3 year old party games ???

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Just been reading the thread on others parties and realising I'm hopelessy disorganised (a dozen 3 year olds on Friday afternoon approaches). I've nearly thought through food but any good games ideas would be great - I was thinking pass the parcel and musical statues but are there some other good ones ??? or any party tips really... Needless to say she has asked for a chocolate cake with blue icing with farm animals and a train on top .... somehow I don't think Tesco's will do one of those

IME apart from pass the parcel, 3 yr olds don't really want to play organised games - or maybe it's just the ones I know?

I did a party for my ds who turned 3 in April. We had a bouncy castle though and lots of ride on cars and buggies so it was not to structered. We did pass the parcel which they sort of enjoyed (it was a struggle) and we ahd a bubble machine which was a great hit.

I had a little table set aside with paper plates, an old Argos catalogue and pritt sticks and I helped them cut out their favourite things from the catalogue and stick them on the plate. It was ridiculously successful. The girls particularly liked this. It helps keep some of them quiet some of the time! Agree that pass-the-parcel is the only organised game they really like at this age.

No organised party games for my 3yo DS either.
No ?sit down? mealtime ? At this age they just want to play IMO.
All out in the garden playing with DS? old and new birthday toys - mostly playdo. Kiddie CD music playing in the background.
Usual party finger food available all afternoon for the kiddies to help themselves to when they wanted, BBQ for the mums and dads.
DS and his friends had a brilliant time ? so did the adults.

I think there's a few games a 3 year old would play ... easier than musical statues/chairs etc is dead fishes where they have to lie really still and the one who stays the most still wins.

Or at my dd's nursery they play a game called the bean game, where you shout out which bean they should be and they have to do it - runner bean: run around, jumping bean: jump up and down, baked bean: curl up into a ball, broad bean: lie down with arms and legs out, french bean: shout "ooh la-la". Great fun - they love it.

And she also came home the other day telling me they'd been playing "What time is it Mr Wolf" - do you remember that? So that's another game.

You don't have to give them prizes, just a few games to get them playing.

Or you could make an obstacle course in the garden with cardboard boxes, cushions etc.

Something quieter would be get a load of paper plates, give them some crayons, ask them to do a self portrait ... then they can take it home with them.

And for a prize, you could hide them all over the house/garden, then give each one a really easy clue for their prize, so they can run off and find it.

As you can see, am thinking about my dd's next party so all this is in my mind at the mo!!

Thanks - will def use these - love the paper plates ones 'specially as we'll have mostly girls.

I went to a childrens fun day on the weekend and they had a table set out with string and beads and all the children mainly girls were in deep concentration making bracelets and beads. My little 2 year old loved it! You can buy these from most childrens shops and they come cheap.

You could have a creative party, plates and jewelery.

Also get hold hands in a big circle in the back garden for some circle games - they love them.

Start off with

1. Ring a ring a roses
2. Here we loopy loo, here we loopy light
3. My little ones favs - Andy pandy sugar & candy all jump UP Andy pandy sugar & candy all jump DOWN Andy pandy sugar & candy all jump IN Andy pandy sugar & candy all jump OUT If you donot know the tune just make it up or even better chant it!
4. The hokey cokey - old fav

Then get them to sit on the ground with a partner, make them face each other, hold hands and make their feet touch and sing
Row row row your boat
gently down the stream
if you see a crocoldile dont forget to scream
AHHHHHHHHHH
Row row row your boat
gently down the stream
if you see a dinosaur dont forget to roar
AHHHHHHHHHH

Also another great one for their age is sleeping bunnies, yuo can but from ELC a cd with action songs, that way you dont have to sing. they only cost fiver.

Or you could just hire a party entertainer to come in and hold a music session.

Do you live in or around LOndon?

We had my 3 year olds party on Sunday. The only game I done was a treasure hunt, bought some picture playing cards, gave one card to a child and the other card I attached to a present hidden in the garden and they had to go and find them. They just dont get games at this age and its just hard work to try to orgnaise them. I even find pass the parcel hard work. Just make sure that there are loads of toys out in the garden and they will amuse themselves. Our party lasted 2 hours, so looking for the presents and then eating took up a big chunk of this. Oh, we also had a bubble machine which went down brilliantly.