Traditional Party Games - Kings / Queens Keys

I've always known this party game as Queens Keys - but researching on the internet I found something similar called Stalkers, so I guess there are many versions. This is good for those five years and up.

You will need:
A group of children sat in a circle, a blindfold (big scarf), a chair in the centre of the circle and a bunch of keys underneath it. Several adults to supervise.

The object of this party game is silence :)

Sit someone on the chair in the centre of the circle with the blindfold on. They are the Queen or King.

The main adult supervising the game will select one of the children sat in the circle by touching them on the head. They will be the thief.

The thief then has to walk quietly around the outside of the circle and back through the space where they were originally sat to get to the chair and take the keys.

When the thief is selected the adult lets the Queen/King know that there is someone ready to steal the keys. The King/Queen then has to listen for any sounds and point at them. (Which means the rest of the circle has to be very quiet!) If they point directly at the thief, the thief is out and another person will be selected. This is where having several adults to supervise can help. Often the thief will contest the fact that the King/Queen actually pointed at them so several pairs of eyes are useful. :)

If the thief steals the keys then they get to be the Queen/King!

Variations: Using the scenario above, you can give the King/Queen a torch and turn the lights out for the game. Then instead of pointing they can shine the torch to try and catch the thief.

Another option is to get all the children to line up at one end of the room with the King/Queen on their chair at the opposite end of the room. The children in the line are allowed to start advancing quietly across the room with a small time interval between them. Again, you'll need plenty of adult spotters to make sure those who are pointed at return to the back of the line and start again! This option is possibly better for the younger children who won't be able to sit still in the circle until it's their turn!

Have fun! Please post your comments if you give this game a go.

Helen
www.catswhiskers.biz

Traditional Party Games - Pass the Parcel

OK, so this is one that everybody knows but there are variations that might prove useful for you!

You will need: A small prize that has been wrapped with many layers of paper. It doesn't have to be expensive wrapping paper. Pages from magazines and newspapers are great!

If you are in a situation where you're likey to play this game regularly or you really hate the waste, you can make draw string bags of slightly smaller sizes - like Russian dolls - for the wrapping.

You can put a sweet inbetween each layer for the children, but I prefer to put a forfeit inbetween each layer.

If you are trying to be fair and make sure that everyone gets a turn at unwrapping a layer you will need to make sure you know how many layers there are! A simple way of gauging when you are close to the prize is to change the type of wrapping. Use silver foil for a layer, for example. Alternatively if you are using forfeits, you can write the number of layers on the back so that the person in charge of the game knows!!

Example Forfeits:
These were used for a 7 year olds High School Musical Party - but you get the idea and you can adapt for your theme!

Say the days of the week backwards
What character does Zac Efron play?
Shake hands with everyone in the circle
Act like a chicken
Sing Baa baa black sheep
Skip around the outside of the circle
Act like a monkey
Name seven things that you would find in a bathroom
Wear a pair of gloves for the rest of the game
Pat your head and rub your tummy
Hop around the outside of the circle
Sing 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, once I caught a fish alive…
Count from 10 backwards to 0
What is the name of the actress that plays Sharpay?
In which High School Musical film is the song “Bet on it”?
Sing and do the actions for Heads, Shoulders Knees and Toes.
Say the tongue twister, “Peter Piper picked a pec of pickled peppers, a pec of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked” four times really quickly or pick an adult to do it for you!
Dance like Sharpay
Stretch up high and then touch your toes
Name seven things that you can find at school
Wear a woolly hat for the rest of the game
Have two sweets!
Shout “Wildcats!” really loudly
Say all the months of the year
Act like a basket ball player
Act like someone playing golf
Touch all four walls of the room
Act like a cheerleader
Say the nursery rhyme, Mary had a little lamb
Sing “Twinkle twinkle little star”


How to play:

Sit the children in a circle and have someone operate the CD player to stop and start the music. Keep up a reasonable pace with stopping the music so you maintain the interest of the children. Have someone else armed with a bin bag to clear up the wrapping as you go.

When the music stops the child holding the parcel takes of a layer and does the forfeit - if you've included them. If they are shy, let them nominate a friend to do their forfeit with them. If they do it successfully depending upon your view on rewards they can just get a round of applause from the circle, be offered a sweet or offered a small non-sugar related gift.

Depending upon the number of children and the number of wrappings, this game can take up quite a bit of time - particularly if you've added forfeits! :)

Have fun.

Helen
http://www.catswhiskers.biz/

Traditional Party Games - Stuck in the mud.

This one is fantastic if you need a few minutes to organise something as it doesn't need a lot of supervising!!

All you need is a group of children and a reasonably large space!!

Depending upon the number of children you have, choose either one or two people to be "IT". Then let them all run!!

When a child is taged by the person on it they have to stand still with their arms out and their legs apart - like a star jump position. One of the children who is still free must crawl between their legs to release them.

It's that simple but it can keep them happy for quite a while. Changing who is "IT" every few minutes will keep the interest level going.

Give it a go!

Helen
www.catswhiskers.biz

Traditional Party Games - The chocolate game

Have you tried the chocolate game??

You will need: dice, a big bar of chocolate, a tray to put it on, a knife and fork, a large woolly hat, gloves and a scarf.

How to play:
Get the children to sit in a circle and put everything in the centre except the dice. (If you are feeling generous, you can unwrap the chocolate!)

Each child takes it in turn to throw the dice. If they get a double six, they run into the middle and put on the hat, scarf and gloves then using the knife and fork have to cut up the chocolate bar into squares. Once it is in squares they can eat it.

Meanwhile the dice has been continuing around the circle and as soon as someone else gets a double six the person in the middle has to stop & remove the hat,gloves & scarf and then the next child takes over.

You can make it easier by changing it to any double gets into the centre or you can make it simpler still by using only one dice (technically a die) and saying that anyone rolling a six gets into the middle.

My Mum used to freeze the chocolate bar before the party to make it really difficult to cut. LOL! Obviously it's much more entertaining if the hat, gloves and scarf are an adults and therefore much to big for the children!

Have fun.
Helen
www.catswhiskers.biz