Outdoor Teen Birthday Games

Expunge Your Sponge

• Cool off during a summer birthday party by playing this game. Gather two sponges and four buckets. Place two of the buckets a few feet away from each other at one side of the party space. Fill the other two buckets with water and place them parallel to the other buckets on the other side of the area. Divide the players into two teams, situating either team next to a filled bucket. Hand the first players in either team's line a sponge. When you say "Go," the first players fill their sponge with as much water as it can carry, then race to the bucket at the other side. The players expunge the water from the sponge into the bucket then race back to their lines. The next players in line have their turns until one team fills their bucket before the other team, thereby winning the game.

Hanging Donuts

• Let the teens make fools of themselves by playing this messy game. Prepare by gathering some string and enough donuts for every player. Loop a string through the hole of each donut, tying the ends of the string around a tree branch. Once you have hung all the donuts from the tree, gather all of the teens around it. Pick one player to start and blindfold him. Spin him around and have him locate one donut. He has to find a donut and eat it within 20 seconds. Let everyone have a turn. Those who prevail win the game and get to take home a box full of donuts as a prize.

Ambushed!

• Let the teens stretch their legs with this outdoor party game. Divide the guests into two teams. Decide on a particular spot within the party area to serve as a safe point. Select one team to leave the common area and head off into the woods to hide. As they walk away, have them leave a trail behind them using breadcrumbs. The other team counts to 100 before they go into the woods to locate the enemy. Once the hiding team sees their enemy approaching, they race toward their opponents, tagging as many players as they can. Meanwhile, the other team races to the safety point to avoid getting tagged. If a player gets tagged, she joins her enemy's team. After everyone arrives at the safety point, allow the other team to play the ambushers. Continue the game until all the players become part of only one team.