Toddler Party Games
K.I.S.S- Keep It Short and Simple
The best advice for toddler party games is to keep things simple and let the kids set the pace. Just having some playmates over and special foods to eat, and a special party guest like a clown or fairy will have them in toddler heaven already!
 Toddlers have a limited attention span so if they are losing interest in an activity then lead them on to something else. They will have as much fun just playing with/and around each other as they will being involved in designated party games. Free-play games are generally the most successful; they allow the kids to play in parallel without competing in any way. Games with rules or turn-taking are beyond most two year olds so the traditional style party games like pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey and even pass the parcel can be saved until their third or fourth birthday.
 **TIP- Planning tips on timing, location, themes, food, and safety especially for toddler parties.
Some ideas for simple toddler party games below...
Toddler Party Games...
Singing and Rhymes
While toddlers may not get the most out of traditional party games they will love the chance to dance and sing. All of your favorite action songs like 'I'm a Little Teapot', 'Ring-a-Ring-a-Roses' and 'Mulberry Bush' will be loved by this age group. They love the chance to be silly, especially if you join in too! Ring-a-Ring-a-Roses
Players form a circle and skip around singing. On the line 'We all fall down' everyone falls to the floor (accompanied by much laughter and joy!)
English version: American version:
Ring-a-ring o' roses, Ring-a-ring o' roses,
A pocket full of posies, A pocket full of posies,
A-tishoo! A-tishoo! Ashes! Ashes!
We all fall down. We all fall down.
Here We Go 'Round the Mulberry Bush
Again children form a circle and sing. As the verse changes they mime the action described. Here we go round the mulberry bush
The mulberry bush, the mulberry bush
Here we go round the mulberry bush
On a cold and frosty morning This is the way we wash our clothes
Wash our clothes, wash our clothes
This is the way we wash our clothes
On a cold and frosty morning This is the way we polish our shoes
This is the way we wash our hands
This is the way we clean our teeth
This is the way we iron our clothes
This is the way we drink our tea
This is the way we... You can keep playing the game until the children run out of ideas. As long as the actions are familiar to them they will keep playing for some time.
Bubble Mania
Bubble blowers are fun for children no matter what their age but are especially good for toddlers who will love to chase them around. They may still have a bit of trouble blowing their own bubbles but an adult blowing a steady stream of bubbles will have them all squealing with delight. You can challenge the children to find the biggest bubble, see which one flies the highest, or catch bubbles in their mouths (my daughter's favorite of all!). Sticker Fun
Stickers are great in that they can be varied to suit any theme you choose. A good way to start a party is to have children decorate their own party hat or goody/loot bag. It is a good settling in game and children (and parents) who don't know each other can be introduced. Play Dough
This is another one of those toddler party activities that can be suited to a theme or can just be played free-style. Play dough cutters are available in many shapes and parents can always help to create a three-dimensional creature. You can even make your own play dough! Color My World
Toddlers love to color so a supply of large sheets of paper and crayons will keep them entertained. Again it can be suited to your chosen theme and masterpieces can be popped into the goody/loot bags to take home. Teddy Swap
For a Teddy Bears' Picnic you can ask each party-goer to bring a teddy (or two) and have the children swap teddies for the duration of the party. Bringing two teddies might help to avoid any tears over special teddy bears that do not wish to be shared! Sandy Fun
If you have a large enough sandbox/sandpit or wish to construct a temporary one for the party you will have hard time getting the kids out of it. Toddlers love the different tactile qualities of sand and with a splash of water (to make some cakes and mud pies ofcourse!), some buckets, shovels and other play objects, they will happily play in there for the duration of the party. **TIP- Make sure your sandpit is big enough for the number of children attending the party, if it is too squeezy they will be pushing each other out of the way and it will end in tears for at least one, if not more children. Farm/Zoo
You can hire in farm animals or can make your own farmyard or zoo with a good supply of toys. Real animals can easily fill the day for the children. If you are using the stuffed variety then some themed games will suffice.
A good singing game for the day is 'Old MacDonald'. Hired Entertainment- Fairies, Clowns, Balloon Twisters
You can hire some party entertainment but be sure to let them know what age your kids are so that they can tailor their performance and gifts/loot bags especially for toddlers.
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