Kids parties have gotten crazy expensive — bounce houses, clowns, goodie bags that cost more than the gift!
Here’s a secret though: the games kids remember most are almost always the free ones. A balloon tied to an ankle. A raw egg toss that ends badly. Crackers that make whistling impossible. These are the games the kids seem to love the most – especially the little ones!
I’ve been throwing kids parties for years and this is my master list of 50 party games using stuff you already have at home — no shopping required.
| 🎈 Balloon Games | ✏️ Paper & Pencil |
| 🥤 Cups & Cans | 🥚 Egg & Spoon |
| 🛏️ Pillowcases & Sheets | 📦 Tape & String |
| 🍪 Food Games | 🏃 Movement Games |
| 🔍 Scavenger Hunts | 🏆 The Classic |
Balloon Games — All You Need is a Pack of Balloons
A pack of balloons costs about a dollar and gives you seven games. Grab a balloon pump so you’re not blowing them all up by mouth — your lungs will thank you.
1. Balloon Stomp
Tie a balloon to each kid’s ankle with a piece of string. On go everyone tries to stomp and pop everyone else’s balloon while protecting their own. Last one with an intact balloon wins. This one gets loud fast — fair warning.
Supplies: Balloons and string
Ages: 4 and up
Setup time: 2 minutes
2. Balloon Toss
Kids pair up and toss a water balloon back and forth. After each successful catch both players take one step back. Keep going until only one dry pair is left. Works great at summer parties and absolutely nobody complains about getting wet.
Supplies: Water balloons
Ages: 5 and up
Setup time: 5 minutes to fill balloons
3. Keep It Up
Simple and endlessly entertaining — don’t let the balloon touch the ground. Play as a free for all or have teams work together to keep multiple balloons in the air at once. Add a rule that you can only use one hand to make it harder for older kids.
Supplies: Balloons
Ages: 3 and up
Setup time: 1 minute
4. Balloon Relay Race
Kids carry a balloon between their knees from start to finish without using their hands. Drop it and you start over. Run this as a relay with teams for maximum chaos and laughter.
Supplies: Balloons
Ages: 5 and up
Setup time: 2 minutes
5. Balloon Pop Relay
Teams race to sit on and pop a balloon, then run back and tag the next person. First team to pop all their balloons wins. The sitting and popping part is always funnier than it sounds.
Supplies: Balloons
Ages: 5 and up
Setup time: 2 minutes
6. No Hands Balloon Pass
Kids stand in a circle and pass a balloon around without using their hands — under chins, between elbows, however they can manage. Drop it and start over. This one works great as an icebreaker at the start of a party.
Supplies: Balloons
Ages: 6 and up
Setup time: 1 minute
7. Balloon Volleyball
Run a piece of string or yarn across a room as your net and use a balloon as the ball. Teams of two or three work well. This is a great indoor game on a rainy day — no risk of breaking anything.
Supplies: Balloon and string
Ages: 4 and up
Setup time: 3 minutes
Paper and Pencil Games — Zero Supplies Required
These games need almost nothing — just paper, a pen, and kids who are ready to play.
8. Paper Airplane Distance Contest
Every kid makes their own paper airplane and launches it from the same spot. Measure with a tape measure or just use a piece of masking tape on the floor to mark where each one lands. The kid with the farthest flight wins. Bonus round — accuracy contest through a hula hoop.
Supplies: Paper
Ages: 5 and up
Setup time: 0 minutes
9. Paper Airplane Accuracy Contest
Hold up a hula hoop or make a target out of a cardboard box and see who can fly their plane through the hole. Give each kid three tries and keep score. Distance and accuracy are very different skills and the results always surprise everyone.
Supplies: Paper and a target
Ages: 6 and up
Setup time: 1 minute
10. Origami Race
Everyone folds a paper boat or airplane at the same time — first one done wins. Good for a quieter moment in the party when you need to bring the energy down a notch. Younger kids might need a helper but older kids love the challenge.
Supplies: Paper
Ages: 7 and up
Setup time: 0 minutes
11. Telephone
Sit in a circle and whisper a phrase from person to person. The last person says it out loud. The phrase is never what it started as and that’s what makes it so funny. Make the starting phrase as long and silly as possible for the best results.
Supplies: None
Ages: 5 and up
Setup time: 0 minutes
12. Pictionary
Write words on slips of paper, divide into teams, and take turns drawing while your team guesses. Kids are surprisingly creative artists under pressure. Use a whiteboard or a big piece of paper if you have one.
Supplies: Paper and pen
Ages: 6 and up
Setup time: 5 minutes to write words
13. Hangman Tournament
Old school and still great. Run it as a tournament with elimination rounds. Let the kids pick the words — they always choose something hilarious. Works great as a calm activity between more energetic games. Just grab a notepad and a pen.
Supplies: Paper and pen
Ages: 7 and up
Setup time: 0 minutes
Cups and Cans Games — Raid the Kitchen Cabinet!
Solo cups are one of the most versatile party game supplies you can have. A pack costs a dollar and gives you multiple games.
14. Cup Stacking Race
Give each kid the same number of Solo cups and race to stack them into a pyramid and then unstack them back into a pile. First one done wins. Kids get surprisingly competitive about this one and it is completely free.
Supplies: Solo cups
Ages: 5 and up
Setup time: 1 minute
15. Cup Pyramid Knock Down
Stack cups into a pyramid and knock them down with a soft ball or a rolled up sock. Give each kid the same number of throws and keep score. Set up at different distances for different ages.
Supplies: Solo cups and a soft ball
Ages: 4 and up
Setup time: 2 minutes
16. Can Bowling
Line up empty cans in a triangle like bowling pins. Add a little water to each one so they don’t blow over in the wind. Roll a ball and knock them down. This works great outdoors and the cans can be decorated for a party theme.
Supplies: Empty cans and a ball
Ages: 3 and up
Setup time: 5 minutes
17. Tin Can Stilts
Use two large tin cans — big coffee or tomato cans work best. Punch two holes near the top of each can and thread a long piece of rope through. Kids stand on the cans and hold the rope while they walk. Race across the yard. This sounds simple but it is genuinely hard and kids love the challenge.
Supplies: Large tin cans and rope
Ages: 6 and up
Setup time: 10 minutes
Egg and Spoon Games — Classic for a Reason
These games have been around forever because they work every single time. Use hard boiled eggs to be safe or raw eggs if you’re feeling brave. Grab a set of wooden spoons for the best results.
18. Egg and Spoon Race
Balance an egg on a spoon and race to the finish line without dropping it. Drop it and you start over. Sounds simple — isn’t. The concentration faces kids make during this one are priceless.
Supplies: Eggs and spoons
Ages: 4 and up
Setup time: 1 minute
19. Egg and Spoon Relay
Same as above but run as a relay — carry the egg to the finish, pass it to your teammate on a spoon, first team to have everyone finish wins. The handoff is the hardest part and always results in at least one dropped egg.
Supplies: Eggs and spoons
Ages: 5 and up
Setup time: 2 minutes
20. Raw Egg Toss
Pairs toss a raw egg back and forth. After each successful catch both players take one giant step back. Keep going until only one unbroken egg is left. Do this one outside. Definitely do this one outside.
Supplies: Raw eggs
Ages: 8 and up
Setup time: 1 minute
21. Hard Boiled or Raw Roulette
Hard boil some eggs but leave one or two raw. Mix them up and let kids spin them on the table — a hard boiled egg spins smoothly while a raw egg wobbles. Anyone who picks a raw egg has to crack it on their head. Best for older kids who can handle the suspense and the mess. Check out my expired eggs post before you use those eggs in the back of the fridge!
Supplies: Hard boiled and raw eggs
Ages: 8 and up
Setup time: Hard boil the eggs ahead of time
Pillowcase and Sheet Games — Check the Linen Closet
22. Sack Race
Step inside a pillowcase and jump to the finish line. Classic, free, and kids never get tired of it. Run it as elimination rounds for bigger groups. Old pillowcases you were going to donate work perfectly.
Supplies: Pillowcases
Ages: 4 and up
Setup time: 1 minute
23. Ghost Costume Contest
Throw a white sheet over each kid’s head and cut or mark where the eyes are. Funniest ghost wins — let the kids vote. Great for Halloween parties and takes about three minutes to set up.
Supplies: White sheets
Ages: 3 and up
Setup time: 3 minutes
24. Sheet Volleyball
Divide into two teams and give each team a bed sheet to hold. Use a balloon as the ball and launch it over a string net. Teams have to work together to catch the balloon in their sheet and launch it back.
Supplies: Two sheets, balloon, string
Ages: 5 and up
Setup time: 3 minutes
25. Mummy Wrap
Teams race to wrap one person in toilet paper from head to toe. First team to use up their roll wins. Perfect for Halloween parties — and the results are always hilarious. Use the cheap stuff so it wraps fast.
Supplies: Toilet paper
Ages: 4 and up
Setup time: 1 minute
Tape and String Games — Just Raid the Junk Drawer
26. The Floor is Lava
Put pieces of painters tape on the floor as stepping stones. Kids have to get from one end of the room to the other without touching the floor. Add more steps for younger kids, space them further apart for older ones.
Supplies: Tape
Ages: 3 and up
Setup time: 5 minutes
27. Yarn Laser Maze
Crisscross yarn or string across a hallway at different heights to create a laser maze. Kids have to get from one end to the other without touching the yarn. Time them and see who’s fastest. This takes about ten minutes to set up and kids will want to run it over and over.
Supplies: Yarn or string
Ages: 5 and up
Setup time: 10 minutes
28. Limbo
Two people hold a broomstick and everyone else takes turns bending backward to go under it. Lower it after each round. Last one who can still get under without touching the stick or falling wins. Put on some music and this becomes a full party moment.
Supplies: Broomstick or long stick
Ages: 4 and up
Setup time: 1 minute
29. Tug of War
Tie old sheets or towels together or use a rope if you have one. Put a piece of tape on the ground as the center line. Two teams pull. Simple, physical, and kids go absolutely wild for this one every single time.
Supplies: Rope or tied sheets
Ages: 4 and up
Setup time: 2 minutes
30. Balance Beam
Put a long piece of tape on the floor and have kids walk heel to toe from one end to the other without stepping off. Time them. Make it harder by having them walk backwards or carry something.
Supplies: Tape
Ages: 3 and up
Setup time: 1 minute
Food Games — Raid the Kitchen
These are always the most memorable games at any party. Fair warning — some of these get messy. Worth it every time.
31. Donut on a String
Hang donuts from a string at mouth height. Kids have to eat the whole donut without using their hands. First one to finish wins. The swinging and the mess and the laughing is what makes this one so good. Use glazed — powdered sugar ones are even funnier.
Supplies: Donuts and string
Ages: 4 and up
Setup time: 5 minutes
32. Apple Bobbing
Fill a tub or bucket with water and float apples in it. Kids have to grab an apple using only their mouth — no hands. Classic fall and Halloween game that kids still love no matter how many times they’ve played it.
Supplies: Apples, bucket, water
Ages: 5 and up
Setup time: 3 minutes
33. Chubby Bunny
Kids take turns stuffing marshmallows in their mouth one at a time and saying “chubby bunny” each time. Last one who can still say it clearly wins. Best for older kids — supervise younger ones carefully.
Supplies: Marshmallows
Ages: 7 and up
Setup time: 1 minute
34. Blind Taste Test
Blindfold each kid with a blindfold and have them taste different foods from your kitchen — peanut butter, pickle juice, ketchup, mustard, honey, hot sauce. The reactions are the whole game.
Supplies: Blindfold and foods from your kitchen
Ages: 5 and up
Setup time: 5 minutes
35. Cookie Face
Place a cookie on each kid’s forehead. Without using their hands they have to move the cookie from their forehead to their mouth using only their face muscles. First one to eat the cookie wins. The faces kids make trying to do this are absolutely priceless.
Supplies: Cookies
Ages: 5 and up
Setup time: 1 minute
36. Cracker Whistle Contest
Everyone eats five crackers as fast as possible and then tries to whistle. First one to whistle wins. The crackers absorb all the moisture in your mouth and whistling becomes nearly impossible. Simple, free, and genuinely hilarious.
Supplies: Crackers
Ages: 6 and up
Setup time: 1 minute
37. Pasta Relay
Each kid gets a spoon and has to carry a piece of pasta from one bowl to another. Drop it and start over. Use bigger pasta shapes for younger kids and spaghetti for older ones to make it harder.
Supplies: Pasta and spoons
Ages: 4 and up
Setup time: 2 minutes
Movement Games — No Supplies Needed
38. Simon Says
One person is Simon and gives commands. Everyone follows only if Simon says “Simon says” first. Get caught following a command without it and you’re out. Adults make the best Simons — move fast and get sneaky.
Supplies: None
Ages: 3 and up
Setup time: 0 minutes
39. Freeze Dance
Play music and everyone dances. When the music stops everyone freezes. Anyone who moves is out. Kids love this one at every age and the frozen poses get more dramatic as the game goes on.
Supplies: Music
Ages: 3 and up
Setup time: 0 minutes
40. Musical Chairs
Set up one fewer chair than there are kids. Play music and everyone walks around the chairs. When the music stops everyone grabs a seat — whoever doesn’t have one is out. Remove a chair each round. The last round with two kids and one chair is always the most dramatic moment of any party.
Supplies: Chairs and music
Ages: 3 and up
Setup time: 2 minutes
41. Duck Duck Goose
Kids sit in a circle while one walks around tapping heads saying “duck” — until they say “goose” and run. The goose chases them around the circle. Works best with 6 or more kids and works great on a blanket outside.
Supplies: None
Ages: 3 and up
Setup time: 0 minutes
42. Red Light Green Light
One person stands at the finish line with their back turned. They call out green light and everyone runs toward them. They call red light and spin around — anyone caught moving is out. First one to reach and tag the caller wins.
Supplies: None
Ages: 3 and up
Setup time: 0 minutes
43. Mother May I
One person is Mother and stands at the finish line. Kids take turns asking “Mother may I take ___ steps?” — Mother says yes or no or gives an alternative. First one to reach Mother wins. The strategy and negotiations make this one surprisingly entertaining.
Supplies: None
Ages: 4 and up
Setup time: 0 minutes
44. Four Corners
Label the four corners of a room 1 through 4 with tape or paper. One person stands in the middle with eyes closed and counts to ten while everyone quietly moves to a corner. The person in the middle calls a number — everyone in that corner is out. Last one standing wins.
Supplies: Tape or paper
Ages: 5 and up
Setup time: 2 minutes
45. Hula Hoop Pass
Kids stand in a circle holding hands with a hula hoop on one pair of joined hands. Without letting go they have to pass the hoop around the entire circle. Time it and see if they can beat their record.
Supplies: Hula hoop
Ages: 5 and up
Setup time: 0 minutes
Scavenger Hunt Games — Works Indoors or Outside
46. Indoor Scavenger Hunt
Hide household items around the house before the party and give kids a printed list. First one to find everything wins. Make the clues rhyme for extra fun. This takes about 15 minutes to set up but kids will talk about it for weeks.
Supplies: Household items and a list
Ages: 5 and up
Setup time: 15 minutes
47. Nature Scavenger Hunt
Send kids outside with a list of things to find — a smooth rock, a yellow leaf, something fuzzy, a bug, a feather, something round. First one back with everything wins. This works beautifully at outdoor parties and parks and costs absolutely nothing.
Supplies: Just a list
Ages: 4 and up
Setup time: 5 minutes to write the list
48. Color Scavenger Hunt
Give kids a list of every color of the rainbow and send them to find one item that matches each color. Great for younger kids who aren’t reading yet — draw colored squares on the list instead of writing the color names. Just grab a crayon box as your color guide.
Supplies: Just a list
Ages: 3 and up
Setup time: 3 minutes
49. Photo Scavenger Hunt
Give teams a list of things to photograph — someone doing a silly dance, a flower, something older than they are, the tallest thing they can find. Give each team a phone and a time limit. Come back and review the photos together. The creativity kids come up with is always surprising.
Supplies: A phone and a list
Ages: 7 and up
Setup time: 5 minutes
The Classic
50. Charades
The original free party game. Write categories on slips of paper — animals, movies, things in the kitchen, Halloween characters, superheroes — and take turns acting them out without speaking while everyone else guesses. No supplies, no setup, no cost. Just pure entertainment.
Supplies: Paper and pen
Ages: 5 and up
Setup time: 5 minutes
Looking for more ways to have fun without spending money? Check out my Living section for more ideas that use what you already have!
Kids Party Games — Frequently Asked Questions
Your Party Game Questions Answered
How many games do you need for a kids party?
Plan for 3-5 games for a 2 hour party. One warm up game to get everyone comfortable, one or two high energy games in the middle, and one calm down game before cake. Always have a backup ready in case something finishes faster than expected.
What are the best party games for kids under 5?
Stick to simple movement games with no elimination — Duck Duck Goose, Freeze Dance, Keep It Up with a balloon, and Color Scavenger Hunt. Young kids don’t do well being out of the game so keep everyone playing as long as possible.
What party games need absolutely no supplies?
Simon Says, Red Light Green Light, Mother May I, Duck Duck Goose, Four Corners, Freeze Dance, Telephone, and Charades all need nothing but kids ready to play. Keep these in your back pocket as emergency fillers.
What are the best outdoor kids party games?
Raw Egg Toss, Water Balloon Toss, Sack Race, Tug of War, Can Bowling, and Nature Scavenger Hunt all work best outside. The Floor is Lava and Yarn Laser Maze work great indoors on a rainy day.
What party games work for mixed ages?
Freeze Dance, Simon Says, Balloon Stomp, Scavenger Hunts, and Charades all scale well across ages — younger kids have just as much fun as older ones. For competitive games pair younger kids with older ones as teammates instead of opponents.
How do I keep kids engaged between games?
Have the next game ready before the current one ends. The moment between games is when kids scatter and chaos starts. Keep the energy up by announcing the next game before the last one is fully over.
