Cool Games To Play at A Boy’s Birthday Party

Planning a birthday party doesn’t have to be expensive. The right theme and a few cool games for boys elevates an ordinary party into a fun and memorable experience. Start by choosing a fun theme and a few fun games for boys.

At a boy’s birthday party, games also create a social environment while promoting sensory exploration or healthy physical activity. These activities not only benefit child development, but they also form happy lifelong memories.

Tips On Choosing Fun Games For Boy Birthday Parties

Party games can be simple or elaborate. The best games for your party vary depending on the boy’s personality, age, and personal preferences.

Before you choose any little boys’ games, note the following:

  • How old is the birthday boy?
  • Consider the boy’s interests, hobbies, and skills.
    • For example, if he has good hand-eye coordination for his age then he may love to play a ring toss game with his friends. On the other hand, if he lacks hand-eye coordination, he may prefer a different game that plays to a different strength of his.
  • What are the ages and genders of the other party guests?
    • When the party involves multiple age groups, that narrows your game choice. If all the kids are roughly the same age, choose according to the common age group. Many party planners prefer to plan boy birthday games if the guest of honor is a boy — after all, it is his birthday!

Try this checklist to help choose the right game to match your party theme and venue:

  • Venue/Location
    • The venue is probably one of the most important factors when choosing games for boys. You may choose different games for a party in a public park than one in your own back yard. If possible, visit the venue weeks before the party and look for any features and safety hazards. Plan boys birthday party games to make good use of features and to avoid safety hazards.
  • Theme
    • With a little imagination, you may adapt most boys party games to fit a theme. But some games just naturally fit with certain themes.
  • Budget and your DIY skills
    • If the game requires specific equipment, then you need to buy, borrow, or make it. For example, lawn games like Corn hole are a trendy hit with a wide range of age groups. Your willingness to create or purchase items may direct your game choice.
  • Setup and cleanup
    • Any event planner should consider practical logistics like the setup and cleanup involved with any selected activity. Consider enlisting the help of older siblings, grandparents, or family friends to ensure a smooth flowing party. Enlist this help before the party; don’t assume the parents of the children in attendance will want to assist. Many just want time to relax.

When browsing our list of cool party games for boys, consider how each might fit with your birthday boy, his friends and your venue.

Five Outdoor Party Games For Boys

Outdoor games allow for more active games with less cleanup. If space and weather permit, consider including a couple outside games for boys.

1. Obstacle Courses Are Fun For Boys And Girls

If you have a large space, a DIY obstacle course offers a fun, active experience for boys and girls. By using sticks and yarn, your course can challenge children as they crawl under or jump over obstacles. This is one of the fastest-paced girl or boy games to play at any party.

To create your own obstacle course, you could use:

  • Rolls of colorful yarn or string
  • Wooden stakes (18” – 24” work well)
  • A rubber mallet
  • Soft, low items to jump over
  • Pool Noodles

Game Instructions:

  1. Plan a course that requires a mix of running or jumping combined with belly crawling and navigating through tunnels. Set up a pair of matching obstacles so two kids can race each other.
  2. Use the yarn and wooden stakes to create belly crawl obstacles. Basically place two sets of stakes four feet apart. Tie colorful yarn to both parallel stakes. Weave the yarn in a zigzag pattern for the children to crawl under. For inspiration, look up “laser obstacles” on Google.
  3. Make tunnels with the pool noodles and wooden stakes. For each tunnel, shape your pool noodle into an arch and insert a wooden stake into each end of the noodle. Place these “tunnels” in a line or a curvy path to make a longer tunnel. You may even try varying the height.
  4. Intersperse signs on stakes instructing kids to skip, hop, or run to the next station. This varies the dynamic between crawling and belly crawling and makes the course more challenging.

Be sure to test your obstacle course to make sure it is possible to complete. Sometimes people feel tempted to make an elaborate course, but often simple is better especially if the guests include young children. During the party, kids can race in pairs or you can set it up as a team relay.

2. Water And Water Balloon Games Are Perfect for Big and Little Boys

Water balloons offer endless varieties of fun for boys having a birthday party during summer.

Some popular party games involving water include:

  • Water balloon toss
    • Pair the participants up and have them stand one foot apart. Give each pair a filled water balloon. Have one person toss the balloon to their partner. Now have everyone take one step backwards and repeat. A team is out if their balloon bursts. The last team with an intact balloon wins!
  • Water balloon spoon race
    Boys Birthday Party Games
    • Have each racer place a small filled water balloon on a large spoon. The racers must reach the finish line with their balloon intact and resting on their spoon without holding or manipulating it along the way.
  • Sponge/water relay
    • Each team has an empty bucket or jar at one end. Each runner has a sponge. Set up one or two water sources like a wading pool or a tub of water. Each runner runs between the water filling stations and soaks their sponge. Then they run to the empty bucket and squeeze their sponge into the bucket. The first team to fill their bucket with water wins.

3. Beanbag And Other Tossing Games

Here are some examples of backyard tossing games like Corn hole, bean bag toss, ring toss, and more. Some families prefer to invest in professionally-created game sets for years of family fun. Other DIY and crafty types may prefer to create their own game. These are excellent party games for boys, girls, and adults.

Instructions For An Easy Bean Bag Toss Game:

Equipment to create the target board:

  • Foam board
  • Exacto Knife
  • Paints, markers, fabric or other decorative materials
  • A set of non-breakable items to prop up the goal backdrop, such as plastic flower pots or a sturdy wooden easel

Create a festive target board. You can decorate it in any way you want, even with the birthday boy’s name. Cut a hole with an Exacto to form the goal hole. Be sure to position the same sized hole in the same place on each team’s board.

To toss, each team needs 8 bags. Try one of the following:

  • Small, colorful cloth beanbags
  • Small balloons filled with sand
  • Small balls

Setup:

Prop your target boards up on the ground. Each team has their own target board, so position the boards across from each other separated by around 27 feet. You may adjust the distance closer if your players are small children. Mark each team’s pitching zone with sidewalk chalk, gaffers tape or anything else that won’t damage your floor or lawn. Each team needs a consistent boundary to keep the competition fair.

To play:

Players play in teams of two or four.

The players take alternating turns tossing their bag into their target board. Each gets eight tosses. Players earn points for hitting the target and extra points for tossing the bag into the target hole. Keep track of each team’s cumulative score; the team with the highest score at the end wins the game.

4. Simple Active Games are Perfect Boy Games To Play at the Party

Active games like tag offer an equipment-free way to burn off that extra birthday cake energy. All you need is a safe, open space for children to run. You get extra credit if you set up festive boundary markers using balloons or streamers.

Read on for our list of active party games for boys.

Simple Active Games Variations:

  • Freeze tag
    • The rules are pretty basic: a child simply freezes in place when tagged. The last kid frozen wins the round and is “it” for the next round.
  • Hoop shifter
    • Divide the players into two teams and have them line up and join hands. Give the child at the head of the line a large hula hoop. The challenge is to find a way for each player to pass through the hoop without dropping the hands of the player on either side. The first team to successfully complete the task wins.
  • A three-legged race
    • This cool party classic offers a fun coordination and communication challenge. If a three-legged race seems too basic for your crowd, consider a three-legged relay race, which is basically adding a layer of complication to the game. To win, the fastest pair must cross the finish line, untie themselves then tie the legs of the next pair to race.

5. Flying Disc Tic Tac Toe Are Fun Little Boy Games That Also Entertain Adults

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This variation of tic tac toe requires the player to toss a flying disc to their chosen position on the “board.” The winner is the first to score three in a row. This boy’s birthday game may sound easy, but it can get surprisingly challenging.

Setup:

  • Get two sets of six or more plastic flying discs. Designate one solid color to each team; i.e. team one has blue discs and team two has orange.
  • Take a shower curtain and section off a classic tic tac toe board using colorful gaffer tape.

To Play:

This is a two-player game. Each player takes a turn tossing their disc to one of the empty squares on the board. The rules are much the same as regular tic tac toe.

Putting It All Together: Combining Fun Games For Boys With Your Party Theme

Select two or three games that fit your venue and your party’s theme. Some party planners prefer a mix of elaborate and simple games. For example, a parent may choose to make bean bag toss and water balloon toss games, but also plan to play an equipment-free game like freeze tag.

Hopefully the suggestions above have inspired you to create your own fun, unique boy birthday party games. Have fun and don’t forget to check out our other blog posts for more cool party ideas!

 

Use Discount Party Supplies for Your Party Games

Discount Party Supplies is here for all your party needs! We carry many themes, party games, favors and other supplies to help you craft your perfect memorable event. Feel free to browse our massive product selection and other blog posts to help you get your party just right.

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