Games for Farm Birthday

Barn Trap

• This party game puts a twist on Musical Chairs. Create a large barn decoration for the party using an appliance box--you can either check with a local appliance store to see if they have any empties to dispose of or you can buy a very large box from a moving supply store. Paint the box red and cut a door on each end. As the music plays, the kids climb through the barn one at a time. The child inside the barn when the music stops is out of the game for that round. Continue the game, stopping the music periodically until only one child is left.

Haystack Search

• Hide several small farm-themed toys inside a pile of hay, making sure there are plenty of toys for all of the kids. Have them dig through the hay in search of the toys, which they get to take home as party favors. If you want each child to get the same number of toys, let the kids know ahead of time how many they can have. Once they reach that number, they stop searching so the rest of the kids can find their fair share of toys.

Animal Roundup

• This game is fun for very little kids. Create an animal pen in the middle of the room or yard. A box with an open top works well. Another option is to use a child's play pen. Scatter lots of animals around the party area, some in the open, some partially hidden--as you would with an Easter egg hunt. You can use stuffed animals, plastic toy animals or pictures of animals. Send the toddlers off to find and gather the animals and put them back in the pen.

Classic Games

• Several classic party games fit the farm them with small and easy moifications. Instead of playing Musical Chairs, play Moo-sical Chairs and use farm-themed kids' songs of barn dance music. Old MacDonald Says is a farm-themed version of Simon Says, with instructions like "pretend to milk a cow" and "act like you're driving a tractor." Play Pin the Tail on the Donkey (or cow or pig or the birthday child's favorite farm animal) and Duck-Duck-Goose just as they are.