Alternatives to pass the parcel

[3011busyyear]

Help! I have LO's first birthday party at weekend and have a range of children coming. It's for 3 hours so i think i need at least one 'game' or something.

We were thinking pass the parcel but the oldest one (13) and the four babies all one won't really be interested. I wondered if anyone can suggest something else that one year olds( with some help!), 5,8,9 and 13 year olds can all enjoy.
It's in a bar so nothing too messy!

 

[hb1]

pass the bag - bag with little items - eg little toy bus, boat, mouse, cat, sheep etc - all in a bag, pass it round like pass the parcel singing "take the bag and pass it on,pass it on,pass it on, take the bag and pass it on, where will it stop" (to the tune of london bridge) when you sing where will it stop the person holding it pulls out an item and chooses a nursery rhyme relating to that item eg mouse - hickory dickory/ 3 blind mice and everyone sings that nursery rhyme repeat and rinse - if you're feeling generous they get to keep the toy

 

[Rachel_C]

Fishing went down well at a party I did with kids of very different ages. You make the fish from card/thick paper and stick a paper clip on each one. Then make a fishing rod with a stick, a piece of string and a magnet on the end. You can make a pond if you want, from a paddling pool or just cut out a piece of blue paper and stick it on the floor.

Then you can either:
Give everybody a set time to catch as many fish as they are years old, so the one year olds have to catch one fish in a minute, the 13 year has to catch 13! The older they are, the sillier it is so it should keep even adults interested. Watching dads try to hook 30 fish so quickly is entertaining, and the little ones enjoy the challenge. Really young ones may need help with the rod, or they can just use their hands.
Or when I did it, we had two rods and people raced against each other, so a 2 year old had to catch 2 fish before a 10 year old caught 10. It works either way. Have small prizes for each challenge and make sure the little kids all get a chance to win.

 

[3011busyyear]

Good ideas ladies, I'll see what OH thinks... He thinks he's the game master but seems to expect me to sort it all out!

 

[StarShine_]

^^ we do this at tots club. But we sing 'the musical bag goes round, the musical bag goes round, the musical bag goes round, where will it stop today?!)

If your brave you could do a craft activity. Hand printing or similar?

 

[Tanikins]

Pass the silly hat was placed at a kids party i went to

 

[Babushka99]

Do your own magic show!!