Ice breaker questions for kids to warm up your party

by Barb | May 18, 2021 | Games/Activities

Icebreaker Questions

for kids

to Warm Up Your Party

Ice Breaker Questions for Kid's Parties are non-competitive and fun questions meant to help your party-goers become more about each other. They help and the children get to know each other a little bit more and this allows them to feel more comfortable with each other.

How and Why to use Icebreaker Questions/Games for Children's Parties

Icebreaker games and activities are played at the beginning of your party as your young guests arrive. The games help them learn other's names and possibly their interests. When children do not feel like strangers, they are more comfortable and the party atmosphere is easier to create. You want to create a party atmosphere where children are relaxed and comfortable with each other. In a way, it can help set the tone for the celebration, so it should be fun, relaxed, and inclusive.

Attention Spans by Age for Ice Breaker Questions

Attention spans increase as children grow older. Although research varies, we know that the younger the child, the shorter the attention span. TeachMeToTalk.com shared research that stated, “…a study (by) (Gaertner 2008) (stated) that said the normal range for a toddler’s attention span is 3 to 6 minutes. Any longer than that and a child requires full adult support to stay with a task.” In addition, Brain Balance Achievement Centers shared a simple chart that gives general guidelines for attention spans by age.

2 years old: four to six minutes
4 years old: eight to 12 minutes
6 years old: 12 to 18 minutes
8 years old: 16 to 24 minutes
10 years old: 20 to 30 minutes

Any mom knows these things, but it is helpful to have a general guideline for planning activities for parties as well as everyday activities.

Icebreaker Questions for Kids (Toddlers and Pre-Schoolers)

A simple but fun Icebreaker Game that meets the needs of toddlers is BEACH BALL ICEBREAKER. Prep: Get an inflatable beach ball. Inflate it. Have a list of questions prepared for the children to answer. You can read the questions from your list or cut the questions apart and put them into a basket, from which you draw a question. To Play: Ask the children to sit in a circle. Give the ball to a random child, and ask a question. Once the question has been answered, the child with the ball passes either to the child next to them or across the circle. Continue playing until each child has answered at least one question. Questions can be reused. Feel free to add your own. Examples could be:

Get these Ice Breaker Questions in the Resource Library now!

Icebreaker Questions for Kids (3-5-year-olds)

Beach Ball Toss –

Materials:

1 or more Inflatable Beach Balls
Permanent Marker

Inflate the Beach Balls. With a permanent marker, write a question on each section of the ball. Play: Sames as above. Examples: Additional Questions You Can Ask.

Get these Ice Breaker Questions in the Resource Library now!

Expanding the game for Grade Schoolers

By adding ice breaker questions for kids that encourage your grade-schoolers to share a bit about themselves, add some of the following questions. The following printable will give you some ideas.

Get these Ice Breaker Questions in the Resource Library now!

These questions could also be printed, cut apart, and put into a hat or basket. Ways to vary the Ice Breaker Questions for kids in games: Parties are meant to be fun for all who take part in them.

Taking a bit of time to help make the children have an atmosphere that is friendly will help them feel more comfortable, will help everyone more relaxed and able to have fun together.

Just as Ice Breaker Questions are used in adult work situations to build a well-functioning team, the same concept is so helpful in helping children gain confidence by sharing in a friendly environment.

When kids or adults are comfortable they will enjoy their surroundings and the activities so much more. Enjoy these age-appropriate Ice Breaker Questions and help make your party guests comfortable.

Best Age Appropriate Games for a Big-Time Family Fun Night

by Barb | Dec 19, 2017 | Family Time, Games/Activities

Best Age Appropriate Games for a

Big-Time Family Fun Night

New Year's Eve has traditionally been a family game night–a time for snacks and board games in our home. It is a time away from the tech world that seems to take so much our time now. When the children were young, the games were often noisy and the children rambunctious.

(This post contains affiliate links. Please read my disclosure here.)

That did not change as they grew older. Depending on the game, alliances could be created, strategies shared or not, and the stakes were high. After all, one needs to be at their best when playing games to dominate the world. (We have taken a break from Risk…)

Time for Adding a New Family Tradition?

Board games continue to play a part in the lives of our children. Family game night evolved into work friends game might for one of my sons. He invites co-workers and nearby family over for a weekly game night. Their games are very complicated, and though I do not play with them, I still hear a lot of laughter. That never gets old! I have listed some of the best (my opinion) games for families to play. Many are classics, and that is simply because they are so great!

Playing board games and games in general with your children has many benefits.

While playing games, children develop skills that include physical, social, academic, and other mental developmental skills.

But most importantly, it is about taking the time to play together with your children. This helps form an essential bond that brings people together for years and years, through good times and not so good. Occasionally, I see my grown kids playing with their children or nieces and nephews, and it sparks my memories of their childhoods and I smile. These are the things that help bring meaning to life.

When I asked my kids about some of the games on this list, they remembered playing many of them and some of the drama involved. One of my memories: playing Connect 4 was often meant to be a quick game when the time was tight but would it often turn into a much longer game-play time, and one of us would say, Just one more.” No one wanted to lose.

CONNECT 4

So take some time and explore what games are best for your family. For young ones, I have listed age-appropriate games, but please be aware of choking hazards and keep your young ones safe. Make the best decisions for your family.

While playing games, children develop skills that include physical, social, academic, and other mental developmental skills. But most importantly, it is about taking the time to play together with your children. Click To Tweet

Best Age Appropriate Games for a Big-Time Family Fun Night

Preschoolers -3 and 4-year-olds

Pre-schoolers- the active games in “10 Fun and Frugal and Party games for Pre-Schoolers” are not board games but are appropriate for this age group. Board games for this age group can include:

Candyland (3 and up)
Hi Ho Cherry O – (3 years and up)
Boggle Jr – (3 and up)
Hungry, Hungry Hippos – (4 and up)
Operation– (5 and up)

Young School-Age Children: 5,6,7 and 8 year-olds

Board games for this age group include:

Battleship

(ages 5 and up) and still a favorite of mine. Battleship is the classic naval combat game. It uses competition and strategy. In a one-on-one battle, you search for the enemy’s fleet of ships and your goal is to destroy them one by one. You try to protect your own fleet using your strategy while you attempt to destroy your opponent’s fleet.

Connet 4

(6 years old and up) This is a classic where you take turns positioning your red or yellow discs in an attempt to get 4 in a row while blocking your opponent from getting 4 in a row. This can be lightning-fast and methodical or slow and methodical. This is a family favorite and one I will definitely play with my grandchildren.

Monopoly

(6 and up) Another classic game. fast-dealing property trading game where players buy, sell, dream and scheme their way to riches. Part of the initial fun is choosing your token. So, choose your token, place it on GO! and roll the dice. There can be only one winner in the Monopoly game. Will it be you?

CHECKERS

2 in 1 set

A game of mathematical possibilities. For a fascinating history and how to play information please “check” out: Learn to Play Checkers-There's More to Checkers Than Meets the Eye.

CHESS

(depends on the child-play when they can understand the various pieces and the moves they can make.) Two players. Each player begins with 16 pieces: one king, one queen, two rooks, two knights, two bishops, and eight pawns. Each type of piece moves differently. The most powerful are the King and Queen. The objective is to checkmate which is putting the king into an inescapable position. There are other ways to have the game come to a conclusion, including coming to a draw. Great for math and strategy skills.

Chinese Checkers

This similar to checkers but the game board is a star. Pieces are often marbles or other smaller spheres. Fun!

CLUE

(8 and up) One murder…6 suspects. In Clue, players have to find out who's responsible for murdering Mr. Boddy of Tudor Mansion in his own home. A fun game to determine who, with what and where the victim, Mr. Boddy, was killed. Using elimination, players try to play the sleuth and solve the crime. There is also the 1985 classic comic movie and the more recent 2014 version where the main characters are teenagers. The game is so popular that many versions of it are available including Classic, Retro, Firefly, Star Wars, Harry Potter, Big Bang Theory, Legend of Zelda, The Office and many more.

Ticket to Ride-First Journey

Ticket to Ride is a cross-country train adventure where players collect cards of various types of train cars that enable them to claim railway routes connecting cities in various countries around the world. (ages 8 and up) Other games to investigate include:

Mousetrap

(reviewed by MENSA)

(Mfg Recommended age 6 – 99 years)

Boggle,
Apples to Apples
Monopoly,
Jenga

and so many more…

Middle School and High School

Pandemic

(This post was published originally in 2017)

In Pandemic four diseases have broken out in the world Each disease is threatening to wipe out a region. In the game, there are 2 to 4 players each playing one of five possible specialists: dispatcher, medic, scientist, researcher, or operations expert. Unlike most board games this gameplay is cooperative, rather than competitive. Players combine efforts of all the players to discover all four cures before any of several game-losing conditions are reached. (Recommended for ages 13-15) and above.

Blokus

The title is pronounced “Block us”. It is an abstract strategy game with transparent, Tetris-shaped, colored pieces. The only caveat to placing a piece is that it may not lie adjacent to your other pieces, but instead must be placed touching at least one corner of your pieces already on the board.

Settlers of Catan

Players assume the roles of settlers. Each player attempts to build and develop their holdings while trading and acquiring resources. Players are awarded points as their settlements grow. The first player to reach a set number of points, typically 10, is the winner. (I have played this and I enjoyed it very much!- easily multi-generational)

Cranium

Cranium is a game that is supposed to be an “all-brain” game. It borrows elements from many popular games. It's a party game that borrows from a host of other popular party games of recent times. Cranium has elements similar to those of Pictionary, Charades, Trivial Pursuit, Celebrities, Huggermugger, Claymania, etc.

Players need to successfully complete activities in each of four sections to win:

In Creative Cat a player must clue a word to his or her teammates by drawing it, sculpting it in clay, or drawing it with his or her eyes closed.
Data Head: A hosts a variety of trivia questions.
Word Worm: Players unscramble words, spell challenging words, guess definitions, identify words with letters left out, or spell words backward.
Star Performer: players must whistle a song, impersonate a celebrity, or act out a clue.

Grown-up kids of any age

My Personal Choices- As I have said before—All games with a “Firefly” Theme-the Greatest Space Western–ever! It was the greatest mistake that the network canceled it! A perfect weekend (for me) would be a Firefly/Serenity Marathon while playing the following games with added bits of Firefly Trivia. And it is one my grown children would also enjoy because they also loved the series and film.

So when life seems like it is going to fast…

the children are growing too fast, or that you all need to take a deep breath and slow down, it may be the time to have a family game night, some snacks and reconnect with each other. It will be worth it and your family will grow together now and for in the future.

So, with these suggestions to explore, find the games that are best for your family and plan your family game night.

A printable sign is available in the Resource Library, so go plan so fun!

So, above all, feel comfortable starting a new tradition that will bring your family closer together and help create memories that make you all smile.

10 Fun and Frugal Party Games for Preschoolers

by Barb | Sep 26, 2017 | Games/Activities

10 Games

for Pre-schoolers!

While these are classic, simple games, they almost make party planning for a pre-schooler too fun and simple!

Because these game ideas will help you save time, money and probably mental stress, they also ensure that your party-goers will have lots of fun.

Duck, Duck, Goose

How to play the game: Children sit in a circle on the floor. Choose one child to be “it.” This person could be the birthday child or picked through another way you choose. The child is the “Goose.” Other children are the “Ducks.” Then the “Goose” walks around the circle, patting each child on the head and at the same time says “Duck.” At the “Goose’s” discretion, the child puts their hand on one of the children in the circle and says, says “Goose.” The “tagged child now becomes the “It.” Then the tagged child gets up and chases the Goose around the circle.

The “Goose” must run around the circle and sit in the empty spot of the child they tagged. If the “Goose” is successful, the new “It” becomes the new “Goose.” The process continues. If the first “Goose” gets tagged by the “it,” that child then sits in the center of the circle, and the game continues. As the activity continues, the circle gets smaller and smaller. The winner is the last person standing.

Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes:

How to play the game: Non-competitive. While the group of children sings the song, they point to the body parts as they are named.:

If the children are enjoying it, you can make it a bit more challenging by substituting other body parts: eyes, tummies,

Additional verses are sung by omitting the first word sung in the previous verse, and, instead, touching their body parts, without saying the word:

The children continue to play until there are no more words. Often the verses are sung faster and faster as words the game continues.

Freeze Dance

How to play: Create a list of songs that the children enjoy. Ask the children to dance and enjoy the music. When the music stops, the children must “freeze” or stop and “freeze” in that position, and must remain in that position until the music restarts. Start over—the kids love this as they see the goofy “freeze” poses.

Variation: Ask the children to freeze in specific themes: animals, stand on one leg, or designate a “look-out” to find the goofiest pose.
This game is a lot of fun, and everyone stays busy—toddlers also love this game.

Hide and Seek—a classic

How to play: One child covers his/her eyes and counts to a certain number (10, 20, etc.) When the number is reached, “It” starts looking for the other children. The last person found becomes the next “it.” And play starts over.

Variation: “It” uses a flashlight to “spot” the children they find.

For other variations check out Fun Hide and Seek Games for Parties and Play!

Hot Potato-another classic

How to play: Children sit on the floor in a circle. Turn on some music (use party theme music if possible). Ask them to pass around a bean-bag or softball as fast as they can, until the music stops. When the music stops, the child holding the ball or bean-bag (potato) leaves the circle. The last child in the circle – wins.

Simon Says

How to play: Ask children to stand in a circle or line. To begin playing the game, choose one person (an adult or party helper) to be “Simon,” and stand in front of the children. “Simon” calls out actions, saying, “Simon says, … touch your nose.” The children follow the example. If “Simon” says to do an action, they are to do it.

When “Simon,” says an action, without beginning with, “Simon says,” the children who complete that are “out.” “Simon’s” goal is to get as many people out as possible. “Simon” can complete an action without saying anything and if the players follow him, they are out. Play continues until there is one player left. That player becomes the new “Simon.”

Bubbles

How to play: Bubbles are always fun. Give each child Bubbles and a Bubble Wand to blow bubbles. See who can blow the biggest bubble, longest lasting bubble, or whatever category you create. Blowing bubbles is a fun activity itself.

Don’t Touch the Ground!

How to play: Designate a start line and a finish line. Give each child a blown-up balloon. An adult or game supervisor says, “GO” and the players must hit their balloon into the air as they walk to the finish line. If the balloon touches the ground, that child must start over at the “start” line. The first child to get to the finish line wins.

Variation: To make the game more difficult for older players, the players hop on either one or two feet, crab-walk, or bump the balloon to the finish line with their heads, etc.

Animal Charades

How to play: Place several stuffed animals in a container such as a pillowcase or other container where children cannot see the contents. Have children close their eyes, while one child picks an animal from the container. Once the child identifies the animal, they return the animal to the container. Have the child act out the animal and the other children try to guess what the animal is. Whoever guesses correctly, gets to choose the next animal.

Blind Man’s Bluff (a variation of Tag and dates to ancient Greece and in Tudor England)

How to play: One player is designated as “It.” “It” is blindfolded and searches for other players with their arms stretched out attempting to touch the other players without being able to see them. The other players scatter to avoid the person who is “It.” When a player is tagged they are out of the game. The last player tagged is the new “Blind Man.”

Play Blind Man's Bluff in an area free of dangerous obstructions. This avoids having the “It” player injure gameplayers from tripping over or hitting something.

These tried and true children's games are classics because they continue to provide lots of fun with little preparation, supplies, and effort.

Keeping it Simple!!!!!

FInd some more games here.

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Fun Hide and Seek Games for Parties and Play!

by Barb | Apr 20, 2017 | Games/Activities

Fun Hide and Seek Games

for Parties and Play!

Hide and Seek is an old, tried and true game that has been played for centuries!

What you need to have a Great Game of Hide and Seek!

Most of all, Hide and Seek Games need active, inquisitive children and space for them to run and hide That's it!

Many versions of the game exist. It dates back to the 2nd century Greece and was described in ancient writings by the Greek writer, Julius Pollux. It is so simple and spread around the world, that it may date back much further.

Hide and Seek is a game that is found throughout the world including Spain, France, Israel, South and Central America (Bolivia, Ecuador, Chile, Honduras and El Salvador) and Nigeria.

Hide and Seek is best played by four or more players. It can still be fun playing with fewer children. It can be played indoors or outdoors–just make sure there are enough space and hiding places. Preschool children should be paired 2 together and shown how to play the game.

Traditional Hide and Seek

The person who is “IT” must find the other players who are hiding.

Choose who will be “IT“.
“IT” closes or covers their eyes and counts to 50, or 100 or any designated number.
While “IT” is counting, the other players quickly find places to hide.
“IT” then goes looking for the other players.
When he finds a hidden player, that person is then out.
The last player to be found becomes the new “IT“
And it starts over and continues until time runs out or children run out of energy or focus.

It shows that Simple is Often Best.

Kick the Can

(My favorite! Friday nights on Mt. Stone, which borders Missoula, Mt, on the south side of town, is where the kids on “the hill” as we called it, played Kick the Can and it was so much fun!)

Here the players “Kick the Can” to avoid being caught.

Place an empty can in a large open area.
Choose who will be “IT.” Designate a spot near the can to be the “jail.”
While “IT” counts to 50 or another designated number, the other players hide.
After “IT” reaches the designated number, “IT” tries to find the hidden players.
When “IT” sees another player, “IT” calls the player’s name and location.
Then both “IT” and that player race to where the can is, and try to be the first to Kick the Can.
If the “IT” kicks the can first, then that player goes to jail.
If the player kicks the can first, then all the prisoners (players who are already in the “jail”) are set free, and “IT” must count again.
If “IT” catches all the players, the game begins again with a new “IT.”

Another variation has “IT” start counting while facing a wall. The other players run and hide. “IT” starts the mission of finding the other players. Once “IT” finds a player, both race to the sport where “IT” originally counted. Whoever touches that spot first winds the game.

Flashlight Hide and Seek

For this version, you will need flashlights and darkness.

“IT” counts to 50 or anther designated number while the other players hide.
“IT” looks for the other players with the flashlight off. Once found, “IT” turns on the flashlight and puts the found person in the “spotlight.”
The child who had the light shine on them then takes the flashlight (turned-off) and tries to find another player to whom the flashlight will be turned over to.
This game can go on for a long time. It would be appropriate to put a time limit on this activity.

This is a common game theme and varieties can be found around the world. Maybe you can find more and share them.

For games for Pre-Schoolers see:

We have a reference library that includes Hide and Seek Variations.

To get this and so much more. Fill out the form below and prepare for fun.

Hide and Seek is an old, tried and true game that has been played for centuries!

What you need to have a Great Game of Hide and Seek!

Most of all, Hide and Seek Games need active, inquisitive children and space for them to run and hide That's it!

Hide and Seek is a game that is found throughout the world including Spain, France, Israel, South and Central America (Bolivia, Ecuador, Chile, Honduras and El Salvador) and Nigeria.

Traditional Hide and Seek

The person who is “IT” must find the other players who are hiding.

Choose who will be “IT“.
“IT” closes or covers their eyes and counts to 50, or 100 or any designated number.
While “IT” is counting, the other players quickly find places to hide.
“IT” then goes looking for the other players.
When he finds a hidden player, that person is then out.
The last player to be found becomes the new “IT“
And it starts over and continues until time runs out or children run out of energy or focus.

It shows that Simple is Often Best.

For games for Pre-Schoolers see:

We have a reference library that includes Hide and Seek Variations.

To get this and so much more. Fill out the form below and prepare for fun.