Fun Birthday Party Games for ages 5 and 6

Party Games for five and six year olds Birthday party games especially for boys and girls ages 5 and 6.  These fun games are age appropriate, have had five and six year olds test them at parties and won their approval.  Find a mix of games you like for your party or print out all the games just in case you need to fill time during the party.

Gone Fishing Game 
Kids who are 5 and 6 love this party game where they fish for prizes!  This game needs small prizes, fishing poles made from bamboo sticks, yarn, clothespins and something large that will hide an adult such as an appliance cardboard box, a hallway or doorway covered with a sheet or a tablecloth placed over a card table.   The adult hides inside the water without the children seeing them and then the kids cast their line.  When the line put in the "water" then the adult clips a wrapped candy or small toy to the clothespin.   The child then reels in their prize.  Kids are amazed at this game and want to play it over and over!

Rubber Ducky Grab Game
Kids choose ducks (or any floating item that matches the birthday party theme) from a kids pool.  Buy several different styles of prizes for the game.  Assign a number to each style of prize (for example if you buy whistles, bubbles, sidewalk chalk, candy and stickers number the whistles #1, bubbles #2, chalk #3, candy #4 and stickers #5).  Write numbers - 1 - 5 - underneath the ducks in permanent marker.  You might also want to include a few ducks that say "Choice" or a "*" that lets the child choose which prize they get.  Kids choose a duck and receive the matching prize that is the same as the ducks number.

Hula Hoop-la Game
Divide kids into teams. Each team must hold hands ... they are not allowed to let go of each others hands during the game! Teams are given a hula hoop and their goal is to move the hula hoop over their bodies from the beginning of their line to the opposite end and the back again.  The hula hoop has to go over each team member while they are holding hands.

Water Relay Games
Teams have to move water from one side of the playing field to the the other using spoons, sponges or cups with holes in the bottom.  Great for summer parties because everyone gets wet!  Set out a large tub filled with water at the far end of the field and two smaller containers that are equal in size next to the teams starting point.  Kids run to the tub, get water and carry it to fill their container.

Toe Grab Game
You will need a small wading pool and marbles.  Fill a kids size wading pool with water. Place marbles in the pool.  The birthday guests move marbles from the pool bottom to a floating container inside the pool by using only their toes. Very easy, but a very fun game for children's parties.  No need for prizes … they just love playing this game! Fun game in the summer for splash parties.

Egg and Spoon Games
Kids race while holding an egg (or use a cotton ball, ping pong ball or other small ball) on a wooden spoon.  The team that has all their players complete the course first wins.    For a fun variation use a prop from the birthday party theme such as a sword and coins.  

Walk of Prizes Birthday Game
This fun party game is played like a Cake Walk.   Write number from 1 - 30 on pieces of construction paper (cut the paper into circles or ovals ... or leave them as rectangles).  On a separate sheet of paper write down the numbers (1 - 30) and cut them into squares - one number per square.  Fold the small numbers and place them in a decorated container.   Tape the numbers down and arrange them in a circle (or oval) on the carpet or floor leaving at least 10" of space between the numbers.  Start by having the kids stand on a number.  Tell them that when the music starts they are to begin walking in a line around the paper circle stepping on the numbers as they go around the circle.  When the music stops they have to stop and stand on top of the number closest to them. (A variation is to let them choose to stay where they are at or run to another empty number).   Then a number is chosen from the container and the child who's number is called wins a prize.

Variations: 

Play this near the party's end and let the goody bags be the prizes.

After a number is called remove it from both the circle and from the container so the number won't be called again and the circle gets smaller - this makes the game move a little faster and there.

Silly Racing Games for 5 and 6 year olds
Divide party guests into teams of two or more for these games.   Hold relay style races by: 
Holding a blown up balloon in between the heads of team members
Holding blown up balloons between knees
Skipping forwards and then backwards
Balancing a book or other item on their head
Jumping rope and singing a nursery rhyme or happy birthday while they jump
Balancing a little ball on the top of their feet
While bouncing a play ball

Hidden Treasures
Fill a plastic pool or use a sandbox) with sand.  Buy small plastic prizes and items that relate to the party theme and hide them in the sand.  Kids can use plastic shovels and sifters to dig through the sand to uncover the hidden treasures. 

Party Theme Toss Game
Make a big target by cutting 3 holes from a large cardboard box.   The box can be decorated to match the birthday party theme.   Kids try and throw bean bags (or socks that are filled with dried beans or rice ) into the round holes in the box.  Give prizes for the winners.

Wonder Jar Game
Buy lots of fun colored candies and / or small items that fit into the birthday party theme such as seashells for a Luau or plastic rings and candies for a glamour or princess theme party.  While you are filling the jar count the items so you know how many are in the jar.  The guests will try and guess the number of items in the jar and then write down their guess on small sheets of paper with their name.  The one who's guess is the nearest to the actual number of items in the jar wins the jar and everything in it!

Limbo Game
Kids try and go as low as they can under a stick that is moved closer to the ground after each round.  You need a long stick or the handle of a broom to play.   Two people hold the Limbo stick about 4 feet off the ground.  The kids get in a line and take turns trying to go underneath the stick by bending backwards.  If the kids touch (with any part of their body) the stick or fall they are out.  After every round the stick gets lowered a few inches.  The player to successfully make it underneath the Limbo stick without touching the stick and at the lowest height wins.  Items from your party can also be used such as a feather boa, foam sword or a magic fairy wand.

Spin the ________ or Bottle Game (fun game to play while opening gifts!)
A game that is made for when the birthday child opens their presents!  Kids sit down in a circle with their present for the birthday child. The spinner (this can be a bottle or an item from the party like a sword or wand) is laid in between all the kids.  The birthday child then spins the bottle.   The person that the bottle lands on then hands their present to the birthday child and the present is opened.    

Repeat It Game
Kids try and repeat what is whispered in their ear to the child next to them.   Have the guests sit in a large circle.  The first party guest thinks of a sentence or saying and whispers it to the child next to them. Then the second child whispers it to the next child in line and it keeps going until the end when the last child in the circle says out loud what was whispered to them.   The fun happens when the 1st child tells everyone what the message started out to be!

Pin the Tail on the ________ Games
A fun party game that has been around a long time ... and it's still fun for kids!  Make it new and different by using a character from the party theme instead of the donkey.  Pin the bug on a flower, a crown on the princess or a tail on a zebra or giraffe. 

Crazy Tag Games 
These are fun tag games with a twist.  

Monster "It"!  - "It" gets bigger and bigger because after the kids are tagged by "it".  When they are tagged they grab hands with "it" and start tagging people.  Last one to be tagged becomes the next "it".  

Freeze Tag - After being tagged the kids must freeze where they are until tagged.  They can become unfrozen if another player tags them without getting tagged by "it".  After everyone is frozen "it" gets to choose who the next "it" will be.

No Tag Zone Game -  Bases are made from items from the birthday party such as swords, tutu's or pictures of items.  Lay the items on the ground and a child can use them as base for 10 seconds to avoid being tagged.

TV or Cartoon Game - Kids have to yell out the name of a TV or cartoon character when tagged.  If the person tagged can't think of a character to call out then they become the new "it".

Giant Birthday Party Game
A fun birthday party game that really gets the kids involved ... as the playing pieces!  Use sidewalk chalk to draw a very large (HUGE!) oversized game board.  The game board can be drawn in an oval, circle or figure eight.  Make squares on the board that are 18".   In the squares, beginning with the start square,  write directions that the players have to follow when they land in that square.  Some fun ideas are .... Move back 3 spaces, Twirl, Squawk like a chicken, etc. that have to be continually done until their next turn.   The players themselves are the playing pieces!  You can make two super big dice from square boxes for them to roll during the game. 

Sidewalk Chalk Games
Sidewalk Chalk is always fun for parties.  Our page of Sidewalk Chalk Games will give you over 30 ideas of games to play.