Toddler Party Games
- Singing and Dancing Games
All the best toddler party games involve a bit of a song and dance!
Toddlers love whats familiar. Great toddler parties should involve plenty of singing and dancing around.
Its not difficult.
Here are some neat twists on well known toddler songs and a few new ideas to make your toddler party go with a swing:
Toddler Party Games - Clap My Name
~This is a great icebreaker at the start of a party~
Sit the children in a circle. (Might need to be on Mum's lap)
Go around the circle asking each child their name.
When a child tells their name everyone then sings hello and repeats it clapping out each syllable.
So for example if a child's name was Antony you would clap five times as you said
Hell-o Ant-on-y
or 3 for
Hell-o Pat
Toddler Party Games - Happy Birthday Animals
~This is a simple variation on an animal noises theme~
Sit everyone down and start singing
Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday dear dogs - At this point everyone barks like a dog
Happy Birthday to you
Sing it again but change dogs to any animal you choose.
You can have them trumpeting like elephants, hissing like snakes, roaring like tigers or squeaking like tiny mice. Whatever takes your fancy.
You could even call for suggestions from the children themselves.
Toddler Party Games - The Farmers In His Den
~This is an old party classic but still lots of fun.
If you use a few props you can make it even cuter~
The children (and parents) stand in a ring holding hands.
A farmer is selected from amongst the children. The farmer is given a farmer's hat to wear and stands in the middle of the circle.
Everyone then dance around him singing
The farmers in his den,
The farmers in his den,
Eee, aye, eee, aye,
The farmers in his den.
Other verses - Every time a new child joins the farmer in the middle:
- The farmer wants a wife
(The wife wears a headscarf and holds a rolling pin)- The wife wants a child (The child holds a teddy bear)
- The child wants a nurse (The nurse wears an apron and carries a feeding bottle)
- The nurse wants a dog (The dog holds a dog toy or has a lead attached to their trousers or outfit - but not round the neck)
- We all pat the dog (Everyone moves in and pats the dog - gently!)
Toddler Party Games - Frozen Animals~How still can those animals be~
You start this game by saying to the children-
When the music starts I want you to trot around the room like ponies"
Off they go prancing like ponies but when the music stops they have to freeze until you tell them what animal to be next.
Give them the next animal, start the music and off you go again. Its best to demonstrate a good animal movement as you name each one.
Other animals to try:
- Hop like kangaroos
- Stomp and trumpet like elephants
- Flap like birds
- Slither like snakes
- Skip like deer
- Gibber like monkeys
- Flubber like jellyfish
- Walk on your hind legs like meerkats
Toddler Party Games - Dressing Up Dance~Grooving and dressing up~
What you need:
- Hats, scarves, gloves, adult shirts. You need enough for each child to have one of each item.
Everyone starts dancing to the music. The dressing up props are either distributed around the room or in a big pile.
When the music stops you shout out the name of an item for instance hats.
Everyone has to run and put a hat on.
When everyone is wearing a hat the music and dancing start again until its time to find the next item.
Eventually the children are wearing a motley collection of outfits.
Then its time for The Fashion Parade.
Get the kids to parade around and do a little catwalk past the Mums. You could introduce each one with a jokey little description.
Of course everyone gets a clap.
Toddler Party Games - Nursery Rhyme Pop Stars
~Which toddlers have the X Factor?~
This is a game for slightly older, more confident kids.
Sit the children round in a circle.
Then ask Does anyone here know a song called Humpty Dumpty?
Well who could sing it all on their own?
Hopefully one child will step up to the mark.
You may like however to have primed an older child to take up the challenge. The words We need a big girl / boy like you to show these little ones what to do can have a galvanising effect!
The young pop star makes their way to the front. Takes a pretend microphone and launches into their rendition of the rhyme.
At the end they must bow while everyone applauds.
Hopefully once a couple have had a go they will get the idea and start fighting to take the stage!
Be prepared to join in with the shy or those who lose their way.
Other X Factor nursery classics include:
- Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
- I'm A Little Teapot
- Incey Wincey Spider
and many others
For more Party Games For Toddlers please click here
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