Hall party but (gulp) no entertainer. Sports theme. Ideas please?

[fuzzpig]

Every hall party we've attended has had paid entertainers but we can't afford one so we are going to attempt it ourselves. My friend who teaches reception has also offered to come and help.

DD turning six, about 20 DCs but some are from the year below so basically age 4-6.

We have some outdoorsy toys (despite having no back garden - if we did we would do the party at home!) like hurdles, a tunnel, archery, beanbags etc (and may buy more this year if we see any good deals) but no idea how to turn them into party games.

I have never run any sort of party before so I have no clue how to do this, please help! :)

[HabbaDabba]

It was years ago but one party we went to had a series of team/individual races, timed or versus. You know, jump over hurdle, crawl through tunnel, throw a beanbag at target, tag 2nd kid .....

If you have a radio controlled car .. set up obstacle course. Fastest time wins.

Arm two kids with Nerf guns and blindfold them. Partner gives directions. They take it in turn to take a shot.

[squeaver]

I was in tesco yesterday and it looked like they had a whole aisle full of outdoors games stuff, like archery, hoops, skittles etc.

If you've got three adults supervising, I'd split them up into 3 smaller groups and then rotate them round different activities for each one. Could you set up a little obstacle course? Maybe have a timed scooter race round some skittles? Mini prizes for each one. Then bring them all back together for food, pass the parcel and musical bumps etc. I'd also think about just whacking some music on loud and letting them all dance around. Definitely better to schedule loads of things and not get through them all than not have enough to do and have the kids run feral!

If any other adults stay, I'd rope them in too. Don't spend your time entertaining them.

[fuzzpig]

Heh, I don't think other parents will stay they never talk to me anyway but we will hopefully have other family helping too (but best friend more likely to be 'leading' as she is used to managing a classroom) :)

Like the idea of rotating round activities too. I was going to get little medals etc as well.

[fuzzpig]

Races sound good too. Somewhere we have those egg and spoon toys from ELC so could have 4 teams.

Thanks for the tesco recommendation, I was thinking ELC again but tesco probably cheaper! :) Will have a look.

[stealthsquiggle]

Do you know any friendly teenagers? Small DC respond really well to leadership from enthusiastic teens, IME.

[fuzzpig]

Excellent we are really hoping DSCs will come too (21yo and 2 15yos) - the twins did their work experience at the school/nursery too. :)

[stealthsquiggle]

Fuzzpig you have it made then . I would divide guests into 3 teams (give them colour coded name stickers) and give each DSC a team. That way the adult helpers can concentrate on setting up games and the DSC can each focus on their team.

[BornToFolk]

I did a sports themed, hall party for DS's 5th birthday and was going to organise races - egg and spoon, obstacle course etc but in the end all the kids wanted to do was run about kicking footballs and playing with the equipment (bean bags, hula hoops etc) so we just left them to it!

I agree though, better to have some things planned and abandon them if it doesn't seem necessary.

[WorkingtoohardMama]

The party game that most children love is to mummify an adult helper - get some cheap loo roll and each team has to wrap it around in 3 minutes - the team with the best coverage wins, perhaps your dsc could be the mummies??

[fuzzpig]

Wow great ideas! Love the colour coded teams, might get some ribbon.

Turns out the hall is not available after all though. So thinking we might try something at our tiny house but do a welly walk in the nearby woods before returning home for games?!