Children love music! It stimulates their auditory senses, fires up their imagination, and gives them a good mood. And what do they love more? Party games! It engages their camaraderie, promotes friendly competition, and is a great way to channel their excess energy. When you combine the two, you have a big hit for them, musical party games for children. Forget the ordinary musical chairs and statue dances. Here are five grand musical party games that will guarantee hours of fun and laughter.
1. Pass The Parcel
Have a small gift wrapped in as many layers as the number of players until it looks like a parcel box. Gather the kids in a circle and turn on lively music. Have the kids pass the parcel around. When the music stops, the child who has the parcel will be out, but not before unwrapping it. Continue until all but one child remains. The winner will get the prize inside. Another variation of the game is when the music stops, the child unwraps a layer of the parcel and is given a dare or challenge, like singing a song, hopping on one foot, or holding the breath for an added twist and excitement.
2. Turn Into
This musical game is like the statue dance but offers more creativity. Have the children dance to a lively tune. A few seconds before stopping the music, tell them to “Turn into…” and add a shape, object, or even an animal to which they will imitate while they freeze. A volunteer gets to choose the one who does it the worst. The eliminated child will be the judge for the next round.
3. Name The Nightingale
This game does not need live music. The music will come from the children themselves. Have the kids form around in a circle and blindfold one volunteer in the center. All the children will hem hum a tune (any famous or children’s song will do) and walk around the circle until the volunteer says stop and randomly points to any child. The rest of the children should stop humming except the chosen child. The volunteer should guess the name of the tune the child is humming. If successful, they can swap places; otherwise, the volunteer is out. The eliminated child can choose which one will stand in the center next.
4. Cracker Whistling Game
This one is a staple of party games and is sure to generate laughter. Gather all the children who can whistle in a line. Have them eat a few pieces of crackers and whistle as loud as they can one by one. Someone will act as the judge to pick who whistles the loudest. This game works the same with peanut butter. Be prepared as food could fly in mid-air. For this reason, the game is best played outdoors.
5. Whisper That Tune
Group the kids into two and have them form a line. Each child should be a few feet apart. Now, whisper a tune or hum to the first kids of each line. Make the song quite unfamiliar. Let the kids pass the song to the next in line. The first group to pass and whisper back the song unchanged and unaltered wins the game.
6. The Ball Of Fate
Gather trivia questions about famous cartoon characters or anything that children love ranging from easy to difficult requests. For example: Who chases the Road Runner? What is Elmo’s color? Or even questions about superheroes, fairy tales, etc. Write these questions and tape them on a plastic ball. Now have the children gather in a circle and let them pass the ball to energetic music. When the music stops, the child who has the ball answers the question. If it is answered correctly, he/she will stay in the game; otherwise, he/she is out.
Musical party games for children are popular at birthdays and holiday parties, festivals, school functions, weddings, company picnics, and other special events. Participation of grown-ups is encouraged as well, as it adds more levels and twists to an already exciting musical party game. Nothing is funnier than watching adults trying to whistle through a mouthful of crackers along with the children.