*VERY* simple party games to play at toddler party please, any suggestions?

[Disenchanted]

Have pass the parcel down already.

The kids range from 3.5 yrs to 13 months and just want very simple games as an excuse to hand out the toys I have as 'prizes'.

The 3.5 year old is probably the only one who will have any concept of whats going on The next one down is only 2! and then it gets younger and younger!

[WingsofaAngel]

A bottom shuffle race.

Start line and see who can shuffle the fastest prize for all.

[Elibean]

Personally, I would avoid pass the parcel like the plague

Pin the tail on the donkey/cat/dog/mouse went down well at dd's 3rd birthday - they laughed a lot at where they'd put the tail. Musical statues also good for 3 yr olds.

But IME, 2 year olds mostly enjoy unstructured play - we put out tables with toys set up, and lots of balloons (big hit), and played music, and that was plenty.

dd, at her 2nd birthday party, enjoyed having candles, balloons, wearing a party dress, and getting presents: aka being the star of the show. The rest was irrelevent to her

[asteamedpoater]

Not sure it's worth doing part games for children under 2?! For 2-year olds and above, musical bumps is very popular.

[helsy]

I don't think they get pass the parcel until at least 4 because they won't let go!
Dancing? Just let them all jig about a bit to some music then say what great dancers they all are? Making sounds like farm animals? Who can do the best smiley face/sad face/funny face?

[Elibean]

Oh yes, and with the music we played (2 yrs again) we would say 'eveyone be lions' and 'everyone be fairies' etc, they liked that!

[Takver]

'Fishing' for parcels worked well for us. Wrap small presents (multicoloured pencils, mini cars etc) and sellotape a metal washer to each one.
Make a 'fishing line' with a rod and a short piece of string and attach a small magnet to the end of it. The children stand on a small stool/chair and fish to catch a present.
We mixed the presents up with spoons and forks so in theory they had to avoid these to get a prize. In practice for under 5s catching a fork seems to be just as much fun as catching a prize
We put out as many prizes as children, and they took turns fishing until they all had one.
Only thing is, do make sure all your cutlery is magnetic unless you want to confuse your toddlers or turn it into a science lesson!

[miomaolalalalala]

had ds 4th birthday...even though thats not really toddler anymore was concerned about upsets over games and planned loads...only had time for two cause they wanted to run around and play.

1. pass the balloon..when music stops that child had to find a parcel hidden in the garden with a specific number on it.

1. musical cusions...when child was 'out' they got a roll of stickers (toys r us do boxes of peppa pig and thomas the tank engine)

[Eddas]

my dd was 4 this week and we're having her party on sat. the party games i'm planning are

musical bumps/statues
pass the parcel
bubble wrap jumping

i may do corners(as suggested on here) but that'll be too old for your party.

How about a bubble machine? i am thinking of that but our party is in a hall and am not sure if it'll make the floor too slippery

if you do pass the parcel be prepared for all the kids to get the hump when they don't get the parcel til near the end and also once they've got the sweets or whatever from their layer they're off so really no need fot the proper prize

[Eddas]

oh and we're going to try and put up some kind of balloon net and fill it with balloons so that near the end dd can release them and they can all run after them for the last ten mins or so

[TeeBee]

Wrap them up and hide them in teh garden as a treasure hunt? They have to stop when they find one so everyone gets one.

[Disenchanted]

Thanks for the suggestions. Am loving the 'fishing' one and also the treasure hunt one too

[Takver]

I remember we also did a pirate themed party and had 'walking the plank' with the children walking along a plank stood up on a couple of bricks - if they got all the way along without falling off they got a prize. Again they could have as many goes as they wanted til they got along it, and of course with the very little ones you can always hold their hand.

[girlywhirly]

A sort of modified conga line to music worked well at DS' nursery, where everyone just held hands as they went along, and the leader wound around the furniture etc. Parents can join in to control the speed, as can anyone who can walk!

[Enid]

we played the Farmers in his dell and ring a ring a rosese at dd3s 2nd birthday

and a very simple treasure hunt (collect 6 ribbons in your colour for your party bag)

[Astrophe]

Don't do pass the parcel!

Pinata? (don't blind fold them though, and make sure those not hitting stand well back!)

Dancing - just hand out prizes to all children for most beautiful/funky/slow/jumpy dancing.

For DS's 1st birthday (mosts guests were older than him - 2-4 years) I set out tables with masses of home made playdoh. For the 'party bags' I filled a plastic pot with playdoh for each child to take home, and also gave them each a cookie/playdoh cutter.

Big advantage of the above was that all the parents could sit about, drink wine, chat and eat nibbles

[Glitterola]

The FISHING GAME mentioned is good. My version is I tack a sheet of fabric across a doorway and let the kids fish beyond that. They have a fishing rod made of a bamboo stick and a string with a peg attached at the end. You just clip the novelties on and pull to let them know they've got a "catch". Alternatively, you can make this the last game of the day and clip on a whole goody bag. Make a peep hole in the fabric so you can give personalized gifts.
NOISE GAME: cut out pictures from magazines or similiar, like jungle animals for example. Glue them on to cardboard and flash them, for the children to sound like the animal on the card. Don't keep tabs, just pick a winner, like someone who hasn't won anything previously.

[Glitterola]

WHERE'S THE...
choose an item you are positive that the children who are participating in the game will know, like a toy car or an apple. Put several different items on a table and ask "Where's the car? Can you find the car?" The child should pick out the correct item, but make sure it's a laugh and not pressure. If the child looks pressured and confused, point at the car and say "There's the car! Yaaaay!" and let them have a medal.
If the child is shy and does not want to participate, respect that. At the end of the day, you can give them a price for something, just make it up: "And the winner for bestest balloon-holder iiiiis..."

[S1ur]

Parachute games - like when call a child's name and they run under, or all children on top and adults pick up parachute and turn them slowly round or play peek a boo (covered dcs up with para then open quickly)

Dance and freeze. No one gets 'out' game just to dance in silly way (inevitable) and then freeze (or attempt to) when music stops.

'Do this' - stand at front and make a prat of yourself by saying things like 'everyine put your hands on your heads!'
everyone pretend to be a dog!'

Copying games can be done from very young ime.

[Glitterola]

NOISE GAME 2: have a parent act like a noise machine. Make flash cards of vehicles, animals or other things that corresponds to your party theme, for example pirate/parrot/waves/seagulls. The kids will take turns in flashing a card and the parent will, very theatrically, make the corresponding noise. Hilarious!
Then pick a couple of "winners" when finished.

[S1ur]

tbh I think winners is a bit arbituary at young age.

I'd go with prizes for anyoe who took part in game.

That's big enough at under 3.

[Granny22]

At my GD's 1st birthday party we had children from 4 months to 10 years and lots of adults. There were no competative games just a selection of play equipment e.g. ball pool, tunnel, play tent which everyone seemed to enjoy, the older children were great at playing with the little ones and handing out balloons, windmills and operating the bubble machine. We had a short home made film show of baby's first year in which nearly all the guests appeared (Mum & Dad are media people) and a 'make up your own ice cream cone' stall through a serving hatch, with lots of toppings and small bowls and spoons for those too wee to handle a cone. But the highlight of the day was the Scottish Country dancing. Some of the babies and toddlers go to a dancing group with their mums so already know what to do. But basically it is 'grown-ups take your partners for whatever' and off you go with tinnies being carried and those that can walk holding hands toddling along. The wee ones love it and the big ones have great fun too.

[Glitterola]

And some kids doesn't want to take part in any games at all, let them have a prize for something else.

[S1ur]

aye aye glitter quite right, other prizes for other random things.

No need to make a party a 'teaching' experience

[Glitterola]

Yeah, you don't HAVE to hand out any trophies at all, of course!

[Glitterola]

Geee, what are we doing here, at one o'clock at night, writing about toddlers parties? LOL!
Most of all, I hope you can get some sweet sleep now, good night.