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Basketball Party Games for Kids

Basketball themed parties can be used to celebrate a child’s birthday or as a team celebration after a championship game or a season ends. Aside from playing a traditional game of basketball, you can choose a number of basketball-themed games to keep your guests entertained during the party.

Training Camp
- Just as every professional basketball player goes through training camp, you can put your guests through training camp. Set up an obstacle course to test the kid’s athletic abilities and help them work some excess energy out. Use different obstacle or activities such as performing 10 jumping jacks or push-ups, followed by dribbling the basketball for 15 seconds, weaving in and out of cones and shooting a basketball into a garbage can from 10 feet away. You can either have the kid’s race against each other in teams or just have them take turns performing the different tasks.
HORSE
- After the training camp is complete, it is time to play some basketball. Instead of a traditional basketball game, divided into two teams, play a game of HORSE. Guests take turn making shots from different locations. If the shot is made, the other players have to repeat the same shot. If a player misses, he gets a letter in the word HORSE, starting with "H." If a player makes the shot, no letter is given. Once HORSE is spelled completely, that player is out. You can use a regulation hoop and ball, a child’s basketball hoop and ball or even a clean trashcan.
Jersey Match
- If your guests have a good working knowledge of past and present professional basketball players and teams, you can create a trivia game for the guests using photos of different team jerseys. You will also need a list of current and past players from different teams. The kids then will need to match the names of the players with picture of the team jersey they wear or use to wear. For example, if you have a picture of a Lakers jersey, the players would match the name Kobe Bryant to it. An alternative method is to provide images of a particular jersey number and have the kids match the correct name to the jersey. For example, if you show a Celtics jersey with a number 9, they would match the name Rajon Rondo. The player with the most correct matches wins. You can also place the kids in teams to help those players who do not know as much about basketball.

Party Games