I was wondering if anyone had any ideas on a Pre K birthday game for his class at school, around 20 students. My son is turning 5 and I have never done anything like this before. Please Help!!
I just saw in the Oriental Trading catalog an inflatable pin the tail on the donkey game for $24. A pull string pinata was a hit at my daughter's party. Also, I teach a Character Ed program in K-3 classrooms. The kids really like games like letter or animal bingo and they are easy to make, too.
My son just turned 5 in November I set it up with my local fire department to have his birthday there. Although I only had 3 at his party I know they could have done many more. The kids all got to clib on all the equipment. They really had a blast and the pictures turned out great.
The classic game of Simon Says seemed to work well for my youngsters. We usually put a twist on it by doing animal sounds and acting like animals too such as a chicken. Hot potatoe with music is fun too. If you have time to purchase, for about $14.00 to $18.00 you can purchase a nylon parachute for the kids to all gather around and flip items such as balls or paper shapes up in the air. For other parties my kids have had, we have also set up a table or set out a blanket for the kids to sit on to make bead necklaces while they wait for the party to begin.....the kids got very serious about which beads they wanted to choose and then they have it to take home as a reminder. You can get bulk beads at Hobby Lobby or Michaels for reasonable prices. Good luck with your party!
Check out www.familycrafts.about.com and www.familyfun.go.com. Both of these sites have lots of fun crafts and activities for young kids. You can find some great party ideas!
(Happy bday, big 5-yr-old!)
B.-
A parent magazine had a really neat idea- a mom made up bingo cards with different animals and had animal bingo. Of course, each card would have to be different, but if you have a computer it would be easy enough to cut and paste. You'd probably only make it through one game because of the attention span of that age group, but, with that many players I would imagine you would get a winner pretty quickly. It's just a thought. I hope you have a fun party!
Ask his teacher for ideas. She'll have the best idea what the class is interested in, and preschool teachers know about games most people have never thought of. If you want to think of something on your own use Google to find ideas. Is there a theme for the party? Pinatas are always a good standby though...I've yet to see a preschooler that didn't like candy and permission to be destructive.
Indoor or outdoor?
If it's outdoor and you have plenty of space, I recommend dividing the kids into two or three teams and have them compete with against one another and have a prize for motivation (of course in the end, everyone will get the prize anyway). It'll help them foster good competition at an early age (as in you will be there to supervise so the competition won't turn heavy and nasty, like it can at school).
Scavenger hunt, three legged race, wheelbarrow race, spoon and egg . . .
Otherwise, bubbles is always an option. You can get really creative with bubbles by creating big shapes with straws (triangle, squares, etc) and making the solution with dishwasher soap and water in a wide and shallow tray. Kids love bubbles and it spices things up when you add funky shapes besides the small circles.
You can get really creatie, or you can stick with more traditional games, too. Simon Says, Name that animal, Red Rover, Duck Duck Goose . .
What is the theme of our party? My son is turning one on Saturday and he is having a "fish" party, it started out to be a Nemo party, but it turns out we have few Nemo things and lots of Fish in general things... anyway, a Mom gave me a great idea from Mamasource a few weeks ago. Instead of "pin the tail on the Donkey" we'll do "put the fish in the fish bowl" I'll make "fish" and a posterboard with a "fish bowl" on it and work the game just like Pin the tail in the donkey. The kids at his party will range from 1 to 11, so I think it will be fun. Then I plan to let the kids lose to play, which I think they'll enjoy most anyway.
My sister has older children and for one of their birthdays one yar she found small wooden picture frames and bought items the kids could decorate them with, and then did a group photo with her digital camera and put a copy of the photo in each childs frame before they left the party.
Check out www.perpetualpreschool.com . They have all kinds of ideas.
