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Cool Party Games for Kids 11-12

Children in the 11- and 12-year-old age range are old enough to do a lot on their own, and are smart enough to solve complex puzzles and cooperate in games. They've played the traditional party games and have strong opinions on what's cool and what isn't. Plan party games that will keep them busy and excited by putting a twist on old ideas, and adding lots of creative touches of your own.

Outdoor Games
- Letting kids this age run off some of their energy is a good thing if you have a backyard or nearby park that will allow it. Line the kids up in two groups to play Red Rover or Red Light, Green Light. A game of freeze tag or cops-and-robbers also lets kids play and run around. You can create your own obstacle course with household objects. You can set up relay races or the classic and hilarious potato sack, three-legged and egg-and-spoon races. Other outdoor games include Blind Man's Buff, Statues or Wacky Croquet. Also known as Golf Ball Croquet, the Wacky variety has teams of players, who must hit a golf ball to a location through croquet hoops, using another golf ball tied into one leg of a pair of pantyhose. If the game is too easy for kids this age, try it with no hands, by tying the other leg of the pantyhose around their waists and having them swing their hips to direct the ball.
Indoor Games
- Balloon Bomb or Catch the Balloon are not-too-rowdy indoor games. The first uses untied balloons as little rockets; the kids try to hit a target by letting the air out of the balloon. For the second, have the children sit in a circle and try to catch a balloon dropped in the center by a chosen "it" person. Other cool party games include charades and 20 Questions. If you have a DVD player and TV, you can buy interactive board games, such as Scene It? and video Trivial Pursuit, for everybody to play. If you have a ping-pong table, try playing crazy ping-pong, with no net and no paddles. Everyone stands around the table and blows the ball in different directions.
Scavenger Hunts/Adventures
- One time-tested party game sure to be a hit with this age group is a scavenger hunt. You can make it as big or small as you wish; you could drive the kids all over town, or get the help of your neighbors and limit them to a square block, or plan it in one building like a church or community center. If your party has a theme, try making the scavenger hunt an adventure story based in that setting. A Western theme party, for example, might have an adventure quest involving outlaws and sheriffs. A pirate party is the perfect foil for a treasure hunt. You'll find some scavenger hunts and adventure story ideas online, with downloadable components. See Resources for some places to buy games. You can purchase others as kits from party-planning stores. You can also buy or make a crime-solving game for 11- and 12-year-olds.

Party Games