Holidays & Entertaining Entertaining Birthdays Birthday Party Games 17 Birthday Party Activities for Kids for an At-Home Celebration These DIY party games and hands-on activities are easy to prepare and fun for all ages! By Emily VanSchmus Emily VanSchmus Emily VanSchmus is the assistant digital home editor at Better Homes & Gardens, where she covers home decor, entertaining ideas, and more. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Updated on November 30, 2023 Trending Videos Close this video player Photo: Carson Downing These kid-tested activities are easy to prepare and will be a hit at the party. We're sharing fun ideas for DIY party games and hands-on activities. From crafts projects to outdoor activities, plus some super cute favors to hand out when the party's over, we have you covered. These birthday party ideas are perfect for kids of all ages! 24 Fun Summer Birthday Party Ideas That Kids and Adults Will Enjoy 01 of 17 Balancing Act Ryan Liebe This quick and easy birthday party activity for kids tests their balancing skills! Wrap light boxes in colorful wrapping paper ($5, Target) and give each child their own. Have them walk slowly in a circle while balancing the boxes on their heads. Gradually speed up the pace and see who can balance them the longest! How to Wrap Gifts in Fabric as a Green Alternative to Paper 02 of 17 Fun Photobooth Ari Michelson Capture party memories with a DIY photo booth. Pool noodles and oversize balls are all you need to strike a pose! Cut colored pool noodles into strips and glue them to poster board in a rainbow shape. Add a ribbon to hang. Set the props against a plain wall and let the kiddos choose their own! Playful ideas include sunglasses and pom-poms. Print the photos on your home printer and use them to make take-home photo crafts projects. 03 of 17 Play Croquet Marty Baldwin This birthday party activity is perfect for older kids. Gather the group and teach everyone how to play croquet, then let kids choose a mallet from a croquet set. Most croquet sets come with six or eight mallets, so this is a fun game for smaller groups. 04 of 17 Party Limbo Anthony Masterson How low can you go? A broom or stick is all you need to set up this indoor birthday party activity. Limbo, the classic party game, is perfect for kids. Simply lower the broom with each turn and see which child can go the lowest! 05 of 17 Tie-Dye Allison Cottrill Let's tie-dye! Collect each child's shirt size before the party begins, and provide each child with a white cotton tee and a pair of rubber gloves before handing out bottles of dye. Editor's Tip This activity can be messy, so plan to do this one outside. How to Reverse Tie-Dye a Colored Shirt in Less Than 30 Minutes 06 of 17 Party Painting Laura Moss This creative party activity for kids puts their artistic skills on display. Cover a long table with plain paper and set out colorful art supplies like paint, markers, crayons, and more! Give each child a small canvas ($10 for an 8-pack, Target) and let them make their own masterpiece. Editor's Tip Choose washable paint for easy cleanup! 07 of 17 Outdoor Can Toss David Roth Don't throw out those used tin cans! A quick coat of acrylic craft paint transforms them into a fun birthday party activity. Simply stack them in a pyramid and let each party guest take a toss. They won't take much to knock down; a beanbag should do the trick. 08 of 17 DIY Slime Get the FREE printable tags. Carson Downing A slime-making station will be the hit of your next birthday party. Perfect for inside or out, set up a long table with all the necessary supplies to make homemade slime. Give each kid a glass jar and our free printable tags, and you've got a party activity that doubles as a take-home gift. 09 of 17 Sweet Swimmers Alexandra Grablewski Create a birthday party activity that doubles as a sweet party favor. Set up a bowl of gummy fish candy and give each child a net for "catching." Have them fish for sweets and package them in a clear bag to take home. Gummy Worm Popcorn Balls 10 of 17 Handmade Flower Crowns Adam Albright These DIY flower crowns are the prettiest party favors we've ever seen, perfect for a floral-themed birthday party. Set up a do-it-yourself station and let each guest create their own. You'll need faux flowers, twine, and glue. 11 of 17 Inspector Party Game Johnny Miller Let the little ones play detective with a busy birthday party activity. Give each child a magnifying glass and share clues to solve a party mystery or complete a scavenger hunt. Have each clue lead to another until the mystery is solved or the item is found! 12 of 17 Fun Frog Masks Adam Albright Set up a crafting station at your next indoor birthday party. Let each kid create their own take-home animal mask. It's assembled from inexpensive supplies like colorful muffin tin liners ($5, Walmart) and is perfect for that party-time photo booth. 13 of 17 Hop to It Johnny Miller Squares of colorful paper and some tape are all it takes to create this active DIY birthday party game. Set up a winding path of cut paper and let the kiddos jump from square to square. If anyone steps on the floor, they're out! 14 of 17 Outdoor Tic-Tac-Toe Kinzie Riehm Create this birthday party activity with a shower curtain, tape, and colorful flying disks. Use tape to mark the squares of a tic-tac-toe board. Have players take turns tossing their flying disks onto the board. This Giant Outdoor Toppling Tower Game Will Liven Up All Your Backyard Gatherings This Summer 15 of 17 Bottle Toss David Roth Hold on to those used bleach bottles—they're the start of a fun kids' party game. Cut the bottom off a cleaned bottle and remove the label. Decorate with paint or colorful washi tape ($7 for ten rolls, Walmart) and use them to play catch! 16 of 17 Birthday Present Stack Dana Gallagher Who can stack the highest? This easy birthday party activity for kids is a total balancing act. Have kids stack alternating boxes wrapped in colorful paper. The player who topples the tower loses. Use boxes in a variety of sizes to make the game challenging. 17 of 17 Cone Relay Race Julie Bidwell This indoor relay race is all about speed and teamwork! Give each child an empty ice cream cone and have them pass a small ball. The first team to get the ball to every player without dropping it wins. Ice Cream Social Ideas for a Crowd-Pleasing Party for All Ages Celebration Ideas for Every Occasion Every holiday deserves a celebration, so we have ideas to make them all fun and memorable. If you're spending New Year's Eve with your kids, celebrate family-style so everyone starts the year off right. Heart-shaped desserts bring sweetness to Valentine's Day, and these wine and candy pairings are perfect for a romantic evening. Up your Easter egg game with our 45 ways to decorate them! On Fourth of July, share these fun facts before the fireworks begin. If you need a decoration theme for your Halloween party, we have 23 suggestions to make your event spooktacular. And while everyone loves the Thanksgiving feast and a beautifully set table, there's nothing more festive than setting up the Christmas tree, just in time for Santa. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit