Looking for games for older kids that do not feel too babyish? Once children move past the classic party games stage, they usually want activities with a bit more challenge, humour, teamwork or independence. The good news is that you do not need complicated equipment or a professional party plan to keep tweens and older kids entertained.

The party games below are ideal for birthdays, sleepovers, family gatherings, youth groups or any time you have a lively group to entertain. Choose a few that suit your space, set the rules clearly before you begin, and keep one quick backup game ready in case your group races through the first activity faster than expected.

How to Choose Games for Older Kids

Older kids often enjoy games that give them room to think, compete, perform or work as a team. Look for ideas that include one of these elements:

• A challenge to solve
• A timer or race element
• A chance to be funny
• Teamwork or mystery
• A creative twist
• A simple prize or points system

You do not need every game to be loud or high-energy. A mix of active games, guessing games, drawing challenges and team tasks usually works best.

Quick Setup Tips for Tween Party Games

Before the party starts, choose your first three games and gather any supplies in one place. It also helps to decide:

• How long each game should last
• Whether children will play individually, in pairs or in teams
• How winners will be chosen
• What the backup game will be
• Whether any game needs extra adult supervision

Clear rules make games feel more relaxed, especially with older kids who are quick to question anything vague.

Make the Games Work for Different Personalities

Some older kids love performing in front of everyone, while others prefer a team challenge where the attention is shared. If you are planning a party, include a variety of games so everyone gets a chance to join in comfortably.

Try alternating:

• A high-energy group game
• A quieter thinking or guessing game
• A creative challenge
• A team-based game
• A quick final game to finish on a laugh

This keeps the pace moving and helps avoid one child feeling put on the spot for too long.

Got a tween birthday party coming up and in need of some ideas? When you go past the Pin the Tail on the Donkey and Pass the Parcel stage you need games that will keep the 8-12 year olds engaged and interested. So here are 20 highly entertaining party games for tweens that are tried-and-tested for party success!

While kids this age are more likely to entertain themselves, or have precise ideas on how they want their party to go, having some ideas to hand is really useful.

Most of these party games for tweens require little preparation or special props, but provide plenty of fun!

You will need a plate, flour, a knife and some grapes. Put one grape balanced on top of a mountain of flour. Each child has to take a turn to slice away chunks of flour without knocking the grape.

The loser who knocks the grape ends up with their face pushed into flour!

Using donuts with a hole in the middle, tie the donuts onto some string and hang in a row. Each child has to have a go at eating a donut without touching or licking the sugar off their lips.

Prep some truth or dare questions (it helps to control things a little so the questions don’t get out of hand!) on slips of paper and put them in a jar. Each person takes a turn to pick one and has to tell the truth or do a dare.

Here are 100 truth or dare questions from Momof6.com that will help you get a head start on one of the most classic party games for tweens!

This game can get quite fun, especially if you start it off with some gruesome questions. In my experience this age group loves anything to do with farts, burps, bums and slurps! Here are some ideas to get you going:

• Would you rather… eat a slug or lick a snail?
• Would you rather… live in a damp cave or a windy treetop?
• Would you rather… kiss a frog or eat a toad?

If you have a birthday near Halloween, try our Halloween Would You Rather.

You will need 28 plastic party cups. Each person has 60 seconds to stack the plastic cups in a pyramid shape and then unstack them all back again.

You will need flat craft sticks or popsicle sticks and 6 die. Each person holds a stick in their mouth and then has to pile up the dice on top of each other without dropping them all.

A scavenger hunt is a fun activity any time of the year, and we’ve got lots and lots of ideas on Mykidstime for kids scavenger hunts.

Prepare a list of 10 or more items that each team has to head outside (or it can be done indoors if really horrible weather) to find. First team back with all their items wins.

This is a fun idea from Parents.com – you’ll need 8 pool noodles and some duct tape. Make each noodle into a circle and tape it to its neighbour and then have 2 as the top and bottom supports in a 2×3 pattern. Everyone has to hop through each circle without touching a noodle. You could also do a bean bag toss or set it up vertically to throw balls through as well.

You will need a straw per player and some M&Ms or Smarties. Place 25 sweets onto a paper plate and the players have to suck up and transfer each M&M or Smartie to another plate in under 60 seconds. You can only use one hand to hold the straw.

You could have multiple players competing in each round. And of course everyone gets to eat their sweets at the end!

Each player gets two balloons. During one minute, they have to keep both balloons from touching the ground. Rules: they can only use one hand and they can’t hold onto the balloons!

You could have 2 players per round with one knocked out each time until there’s a winner.

Twister is played on a large plastic mat that is spread on the floor or ground, the mat has four rows of coloured circles, red, yellow, blue and green.

A spinner is attached to a square board and is used to determine where the player has to put their hand or foot. After spinning, the combination is called (for example: “right hand yellow”) and players must move their matching hand or foot to a circle of the correct colour.

How about making a big batch of this fun super bubble mix and then getting everyone to have a go at standing in a bubble?

You’ll need a round play pool, a hula hoop and a non-slip stool to stand on.

(Be warned you might want a change of clothes for this game as the bubble mix can get a bit messy!)

Alternatively, create a spooky batch of glow in the dark bubbles for an evening party as a treat!

You will need one cookie per player. Each player has to place a cookie on their forehead and using only their facial muscles get the cookie into their mouth in under one minute! Oh, and to make it even more interesting… no hands!

Prepare Post It notes with names of famous people on them. E.g. pop stars, celebrities, movie stars, famous people from history.

Everyone gets a Post It note on their forehead (without seeing what the note says) and each person has to figure out which famous person they are, asking only questions that have a Yes or No answer.

Continue until everyone has guessed who they are.

You’ll need paper, scissors, pens and each person gets to make their own fortune teller and then tell each other’s fortunes with it.

You’ll need two sets of clothes for two teams to dress up in, e.g. shirt, sweater, trousers, scarf, gloves, hat, shoes. One team member is chosen to be the “mannequin”.

When you say go, a team member races to the bag or basket of clothes, chooses one item of clothing and puts it onto the “mannequin” then runs back to the start. The first team to dress their “mannequin” wins.

If you want to make the game more challenging and fun, you could customise costumes with patches that match a theme or your child’s interests. You can choose a custom patch design online for your chosen theme e.g. anime characters, cartoon images etc.

To play, the children have to find and match their costume to a corresponding patch.

The custom embroidered patches for the event can also be given to the kids as souvenir gifts after the game.

You’ll need a packet of Maltesers or chocolate balls, 2 plates and a pair of chopsticks.

Each person has to take it in turns to use the chopsticks to transfer as many chocolate balls as they can between the two plates in under 60 seconds. The person who transfers the most chocolates wins.

You will need whipping cream (we use skooshy cream) and worm-shaped sweets as well as paper plates.

Dollop the cream across the plate and then sprinkle some worm shaped sweets on the plate. People have to use their mouths only to grab the worms, getting covered in the cream in the process of course!

Bingo is a fun game for tweens. You will need to prep the bingo cards in advance and we found this cool Emoji Bingo Game on Catch My Party that has free printable cards to play, that we think tweens would love.

And finally, last but not least, the chocolate bar game.

You will need:

• large bar of chocolate on a plate with a knife and fork
• large boots, large jacket, hat, and gloves
• one dice

Kids throw the dice until someone gets a 6. Whoever gets a 6 quickly puts on all the clothes and starts to eat the chocolate using the cutlery until the next child throws a 6 and then it becomes their turn. Really funny game the kids (and adults) will enjoy!

FAQ

What are the best games for older kids at a party?

The best games for older kids are easy to explain, quick to set up and just challenging enough to keep tweens interested. Team games, mystery games, minute-to-win-it challenges, guessing games and funny performance games usually work well.

What age group are these games best for?

These games are especially useful for children aged around 8 to 12, but many can be adapted for younger children with help or made more competitive for teens.

How many party games should I prepare?

For a tween party, prepare three or four main games plus one quick backup. Older kids can move through activities quickly, so it is better to have one spare idea ready than to run out of momentum.

How can I make games for older kids feel less babyish?

Add a challenge, timer, team element, scoring system or mystery twist. Older kids often enjoy feeling that a game needs skill, strategy or quick thinking rather than simply following instructions.

You May Also Enjoy

• 25 of the Best Indoor Games for Kids Aged 8-12 Years
• 11 Entertaining Sleepover Games for the Best Ever Slumber Party
• 15 Entertaining and Fun Indoor Games for Kids of All Ages
• Rainy day activities for kids

Printable Party Planner

Make party planning easier by keeping a simple games list beside your schedule. Note the supplies, rules, team setup and backup game so you are not trying to remember everything while excited guests are waiting.

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