Pin the Tail on the Donkey
This simple and classic game requires some preparation: a picture of a donkey without its tail, a donkey tail attached to a thumbtack (for smaller children, a magnet) and a blindfold. Party guests are blindfolded one at a time before attempting to attach the tail to the picture of a donkey pinned on the wall. The child who pins the tail closest to the correct spot wins.
Musical Chairs
All you need for this game are some chairs and music. Arrange the chairs in a circle so that there is one less chair than there are children. The children should walk around the chairs while the music plays. As soon as the music stops, they'll rush to grab a chair each. The child who is left standing is out and gets to stop the music on the next round. Play continues until there are only two children and one chair remaining. The child who gets the last seat is the winner.
Simon Says
This party game favorite requires minimal adult supervision and no preparation. Appoint an adult or one of the children as "Simon," the leader who will call out commands to the rest. When a command includes the phrase "Simon says," for example, "Simon says jump up," everyone must perform the action. They must ignore all commands that do not include the phrase "Simon says." Any child who is too slow following a command from Simon or who follows a command that didn't come from Simon is out of the game until the next round. The winner is the last child remaining, though it may be necessary to declare more than one child the winner if the last few are particularly good.
Tug of War
This outdoor game requires at least two children, a rope, and a line on the ground. Divide the children into two equal teams. Each team must pull on their side of the rope and try to pull the other children past the line. The game is simple to play, but the supervising adult must ensure that bigger children are divided evenly between the two teams. It is also important to select a rope that will not harm the children as it slides across their skin. Remind the children not to wrap the rope around their arms to secure a better grip, as this can lead to injury.