Fun Birthday Party Games for ages 7, 8, 9

Swimming Pool Party Games
See our complete list of swimming pool party games. 

Mystery Fishing Game
For the "water" use a large appliance box, hang a sheet across a doorway, or cover a table so that the "fish"
(and the person in the water) are hidden from view. Tie a string to a stick and attach a clothespin on the end
of the string.  Birthday party guests take turns "casting" the line into the "water". The person in the "water" puts
small gifts, favors or candy on the clothespin and then tugs the string to signal that there is a "fish" on the line. 
Then kids pull up the line and retrieve their prize.  This is a simple but fantastic children's party game that kids
adore!  Have lots of prizes because they will all want to do this birthday party game again and again. 

Treasure Hunt Games
Birthday party treasure hunts can be played in many different ways.  The main idea of the treasure hunt game is to have the birthday party kids hunt hidden treasure by using clues. Several variations of this birthday party game are listed under our treasure hunt page.

Scavenger Hunt Games
Scavenger hunts can be played many different ways and are always fun games to play at a party.  The main idea
of the scavenger hunt games is to divide into teams / teams race to find (or do) the items on a list.  Here are 7
fun varieties of scavenger hunt games.  Free scavenger hunt lists

Mummy Wrap Game
One of the easiest and most fun games!  See which team can wrap their mummy in toilet paper first. Divide into teams of 2 or 3 and give them 2 rolls of toilet paper.  Let teams decide on who will be the mummy and then race to see who can wrap their mummy in toilet paper the quickest using all the paper. Stock up on paper and play this game a few times switching out mummy's.

Sponge Relay Games
Divide birthday party guests into 2 teams. Use 4 buckets - place two at the starting line and two 30 or more feet away.  Fill the farthest buckets with water. Players take a sponge and run to the far bucket, dip the sponge in the water and then run back to the starting line bucket and squeeze the water into the empty bucket. The first team to fill their bucket wins. (Use larger buckets to hold the water first since a lot of the water will be lost as they race back to fill their bucket.) Variation: Race backwards for a crazy birthday party game twist!

Spoon race Games
Place an egg on the spoon and then with the word “Go“ the birthday party guests must walk from the starting line to the finish line without dropping the egg. The first one to cross the line with the egg still on the spoon wins the game.
For team games - divide the birthday party guests into 2 teams.  Give team one spoon and egg. Each member runs the course without dropping the egg. When they return they hand the egg and the spoon to the next person and that person runs the course. Continue until all birthday guests have completed the game race. For older children make the game course more complex by adding obstacles.  If they drop the egg then they pick it up, go back to the starting line and begin again.

Prize Walk Birthday Game
Have a birthday prize walk instead of a cakewalk. Place numbers on the floor in the shape of an oval or circle.  Start the music and the birthday party kids walk around the circle until the music stops. Pick a number out of a hat or roll a dice to decide which number wins a prize. The child that is standing on the number that is picked chooses a small toy from the birthday games prize table.

Pirate Treasure Game
Fill a small pool or sandbox with sand and hide coins, birthday party favors, crystals, rings, jewelry - anything that goes with your birthday party theme in the sand. Have the kids use sifters and small shovels to sift through the pirate sand and find the birthday treasures.  Can be used for Pirate, Dinosaur, Gold miners and other birthday themes by changing the games prizes hidden in the sand.

Bean Bag Toss Game
Cut several circles out of a piece of cardboard, or a large box. Decorate the cardboard with things from your birthday party theme. Use beanbags or socks (filled with beans and tied) to throw into the holes. Give small prizes if they make it in the holes.

Obstacle Course Games
Make a birthday party game obstacle course throughout your backyard using things like slides, elevated boards, trampoline, big boxes to crawl through and hula hoops to make the course.  Compete against teams in this game or against the stopwatch.  When they get good at the course make them do it again - walking or running backwards! 

Tag Gone Wild Games 
Kids love to play tag games (one person is “it” and if they touch or tag another person then that person becomes “it”) and there are many game variations that adapt to many different birthday party themes.

Crazy base tag Game -  Make bases using birthday party theme objects: maps for a pirate party, tutu’s for a ballerina party, bugs for a nature party etc.

Freeze tag Game -When a child gets tagged they must freeze in that position until they are unfrozen by another player. When “it” freezes everyone they get to pick the next “it”

TV tag Game- When tagged a child must call out a TV character. If they can’t think of one then they become “it”.

Ameba tag Game - When “it” tags someone they hold hands with “it” and both must run after the other children without letting their hands go. Every time a child is tagged they become part of the “it”.

Tunnel Tag Game - After a child is tagged they must stand with their legs apart and freeze until someone crawls though their legs.

Rattlesnake Tag
This is a fun tag game for when you are outside or have plenty of space to run.  Guests will line up and hold hands.  They can not let go of each other's hands for any reason.  The first person in line is the Rattlesnakes head and they try to tag the last person in line or the rattle.  When the first person has tagged the "rattle" then the "rattle" comes to the front of the line and becomes the "head".  Continue until everyone has had a chance to catch the rattlesnake's tail.

Nail Polish Birthday Spin Game - Fun game for girls at a make-up or spa birthday party.  Place several colors of nail polish in the middle of a circle of girls.  Have the birthday girl spin a bottle of nail polish.  Who ever the cap is pointing to when it is done spinning  must paint one of their fingernails that color.  Then that person spins the next color of nail polish .... and so on.  You can also have them paint their toes for this game too!

Drama Bag Game
Fill several shopping bags (or any container)  with 5 different items.  The items can be anything - shoe, comb, penny etc.  - but fill each bag with different items.  Divide birthday party guests into equal teams and give each team one bag.  Teams then go to different rooms and create a skit or play which must include all items in the bag.  After 15 minutes gather them all together and let them perform their skits for each other.     Game Variation:  The party guests create a song, commercial or tribute to the birthday child.   

Silly Relay Race Games
Divide the kids into 2 groups for these games and have them race by:
Holding balloons between their knees
Jumping rope singing happy birthday
Balancing an object on head
Holding a balloon between two of the team members heads
Balancing a small ball on their feet
Skipping backwards
Bouncing a ball
Once they master the forward races, have them do them backwards!

Guess and Win Game
Fill a see through jar with lots of small candy, jellybeans, skittles, marbles or small toys. Count them before you put them into the jar. As the children arrive for the birthday party have them guess how many toys or candies they think are in the jar. Write down each birthday party guest's guess. At the end of the birthday party reveal who guessed closest to the right number. The winner takes home a small prize, or the whole jar with its contents! Tip; Use items related to your birthday party theme. Plastic bugs for an insect party, pink jelly beans for a pink or princess birthday party, rings for a glamour party etc.

Limbo Game
Two older kids or adults hold a pole or broomstick at child's height. Start the music and have the children bend backwards and walk under the pole without touching it. After each round lower the pole an inch or two. If a player touches the pole, they are out. Game Variation:  Instead of a pole use something from your birthday party theme: Pirate Limbo - hold a play sword; Fairy Party - hold a magic wand.  

Spin the Bottle Game (birthday gift opening game)
This birthday party game is fun when it is time to open the birthday presents.  Have kids hold the birthday present that they brought and sit in a circle.  Place the spinner (bottle or other item) in the middle of the circle and have the birthday child spin the bottle.  They will then open the gift of the child  the bottle is pointing to when it stops. Tip: Use something from your birthday party in place of the bottle - magic wand for a princess party, sword for a pirate party etc.

Telephone Game
Have Have the children sit in a circle for this birthday game. The birthday child goes first and whispers a sentence to the person on their right. That person then whispers what they heard to the next person … and so on. When the message has gone around the circle, the person next to the birthday child tells the message out loud. Then the birthday child tells the original message. Very funny to see how things repeated change! Start game again with the next person. 

Pin the tail on the Donkey
Place Hang a poster of a Donkey on the wall and put a piece of tape on the back of each object the children will be pinning on the poster. Blindfold children, spin them around, and point them toward the poster. The child who pins their object closest to the designated spot, is the winner! Tip: Use a poster from your birthday party theme for this game. Examples: Pin the spider on the web, tutu on the ballerina, nose on the clown, X on a treasure map etc.

Prize Auction Birthday Game
On the birthday party invitation ask each birthday guest to bring an inexpensive item or a "white elephant" (something that is in good shape but they don't want anymore) wrapped in paper or a sealed in a paper bag.  Give the guests $20 in play money and start an auction for the unwrapped gifts.  For fun you can add food and gag gifts to the auction items.  Keep the gifts wrapped and don't let anyone know what is inside until the high bidder opens the item.  At the end let the kids trade or buy each other's presents from each other. 

Oversize Birthday Party Game
This big party game let's the kids really get involved!  On a patio or driveway draw a large (VERY large!) game board with chalk.  Make every square at least 18".  Make it in the shape of a circle or oval (or a figure 8).  Write "start" at the first square and then on each square write a command or action.  Example:  Square 2 = move ahead 3 spaces, Square 3 - jump up and down until your next turn, Square 4 = sing the national anthem until your next turn, Square 5 = go back 2 spaces ... and so on until every square is filled. 

Make 2 large oversize dice from boxes at least 12 x 12 (the bigger the better!).  The pieces being moved around the board are the kids themselves.  They roll the dice and then move themselves along the game board.  The winner is the one to reach the end space first by landing on it with an exact roll.  Kids LOVE this game!

Baby food hot potato
like hot potato with baby food and person who has it the baby food when music stops has to eat it!
I played this at youth group it was SO FUN!!!!!!!!   Sent in by Madmad