When you think about the birthday parties you went to as a child, what stands out?  For me it was being able to have a barbecue at a friend’s house and playing different party games outside.  Children love to play outside so why not have some outdoor party games ready for your child’s next birthday party!  There are so many different party games you can have your children and their friends play at their next birthday.  Following are a few suggestions to use for your next kid’s birthday party.

Three legged race.  This really brings me back to the field days at my grade school.  Have the children pair off and tie the right leg of one to the left leg of the other.  Set up a start and finish line and the team that makes it to the finish line first wins.

Jump rope contests.  There are several different games you can play while jumping rope.  You can have all the children begin jumping rope at the same time and the person who jumps the longest without stopping wins.  You can also have a jumping rope race.  Have the children jump rope while racing from a start to a finish line.  The person to make it to the end first without falling wins the contest.

Water balloon toss.  This game is especially fun on a hot summer day.  Have the children pair off and toss water filled balloons to each other at a set distance.  The team that has the last full water balloon wins.

Badminton.  Most children love to play badminton.  Separate the children into teams and have them play matches up to 15 points.  You can continue to play for fun, mixing up the teams, or possibly have a tournament where the winning team gets a prize.

Don’t forget about the old standards like running through a sprinkler, musical chairs and freeze dance.  In fact just about any party game can be played outside where the children can enjoy the sun and good weather.  All you need is a little creativity.