
Oh wow these are amazing game ideas. I knew few but some are new to me. Will use these during my daughter’s birthday.