Kids Party Games
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No matter how high tech our kids seem to be they still enjoy simple party games. Here are a couple that you might remember from your own childhood. They are easy to do and don’t need any special preparation or equipment.
Who’s Got the Bone?
This is a game we used to play and it gave us lots of giggles.
One child becomes ‘the dog’ and sits in a chair with their back to the others, who are sitting in a semi-circle behind her. Choose an item to be ‘the bone’ and place it under the chair. The dog closes her eyes and counts to 10. While she is doing that one of the others sneaks up, takes the bone and returns to her spot. She hides the bone out of site behind her.
The dog has three chances to guess who took the bone. Sometimes it might be left under the chair, which is really tricky! If the dog guesses correctly then the person with the bone becomes ‘the dog’.
What’s the time Mr Wolf?
One child is chosen to be Mr Wolf and has to stand at one end of the room with his/her back to the others.
The children ask “what’s the time Mr Wolf?” Mr Wolf chooses a time, for example, 4 o’clock. That means that they must all take 4 steps closer to Mr Wolf. When they are quite close his answer will be ”dinner time” and he will chase them. Whoever is caught becomes Mr Wolf for the next round.
Oranges and Lemons
This is a really old English game dating back generations. Do you know the rhyme?
Oranges and lemons
Say the bells of St. Clements
I owe you five farthings
Say the bells of St. Martins
When will you pay me?
Say the bells at Old Bailey
When I grow rich
Say the bells at Shoreditch
When will that be?
Say the bells of Stepney
I’m sure I don’t know
Says the great bell of Bow
Here comes a candle to light you to bed
Here comes a chopper to chop off your head
If you played this you would remember that two children join their hands and hold their arms up high like an arch. The other children have to skip through the arch in time to the rhythm of the words. As they get to the last line the arch comes down over the child passing through to ‘chop off your head’.
If they get through without being caught the game continues. Whoever is caught takes a turn as the arch.
Simple, fun games will never go out of style. Let your kids have the same healthy fun that you did as a child.
I remember playing both Who’s Got the Bone & What’s the Time Mr. Wolf. Both taught by my dad! It was during the school holidays and we were bored, so he taught us those games and we all had a ball (my cousins & I). Such a classic, and yet lots of fun!
I remember Oranges and Lemons. That was fun. Standing there with arms joined and people ducking under – just waiting to pounce on them and cut off their heads. We used to end up rolling on the ground laughing.