Games for Young Children

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We've compiled this list of games for young children just for you!

If you are celebrating a young child’s birthday, such as two or three years old, you will want to keep the games simple and fun!

Some other hints...

Make sure that the party is not too long. These activities won’t take up too much time, but add the excitement of a party and these little party guests won’t be able to take too much!

Remember to keep the guest list small if you can. Try taking the age of the birthday child and invite that many guests, maybe one or two more. Too many guests can be overwhelming for everyone!

Lots of decorations and color are great. The more the better! Try crepe paper streamers in colors that match your theme and lots and lots of balloons. I usually blow up balloons earlier in the week and store them in big black trash bags. That way I’m not huffing and puffing blowing them up the day of the party.

Don’t limit your decorating to the day of the party. If it is being done indoors, you can decorate the day before.

One last thing…

The younger your party guests, the more important the time of your party. Be respectful of naptimes! Planning your party in the late morning, when everyone is fresh, can be a good time, provided you have enough time to get your decorations up and everything ready!


Here are our favorite games for young children!

Favorite Games for Young Children 's Parties

Bean Bag Toss– You’ll need a target and bean bags to toss at it. A target can be anything that fits your theme. For a pirate party, the target could be a treasure chest, where you try to toss the bean bags inside the chest. Or, you may want to create something by drawing a target on a large piece of art board, cutting out the target space and then throwing the bean bag into the target space. For example, throw a bean bag through a tiger’s mouth (Feeding the Tiger) at a zoo party. Give each child three bean bags to throw. Don’t worry about keeping score – it is just fun to try! When making this one of your games for young children, be sure to make it super easy.

Bubbles - Kids love bubbles. Especially when you are trying to come up with games for young children. This is a sure thing! So blow a bunch and let them try to catch them. For each blow thru the wand, call out a child's name and let them run after their own bubbles. That way everyone gets turns and a few kids don't get to pop them all. Another fun thing is to have them try to catch the bubbles and pop them with a certain body part - elbow, knee, head, etc.

Follow the Leader – Select one child to be “It” and either form a line behind this child or have him stand up in front of the group. “It” will move around and all the children have to copy the actions. Take turns being the leader. Sometimes when playing this as one of your games for young children, the game works better if an adult is "It".

Pin the “Blank” on the “Blank” – Pin the Tail on the Donkey can be adapted for any kids party theme and is one of the favorite games for young children. Draw a picture of something related to your theme on a large sheet of poster board and hang it. Make whatever needs to be “pinned” and used double-stick tape on the back. When playing this along with games for young children, skip blindfolding each kid when it is their turn. Instead tell them to hide their eyes and spin them around three times, and then point them in the right direction. Some examples: Pin the Patch on the Pirate, Pin the Wheel on the Car, Pin the Crown on the Princess…

Ring Around the Rosie - Talk about great games for young children - this is always a hit!! Gather hands and play Ring Around the Rosie. Go round and around while saying “Ring Around the Rosie, a Pocket full of Posies, Ashes, Ashes, we all fall down!”, falling down at the end. After doing it once the normal way, try doing it really fast, in slow motion, really loud and on tiptoe.

Treasure Hunt – This works basically like an Easter egg hunt. While the children are distracted, have a helper hide the objects they’ll need to find around your party site. If you hide them before the party they can sometimes be found and moved or played with, making them impossible to find when the time comes. Show the kids what the object that they will be looking for looks like and then have them go collecting! You might specify “one per kid”, or “three per kid”. That way one child won’t take a bunch, leaving none for another child to find. Always hide a few extra for those that are hard to find. To make this hunt one of your easy games for young children, use very simple clues and allow adults to help!

London Bridge - Have two adults clasp hands to be the "Bridge" while the children walk under it. When they get to the "Lock her up" part, the adults drop their arms and lock up whichever child is going under the bridge at that time. Keep playing until everyone gets to be "locked up." A game for young children that will make them shriek with delight when they are caught!
London Bridge is falling down,
Falling down, falling down. London Bridge is falling down,
My fair lady.

Take the key and lock her up,
And lock her up, lock her up.
Take the key and lock her up,
My fair lady.

Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush - Everyone stands in a circle holding hands, with one person in the middle. Everyone sings "Here we go round the mulberry bush, the mulberry bush, the mulberry bush, here we go round the mulberry bush, on a cold and frosty morning". Let another child stand in the middle and repeat. This is another one of our favorite games for young children.

Hokey Pokey - Sing this games for young children song while you do the motions! You put your right foot in,
You put your right foot out;
You put your right foot in and
You shake it all about.
You do the Hokey-Pokey
And you turn yourself around.
That's what it's all about!

You put your left foot in,
You put your left foot out;
You put your left foot in, and
You shake it all about.
You do the Hokey-Pokey,
And you turn yourself around.
That's what it's all about!
You put your right hand in,
You put your right hand out;
You put your right hand in, and
You shake it all about.
You do the Hokey-Pokey,
And you turn yourself around.
That's what it's all about!

You put your left hand in,
You put your left hand out;
You put your left hand in, and
You shake it all about.
You do the Hokey-Pokey,
And you turn yourself around.
That's what it's all about!

You put your head in,
You put your head out;
You put your head in, and
You shake it all about.
You do the Hokey-Pokey,
And you turn yourself around.
That's what it's all about!

You put your whole self in,
You put your whole self out;
You put your whole self in, and
You shake it all about.
You do the Hokey-Pokey,
And you turn yourself around.
That's what it's all about

If you’re happy and you know it clap your hands! - Sing the song while you do the motions!

If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands (clap clap)
If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands (clap clap)
If you're happy and you know it, then your face will surely show it
If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands (clap clap)

If you're happy and you know it, stomp your feet (stomp stomp)
If you're happy and you know it,  stomp your feet (stomp stomp)
If you're happy and you know it, then your face will surely show it
If you're happy and you know it, stomp your feet (stomp stomp)

If you're happy and you know it, shout "Hooray!" (hoo-ray!)
If you're happy and you know it, shout "Hooray!" (hoo-ray!)
If you're happy and you know it, then your face will surely show it
If you're happy and you know it, shout "Hooray!" (hoo-ray!)

If you're happy and you know it, do all three (clap-clap, stomp-stomp, hoo-ray!)
If you're happy and you know it, do all three (clap-clap, stomp-stomp, hoo-ray!)
If you're happy and you know it, then your face will surely show it
If you're happy and you know it, do all three. (clap-clap, stomp-stomp, hoo-ray!)

• I'm a Little Teapot -

I’m a Little Teapot short and stout. Here is my handle, here is my spout. When I get all steamed up hear me shout. Just tip me over and pour me out!

• Old MacDonald Had a Farm -

Old MacDonald Had a Farm, E-I-E-I-O And on that farm he had some cows, E-I-E-I-O With a moo moo here, and a moo moo there. Here a moo, there a moo, everywhere a moo, moo. Old MacDonald Had a Farm, E-I-E-I-O.

Repeat, substituting animals and their sounds for as many as you can think of! If this is one of your favorite games for young children, let the kids help think of what animals will be used.

• The Farmer in the Dell - one of those perfect singing games for young children (and sometimes older children) at a party!

The farmer in the dell, the farmer in the dell, Heigh-ho the merry-o, the farmer in the dell.

The farmer takes a wife, the farmer takes a wife, Heigh-ho the merry-o, the farmer takes a wife.

The wife takes the child, the wife takes the child, Heigh-ho the merry-o, the wife takes the child.

The child takes the nurse, the child takes the nurse, Heigh-ho the merry-o, the child takes the nurse.

The nurse takes the dog, the nurse takes the dog, Heigh-ho the merry-o, the nurse takes the dog.

The dog takes the cat, the dog takes the cat, Heigh-ho the merry-o, the dog takes the cat.

The cat takes the rat, the cat takes the rat, Heigh-ho the merry-o, the cat takes the rat.

The rat takes the cheese, the rat takes the cheese, Heigh-ho the merry-o, the cat takes the cheese.

The cheese stands alone. The cheese stands alone. Heigh-ho the merry-o. The cheese stands alone.

Have children stand in a circle with one child selected as the farmer, who stands in the middle. When “the farmer takes a wife” is sung, the farmer selects one child out of the circle to be the “wife” and join him in the middle. This continues, until the cheese is chosen. When the “cheese stands alone”, everyone returns to the circle except the cheese, who stands alone. The “cheese” becomes the new “farmer”. This is one of those games for young children where help from mom and dad might come in handy!

• BINGO -

I know a farmer had a dog and Bingo was his name-o! B-I-N-G-O, B-I-N-G-O, B-I-N-G-O, and Bingo was his name-o!

Repeat, but leave out the “B” when spelling Bingo and clap instead. Next repeat, leave out the “B” and “I” when spelling Bingo and clap instead, etc.

• The Wheels on the Bus - Do the motions and even babies will love these games for young children!

The wheels on the bus go round and round, round and round, round and round The wheels on the bus go round and round, all around the town.

The horn on the bus goes beep beep beep, beep beep beep, beep beep beep. The horn on the bus goes beep beep bee, all around the town.

The babies on the bus go wah wah wah, wah wah wah, wah wah wah. The babies on the bus go wah wah wah, all around the town.

The mommies on the bus go shh shh shh, shh shh shh, shh shh shh. The mommies on the bus go shh shh shh, all around the town.

The children on the bus go up and down, up and down, up and down. The children on the bus go up and down, all around the town.

Any more games for young children...? Pick any activity that your child loves to do. Chances are, their friends will love it too!!

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