The secret to successful birthday parties at home is keeping the kids busy.
Brave or foolhardy, I have given my four daughters home birthday parties with games nearly every year since my eldest was three. As the children get older, the games become more complex, but many can be enjoyed by children of any age.
Games for children of any age
Making party hats
Having a simple craft activity available for children to do as they arrive is a great idea for settling young guests into your home. Making party hats and decorating them with stickers is one simple, non-messy activity you could use. Decorating biscuits is another activity that I have used.
Hunt the animals
This treasure hunt is still requested by my teenage daughters, but can be played by very young children. Hide lots of objects, for example, plastic animals or cut out paper shapes, all over the house and/or garden and send the children to look for them. It is incredibly simple, but a great favourite as everybody has a chance to find the treasure.
Matching card game
Collect a large number of colourful greetings cards and cut them into pieces. For small children, cut them into two - for older children, cut them into four pieces. Number the pieces on the back so that you can keep the pieces of the same card separate. Put all the number one pieces into an envelope and then spread the remaining pieces over the room. Give each child one piece from the envelope and tell them to find the piece(s) to complete the picture. When they have completed the picture, they can come and get another piece from the envelope. Carry on until all the pieces have been handed out and then see who has completed the most pictures.
Musical bumps
When the music stops the children have to sit down. Last one down is out.
Musical statutes
When the music stops, the children have to stand still. Anyone who moves is out.
Musical hats
Have a pile of hats in the middle of the circle, with one less hat than there are children. When the music stops, the children have to grab a hat and put it on. Anyone without one is out. Reduce the number of hats each turn.
Pass the parcel
Wrap up a small prize in a parcel with lots of different layers and pass it round whilst the music plays. When the music stops, the child with the parcel unwraps the layer and claims the sweet enclosed with that layer.
It is best to prepare a parcel with enough layers for all the children at the party and make it a rule at the start that if you have had a go, you pass it to the next person round who has not yet unwrapped a layer.
When the children are very young, nothing else is needed, but as they get older, you can introduce forfeits. In our household, these are traditionally tasks that they are required to do. Include a slip of paper with the sweet saying what they need to do. Suggestions are: say a nursery rhyme, tell a joke, act out three words written on the paper, build a tower out of building blocks, complete a child's shape sorter toy as quickly as possible, name ten Abba songs - the variety is endless and can be adapted to suit the age of the children and the theme of the party if there is one.
Quizzes
These can be as simple or as complicated as the situation requires, but are easiest if the children can read and write. Popular ideas are: matching pictures of films to the right film, naming the television programme or film from a picture, answering questions after a short film clip, "Who wants to be a millionaire?" quiz, "Name that tune" quiz.
Team games for older children
Split the children into two teams, as even as possible in age and ability, and give each team a separate room if possible. The person running the game needs to place themselves equidistant from each team to ensure fairness.
Acting game
The children take it in turns to act out the words on your list for the rest of their team to guess without speaking. When a word is guessed, they run to the games master and tell them the word before being given another one to act out. Occupations work particularly well for this game.
Drawing game
This works just like the acting game, but the children have to draw rather than act, and as well as not speaking, they are not allowed to write either.