Games For 4 Year Olds
Fun Games For Kids

Photo courtesy of: Franklin Park Library

BALLOON FUN - Have some blown up balloons available for play. The object of the game is to not let the balloons hit the ground. You can pair the kids up and give each pair a balloon or throw several balloons into the air. The kids then have to keep hitting them up into the air and to one another to keep them from falling to the ground.

BALLOON BADMINTON - pair up your players, give everyone a badminton racket, and 1 blown up balloon for each pair. The object of the game is to keep the balloon from touching the ground by hitting the balloon back and forth.

Toddlers loves bubbles and no party would be complete without some bubble games for 4 year olds. Listed below are a couple of ideas:

BUBBLE BLOWING - Have the adults blow the bubbles while the toddlers chase after them, trying to catch or pop them. Also, be sure to give the toddlers opportunities to blow the bubbles too.

BUBBLE ENCASEMENT - Assuming weather permits, fill a wading pool with a bubble solution. Place a hula-hoop in the pool and have the toddlers take turns getting into the center of the pool, while an adult slowly lifts the hoop up to encase the toddler in a great big bubble.

Select from the following games for 4 year olds to keep your little ones busy:

CAKE-WALK WITHOUT THE CAKE - Place numbers on the ground in a circle, place these same numbers on individual pieces of paper into a bowl, and have everyone stand on a number in the circle to start the game. Play music, have kids walk around the circle until the music stops, at which time each child must get onto a number. Draw a number out of the bowl and whoever is standing on that number is the winner.

EGG RACE - Have everyone line up with an egg on a spoon. On "Go," everyone races to the finish line. The object of the game is to cross the finish line first without dropping their egg. If they drop their egg, they must pick it up and place it back on the spoon and resume the race.

FREEZE - Music plays and everyone moves, jumps, runs, dances, etc. When music stops, everyone freezes in whatever position they are in. If you catch someone moving, that child is out. Play continues until there is only 1 child who remains.

When trying to figure out which games for 4 year olds you should include in the party, don't forget the following "old faithfuls" that are tried and true:

HOT POTATO - Have everyone sit in a circle, play music, and have them pass the potato to the child on their right. When the music stops, whoever is holding the potato sits in the middle of the circle. Play continues until 1 child remains outside of the center, who is then the winner.

MUSICAL CHAIRS - Set chairs in 2 rows, back to back using 1 less chair than the number of players. Turn music on and have everyone walk around the chairs. When music stops, everyone sits down. The child left standing is out of the game. Repeat until only 1 child remains and they are the winner.

PIN THE TAIL ON THE DONKEY - Hang a picture of a donkey on the wall. Make enough tails out of construction paper as there are players. Blindfold each child (if they are comfortable in so doing), spin them around, and have them try to pin the tail on the donkey. Use double stick tape. The child who gets the tail closest to the tail on the poster wins.

The following games for 4 year olds are sure to bring smiles to their sweet little faces:

LIMBO - Kids love to play limbo. Have 2 people hold a horizontal pole at each end. The kids in a single file lean backwards and go under the pole without touching it. If someone touches it or falls backwards, they are out. The pole is gradually lowered until only 1 child remains who has not touched the pole or the floor.

RING TOSS - nail 6" long dowels into a piece of plywood in 4 rows of 5 evenly spaced. Set plywood on top of a card table. Give kids various sized embroidery hoops to toss over the dowels. Give various points for different sized hoops.

SIMON SAYS... - Birthday child starts the play as Simon and everyone must do what Simon tells them to do when asked with a phrase beginning with "Simon says." If "Simon says skip", the players must skip; if they don't they are out. If Simon just says "skip" without saying "Simon says", the players should not skip; those who do are out. It is Simon's goal to get everyone out as fast as possible. It is the players' goal to stay in as long as possible.

WIN A FISH -Place a piece of plywood on top of a card table. Fill it with small glass fish bowls that you can get at the dollar store. Fill each bowl with water and color it red, blue, green, or yellow with food coloring. Add 1 goldfish to each bowl. Give kids ping-pong balls and let them toss them into the bowls to win a goldfish.

Don't just limit your activities to games for 4 year olds, but consider including a few nursery rhymes.

RING AROUND THE ROSY - Have all the kids stand in a circle, hold hands, and skip in one direction as they sing: Ring around the rosy, A pocket full of posies; ashes, ashes we all fall down!" At the end of the line, "we all fall down!" everyone should plop to the ground. Repeat until they are tired of this activity.

MARY HAD A LITTLE LAMB - To start to quiet the kids down, have them do a sing-along.

Mary had a little lamb, little lamb, little lamb, Mary had a little, whose fleece was white as snow. And everywhere that Mary went, Mary went, Mary went, and everywhere that Mary went, the lamb was sure to go.

It followed her to school one day, school one day, school one day, It followed her to school one day, which was against the rules. It made the children laugh and play, laugh and play, laugh and play, It made the children laugh and play to see a lamb at school.


Games for 4 year olds are a perfect way to make a great party even better. Just remember to have enough adults or teens to help you with the various activities. Plan your time accordingly and implement a good mix of fun games for kids, and the result will be a fantastic birthday party!




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