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I know most birthday parties are held at a ‘play place’ these days, but there is something special about a backyard birthday party. Some of my favorite childhood memories involve backyard games with friends. Now I enjoy re-creating those memories with my kids and their friends. Not only are backyard parties fun and memorable, they can cost less and save you some money.

If you are considering an outdoor birthday party, here are some tips and tricks to make it a memorable day.

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Survival Guide:

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Time: I’ve learned that a backyard birthday is best at about two hours. If you plan to feed the kids lunch, schedule the party from 11AM to 1PM, and let the parents know lunch will be served. If you are just having snacks and cake, then schedule the party from 2PM to 4PM.

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Place: A large grassy area – the front yard, backyard, or at the park.

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Guest list: Try to keep the amount of guests the same number as the age of the child. If your child is turning 8, only invite 7-8 kids.

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Game list: Keep a list of the games you are going to play in your pocket or on your phone so that you can refer to it. Tip – print this post or have it available on your phone! If a game is not going well, scratch it and move on to the next one.

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Safety: An adult should always be watching or playing with the kids. It’s easy for someone to get hurt or tackled if there are a bunch of kids playing with no supervision. One ref can make all the difference.

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Prep:

• Put all the game supplies in one container right where the action takes place.
• Have a large trash can available close by.
• Keep them hydrated! Create a drink/snack table for self-serve.
• Have a spot for gifts/gift opening.
• Have a side craft or coloring table for kids who don’t want to play games. They can sit and watch/color/craft.

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Etiqueitte: Do not send invites to school unless you are inviting the whole class. I recommend Evite!

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Here are some of our favorite party games:

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Active Group Games

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1. Crepe paper tag – Put a ‘crepe paper‘ belt around each child, with a 3 foot long tail. When you say “go” – kids will try to tear off the belt of the other players while protecting their own. Last one wearing the belt wins. After the game, ask everyone to grab the trash and throw it away before you move on to the next game. Play more than once if the kids are having fun!
2. Sharks and Minnows – Identify who will be the shark, either a kid or parent. Everyone else will be minnows. The shark stands in the middle of the play area. At any time, the shark can yell Shark Attack! At with point, the minnows must run to the opposite boundary line without being tagged. If a minnow is tagged, s/he also becomes a shark.
3. 3 v 3 soccer game – Grab a sports ball or soccer ball, set up two goals using nets or cones, divide the kids into two teams, and play!
4. Simon Says – A parent starts as “Simon.” After the first round, you can choose one child as “Simon.” Simon gives instructions by saying, “Simon says…” telling the kids to perform a physical action. For example, “Simon says touch your nose,” “Simon says shake like a leaf.” Each child must perform the action. If Simon leaves out “Simon says” before giving instruction, anyone who performed the activity is out! Other ideas: Simon says lift your leg, turn around, sit down, clap, bend, laugh, smile, tap your knees, touch your toes, run in place, stretch up high, give a high five, close your eyes, move like a robot, dance, do the griddy, etc.
5. Balloon Stomp – Tie a balloon to each player’s ankle with a short piece of string. There should be at least a couple feet of string from the ankle to the balloon so the balloon can bounce along the ground. Have all your players carefully stand at the edges of the play area. At “go,” all players rush forward and try to stomp each other’s balloons so they pop (while protecting yours from getting popped). When your balloon pops, you’re eliminated from the game. Go sit or stand along the sidelines and watch until there’s only one player remaining with a balloon on their ankle: the winner!

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Circle Games – have everyone sit down in a circle.

1. Duck Duck Goose – does this need instructions?
2. Hot (or Cold) Potato – Pass a bean bag until the music stops. Whoever is ‘holding the bag’ when the music ends is out. Keep playing until there is a winner.
3. Balloon Bounce – Kids lay down (or sit down) and have to work together to keep balloon(s) in the air.

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Relay Races – Divide kids into two (or more) even teams. Have them line up behind a starting line or cone.

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1. One shoe off – At the start of this relay, every kid takes off ONE shoe. Put all the shoes in one big pile. Separate the kids into two teams and line them up behind cones. When the relay begins, the first kid on each team runs to the shoe pile, finds his or her shoe, and returns to the back of the line. The relay continues until the last kid on each team has returned to the line. The first team to finish is the winning team. Note: You will want to be sure at the start of the relay that there are no identical shoes in the pile. If there are, you might want to distinguish the duplicate shoes by placing a piece of masking tape with the owner’s name on them.
2. Balloon Waddle – Start at the starting line, place a balloon between their knees and race out and around a cone, run back and pass it to the next team member without dropping or bursting their balloon. If the balloon drops, they must put it back between their knees before moving forward.
3. Egg race – Give each team a large spoon and one egg. One team member at a time runs out and around a cone, while holding the egg in the spoon, without dropping it. If the egg drops, the runner has to retrieve it and replace it back on the spoon before returning to running.
4. Balance a bean bag on top of your head and race around the cone.
5. Shoebox Slide – Provide each team with two shoeboxes (or amazon boxes). At the start of the race, the first member of each team puts one foot into each shoebox, slides his or her way around a cone set up at a destination point, and then slides back to the team. When that child returns to the team, he or she jumps out of the shoeboxes and the second student “puts them on.” The relay continues until the last member returns to his or her team. The first team to finish is the winner.

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Parachute Games

Who has fun childhood memories of playing with a parachute? My mom purchased this as a birthday gift for my boys many years ago, and we’ve been playing games with it ever since. Our kids and their friends love it. Here’s the link to find one, here are games to play:

1. Mushroom – This is a great starting activity to get everyone used to moving the parachute and working together. Have everyone grab one handle, then lift the parachute above their head and back down to the ground. Have them do this three times. Then have them lift it high, bring it over and behind their back and sit on it. This creates a mushroom canopy.
2. Popcorn – Have everyone grab one handle. Place several soft balls on the parachute and have the kids try to keep them on, while popping them up like popcorn.  
3. Merry-Go-Round – Have everyone grab ONE handle. When the music starts, they should walk in a circle, then skip, hop, stop and go the other direction, etc.
4. Sharks and lifeguards – Kids sit down, holding the parachute above their legs. One kid should stand outside the circle – they are the lifeguard. One kids goes under the parachute and is the shark. All kids holding the parachute should shake it like waves. A shark has to try to pull a kid under the parachute. The kid can call for the lifeguard to help pull them back out. If a kid gets pulled under, they are a shark. Keep playing and give other kids a chance to start as the shark or life guard. Remind kids not to kick the shark. Also remind the lifeguard not to yank a kid by the arm. Pull under the armpits.

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The goal of the party: PLAY and have fun!

Supplies: Here are affiliate links to party supplies.

1. Bean Bags

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2. Cones

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3. Balloons

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4. Crepe paper

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5. Parachute

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6. Party prizes

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Snack Idea: Eat the Rainbow!

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I hope this post inspired you to GET OUTSIDE, PLAY and MAKE MEMORIES with your kids and grandkids, and friends!

Do you have a group game recommendation? Leave a comment!

Thanks for reading. Happy Hosting!

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Here are gift ideas for boys

The links above are Affiliate links. If you choose to purchase an item I’ve recommended, I will earn a small commision at no extra cost to you.