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Survivor Party Games for Kids

Based on the popular TV reality show, a Survivor-themed party is a creative way of letting children work in teams and compete in games while learning about nature. While you can adapt some of the games for indoor play, a backyard or park provides the perfect backdrop. Start the party by dividing the children into two teams. Let each team come up with their own name and assign each a ̶0;campground,̶1; an area of the yard or house where they can build their shelters and coordinate their strategies.

Worm and Dirt Eating Contest
- Set up two tables, one for each team, and place lidded containers of mystery foods inside of them. Up the ̶0;gross̶1; factor by choosing fun foods that sound more unappealing than they taste. Options include gummy worms and rats, swamp mud (Hershey̵7;s syrup), bird droppings (Junior Mints) and dirt (Oreo crumbs). Use opaque containers so that children cannot see what's inside. Place one member of each team at their table and ask children to open their mouths at the same time and eat what's in the container. The first one to open their mouth and prove they finished eating the food wins the round. Continue play until everyone has had a turn.
Build a Shelter
- Play this game outdoors in a park or backyard with ample building materials. Let each team gather twigs, grasses and leaves to use to construct a shelter for their team mascot. Give each team a small stuffed animal, such as a bear or lion. Emphasize that the shelter must adequately house the mascot and that it must be sturdy enough to stand alone for 10 minutes. The children must create the shelter using only their imagination and the materials they gather from nature. They may not use tape, glue, staples or nails. Award a prize to the team that finishes their shelter first.
  
  If you need to play this game indoors, you may give the teams Popsicle sticks and yarn as construction materials.
Rainbow Race
- Give each team a plastic bag and a sheet of paper with all of the colors in the rainbow written on it. Instruct each team to find and collect items in nature that match each color of the rainbow̵2;for example, a red apple, a yellow flower or a green leaf. You might want to plant some of these items throughout the yard to help them complete this challenge. Each item can only count for one color.
Tribal Council Trivia Contest
- This individual challenge tests each party-goer̵7;s knowledge of the birthday boy or girl. Make a big bonfire (if possible) or allow children to sit around an outdoor fire pit. Give each child their own wipe off board and marker. You can make inexpensive boards by laminating a white piece of cardstock. Ask each child ten questions in a multiple choice fashion̵2;you might ask about the birthday child̵7;s favorite color, middle name or pets. Let them write their answers on the whiteboard. Children who answer questions incorrectly must join the jury̵2;which means they sit in a different area than the other contestants until the end of the game. All children who answer the questions correctly win the contest.

Party Games