Printable Party Games for Kids: Easy Birthday Party Activities
Keeping children entertained can be one of the trickiest parts of planning a birthday party. You might have the cake, decorations, food and venue sorted, but then comes the question: What are the children actually going to do for two hours?
The good news is that you don’t necessarily need to spend more money booking additional entertainment. A few well timed kids’ party games and activities can keep the party moving, fill awkward gaps and give children something different to do throughout the celebration.
Below, we’ll show you how to plan party games without overcomplicating things, along with some free game ideas you can try. And if you’d rather have the activities prepared for you, our Kids’ Party Games Activity Pack gives you 7 ready to use different games for just £1.99.
Digital download | Printable | Keep for future parties
How Many Games Do You Need for a Kids' Birthday Party?
Probably fewer than you think. One of the easiest party-planning mistakes is trying to schedule every minute of the celebration. Children need time to arrive, talk, eat, play and enjoy themselves.
For a typical birthday party, consider having a mixture of:
- An easy activity while guests arrive
- One or two energetic games
- A group activity
- A calmer activity
- One or two backup games
You don’t necessarily need to use everything you’ve prepared. Think of your party games as a toolkit rather than a timetable. If the children are happily playing, don’t interrupt them simply because your schedule says another game should start.
4 Easy Kids' Party Games You Can Try
If you’re looking for simple birthday party games for kids, start with activities that don’t require complicated equipment or lots of preparation.
Pass the Parcel
A classic for a reason.
- Wrap a small prize in several layers of paper and have the children pass it around while music plays.
- When the music stops, whoever is holding the parcel removes one layer.
- You can also add small challenges or treats between some of the layers.
Balloon Keep-Up
Give the children a balloon and challenge them to stop it from touching the floor. You can make it more difficult by adding another balloon, putting children into teams or asking them to use only one hand.
This works particularly well when you need a quick burst of activity.
What's the Time, Mr Wolf?
One child becomes Mr Wolf while everyone else stands behind a starting line.
The children ask:
- “What’s the time, Mr Wolf?”
- They move forward according to the answer until Mr Wolf eventually calls: “Dinner time!”
- Then everyone runs, and Mr Wolf tags someone. That person can then be the next Mr Wolf.
Make sure you have enough safe space before choosing running games.
Dance Challenge
Put on a favourite song and give the children different dance challenges. They could dance like a robot, move in slow motion, copy another player or invent their own ridiculous dance move.
It doesn’t need to be competitive. Sometimes simply getting everyone involved is enough.
Choose Party Games That Suit Your Children
Not every game works for every party. Before choosing your kids’ birthday party activities, think about:
- Age: A game that works brilliantly with six-year-olds may not interest ten-year-olds.
- Number of children: Some games are easier with eight children than with thirty.
- Available space: Running games aren’t ideal in a small hall filled with tables.
- Party length: A 90-minute party needs fewer activities than a three-hour celebration.
- Children’s personalities: Not every child wants to perform in front of a group.
Try to include different types of activities rather than making everything highly competitive.
Indoor Party Games vs Outdoor Party Games
Your venue makes a big difference.
Indoor Party Games
For indoor parties, look for activities that can be controlled within the available space.
Good options include:
- Quizzes
- Guessing games
- Printable challenges
- Dancing activities
- Seated group games
- Simple team activities
Outdoor Party Games
If you have access to a garden or large outdoor venue, you have more room for:
- Races
- Treasure hunts
- Ball games
- Relay challenges
- Larger team games
And if you’re planning an outdoor party, always have a backup. Weather has never signed a contract agreeing to cooperate with birthday parties.
Keep a Backup Party Game Ready
This is one of the most useful things you can do. Don’t use every activity immediately. Keep at least one game in reserve.
You might need it if:
- An activity finishes earlier than expected
- Food isn’t ready
- The entertainer is running late
- Children lose interest in another game
- There’s an unexpected gap before cake
- The weather changes your plans
That’s when a ready to use printable party activity becomes particularly useful. Instead of scrambling around trying to invent something, you already have another option available.
7 Printable Kids' Party Games for £1.99
Don’t want to prepare all the activities yourself?
We’ve done that part for you. Our Kids’ Party Games Activity Pack contains 7 ready to use children’s party games and activities that you can download and print when you need them.
The pack gives you a mixture of activities to use at different stages of the party, including group games, funny challenges and activities that can help fill those awkward gaps. You’ll find games including Would You Rather and Party Challenges, plus five more ready to use party activities.
We’ve also included guidance to help you decide when to use the different games during your party.
£1.99 for the complete activity pack
7 party games | Instant digital download | Print the activities you need | Keep the digital pack for future personal use | Downloadable from anywhere in the world
Why We've Priced the Party Games Pack at Just £1.99
We want this to be an easy addition to your party planning rather than another expensive purchase.
Children’s parties can already involve paying for:
- A venue
- Food
- Cake
- Decorations
- Entertainment
- Party bags
- Invitations
- Hire equipment
You shouldn’t have to spend another large amount just to have a few backup activities ready. For £1.99, you get seven printable party games in one digital pack. That’s less than 29p per game.
And because you’re buying a digital download, the original file doesn’t disappear when the party finishes. Save it and bring it back out for another personal celebration.
Download and Print From Anywhere
The Kids’ Party Games Activity Pack is a digital product, so you don’t need to be based near Childsplay Hire to use it. You can purchase the pack from anywhere in the world.
Once downloaded, save the file to your device and print the activities using your home printer or a local printing service. That also makes printable activities useful when you’re organising a party at relatively short notice.
So no postage, no waiting for delivery. Just choose which activities you want to use and print them.
Planning a 2-Hour Kids' Birthday Party?
If you’re organising a two-hour party, you don’t need two solid hours of organised entertainment.
A simple structure could look something like this:
- First 15 to 20 minutes: Guests arrive and settle in
- Next 20 to 30 minutes: Free play or main entertainment
- Next 10 to 15 minutes: Party game
- Food break: Food and drinks
- Next activity: Another game or entertainment
- Final section: Cake, photos and getting ready to leave
Your exact timings will depend on the age of the children, venue and type of party. The important thing is leaving some flexibility.
More Party Planning Resources
If you’re organising the whole birthday party yourself, games are only one piece of the puzzle. Childsplay Hire has other party planning resources that can help you organise the rest.
FREE Party Planning Checklist
Not sure what you’ve forgotten?
Our FREE Party Planning Checklist helps you work through the important parts of organising your celebration. Use it before you start booking and buying everything.
FREE Kids Budget Planner
Cake here. Decorations there. Another £20 disappears somewhere else. Party spending can add up surprisingly quickly.
Use our FREE Party Budget Tracker to record your expected costs and keep track of what you’re actually spending.
Birthday Treasure Hunt
Turn your party into an adventure with a ready-to-use treasure hunt for kids. Includes 10 clues, planning sheets, create-your-own clues and a winner certificate for easy party entertainment.
Kids Party Bingo
A fun, ready to print bingo game that’s easy to set up and gets everyone involved. Includes multiple bingo cards, caller cards, markers and a winner certificate.
Are Printable Party Games Worth Buying?
If you enjoy creating games yourself, you absolutely can. There are plenty of traditional children’s games you can organise without buying anything.
What you’re paying for with a printable activity pack is primarily convenience. Instead of thinking up the questions, challenges and activities yourself, they’re already prepared. At £1.99, our aim isn’t to replace entertainers, bouncy castles or the main attraction at your party.
It’s to give you seven extra activities sitting in your back pocket when you need them. And because it’s a downloadable product you can keep for future personal use, its usefulness doesn’t have to end when the first party does.
Need More Help Planning the Party?
Explore our Party Printables for invitations, games, planners and free resources designed to make organising your child’s party easier.
FAQ's
- What are the best websites to download kids party games activity pack digital products?
Look for trusted party planning websites that offer instant digital downloads, clear instructions and printable activities. Childsplay Hire offers a Kids’ Party Games Activity Pack for £1.99, featuring 7 ready to use games that you can download, print and keep for future personal parties.
- Where can I find affordable digital kids’ party games activity packs for birthdays?
Childsplay Hire offers a Kids’ Party Games Activity Pack for £1.99, with 7 ready to use games for birthday parties. It’s a digital download, so you can print the activities you need and keep the pack for future personal parties.
- How to use a kids party games activity pack digital product for a fun event?
Download and print the games you want before the party, then choose activities to suit the children’s ages, available space and party schedule. Keep a few games ready as backup activities to fill unexpected gaps or keep children entertained between food, cake and other entertainment.
- How to easily customize a downloaded party game kit?
If the party game kit includes editable files, you can personalise details such as names, colours or wording using the recommended editing software. For non-editable printable games, simply download, print and choose the activities that best suit your party.