16 Birthday Party Games Big Kids (and Their Birthday-Weary Parents) Will Love

Surprise balls can keep children entertained forever. For a supereasy DIY option, wrap either one object in multiple layers of paper streamers (or wrap many objects in fewer layers). You can have the kids race to open theirs fastest (or slowest!) or simply give them out as distractions as you get the cake ready to cut. Or, just buy a few, hand them out, and have the kids guess what could be inside. Game and party favour in one!

Best done outside (or in a room with an easy-to-clean floor), doughnuts on a string is sure to thrill all your party guests. Tie a length of rope between two trees or two sturdy indoor structures, then tie pieces of ribbon through the holes of the doughnuts to the rope, so they hang slightly above mouth level. Players have to eat the entire doughnut, without using their hands and without letting it fall off the ribbon. The first to finish wins.

For creative kids who love to doodle, pass the drawing is a fun and unique game that can go on for hours. All you need is paper, markers, and a group of kids with big imaginations. Have everyone sit in a circle and give your birthday kid a blank sheet of paper. They'll draw one feature, then pass it on the the next. Keep going until their masterpiece is complete!

Write the names of famous people, animals, or objects on slips of paper or sticky name tags, then put one on the back of each guest, without letting them know what it says. They must then go around the room asking others yes or no questions to figure out who or what they are. Some children will figure out their identity quicker than others, so have back-up name tags or encourage them to stay a part of the game by answering other people's questions. You can also make things even easier for yourself and pick up a game of Hedbanz, which does all the heavy lifting for you.

A large-scale version of Tic-Tac-Toe on the wall is a great way to make the game a cool visual element of the birthday party. You can use X and O balloons, or just cut the letters out of paper or felt. The setup double as decor! The children can take turns playing or you can organise a tournament, with the winner getting a special prize.

Party guests keep a balloon in the air until the music stops. Whoever is the last to touch the balloon when the music cuts out then pops the balloon and has to complete the challenge that's written on a piece of paper inside. Challenges can be physical (do your best impression of Mickey Mouse, eat a mouthful of crackers and try to whistle) or to answer a trivia question.

Bingo is always a hit, and there are tons of versions out there (just check Etsy) that do the work for you. Pick up some little prizes for each round's winner, and voila, you have some serious party entertainment.

No matter what the theme of your child's birthday party, you can likely create a pin-the-tail style game to match it. This Pin the Tail on the Unicorn game is great, and can be easily adapted for kids of all ages!

Easily done indoors or out, a scavenger hunt lets party guests work individually or in teams to find items that already exist in nature or that you've placed around your house. If the kids are old enough that some have their own phones, turn it into a photo scavenger hunt. Each team must capture photos of each item or activity. Whichever team completes the list first, wins!

A classic piñata never goes out of style and children of all ages love them. Fill one with small toys or candy, grab a stick or baseball bat, and let the kids have at it!

Charades is a classic for a reason. Come up with a list of things that players will take turns acting out, divide guests into two teams, then let the fun begin. If you want to make things even easier for yourself, pick up Charades For Kids and you're ready to go.

A party game and a dessert all in one, cupcake decorating is always a hit. Get creative with different colours of frosting, an assortment of sprinkles, and fondant decorations kids can cut into fun shapes. Make sure guests show off their final creations before they chow down on them!

Another way to make the birthday boy or girl feel extra special (besides an awesome cake)? Come up with a trivia game that's all about him or her! Create a list of questions about the guest of honour that everyone else has to fill out (reward participants with a little prize). Or pick up an already created trivia game as part of a larger party game package from Etsy.

Turn one of our favourite apps, Heads Up!, into a fun birthday party activity. Divide guests into two teams; each player gets a turn to guess as many answers as they can for their team. The team with the most winning answers once every player takes a turn wins!

Head to a bead store to pick up a bunch of inexpensive beads, clasps, and string, and let party guests create their own bracelets or necklaces. The activity doubles as a cool take-home gift.

While party guests might need a little encouragement to sit down and choose a board game among the assortment you've set up, once you've helped them find the proper number of players for each game, they'll be good to go. Add some incentive by promising the winner of each game a special prize.