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Have a simple activity planned to amuse party guests as they wait for everone to arrive. They can work at their own pace and interact with the rest of the group, serving as a great "ice breaker."
Games:
What you need:
- A yellow baseball cap, old leather belt, and yellow dishwashing gloves.
How to Play:
- In this version of Simon Says, Mannys in charge! Have the birthday child play Manny by dressing them up in the yellow baseball cap, old leather belt, and yellow dishwashing gloves.
- Manny then calls out commands by saying "Manny Says" and the other children playact as Manny instructs.
- Be clever with the commands! Some command examples are: screw in a light bulb,hammer a nail,saw a log,turn a pipe with a wrench,dig with a shovel,mix cement,drive a truck,hammer a nail etc...
- If Manny doesn't say "Manny Says," the guests must stay still. Those who move are out of the game. Play continues until only one child is left.
What You Need:
- Tape measure or yard stick (this is the "Stretch Limbo" stick)
- Two adults to hold up the tape measure or yard stick
- Music
How to Play:
- Have two people hold the "Stretch Limbo" stick at a height that is high enough for children to easily walk under. Have music playing in the background.
- Once all the children have walked under the "Stretch Limbo Stick," lower it slightly.
- Repeat until no child can bend and walk under the "Stretch Limbo" stick!
Todos trabajamos juntos! We all work together! Put all those fun tools you bought for the party to use with this energetic, fast-paced game in which kids work as a two-person team to build and take apart "fix-it" areas.
What You Need:
- Plastic tools - two of each
- Blocks
- Tinker toys or other building toys, such as blocks, Lincoln logs, Legos
- Peg board and toy screws (these often come with toy tool sets)
Before the party/game time, assemble two courses and use the following to be placed along the way:
- Very simple structures using Tinker toys and Legos. These structures should be easy to build and easy to take down.
- A few block towers - again, make them simple
- A peg board with toy screws and a toy screwdriver
- A piece of Styrofoam with toy nails and a toy hammer
- Use your imagination to dream up more "fix-it" areas given the items you have on hand.
Directions:
- Divide group into two teams. Within each team, have kids choose a partner.
- Walk the children through the obstacle course and show them how each fix-it area works, how it was built, and how it can be dismantled and reassembled.
- At the sound of "Go!" each partner pair from each team races into the obstacle course. They must work together dismantle what they see in front of them ... take out screws from a peg board, take apart the Lego tower, knock down the block tower, etc. Then they race back to their teams.
- The next partner-pair in line goes. However, this pair must re-build or reassemble each fix-it station! Keep in mind that they won't do it exactly or as well as you had it originally. No matter - it's the fun race-against-time aspect that counts.
- The first team to have all of its partners make it through the race course wins!
Activities:
What you need:
- Gumdrops or marshmallows, about 15-25 per child
- Toothpicks
- 8"-x-11" pieces of cardboard or heavy card stock (1 per child)
What to do:
- Set up a table covered with plastic tablecloth at which the kids can work.
- Give each child a set of gumdrops or marshmallows.
- Place a bowl of toothpicks in the middle of the table.
- Demonstrate to guests how gumdrops can be poked with toothpicks to create a neat, sweet building set. Show them how to make squares (lay out 4 gumdrops in a square, join them with toothpicks), which can be the "building blocks" for the rest of the structure.
- Give out small toy or sticker prizes for buildings that are the tallest, most colorful, most creative, etc. - make sure everyone gets recognized with a prize!
If you can hold the party outdoors, consider this fun activity. Have children do this while you're getting the food ready.
What you need:
- Plastic trucks, especially dump trucks, cranes, bulldozers, etc.
- Small buckets and shovels
- Tools
- Sand-box or plastic wading pool filled with sand (you can also use woodchips or shredded paper!)
Directions:
- Let the children have unstructured "free time" here. Let them use their imagination to build, fix, dig, drive, dump, and plow!
What preschooler doesn't love a piñata? The anticipation, the colors, the action ... they're all great fun.
- Using the piñata you made (instructions in the decorations section of this website) or bought, hang it over a low tree branch or rafter.
- Have children take turns swinging at the piñata in attempts to break it. Blindfold the child who's up to bat.
- Make sure all the other children stand far back from the child who is swinging the stick.
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