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Selection of awesome toddler party activities and games that will keep the little ones entertained. These are simple activities to organise and also simple to play.
Incorporate some of them into the birthday party for a stress free and super fun event.
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Whilst a birthday party sounds like a fun idea, you might be wondering how you can keep a bunch of toddlers entertained without loosing your sanity in the process.
Birthday parties are supposed to be FUN after all and not a headache!
The great thing about toddler parties though is that you don’t have to prepare anything complicated.
You need things that are quick, simple, not overly structured but will also have everyone engaged.
If it feels like the whole idea is putting your head into a spin, check out the following 20 toddler party activities and games.
They will allow you to plan the party with ease, feeling confident that it will be a day everyone will enjoy.
How Do I Entertain My Toddler At A Party?
The best way to keep toddlers entertained at a party is to have games and activities pre-prepared.
But here is the thing. KEEP IT SIMPLE!
If you try and get too coordinated or fancy with the activities then you could run into trouble.
Toddlers have a short attention span, so staying on task in a game or adhering to the “rules” might be tricky.
The activities that are planned therefore need to be able to proceed even if some toddlers decide to stop playing mid game.
It’s also a great idea to simply have an activity station set up that the toddlers can take themselves off to.
This can be as simple as having some coloring pages or some simple fun craft.
And whilst you will have organised activities planned, it is also a good idea to have some loose play items available. This could be a ball pit, or some loose toys.
This allows the toddlers to interact with something whilst they are waiting for the planned activities to start.
How Long Should A Toddler Birthday Party Last?
When thinking about a party for a 2-3 year old, one of the first things to consider is how long you want the party to last.
From there you work backwards to work out time for food and games.
2- 3 year olds are very energetic, but they also get tired easier and keeping their attention is harder. For this reason, it is recommended that a toddler birthday party last for around 2 hours only.
This will allow you plenty of time to undertake everything you want, whilst ensuring that the toddlers do not become too irritable and tired.
Toddler Party Activities
1. Bubbles
If there is one thing that you can guaranteed that toddlers will love its bubbles!
This is a great “fill in” game, when you just want to bide some time. Hand some of the parents some bubble wands and get them to fill the air.
Toddlers will have a great time chasing and popping the bubbles.
2. Music Shaker
The toddlers are involved in a craft activity where they choose a bottle or plastic container and fill it with some rice grains. Then seal and decorate their container.
Once all the toddlers have created a shaker they can sit in a circle and shake their creation whilst some fun music is being played.
Alternatively if you aren’t keen on the toddlers creating the shakers, this can pre-arranged so the shakers are ready for them.
3. Face Painting
Most toddlers love to get their face painted.
Maybe you have a talented parent who could put their hand up for the job, otherwise you might decide to hire someone.
But parents don’t need to be creating masterpieces. The face painting can be incredibly simple and the toddlers will still think it’s amazing.
4. Scavenger Hunt
Toddlers love hunting for things, so a scavenger hunt is the perfect activity for them.
An easy way of creating a scavenger hunt is to give each toddler a sheet with various pictures on.
They then have to hunt around to find the matching picture that has been hung up somewhere.
When they have found it, they can cross it off their sheet and look for the next one.
Alternatively you could leave several small party favors could be left around for the kids to find and pick up.
They might decide to do the activity alone or team up with another toddler.
5. Follow The Leader
This is a fun activity that can almost be made up on the spot. Get all the toddlers into a line (or a huddle) and tell them to follow the adult at the front and copy everything that they do.
So the leader might start with a gentle walk, following by jumping forwards, to turning around, skipping, hopping etc.
Take the toddlers on a little adventure whilst undertaking different movements at the same time.
It doesn’t matter if they get the movements right or not.
The important thing is that they simply enjoy it!
6. Have A Dance
Toddlers love to dance and shake their body.
Play some music they will love and let them get groovy.
Pom poms or streamers could be handed to them to wave as they dancing.
7. Sing-A-Long
Toddlers love music so this is a great little activity for them.
Gather then in a group and sit them together for a sing-a-long.
Make sure you pick lots of music that they are familiar with such as:
- Old McDonald Had A Farm
- The Wheels On The Bus
- Baa, Baa Black Sheep
8. Dress Up / Photo Booth Station
It’s no secret that toddlers love to dress up, so this is an easy toddler activity to bring to a party.
Have an area set aside where you play lots of hats, scarf’s, glasses, costumes etc and let them dig in and find something fun to pose with.
You could also set up a party backdrop and take photos of the toddlers when dressed up.
9. Animal Recreation
Have a list of animals to hand and then ask the toddlers to recreate that animal. So for example, “let’s all be a monkey”, or “now let’s be a chicken”.
Ask the toddlers to move around creating the movements and sounds of that animal.
You can even ask the toddlers what animal they would like to be next.
10. Ball Pit
Toddlers love ball pit’s and this is an easy toddler party activity to recreate at home.
Simply grab an inflatable swimming pool and fill it with plastic balls. The toddlers will love jumping in and throwing the balls about.
11. Sensory Bins
Have several tubs that are filled with dry grains of rice, water beads, kinetic sand of a combination of all.
Hide several small toys or party favors in the tubs that the toddlers can find.
Also have some small cups and spoons available that the toddlers can use for this play.
Birthday Party Games For Toddlers They Will Love
12. Pass The Parcel
This a classic toddler game.
To play the game have all the toddlers sit in a circle. Give the parcel to the birthday child and start the music.
The toddlers pass the parcel around the circle and hold onto it when the music stops.
One layer of the parcel is opened. The music starts again and play resumes with the parcel going around the circle again.
The winner is the toddler who unwraps the last layer and gets to keep the gift inside.
To ensure each toddler receives a prize you may decide to place something small in between each layer. This could be a candy or a sticker.
If you chose to do this, make sure that there is a layer for each toddler. Once everyone has had a turn, make sure you turn your back to the circle so you don’t know who the winner will be.
Tip: It’s a good idea to wrap the final layer in a different colored paper. That way you can ensure that you turn around when you need to!
13. Pass The Ball
This game is played in the same way as pass the parcel except the toddlers are passing a ball.
When the music stops, the toddler who is holding the ball gets to pick a little prize out a bag. Keep going until each toddler has obtained a prize.
14. Simon Says
One of the parents is “Simon” and all the toddlers stand in front of Simon. Instructions are then given out that the toddlers need to follow.
For example, say “Simon says Jump up and down”. Or “Simon says cover your eyes”.
Keep coming up with new instructions that the toddlers will follow.
Then throw in an instruction without saying “Simon Says”.
Make sure the toddlers understand that if you just say “Jump up and down” without saying “Simon says” first, then they are out.
However as toddlers are playing, it is better to have winners or each round and then have continual play rather than asking toddlers to sit out after each round.
15. Musical Bumps
Musical bumps is super easy and fun for toddlers.
Play some music that they will enjoy and when the music stops, they all have to sit on the floor as quickly as possible.
Rather than eliminating players, simply play again and again. They will love trying to get the ground as quickly as possible.
16. Musical Statues
This is played in the same way as musical bumps however when the music stops, the toddlers need to stand still rather than bump to the floor.
If you are having a themed party you could ask them to pose. For example a Princess or Superhero pose. Otherwise just stand still!
Rather than play as a competitive game, keep the game continuous allowing everyone to keep playing.
17. Pin The Tail On The Donkey
The game consists of having a picture on the wall, in this case a donkey.
The toddlers are blindfolded and turned around on the spot 3 times (turning around is optional). They are then directed to walk towards the picture and pin the tail where they think it should be.
Take off their blind fold to see the result.
The winner is the toddler who gets it closest to the correct spot.
This game can also be purchased from many party stores to tailor to individual party themes.
18. Sleeping Lions
Sleeping lions is a perfect game for toddlers when they need some quiet time. All the toddlers must lay on the ground and try and stay as still and as quiet as they can.
Someone walks around the toddlers talking, singing, and tickling them trying to make them move or laugh.
19. Parachute Game
There are so many games that can be played with a parachute.
Examples of parachute games include:
- Get all the toddlers to hold the parachute and then simply dance with it.
- Get them to move around in a circle.
- Get them to move the parachute up and down and shake it.
- Place balls on the top of the parachute and bounce them up and down.
- Ask parents to hold the parachute whilst the toddlers climb underneath. Move the the parachute up and down whilst they dance underneath.
20. Bean Bag Toss
There are various ways you can play a bean bag toss. You can set up targets for the toddlers to aim at, or they could throw throw the bean bags into buckets.
This is a huge list of toddler party activities and games and you certainly won’t be able to use them all.
It is however a good idea to prepare for more activities than you think you will need to ensure that you don’t run out of things to do.
You may also find that some of the activities you thought would be a real “hit” end up being a real “flop” and you want to move onto something else super quick.
Having options up your sleeve will ensure that this is really easy and stress free for you to do.
Chose a few of these games and activities to play and the toddlers are all going to thoroughly enjoy the birthday party.
Need some more ideas for party games? Check out the most awesome fun party games for kids of all ages. You will have a ton of inspiration to keep the kids entertained.
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