Children's Party Ideas That Aim To Please

Each year children attend almost as many parties as there are children involved. If you want to add a little variety to your next celebration, why not try some of these children's party ideas? Hold a party where guests must win their loot bags and any number of prizes by accumulating points. Meet each guest with a score sheet listing tasks and points for each task the child accomplishes. Appoint an adult or older teen to each task station who is authorized to assign points for specified tasks. Use your imagination and the theme of the party to figure out what tasks to choose from. Examples might include:

• Draw a self portrait. Have a few mirrors available. Place on a portrait wall for judging.
• Slingshot Game. Suspend large wooden embroidery hoops from the ceiling at eye level. Use small plush animals such as Beanie Babies or Flying Monkeys and big rubber bands such as they use in hardware stores to propel animals through the hoops.
• Pick-up ducks. Little children, especially, have always loved picking up ducks. Point values may be taped or marked to the bottom of each dock in waterproof marker.
• Guess the number of items in the jar. Specific items will depend on your theme.
• Penny drop. Set a shot glass in the bottom of a water-filled quart jar. Have children drop a specified number of pennies into the jar. For each penny that lands in the shot glass, reward a point.
• Target shoot. Set up empty soft drink cans on a wall, shelf or table. Use rubber dart guns to knock over the cans.
• One-hole miniature golf. Use a golf ball, club and a can turned onto its side. Award points for getting the ball into the can in three tries.
• Pin-the-tail. . . If you have an old Pin-the-Tail-on-the-Donkey game, pull it out. It's the perfect game for this type of activity. Don't have one? Pin the item on any poster that ties in with your theme.
• Karaoke. To win these points, the guest must get onstage and sing an entire verse of a designated song. Teens will love this, and so will the kids.

The games end when it's time to eat or when you ring the bell. To claim a loot bag, the child must turn in his or her tally sheet bearing the signatures of the adults responsible for each task. Of course, you don't leave out any of the children, but do tally the points to see who wins special prizes. The key is to have plenty of tasks to keep the children occupied. Have a few extra prizes stashed away in case one or two guests go over the top with the number of points they rack up. Tip: Adults can do the judging and tallying up points while children are eating. This really doesn't take long. Most of all, enjoy the activities. Feel free to change up any and add a few of your own creation. Spin-the-bottle isn't the only game in town.