1. Determining The Most Suitable Indoor Party Games No party would be complete without some indoor party games. To select the most appropriate games, it's essential to take a bird's eye view and think about what such games should achieve. Fun & a whole lot more! Obviously, the games should be exciting and enjoyed by all the attendees. Nevertheless, it is important to bear in mind that many games can be great ways of enhancing kids' life skills. Interaction & cooperating Games where the kids have to cooperate with the other partygoers are a better idea to games where the participants are acting alone. Encouraging interaction lets the partygoers to foster social skills. Further, it is worth remembering that indoor games including team 'hide and seek' are very effective at enhancing the partygoers' likelihood of sharing in the future. However, it’s important to incorporate a choice of indoor party games to add variety and hone other personal traits. Further, if the games are not enjoyable, the kids won’t play them and as such won’t develop skills or have fun. If the games are enjoyed, you'll be able to have a more relaxed time, and thereby enjoy the party as well. When should they be played? Indoor games are not only played when the weather outside is awful. They’re a great way to focus the attention of the kids in a smaller environment, which will permit you to summarize what the party entails, when the snacks will be served, when the birthday cake will be served and any stipulations. An excellent idea for the beginning of the party is to include some games to break the ice like ‘charades’, 'guess my emotion' and ‘guess who i’m impersonating’. If the partygoers don’t yet know one another, stickers with everyone's name on will help everyone remember everyone else's name. Playing the games just before party food is served is an excellent way of settling the children before they eat. Further, indoor games may be more appropriate than outdoor party games depending on the theme. Indoor games: options Party games that are played indoors don't need to be quiet. Indeed, some should be bouncy and noisy. This hones the girls' skills of behaving themselves in a home environment without breaking things(!); however it might be a good idea to remove any precious objects before the party as accidents can happen! Inspiration for indoor party games Traditional indoor party games include the ever-popular ‘musical chairs’ and ‘musical statues’. Also, ‘hide and seek’ is a great idea if your home has some interesting places to hide. My Kids also love playing 'tag in slow-motion’ which is essentially a game of tag, but with all the players talking and chasing in slow motion; it helps to ensure fewer things get broken! ‘Pass the parcel’ is immensely enjoyable, but we adapt its rules a bit so that all but one of the partygoers has a parcel. On the music stopping, the girl who doesn't have a parcel gets all the treats under that layer of wrapping from all of the other parcels. It’s great fun! My girls also love competing in 'dance-offs' and 'sing-offs'; but, again, we change the rules so that everyone feels involved. If some of the kids don't enjoy dancing or singing, they are allowed to perform their preferred skill, and everyone gets a vote as to who wins the round. You could also include some ‘craft games’ (e.g. competing to decorate the most intricately decorated cookie ever) or dress-up games (e.g. competing to dress-up like a person – your old rags are excellent for this, as are clothes you can pick up for next to nothing at thrift stores). ‘Card games’ are always popular too; 'snap' is always a good laugh (particularly with a big group of people) as is 'Uno'. However, the clear winner with my children are 'role-playing games’. These range from costume parties to match a specific theme, to getting all the attendees to develop a character before the party and having everyone else guess it at the party. Play-acting develops their creativity and imaginations, and is something I can’t recommend enough. Final ideas There are many indoor games that you can include. Encouraging the children to get involved in providing suggestions ensures they all have a great party. You’re not restricted to the normal indoor games, as the rules of typically outdoor games can be adapted (by you and/or the children) to become games suitable to be enjoyed inside. You should let their personalities do the work for you and enjoy the rest of the party! For further information, take a look at my Party Games For Girls blog!