Musical party games

Loads of ideas for musical party games!

These musical party games are easy to organize - as well as great fun for kids. Grab your trumpet, bash that drum and prepare your home-made maracas!

There are many familiar favorites; it's just a question of choosing which ones you want to include in your party.

Let's get straight down to business with some familiar games that you'll recognize straight away...

Classic musical games

Pass the parcel
Why not add a few musical touches to this game? Put some musical-themed favors between the layers of your parcel: little whistles, flutes, bells, shakers or kazoos.

For the real prize at the end, choose a gift appropriate for the age of your guests: a musical board book or musical telephone for the tots, a musical book and tape or DVD combo - or an instrument such as a small drum or keyboard.

Musical chairs
Place chairs in a circle around the room, with one chair less than the number of children playing.

Choose some great music to play, and when the music stops, each child must quickly sit down; the child who can't find a chair is out. This child gets to switch the music on and off for the next turn!

Take away another chair; then start the music again. The last player left is the winner.

Musical islands
There are two variations of this musical party game.

The first one is simply the same as musical chairs above - but this time, you place mats, or "islands" on the floor for the kids to sit on.

The second version is fun, too, and you only need one mat! All the players walk around in a circle, and as they go round, they must step on the mat.

When the music stops, the child on the mat is out.

Musical statues
This is fun game usually gets little children giggling like mad!

The music plays and everyone dances about. You can have disco music for some great dance moves, or animal music to get the kids stomping about, or pirate music to get them climbing the rigging.

When the music stops, the kids must freeze. The first child to move is out. This child will then be the judge for the next round, and the last child left is the winner. Another simple, yet hilarious musical party game!

More musical party game ideas

Rhythm guess
This is a fun clapping game, where you clap the rhythm of a well known nursery rhyme, and the children guess what it is. Choose, for example, five nursery rhymes that your guests are very familiar with.

Start the game by asking what nursery rhymes the children know. They will probably suggest the rhymes you have chosen. Get them to sing some of the nursery rhymes first. Then tell them that they must guess which rhyme you are "clapping."

You could also prepare three or four nursery rhymes on pieces of paper for some children to look at and clap the rhythm out for the others to guess.

Finish by clapping and singing a couple of rhymes together.

Name that tune
Prepare a tape of familiar songs - but only record the first twenty seconds or so. Just enough so that everyone will recognize the song.

Play the first few seconds of the first song. Can the children guess what it is? You could play this all together, or in teams, or pairs. Ten songs will be more than enough.

Play in the band
If you have a selection of instruments - toy guitars, drums, percussion instruments, even pots, pans and wooden spoons - you can get the kids to play along to some music, marching as they go.

Play this as a kind of "follow my leader" if you want. Play your choice of music, and let the children just play along! The leader can march in front, showing the kids where to go and what to do: for example, the children might have to swap instruments with the child in front of them, or perhaps put their instruments down and have a quick dance.

Older kids could split into two groups, each with their own DVD of songs they can choose from. Then they can "practise" playing along with their chosen song for ten minutes - provide two rooms for this activity! After that, have a mini-concert, which of course you will want to video!

More songs and rhymes

For more musical fun, check out my selection of traditional musical party songs.