How to : Play kids' party games

Bozo Buckets, Clothespin Drop, Pin the Tail on the Donkey, Pinata, and Scavenger Hunt are some popular party games for kids.

Line up six buckets and have a child stand at one end. Instruct the player to toss a ball into the closest bucket. If successful, they try the next bucket. They continue tossing the ball into each progressively further bucket until they miss.

Set an empty bottle with a medium-sized opening on the floor behind a kitchen chair. Players take turns kneeling on the chair, facing the back, and dropping clothespins one at a time, attempting to get them into the bottle. Each child gets to drop ten clothespins, and the child with the most pins in the bottle wins a prize.

Tack a poster of a donkey with a missing tail to the wall. Blindfold each child on their turn, turn them around a few times, and point them in the general direction of the poster. They are to attempt to place the tail onto the poster, closest to the desired location. The child who places the tail closest to the desired location wins a prize.

Hang the pinata from a tree branch so that it is over the children's heads. Each child takes a turn swatting at the pinata with a long stick, attempting to break it open and spill candy and toys for all the children to enjoy. No matter who breaks the pinata open, all children are rewarded.

Divide the children into equal groups of two to four and provide each group with a list of items they must gather. For young children, the items should be located in the house or yard. Older children may be allowed to go to the homes of familiar neighbors to request items, but they must stay together in their groups. The first group to gather all the items on their list wins prizes.