• Kids love playing games with balloons at birthday parties.Baby and baloons image by kasiap from Fotolia.com
  
  A child's birthday party seems incomplete without a few games to get children moving and laughing. Although the nature of the games will vary depending on the age of the partygoers, these birthday classics adapt well to children of most ages. When planning a party include a variety of games, both competitive and non-competitive, to make sure all the children attending have a good time.
  
  

Pin the Tail on the Donkey

• Although most people know the classic "Pin the Tail on the Donkey," not as many know about the Harry Potter-themed birthday party spin-off game "Pin the Spell on Malfoy" or the dinosaur-themed party game "Pin the Teeth on the T-Rex." Whatever the theme of the child's birthday party, create a large image of something that is missing a crucial element and give each child a copy of that element to stick into the correct position.
  
  

Treasure Hunt

• Younger children enjoy looking for small treasures such as toys in a bucket of sand or plastic eggs with treats hidden in the backyard. For older kids, a fun birthday party activity is to divide them into two teams and give the teams 15 to 20 minutes to design a treasure hunt for the other team. Then teams race to see who can finish the treasure hunt first.
  
  

Relay Races

• Races in which each child competes against the other children can be difficult for the smallest or slowest youngsters, but relay races provide a friendlier challenge. Some relay race ideas include carrying an egg on a spoon, hopping in a large sack or going through a backyard obstacle course. Silly tasks also make memorable relay races, especially if they fit in with the theme of the birthday party.
  
  

Balloon Games

• Nothing says "birthday party" like balloons, and there are a number of balloon games kids can enjoy. One idea is to tie a balloon to the ankle of each child and have the children stomp on each other's balloons. The goal is to be the last child with an inflated balloon. Another idea is to have a variety of numbered party favors and put numbered pieces of paper in some balloons. Children must sit on balloons to pop them, find the piece of paper and claim their prize.