Party games

[DumbledoresGirl]

I know I should know all this, but my head is full of cold and I can't think straight and I have had an almighty row with dh who is not pulling his weight and is leaving a thousand things to me to organise. Help please!

I need your ideas for popular party games for 5 year olds please. I am already doing an Easter egg hunt. What goes down well?

Oops sorry, meant 6 year olds. Told you I am not thinking straight!

No, can't do that. that would require a bunny. I can do games with music as I already have a tape of party music, but please don't ask me to go and buy a bunny or make one.

We did a tug of war at ds1's party a couple of weeks ago. The kids loved it.

We also did a treasure hunt where they had to follow clues. Nothing to difficult. Just different places labelled as a name (ours was along the theme of a pirate ship) They had to go to the place named on the map and find the next map. The kids loved it and at the end they found a treasure chest pinata and got to beat it up until about four hundred gold coins and candy necklaces came crashing down. That killed another five minutes while they scouped them all up into their party bags.

We also did musical statues. Musical bumps.

How about making an easter egg or easter card - cut out the shapes, buy some easter stickers (bound to be loads in the shops) and sit them on the floor with a pile of stickers each and some pens and let them create. Should kill 20 minutes at least! Got a Hobbycraft or ELC near you for the stickers and foam shapes?

I would like to do something crafty as it will give them something to take home and would kill lots of time, but I really want to keep the costs down. Also, I should add, as I do all the planning and cooking and cleaning and everything else for parties, I usually ask dh to administer the games. And I don't see him doing anything crafty with them. Oh dear, I feel I am being negative to everything but I have so many things to consider, like lack of money and a useless dh!

Flappy fish

You need: different coloured sheets of A4 paper and lots of magazines

It's a good idea to have lots of quick, lively games on hand in case the party spirit flags. This one is excellent because it's cheap, easy and can be pulled out at any time. Before the party, cut out lots of fish shapes - one per A4 sheet of paper - making sure they are different colours. Then stand the children in a row, each with a magazine or newspaper and ask them to flap at the fish to make them move. The first one to the other side of the room wins.

Buy some really cheap plain white t-shirts and some fabric pens. They can make and design their own t-shirts??

......or they can tie dye them?