ACTIVITIES

15 party games for seven year olds

Last modified on Tuesday 15 February 2022

Planning a birthday party for your seven year old and looking for fun party games? We've got loads of ideas to keep kids entertained. From indoor games to outdoor activities, these easy games will ensure they have lots of party fun!

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If you're planning a seven-year-old's birthday party , you're going to want some fun games to keep the kids occupied.

At seven, kids are full of energy and will enjoy taking part in traditional party games and team games. They understand complex rules and the concept of winning and losing. Plus, unlike younger children, they won't get too upset if they're 'out' or don't win.

Just make sure you have plenty of small gifts such as sweets and stickers to hand out – they'll still expect prizes and won't be afraid to ask for them!

1. Scavenger hunt

Scavenger hunts are great because you can adapt them to your theme and surroundings and they don't involve too much supervision!

In a scavenger hunt you write a list of things you want your guests to come back with and then send them off in teams or pairs to find them. If you're sending them outside this could be things they'll find in nature like a stone, a feather etc. Indoors could be items from different rooms in the house, such as a hairbrush or a wooden spoon.

You could also ask them to get items from other people like a selfie with the birthday child's dad, who can show you it on his phone, a sock from an adult etc.

The first team back with everything are the winners.

2. Dress-up relay

You can play lots of daft relay games with seven year olds, this dress-up race is particularly good fun.

It's played with two teams (or more if you have a large party) and you'll need a set of dressing up clothing for each team. The clothing can fit around the party theme, so a full Harry Potter outfit for example, a pirate, fairy or a set of clothes in rainbow colours.

Make sure you have at least four different items of clothing or accessories for each outfit to make things more fun.

Line up your teams. When you shout 'go' the first player in each team has to put on the outfit, run to a certain spot, turn around and run back. They then take off the clothing, pass it to the second person and so on. The first team to finish is the winner.

3. Limbo

Who doesn't love limbo? Get two adults or kids to hold a pole (a broom handle works well) while the children take it in turn to go underneath, leaning backwards.

Each round the pole gets lower. No part of the body can touch the pole, if it does the child is out. The child who manages to go the lowest is the winner.

Why not get the adults involved, too? It'll make the kids giggle to see everyone try, and they'll be proud that they can go lower than mum or dad.

You can buy ready-made limbo sets. See more details here at Amazon.

4. Duck, duck, goose

A classic party game.

Get all the kids sitting in a circle then pick out one child or ask for a volunteer (less confident kids might not want to go first).

The chosen child walks around the outside of the circle, tapping all the kids on the head as they pass and calling out 'duck'.

After a while, when they tap a child on the head they call out 'goose'. They then need to run around the circle to get back to the place they were sitting. The child who was ‘goose’ has to chase them.

If the first child gets back before being caught, they sit down, and the chaser has their turn. If not, the same child goes again.

5. Obstacle course

A great way for kids to use up some energy! If you're having your party somewhere with a large amount of space then an obstacle course can be great fun.

Use slides, old boxes to crawl through, blankets to crawl under, blocks to weave in and out of without knocking them over … whatever you have to hand. You can theme it to make things more exciting, so make it a jungle-themed assault course, pretend you're crossing different planets or riding a unicorn through a magical kingdom.

If you want to make it competitive, set a timer and the fastest person to complete the course wins (or the fastest team if you're doing it as a relay).

group of children pulling on rope in game of tug of war

6. Tug of war

All the old-fashioned games you remember from school sports day make great party games. Tug of war, egg and spoon races, wheelbarrow races and three legged races are brilliant fun.

For tug of war, you need two teams and a rope. Mark a line on the floor, the team that pulls their opponents over the line is the winner.

If you don't have a rope to hand, you can easily play it with a rolled-up sheet instead. Or tie a few soft belts or dressing-gown cords together. Be sure to play it somewhere there's a soft landing, like grass or carpet, for the inevitable tumbles.

7. What time is it Mr Wolf?

'What time is it Mr Wolf' is a fun game of tag. You can change the wolf to any other character to fit in with your party theme. At a Harry Potter party it might be Voldemort for example, or at a Disney party it could be one of the villains.

Chose one child to be Mr Wolf. They stand with their back to the room and the other kids line up at the other side of the room. The kids all say together, 'What time is it Mr Wolf?'.

If Mr Wolf answers with a time, like 'three o'clock', then the kids must take that many steps towards him. When the wolf chooses, they can say 'dinnertime!' instead, then turn around and chase the other kids.

They need to get back to the starting line without being caught. If the wolf tags someone, then they become the wolf.

8. Balloon forfeits

For this game you're going to need at least one balloon per child.

Write some funny forfeits on thin slips of paper, things like try to lick your elbow, tell your best joke , hop on one leg 10 times while patting your head and rubbing your tummy, make your best fart noise …

Place the slips inside balloons then blow them up.

Get the kids to bop a balloon in the air between them, trying to keep it off the floor. If someone drops it they then have to pop the balloon and perform the forfeit inside.

You can also play this with music, so when the music stops, the person holding the balloon has to pop it and perform the forfeit.

If you think some of the kids may be shy, you can play so everyone performs the forfeit rather than just one individual.

9. Doughnuts on string

So much fun! Doughnuts on string makes a great game for any type of party from birthday to Halloween, and you can vary the foods you use as well.

Tie mini doughnuts onto pieces of string – one for each child – and hold or tie them at a height kids will be able to reach with their mouth, a bit like a doughnut washing line.

With their hands behind their backs, the children have to try and eat the doughnuts, the fastest to finish is the winner. If you want you can make this a relay game so the fastest team to finish their doughnuts wins.

10. Simon says

Choose one child to be Simon. This child gives out instructions such as 'Simon says put your hands on your head.' They can make these instructions as silly or funny as they want.

The children have to follow the instructions, but only if the person says 'Simon says' first.

If they don't say Simon says, and the child follows the instruction, then they're out. (Similarly, if 'Simon' does say 'Simon says', but the child doesn't follow the instructions, they're also out.)

Last one standing is the winner.

Young girls playing tag

11. Capture the flag

You need a large open space for capture the flag, such as a big garden.

Divide the kids into two teams. Each team has a flag, although you can use anything you want instead of a flag, such as glow sticks or a present. The aim of the game is for each team to try and capture the other team's flag without being tagged.

The space is divided in half into two territories. In their own half of the space each team is safe but if they enter the other team's space they can be tagged. Chose what happens when they're tagged before the game, they can be frozen until a team mate tags them again, go back to the far side of the space or have to join the enemy team for example.

The team that manage to capture the flag and get it back to their territory without being tagged are the winners.

12. Treasure hunt

A treasure hunt is a great way to keep kids entertained at a party. There are numerous ways you can do it. Either split kids into groups and give them a map to hunt out the treasure you've hidden around the venue or garden, or give them clues. Each clue will then lead to the place they'll find the next clue and ultimately to a prize.

To prevent everyone fighting over the same clue or prize create different maps or starting points and clues for each team.

Stuck for clues? These Easter egg hunt clues can be repurposed for any kind of treasure hunt.

You can buy ready-made treasure hunt kits. See more details here at Amazon.

13. The human puzzle

Pick one child or ask for a volunteer and get them to shut their eyes.

The other kids then stand in a circle holding hands. Without breaking hands, they have to tie themselves into the most complicated knot possible by turning around, stepping over each other’s arms, going under arms etc.

When they’re ready, the child with their eyes closed has to unknot them without breaking any links.

Expect lots of laughter, confusion and falling over each other! This is another one that's best played somewhere with a soft landing, such as carpet or grass.

14. Pin the tail on the donkey

It's a party game classic. Draw a large picture of a donkey on a piece of card and pint it to the wall. Make a tail from another piece of card and place Blu Tack or tape on the back.

Blindfold each child in turn, spin them round and ask them to pin the tail where they think it should go. Write each child's name where they placed the tail. The one who got closest is the winner.

You can change the picture to fit with your theme, so pin the tail on the unicorn or parrot on the pirate's shoulder for example.

You can buy ready-made kits to make playing this game much easier. See more details here at Amazon.

15. Musical chairs

An oldie but a goodie. For musical chairs line up a row of chairs with alternate chairs facing opposite ways.

Play some music and when it stops, the kids have to sit down in a chair. Remove a chair each round – if someone doesn't have a chair to sit in they're out – until you have a winner.

If you have some dance fans at your party you can also play musical statues. The kids dance, then when the music stops they have to freeze in place. Anyone who moves is out.

Are you planning a child's birthday party? Have you got any great kids' party games to recommend? From tug of war to charades, red rover to blind man's buff, share your faves on the forum thread below.

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