Kids Party Games

Birthday party games are an essential part of your party planning process. No kids game by moving a body part such as waving a hand, wiggling their hips, sticking out their tongue, etc.
3) The next child has to repeat the first child's movements and add a movement of their own. Play continues around the circle with each child repeating previous movements and adding their own.
4) When a child can't remember the previous movements or does an incorrect movement they are out.

Obstacle Course

Kids Game

You will need a stop watch for this game.
1) Create a crazy obstacle course. There are tons of ways to make the obstacle course fun with every day items. a) use chairs that the kids game more exciting you can have a golden egg prize. Use a gold marker (waterproof) to draw a golden egg on the bottom of 1 duck. Whoever gets the duck with the golden egg gets the "Golden Egg" prize. This prize should be a little more exciting then the other prizes.

Toothpick Marshmallow Game

1) For this Kids Party Game divide the children into 2 groups or have 2 children compete at a time.
2) Have the children race to see who can build the highest marshmallow tower in a set amount of time.

What Candy Is It

1) For this Kids Party Game you will need several different flavors of chocolate bars such as Snickers, Milky Way, Nestle Crunch, Kit Kat, M&Ms, Hershey Bar, 3 Musketeer, Twix and so on.
2) Melt each chocolate bar in the microwave. Divide the melted candy into small portions for each child to taste.
3) Have the children taste each melted chocolate bar and guess what candy it is. Who ever guesses correct gets that chocolate bar as a prize. Of course, give fresh, unmelted candy bars as prizes.

Memory

1) For this Kids Party Game you will need a tray and party supplies for this game.
2) Put several party supplies on a tray such as a party hat, balloon (not inflated), streamer, candle, invitation, cupcake and so on. You will need at least 10 items.
3) Allow the kids to look at all the items on the tray for 1 minute.
4) Take the tray away and then have the kids guess what was on the tray. Whoever has the most correct answers wins.

What Animal Are You

1) Pass out animal stickers to each child.
2) Have each child imitate their animal and have the other kids guess what animal they are.

Hot Potato

1) Place the children in a circle. Play music while they pass an object around the circle. The object does not have to be a potato; it can be anything.
2) Stop the music and whoever has the object is the winner.
3) Keep playing until one child is left. He is the winner.

Gut Dip

1) For this Kids Party Game fill a large bowl or bucket with anything squishy such as pasta or mashed potatoes.
2) Hide small objects throughout the squishy substance.
3) Give the kids a set amount of time to put their hands in the squishy substance and find an object.
4) They get to keep what they find.

Balloon Win

1) For this Kids Party Game put notes in un-inflated balloons. Choose a couple of balloons to put notes that say winner. Blow up all the balloons and place them around the party area.
2) Tell the kids to each find a balloon.
3) One by one have each child pop their balloon to see if they are a winner.
4) The children with balloons that have with notes get a prize.

Balloon Stomp

1) For this Kids Party Game attach a 3 foot piece of string/ribbon to a balloon and attach the other end to a party guests ankle.
2) Do the same to each child.
3) The object is for the children to pop each others balloon by stomping on them while protecting their own balloon.
4) The last child with an inflated balloon is the winner.

Bubble Boy (or Girl)

1) For this Kids Party Game fill a wading pool with water and bubble mix.
2) Place a stepping stool in the center of the pool.
3) Place a hula-hoop in the pool around the stepping stool
4) Have each child stand on the stepping stool then pull the hula-hoop over the child.
5) The child will find themselves inside a huge bubble.

Musical Gifts

1) Have the children sit in a circle and play music while the children pass a wrapped gift.
2) When the music stops the child holding the gift gets to keep it.

Sack Hop

1) Divide the children into 2 teams.
2) Line them up and give the first child on each team a large pillow case.
3) Have both children stand inside the pillow case holding the edges. On go they should hop to a predetermined mark and back as fast as they can. They then hand off the pillowcase to the next member in line of their team. Each member of the each team gets a turn.
4) The team that finishes first wins.

Remember That Verse

1) This game works better with pre-teens as opposed to toddlers.
2) Prior to the party put together a list of versus from popular songs. You should have the birthday boy/girl help you with this.
3) When playing the game with the kids only read a portion of the verse and have the kids fill in the rest. If the kids are bold have them sing the remainder of the verse.

Riddle Me This

1) For this Kids Party Game put riddles on cards and then give each child a turn to pick a card.
2) If they get the riddle correct they get a prize. (You may want to help with hints depending on the age group.)
Examples of riddles: "This is the place I learn the most and play with my friends" (answer: school), "I can be used to help with homework, contact friends or play games" (answer: computer), "I'm cold or freezing depending on which door you open (answer: refrigerator).

Kids Party Games

How to Engage Your Children in the Election Process

Chances are your children have been hearing about the election from their teachers in school, their friends, and the media. But what kind of messages are they receiving and how much do your kids really know about the election process? Parents often find it difficult to explain the election in terms that kids will understand, and it can be difficult to find ways to discuss the election that are meaningful to children.

Here are some activities you can do with your children to help them understand the importance of the 2008 Presidential Election.

Pbs Kids

o Keep a Journal. Encourage your child to keep an election day journal where they paste clippings from the newspapers and magazines. Have them write a brief summary of the article and include their opinion on the subject. Be sure to have them review local stories relating to the candidates and voters. This piece will be a valuable piece of history to your family years after the election has taken place.

o Ask questions. Encourage your child to ask questions to older siblings, aunts and uncles, grandparents about what they think about the issues facing our country and the future. Ask your children who they would vote for and discuss the reasons why.

o Take your children with you when you vote. Let them see how excited you are to exercise this important right! Your children look up to you and they will be more likely to become active citizens in the future when they see democracy in action.

o Utilize the World Wide Web! Visit election Websites designed specifically for kids. These sites will help your children understand the election process, and provide parents with helpful discussion tools:

Time For Kids
timeforkids.com/TFK/election08/
This site has been created to teach kids the basics of world news and current events. It features a 'Meet the Candidates' section that introduces both candidates and their running mates to young citizens. Also includes games for children to play online including 'Be the Nominee' and 'Electoral College Craze'.

Ben's Guide to U.S. Government for Kids
bensguide.gpo.gov/
With Benjamin Franklin as their guide, this site is broken into age groups for parents to easily identify age appropriate activities and resources to help kids learn more about the different branches of government.

The Democracy Project on PBS Kids
pbskids.org/democracy/
Find out what is so great about 2008 in this interactive site containing useful activities for kids and outlines how our government affects them.

Nickelodeon's Kids Pick the President
nick.com/kpp/
An interactive site with streaming media with kids reporting on the issues and the campaign trail. Kids can interact with one another on the message boards and get to know the Election Connection team through their blog. Has a very useful feature that allows kids access to information on both candidates and their running mates.

o Read to your children. Here are a few titles that could help your child understand the election process and its historical significance. Check with your local libraries for availability and additional resources.

My Dad, John McCain
by Meghan McCain

Barack Obama: Son of Promise, Child of Hope
by Nikki Grimes

Election Connection: The Official Nick Guide to Electing the President
Nickelodeon

Election Day (Rookie Read-About Holidays)
Patricia J. Murphy

The Kid Who Ran For President
Dan Gutman

Presidential Elections: And Other Cool Facts
Syl Sobel

How to Engage Your Children in the Election Process

Dinosaur Coloring Page - 3 Reasons Why Kids Love Dinosaur Train Coloring Pages

Every kid loves to draw, paint and color artwork. Coloring pages are a lot of fun for kids because they have familiar characters or subjects on them that they relate to. Adding color and bringing the black and white page to life with colors is very special to kids. This article will discuss 3 reasons why a dinosaur coloring page is loved by so many children.

1. Creative Fun: Do you remember coloring as a kid? It has been a long time for most of us. With activity pages, kids will use their creativity to select colors and decorate. Depending upon age and skill, some will scribble a single color all over the paper, but others will pay close attention to staying within the lines and using several colors to make the dinosaur page a work of art. Regardless of the skill level of the artist, kids get creative and have a lot of fun.

Pbs Kids

2. Imaginations Run Wild: While decorating these pages, kids will often times experiment with various colors. How many times have you seen a smurf colored princess? With dinosaurs, kids will let their imaginations run wild, as they may be talking to the dinosaurs, or about the dinosaurs, or telling stories while they color in the page. Building an imagination is one of those important life skills in a well rounded individual that should be encouraged at a young age.

3. Interested in the Topic: It is a fact of life that people get bored sometimes. The exciting thing about coloring pages is that there are so many different subjects, you should be able to find one that your child is interested in. If your child is into the PBS Kids Dinosaur Train TV show, you may find that they love to color their favorite characters, Buddy, Tiny, Shiny and Don. Kids love to relate to the characters on their and this makes the coloring experience far from boring.

Kids dig dinosaurs. Kids get excited about coloring. So what's not to like about a dinosaur coloring page? This article discussed 3 reasons why kids love dinosaur coloring pages; kids are interested in learning about dinosaurs and they get to be creative and use their imagination.

Dinosaur Coloring Page - 3 Reasons Why Kids Love Dinosaur Train Coloring Pages

iPad for Children: Should I Buy an iPad for My Child?

I recently overheard a few parents talking about the iPad. They had seen a young child, about 5 years old, playing with an iPad and apparently the parent had told them the iPad was purchased for the child. One father made no secret of the fact he thought this was insane, and that there was something wrong with any parent that bought a 0 computer for a child. I asked him if he had an iPad, or had used one. He had not. His opinion was based only on the cost of the device, and the idea that it was only a popular trend. Setting aside cost for a moment, and assuming the parent doesn't own an iPad, is there any valid reason to buy an iPad for a child?

iPad for Younger Ages

Pbs Kids

Over the past year, however, many studies have appeared that seem to support the idea of an iPad not just being a shiny toy to keep kids busy, but potentially an invaluable tool in child development. A study late in 2010 by PBS found that Apps such as those on the iPad and iPhone can in fact make children smarter. Children are found to be more engaged, more interested in learning when using an educational app on the iPad. More and more, school systems around the country are incorporating iPads not just in high school or middle school, but even in kindergarten. Children with learning or developmental disabilities, such as autism, have been shown to greatly benefit from using an iPad as well.

Children have long been known to learn visually, and the educational toy market over the years has tried many ways to incorporate this into their toys. With an iPad, developers can create an interactive game that young children can be excited about, while learning things as simple as their ABCs to science to foreign languages. Apple provides an impressive list of educational apps in the iTunes Store.

Increased Workload for Teens

For the higher grades, the benefits are more obvious: why carry around six heavy books, when you can have a few apps on the iPad provide all of that information and much more with video and interactive content. The Chicago Public Schools this year launched a program that will provide more than 20 schools with 32 iPads. With many middle-school grades developing tougher curriculums to raise test scores, students are beginning high school formats at a much younger age. For those in an International Baccalaureate or other advance placement program, the workload is even more challenging. And this is before high school. Once in high school, the workload and the advanced nature of the study seems to lead to one question: how can a student have all the information they need to succeed in school, in a format easy to understand and expand on, in one small light-weight package?

Cost IS a Factor

At the beginning of this article I asked that we set aside the issue of cost for the moment, but cost is definitely a factor. An iPad is not an option for everyone. Even if your child's school provides an iPad, most do not allow the child to take them home and not all of them use the iPad all day, only in certain classes. So when deciding to buy an iPad for your child to use, ask yourself these questions first:
Am I buying an iPad for myself, and letting my child use it on occasion, or will it be primarily for the child(ren)?
What would I pay for a full computer for my tween/teen to use?
Are there enough apps relevant to my child (disability, interests, study needs, etc.)
Does my child's school have an iPad program in place, or is one planned?

Naturally, only you can decide if the price is worth paying. I always recommend checking Apple's online store for refurbished deals, which can lower your cost anywhere from - 0 off the original price. Check the refurbished section often, as models available and prices vary constantly. After a new version of the iPad is released, cost of the previous model will most likely drop further.

Remember that the iPad is a platform, one that is growing each day - the number of relevant and useful apps increased between the writing of this article and your reading it. Unlike other products over the years, there is a flexibility to grow with your child by offering new apps that do things completely differently than other ways of learning - perhaps exactly the way your child needs.

iPad for Children: Should I Buy an iPad for My Child?

Dinosaur Toy - 3 Great Dinosaur Toys Your Kids Will Love As Gifts

Dinosaurs are loved by kids game is a science kit that allows kids to uncover dinosaur bones and build one of their favorites. These can be a great way to encourage your little one to get excited about and learn more about dinosaurs.

In this article we discussed 3 great dinosaur toys your kids will love to play with. If your child is beginning to learn about dinosaurs, perhaps by watching the Dinosaur Train TV show, then a great gift for them would be to pick a dinosaur toy from one of the three great options described in this article.

Pbs Kids

Dinosaur Toy - 3 Great Dinosaur Toys Your Kids Will Love As Gifts

Kids Games - Online Gaming Is Now in for the Kids

When talking about games especially online gaming the number of kids games are designed in such a way that they are both entertaining as well as teach the child some special skills like logical reasoning or recognizing colors.

There are different kinds of kid's stuff that is available in the market and one can find a game suitable to the age of the child. That means that there are stuff for preschoolers to teenagers as per their requirements. With the growing popularity of the online games more and more kinds are getting into action. Though there many games which has a lot of violence in them yet it does not mean that a kid will play only that game. There are many enlightening games that are available online. When playing online you can check the feature of the game beforehand and can then decide which one you would like to play or download.

Kids Game

Batman games are among the favorites of kids games. These games became so popular that almost every gaming console used to come with a Batman game. Now you can easily find one of the games online and can even download it.

These stuff have both the adventure and the entertainment factor due to which both the kids as well as adults like to play this one. You can also play the flash based Batman games on about every web browser. There are simple ones for kids and also the highly graphical games for teenagers or adults. The difficulty levels are different as per the age group but the fun remains the same.

Kids Games - Online Gaming Is Now in for the Kids