An Ignoble Experiment: [Parent Hacks] 1 new post in Parent Hacks

2008/11/01

[Parent Hacks] 1 new post in Parent Hacks

Hello, ignoble.experiment@arconati.us, and thank you for subscribing to Parent Hacks. Got a hack you'd like to share? Send it to hacks@parenthacks.com, along with your name and Web address (if you'd like us to link to you).

Simple indoor/outdoor party games? Talk amongst yourselves.

Rachael needs party game help, stat!

I am a dedicated Parent Hacks reader (and occasional contributor). My son is turning 5 and in a fit of insanity, we invited 10 kids to the party. Well, for some reason, a number of the parents felt it was fine to also bring a sibling (usually within two years of my son's age), so now we are looking at about 16 kids. We are just doing a low-key party at home, but I need to come up with some ideas for games so that these kids (mainly boys) are occupied! We are hoping to set up a big tent in the backyard and have most of the party outside, but of course the weather will decide.

I'm sure you have a ton of ideas of games that can be played inside or out (I'm thinking of things like Pin the Tail on the Donkey, only a little less 1970 and a little more 2008). We live in an urban area and have limited space inside (i.e. no big playroom where we could set something up). Any suggestions?

I'm thinking that if you set up "stations" around the space, you could distribute the kids around, and more easily accommodate different ages. No need for a big playroom -- you could set stations up anywhere. Plus -- you could use toys you likely already have. So, say you had a LEGO station, a playdough station, a block-stacking (or marble blocks, or the like) station, and an art station (decorate your own party hats can be fun). That way you wouldn't have to direct a huge group of kids in a single activity.

What are your thoughts, Parenthackers?