Here are our favourite indoor party games for kids. Perfect for those unexpected rainy party days or when you don’t have a lot of space outside.

Give these great games a go and we would love you to share your favourites.

1. Duck, Duck, Goose

A group of players sit in a circle, facing inward, while another player, the 'picker' (a.k.a. the 'fox'), walks around tapping or pointing to each player in turn, calling each a 'duck' until finally picking one to be a 'goose' The 'goose' then rises and chases and tries to tag the 'picker', while the 'picker' tries to return to and sit where the 'goose' had been sitting. If the picker succeeds, the 'goose' is now the new picker and the process begins again. If the 'goose' succeeds in tagging the picker, the 'goose' may return to sit in the previous spot and the 'picker' resumes the process. This can also be played outside.

 

2. Sardines

All children except one count to twenty together while one goes into hiding. When they reach twenty the children must hunt for the missing child. Whoever finds the child will be squashed into the one hiding space. When the last child discovers the hiding place, the game can be played again with the child who found the hiding place first taking a turn as the next hider.

 

3. Blindman’s Bluff

Blindfold one child and spin her around three times. The other players must move around making noise and so on while the blindfolded player tries to catch them. When she catches the child, she must guess who it is. If she guesses correctly, the caught child takes over as the blind man.

 

4. Musical Chairs

Make two lines of back-to-back chairs. There should be one less chair than the number of children. When the music starts, children march around the chairs. When the music stops everyone sits down. The person without a chair drops out. Remove a chair and start the music again. The game continues until only two players are left competing for the last chair.

 

5. Musical Statues

The children dance about as music plays. When it stops, all players must freeze like statues. Anyone who twitches is out. The game goes on until only the winner is left.

6. Mismatches

Divide the children into two teams. One team leaves the room while the other makes ‘mismatches’ by altering things in the room. They might change the position of an object such as turning a vase upside down or might change something about a person, such as putting a coat on inside out. At the end of a time limit the other team returns and tries to spot the mismatches. Any mismatches that have not been noticed within a designated time limit score one point to the team that made them. The team then change roles. The team with the most points wins.

 

7. Squeak Piggy Squeak

Children sit on chairs around the room. Blindfold one child, turn him around a few times and give him a cushion. While the children sit silently as possible, the ‘blind’ player must find a child, sit on his lap with the cushion and call out ‘Squeak Piggy Squeak!’ The child makes a piggy noise. If the blind player correctly guesses whose lap he is sitting on, he changes places with him. Children should rearrange themselves and their chairs before starting again.

 

8. Musical Bumps

The children dance about as music plays. When it stops, all players must immediately sit down. The last one to sit down is out. The game goes on until only the winner is left.

Any of your favourites we have missed out? Please share!