Food & Entertaining

Party Games for Toddlers

If you’re planning a party for a toddler, then you will definitely need lots of great games and activities to keep the guests busy! Toddlers are naturally energetic, curious and fun-loving. Try our ideas for fun toddler appropriate party games:

Piñata

This is a classic party activity. You can have a piñata made, or make your own using the art of paper mache. Don’t make the piñata too strong, because you want the toddlers to be able to break it after a few good whacks. To fill the piñata, try wrapped candies (no hard candy!) like Hershey’s kisses. An assortment of stickers and temporary tattoos are also good, lightweight items to put in your piñata.

Bean Bag Toss

Get a large cardboard box and cut a circle in the center. Purchase or make small round bean bags. Let toddlers take turns tossing bean bags into the hole from a designated tape line on the floor. You could keep score — but for toddlers, it’s best to just let them play and give everyone a prize!

Simon Says

This is a classic game where one person is Simon and the others have to listen to directions. If the command is proceeded by “Simon says,” the toddlers must follow the instructions. If the command is not proceeded by “Simon says,” they are to stand still. You could substitute the name “Simon” with the name of the party girl, or boy!

Bowling

Toddlers love bowling with plastic bowling sets designed especially for them! Or, make your own with baby bottles filled with rice for stability and any small or medium sized ball.

Bubble Pop

For this fun activity, give all the adults bubble blowing solution and wands of all types and sizes. The adults blow the bubbles, and the kids attempt to pop them all!

Guess How Many

This is a simple party game. Fill a small jar with candies and have each toddler guess how many are in the jar. The guest that comes closest to the actual number of candies wins. After the game is over, give everyone some of the candy!

Tips for Success

When it comes to making a toddler party a success, there are some things to remember. First, toddlers possess notoriously short attention spans, so provide lots of stimulation and keep games short. Also, be sure to give the toddlers a little unstructured playtime where they can socialize and so can you!