Party Games for 7 year olds

[JossStick]

DS1 is having his party at the house - there will be 11 in all. A couple of girls, mostly boys and a couple who i know will moan if the party gets a bit 'dull'. We have stuff outside and a goal etc. but what else can i get them to do for prizes etc. so it doesn't fall flat???

Help! I want it to go well for him.

blow up cheap balloons .. stick something in them ... tie them with string and then to kids' ankles .. they have to burst them to get the thing out

musical statues

blind man's bluff

treasure trail / hunt

pass the parcel .. do 2 of them

I don't like party games myself ... tbh .. at DS' 7th party we had an arty thing (scratchy masks from Baker ross and scratchy bookmarks too) that went down very well

Like the idea of blind man's buff.

Will deffo have PTP.

Mmmm - treasure hunt - we could do an egg hunt as it's just before easter???

Thanks Twiglett.

I'm finding it hard to pitch as some of his mates are lovely but others are a bit too grown up (or rather they like to think they are) for some stuff.

A long string with doughnuts tied to strings hanging from it. Kids have to eat the doughnut without using hands!
Since you have garden ....
Relay race or obstacle course of some sort - could include stuff like shooting a ball into a wastepaper bin, putting on hat/gloves, jumping through hoops etc.
Could do a couple of races to let the boys run off steam (assuming your garden is big enough.)
Game where a child sits on a chair with keys underneath. Other kids have to get up close to steal the keys without being noticed.
Duck, Duck, Goose - good running round game for outside.
Tug of war?
Play pass the parcel with forfeits - when they unwrap a layer, they have to tell a joke, sing a song, etc, to get a small prize.

I like the idea of the forfeits - thanks LadyP. Also the putting clothes on / off one.

I knew Mn wouldn't let me down!

We did a party for my DD's 7th at home last year - a mixed group of boys and girls. Had a list of games suitable for in or out - just as well because it rained steadily (August...). We motivated them by structuring it around "Bingo" cards - they all had a named card with empty squares. Every time someone won a game or a team game they got a sticker on their card. Prizes were in a lucky dip tub of shredded paper for winning lines and full house. It really focussed their minds on playing the games.

We varied the games to keep it interesting - team games, relays, musical ones and a small "magic show" in the middle. They loved the silly games - games that involved keeping a straight face went down really well.

I've got a book with some ideas - let me know if you want some specifics and I can Email them to you. Good luck!