Sports-Themed Birthday Games

Indoor Games

• Party guests can play knee football using a plush football. Clear all furniture from a carpeted area. Divide the guests into two teams and have them play football on their knees. The team with the most points after 20 minutes wins the game.

  For another indoor game, try balloon volleyball. Hang a party streamer across the room and divide the players into two teams. Players must use a balloon as the volleyball. The first team to score 15 points wins the game.

Outdoor Games

• Hang hula hoops outside from trees or clotheslines at different levels. Party guests can take turns trying to toss footballs, soccer balls and tennis balls through the hoops. The player who scores the most points wins the game.

  As an alternative, create a sports ball scavenger hunt. Hide party-favor-size sports balls all over the play area and give each guest a small favor bag. When you say "Hunt," the guests have to search for as many balls as they can find. The guest who finds the most balls wins the game.

Relay Races

• Mark a starting line and a run-to line 25 feet apart. Divide the players into two teams. Give the first player in each team line a basketball and place two soccer balls on the run-to line. When you say "Race," the first players in line must bounce the basketball to the run-to line, leave the basketball at the line and kick the soccer ball back to the next player in line. Each player must kick the soccer ball and bounce the basketball from one line to the other. The first team to finish the relay wins the game.

  Alternatively, the teams can compete to see which can be the first to pass a tennis ball down the team line using only their necks and chins.

Nonactive Games

• Ask your guests to sit in a circle, then hand one player a sports ball, such as a volleyball or soccer ball. Play music and tell everyone to toss the ball around the circle. When the music stops playing, the child holding the ball is out of the game. Each time the music stops, eliminate one player. The last player remaining in the game wins the ball.

  Have the guests sit back in a circle and place a variety of sports balls in the middle, enough for each guest. Write the names of all the balls on slips of paper. Tell each player to grab a ball. Draw a ball name from the slips of paper to determine the winners. For example, if you draw "soccer ball," every player holding a soccer balls wins a prize.