games for a bday party

Hi..what are the simple games which can be played at a 3 year olds bday party...i am having a party for my 3 yr old girl and want to keep some simple games...the venue doesnt allow any music so i will be constrained by that...


also..what would be the suitbale return gift for boys in the 4-6 years category..finding it very diff to find something suitable for boys in this category..

3 year olds aren't great at cooperationg /wait your turn games. I would recommend things like free play with balloons (watch any babies who might bite them and inhale the plastic) a little table with playdoh, there are party bubbles for sale at the new Spotlight at Megabox in kowloon bay. Tiny bottles of bubbles that they can all use and have a great time chasing and bursting and because the bottle is so small easily filled up again and no big bubble mixture spills.


Have a few big soft balls for kicking.


Party favours for boys - small cars, any kind of ball, legos (if you can get them cheapish), small torches (they love these - like from the night markets on key rings)or the usual sweets and a balloon. A cool drink bottle for school. Slime in a container - (mum's won't thank you - same goes for silly putt). A jigsaw puzzle with boy theme.

Since children of this age are usually accompanied by an adult, we always did a craft: making crowns was a favourite activity, even for boys. Buy stiff coloured paper (if you can find gold or silver, otherwise any colours will do) and cut out crown shapes - patterns available online - then buy lots of sparkles, stickers, ribbons, whatever - and glue - and stand back! The kids - and parents - loved it.

treasure hunt. But you equalize the playing field amongst 3 year olds.


If you have a theme (mine this year was butterflies) you make the treasures whatever will fit into the theme. (Mine were little butterfly chrysalis) and you have different colored tissue paper and you put the same prize in the same colored tissue paper, based on the number of kids you have. (6 guests, 6 pink tissue packets with the same present inside) These are TINY little things - like a single sticker, a small pack of raisins, a single hershey kiss. After you get an array of different colored different presents, you hide them. The kids DO NOT keep them, but rather deliver them to a central basket - so it's the HUNT, not the keep.


aFterwards, you quickly divide - each kid gets one of each colored packet - and so they all get the same presents and the same amount. Good fun.


also did cookie decoration around our theme - butterfly cookie decorations. Kids loved it - got all the fun sprinkles and kids had a blast.

Plain biscuits like Arnott's milk arrowroot and make up lots of plain icing sugar with either water or lemon juice to thickish consistency and put it into lots of little plastic cups, just a bit in each. They can spread it onto the biscuits with paddle pop sticks or plastic spoons/knives. Lots of cups because they will all lick the spoon/stick and put it back so one each is nice. Let the kids put in the drops of food colour to change it - or prepare in advance and make sure you have some trays (foil will do ) underneath the cookies to catch all the sprinkles! The best way to add sprinkles is actually to have them in a small dish and have the kid dunk the biscuit with icing into it - that way less spillage, but it's not as much fun.


Have a paper plate with their name on it to put their finished biscuit to dry and they can take it home as their party favour. Or if you get to spotlight they have fab little chinese takeaway style boxes (american style) with handles which are plain white which would be great. also in fab plastic designs. I have used these before to portion out small children's party food. A little popper juice, sandwich, small bag of treats or some vege stick etc. Put their names on it and they can wander around snacking. Saves on lots of waste.


Agree with the treasure hunt above, the kids bring in the hunt token to central place and everyone is a winner! Same with pinatas - I usually put the lolly bags - tied up - inside the pinata with the kids name on them and that way when it all falls out the game is to match the people with their bags - saves on lots of tears and the big rumble.