Barnyard Games For A Barnyard Birthday Bash!

Create a fun-filled barnyard theme party by turning your garage into a barn with lots of farm animals. Here's some "udderly" great games that are sure to mooooove your guests:

BRANDING STATION - As guests arrive, send them over to the branding station where they will be identified as V.I.P.G.'s (Very Important Party Goers) with a special "branding" iron. Use rubber stamps or tattoos.

BARNYARD GAMES - FIND YOUR FAMILY - This game works best if you have a few helpers. Tell each child they are a particular farm animal like cows, pigs, horses, ducks, sheep, etc. Depending upon on many kids you have, you can assign the same animal to 2, 3, 4, etc. kids. On, "Go" all the kids must make the sound their animal makes and try to find their "family members" just by listening to the surrounding sounds. Whoever finds their family first, wins. Play several rounds of this game giving everyone an opportunity to be two or three different animals.

BARNYARD GAMES - FIND MRS. CHICK'S EGGS - Prior to the party, hide plastic Easter eggs that are filled with various candies, small prizes, and $$$. At game time, everyone goes on the hunt for the eggs.

BARNYARD GAMES - DUCK, DUCK, GOOSE - Have all the kids (ducks) sit in a circle and the birthday child shall be the "fox." The "fox" walks around the circle and taps each child on the head or shoulder and says "duck" until they pick someone out and they say "goose." At this time, the "goose" gets up and chases the "fox," and tries to tag the "fox." At the same time, the fox tries to run around the circle and sit down where the "goose" was sitting. If the fox is successful, the "goose" becomes the "fox." If the "goose" is successful, then the "fox" resumes the process. Play until everyone has a chance to be the "fox."

BARNYARD GAMES - ANIMAL SOUNDS - For this barnyard game, use flash cards or pictures of barnyard animals. For example, show a picture of a pig and have all the kids make the sound of a pig. Then a picture of a cow, horse, sheep, etc. At the conclusion of the game, give everyone a prize.

FARMER SAYS... - This game is played like Simon Says. Birthday child starts the play as the Farmer and everyone must do what the Farmer tells them to do when asked with a phrase beginning with "Farmer says." If the Farmer says, "Farmer says skip while making a moo sound" the players must do so; if they don't they are out. If Farmer just says "skip" without saying "Farmer says...", the players should not skip; those who do are out. It is the Farmer's goal to get everyone out as fast as possible. It is the players' goal to stay in as long as possible and reach the finish line first.

Variation: Make it a contest where the kids compete against one another for the funniest sounding animal sound, the loudest, the most animated, the longest sound, etc.

BARNYARD GAMES - HORSE RACE - Divide kids into two teams and line them up. Have first child in each line mount their wooden stick horses. When you say "Giddy-up," each child gallops to the finish line, back to the start line, hands off their horse to their next teammate, and game continues in same fashion. Whichever team gets through all their teammates first wins.

SHEEP HERDING - Blow up white balloons and draw sheep faces on them all. Curl a piece of black curling ribbon and tie it to your balloons so your sheep all have a tail. Be sure to have extras in case someone's balloon breaks. Using cardboard boxes, create cardboard paddles for everyone. Give each child a "sheep" and a "paddle." Have everyone stand on the start line and on, "Get along little doggies," everyone tries to run to the finish line, while batting their balloon with their paddle. Whoever arrives first is the winner.

Variation: Split the kids into teams and have the first member of each team bat their sheep to the finish line. Upon arrival, the next teammate will do the same. The game continues until one team gets all of their teammates to the finish line and that team is the winner.

BARNYARD GAMES - PIN THE UDDER ON THE COW - Game is played like Pin the Tail on the Donkey. Get a poster of a cow. Make enough udders as there are players. Blindfold each child, spin them around, and have them try to pin their udder on the cow. Use double stick tape. The player who gets their udder closest to the cow's udder wins.

UDDERLY FUN - Fill latex gloves with water and tie them off, so the water won't escape. At playtime, poke small holes in the gloves' fingers and give everyone a glove and let them squeeze and try to squirt each other.

BARNYARD GAMES - HAYSTACK TREASURES - Create two haystacks (age appropriate size) and hide plastic horses and barnyard animals, wrapped candies, pennies, nickels, and dimes, etc. Divide kids into two teams. When you say "Giddy-up," the kids try to find as many Haystack Treasures in a timed period. Each gets to keep what they find and whichever team finds the most wins.

MUSICAL CHAIRS OR MUSICAL BUCKETS - Set chairs or overturned buckets in two rows, back to back using 1 less chair/bucket then the number of kids. Turn country music on, have kids walk around chairs/buckets. When music stops, the kids sit down. The child left standing is out of the game. Repeat until only 1 child remains and he/she is the winner.

BARNYARD GAMES - HELP! THE BARN IS BURNING! - Make two large barns using posterboard. At the finish line, affix your barns to the back of two chairs. In front of each barn, place an extra-large galvanized tub or Rubbermaid tub.

Divide the kids into two teams and line them up at the start line. Give each team a straw hat, bandana, work gloves, and a bucket. Place an extra-large galvanized tub or Rubbermaid tub full of water at the start line for each team.

When you say, "Help! The Barn Is On Fire," the first player in each line puts on the hat, bandana, and gloves, and scoops out a bucket full of water. They race to their barn and empty their bucket of water into their container at the finish line. Then they race back to their teammates, remove their hat, bandana, and gloves, and hand them off to their next teammate who repeats the process. The play continues until one team completes the relay.

PETTING ZOO - If you didn't opt to hold your party at a farm or petting zoo, bring the "zoo" to your home, if possible. Many farm-type businesses will bring their small animals to birthday parties and create a fenced in area for a small petting zoo. They will bring things like goats, pigs, rabbits, Shetland pony, sheep, ducks, etc.

PONY RIDES - If space permits, rent a pony or two and give wranglers rides and take photo of each child on the pony.

ANIMAL SUGAR COOKIES - This activity works best if you have a few helpers. Make your favorite sugar cookie recipe and cut out various western and barnyard animal shapes using cookie cutters or make some ropes and barns free hand. Give each of the kids a few cookies to decorate. Have bowls of icing, edible glitter, sprinkles, sparkling sugar, nonpareils, cake gels, etc. available for the kids to use.

PRINTABLE GAMES - Here's a great site for some fun print and play toddler party games that would be a perfect party game add-on!

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