Musical party games for kids: ten classics

Ten party games run on music. Each one needs a speaker, a playlist, and a clear floor. This page gives the rules for each game, the ages it suits, and a piece of classical music to play with it.

The ten games at a glance

Game	Ages	What you need
Musical chairs	4 and up	One chair for each player, less one
Musical statues	3 and up	Open floor
Musical bumps	3 and up	Open floor
Pass the parcel	3 and up	A prize wrapped in many layers of paper
Hot potato	4 and up	A beanbag or a soft ball
Musical islands	4 and up	Sheets of newspaper
Limbo	5 and up	A broom handle or a pool noodle
Conga line	3 and up	Open floor
The Hokey Pokey	3 and up	Nothing
Name that tune	6 and up	A playlist of tunes the players know

The rules

1. Musical chairs. Set the chairs in a ring with the seats facing out. Use one chair fewer than the number of players. Start the music, and the players walk around the ring. Stop the music, and each player sits on the nearest empty chair. The player left standing is out. Take one chair away and play again. The last player to sit wins.

2. Musical statues. Everyone dances while the music plays. When it stops, everyone freezes. A player who moves is out. This is the same game as freeze dance. For more rules and twists, read freeze dance with classical music.

3. Musical bumps. Everyone dances. When the music stops, everyone sits down on the floor as fast as they can. The last player to sit is out.

4. Pass the parcel. Wrap a small prize in many layers of paper before the party. The players sit in a ring and pass the parcel around while the music plays. When the music stops, the player holding the parcel takes off one layer. The player who takes off the last layer keeps the prize. A sticker between the layers gives every stop a small reward.

5. Hot potato. The players sit in a ring and pass a beanbag around while the music plays. The beanbag is the hot potato, so nobody holds on to it. When the music stops, the player holding it is out.

6. Musical islands. Spread sheets of newspaper on the floor. These are the islands. The players dance around them while the music plays. When it stops, each player stands on an island. Take one island away after each round. Players may share an island. A player with no room to stand is out.

7. Limbo. Two helpers hold a stick level at chest height. The players line up and pass under it one at a time, leaning back, with no hands on the floor. A player who touches the stick or falls is out. Lower the stick after each round.

8. Conga line. The players stand in a line, each with hands on the shoulders of the player in front. The line moves to the beat: three steps and a kick to the side. The leader takes the line around the room.

9. The Hokey Pokey. The players stand in a ring and sing the song. The words tell them what to do: put one part of the body into the ring, take it out, shake it, and turn around. In Britain, the same game is called the Hokey Cokey.

10. Name that tune. Play the first few seconds of a tune. The first player to name it scores a point. Use songs from films and school for young players. Add famous classical openings for older ones.

A version where nobody is out

A game where players go out can be hard on a three-year-old. Change one rule, and everyone stays in.

• Musical chairs. Use cushions on the floor in place of chairs. Take one cushion away each round, and keep every player. The players share the cushions that are left.
• Musical statues and musical bumps. A player who moves does five star jumps and joins in again.
• Musical islands. The islands get fewer, and the players help each other to fit.
• Hot potato. The player holding the beanbag chooses the next dance move for the group.

Music to play

Game	Piece	Why it fits
Musical chairs	Radetzky March, by Johann Strauss Sr.	A steady march to walk to
Musical statues	“Russian Dance” from The Nutcracker, by Tchaikovsky	Fast, with room for stamps and jumps
Musical bumps	The Can-Can, by Offenbach	Quick, with kicks
Pass the parcel	The Blue Danube, by Johann Strauss II	A calm waltz for passing around a ring
Hot potato	“Flight of the Bumblebee”, by Rimsky-Korsakov	Fast, and about a minute and a half long
Musical islands	Hungarian Dance No. 5, by Brahms	It speeds up and slows down
Limbo	“Habanera” from Carmen, by Bizet	A slow, swaying beat
Conga line	“Farandole” from L’Arlésienne, by Bizet	A march that turns into a fast dance

A farandole is a chain dance from the south of France. The dancers hold hands in a long line and follow a leader, which makes it a fair match for a conga line.

Ten openings for name that tune

1. Symphony No. 5, by Beethoven
2. Eine kleine Nachtmusik, by Mozart
3. The gallop from the William Tell Overture, by Rossini
4. “Ode to Joy”, by Beethoven
5. Für Elise, by Beethoven
6. The Can-Can, by Offenbach
7. “In the Hall of the Mountain King”, by Grieg
8. “Spring” from The Four Seasons, by Vivaldi
9. The Blue Danube, by Johann Strauss II
10. “Ride of the Valkyries”, by Wagner

Tips for the person on the music

• Face away from the players. A leader who cannot see the game stops the music at fair moments.
• Vary the gaps. Stop after five seconds one time and after thirty the next.
• Keep the rounds short. In a big group, take two players out each round.
• Give players who are out a job. They can judge the statues or hold the limbo stick.
• Check the floor. Socks slip on a smooth floor. Bare feet or shoes grip better.

What the games ask of a child

Each game asks a child to listen for one thing: the moment the music stops. Musical statues and musical bumps add control of the body. The conga line and limbo add moving to a beat. Name that tune tests a memory for melodies.

Print and play

For a quieter party game, make cards with the listening bingo maker and read musical bingo for kids. For games that need no equipment, read music games for kids with no equipment. For circle games with songs, read singing games for kids. For more music to move to, read classical music for kids to dance to.