Planning your 8 year old’s birthday party doesn’t have to be stressful.
By choosing simple, classic games and activities that resonate with you and your child, you can ensure a good time for everyone.
If you’re racking your brain trying to think of what 8 year olds will love to do at a birthday party, you’re in the right place!
Here are 50 fun games and activities for your next 8th birthday celebration.
See also: “50 Fun Activities for Your 11 Year Old’s Birthday Party“
1. Cookie Decorating
All you need are some basic sugar cookies (store-bought or homemade), some frosting, sprinkles, googly eyes and any other decorations that suit your fancy.
Spread out the tablecloth, child-safe knives, spatulas, and spoons, and let the kids have at it.
We recommend buying 2-3 cookies for each child on your guest list so that the activity takes longer and the kids can perfect their cookie-decorating skills.
Variation: You can also decorate cupcakes or get giant white birthday cake and have everyone take part in decorating it.
2. Nerf War
If you have a bunch of Nerf or water guns laying around, or you know that your child’s friends have their own to bring, organize a nerf war in the backyard. It’s a sure hit!
3. Pictionary
Pictionary is one of those great party games that will get everyone laughing. You’ll need a large piece of paper or whiteboard, and it may help to pre-write some good clues. We recommend working together as one team to avoid any unnecessary conflict. Birthday parties are hard enough – you don’t need any Pictionary drama!
4. Movie Night
There’s nothing better than a classic movie night at your birthday party. This can be part of a sleepover or an “undernight” (when the kids get picked up before bedtime).
To make it memorable, have everyone lay out their sleeping bags or blankets, pop some popcorn (you can add candy like gummy bears to the popcorn to make it even more special), and turn on the birthday kid’s favorite movie! This is an especially great option for a small group.
Variation: Outdoor Movie Night! Snuggle up on an outdoor blanket and watch a movie outside.
5. Piñata
You can buy a piñata at any party store, or even Walmart. The kids will love putting blindfolds on and trying to break it open so that all the candy will fall out! Depending on the number of children you have attending your party, you may want to get more than one piñata.
6. Jewelry-Making Party
Organizing a jewelry-making party for 8-year-olds, with a special nod to Taylor Swift-inspired friendship bracelets, can be a fun way to celebrate.
- Decor: Create an enchanting crafting space with fairy lights, pastel tablecloths, and flowers. Decorate with pictures of Taylor Swift, especially those where she’s wearing her iconic bracelets and other accessories.
- Crafting Stations: Set up tables with all the materials needed for bracelet making. Have separate stations for different styles or techniques, such as beading, braiding, or charm bracelets.
- Materials: Provide a variety of materials like embroidery floss, beads, charms, and letters for personalization.
- Instruction Sheets: Offer simple instruction sheets or QR codes linked to tutorial videos for different styles of bracelets, from basic braiding to more intricate designs inspired by Taylor Swift’s music and personal style.
6. Treasure Hunt or Scavenger Hunt
If you’re feeling motivated, organize a simple treasure or scavenger hunt for your party goers. If you have a birthday party theme, it’s a good idea to have the scavenger hunt go along with it. For example, if it’s a Harry Potter party, it could be a Marauder’s Map theme.
7. Paint & Sip
Turn your own home into a Paint & Sip Art Studio! Provide a canvas, paint, and fruit juices or soda so your party guests can paint and sip to their hearts content. They’ll have so much fun, and you can provide a new paintbrush or watercolor set for party favors.
Variation #1: Plein Air Painting
Grab some paper and paint, and paint in the great outdoors! Your backyard or a local park is the perfect spot for this simple activity. Paint the trees, grass, and flowers that you see around you. Paint your house. Art easels make this activity even more fun.
Variation 2: Mud Painting
Mud painting is a great way to do a painting activity on a budget. Grab some containers you don’t care much about, some plain paper, and a handful of old paintbrushes. Outside, scoop a healthy amount of dirt into each container, and then add a small amount of water and good amount of food coloring. If you don’t have food coloring, this will be lots of fun with plain old mud. Some recipes call for dish soap to help prevent stains in clothes, but it’s also optional. You’re ready to mud paint!
8. Backyard Campout
Who says your child’s birthday party has to be complicated? Take it back to simpler times with a backyard campout. Have everyone bring their tent and sleeping bag and campout in the backyard. Bonus points for a campfire, flashlight tag, and s’mores.
Younger children who haven’t slept outside before may get spooked, so chat with parents beforehand.
9. Video Game Fort Night
Combine the excitement of video gaming with the nostalgic charm of building forts, creating an unforgettable experience for your kiddos.
- Fort Supplies: Provide guests with materials for building forts, such as blankets, pillows, sheets, and lightweight furniture. You can also include string lights, LED candles, and soft rugs to make the forts cozy and inviting.
- Choose the Right Games: Select a variety of video games that are suitable for the age group attending. Having options like Minecraft, Mario Kart, or any co-op (cooperative play) games ensures that there’s something for everyone.
- Create Comfortable Gaming Stations: Set up multiple gaming stations with all necessary equipment, including consoles, controllers, and screens. Make sure there’s ample seating and that each station is comfortably positioned within a fort.
10. Tie-Dye Party
A tie-dye party is a great way to throw a bright and colorful birthday party. And the kids will have an automatic party favor to take home and wear for years to come.
Order a tie-dye kit ahead of time and ask the kids to bring a white t-shirt or other clothing items. You’ll also need rubber bands and rubber gloves.
Here are 10 easy tie-dye patterns for kids >>
Once you’ve created your masterpiece, make sure to care for it correctly.
Here are step-by-step instructions for how to wash your tie-dye shirt for the first time.
11. Flag Football Game
Order some flags to go around each party guests’s waist and start up a game of flag football in the backyard. If your party falls during football season and your kids are fans, it might be fun to have a football watch party before or after your game with wings, chips and dip, and soda.
12. Tug of War
All you need is a large rope and a clear marker on the ground to mark the center. Then split the kids up into two teams and place them on either side of the rope. The goal is to pull the other team over the center line.
Variation: Sprinkler Tug Of War – Put one person on either side of the sprinkler, grab a rope, and tug!
13. Capture the Flag
Capture the flag is a classic backyard game that older children in this age group will love.
Split the kids into two teams and give them each a flag to protect. The flag can be a bandana, a ball, or any small object. The goal is to steal the other teams flag and bring it back to your side without getting tagged. This game is perfect for a big party with lots of kids.
14. Karaoke
Fire up the karaoke machine and let the kids be silly! This pairs well with a glow stick dance party, movie night, and sleepover or undernight.
15. Kickball Game
Set up four large objects for your bases, and have a pitcher roll the ball to the kicker. Just like baseball, try to get around the bases. It’s a playground favorite!
16. Dodgeball
Dodgeball is an easy game to set up because all you need are soft balls for the kids to throw and a center line separating the teams. This is a great activity for a large group.
17. Magic Show
For a magic themed party, bringing in a magician is a great idea. Be sure to read reviews from other parents to make sure they’re a good performer. A magic show is a sure hit at any child’s birthday party!
18. Soccer Shootout
Set up two goals and start up a soccer game. Or do a soccer shootout! To do a shootout, set up two cones for your goal, and mark a ten foot distance, or any distance you choose. Dribble the ball up, and shoot! See how many you can make in a set amount of time.
19. Mad Science Experiments
Hosting a Mad Science birthday party is an exhilarating way to celebrate, and this fun theme also stimulates young minds through hands-on learning and discovery.
- Lab Setup: Transform the party area into a science lab with beakers, test tubes, and lab equipment (safe, plastic replicas for decoration). Hang posters of famous scientists and science concepts around the room.
- Glowing Ambiance: Use glow sticks and black lights to create a mysterious, glowing lab environment. This will add to the mad science atmosphere, especially for experiments that involve glow-in-the-dark elements.
Fun Experiments:
- Volcano Eruption: A classic science experiment that never fails to amaze. Use baking soda, vinegar, and food coloring to create an explosive, colorful reaction.
- Slime Making: Allow each child to create their own slime using simple ingredients like glue, baking soda, and contact lens solution. Make it more scientific by discussing the chemistry behind slime formation.
- Invisible Ink: Teach kids how to write secret messages with lemon juice. When the paper is held up to heat, the message appears. This can introduce concepts of acid/base reactions and heat’s effect on substances.
20. Bouncy House
Bounce houses make everything more fun. A bouncy house party is a fantastic way to ensure an energetic and unforgettable celebration for the birthday boy or girl.
Integrating a bouncy castle into your party planning not only promises hours of laughter and joy but also creates a visually exciting centerpiece that will be remembered by all guests.
21. Water Balloon Games
On a hot summer day, water balloon games are the perfect way to cool off. Here are 21 fun water balloon games you’ll all love. Afterwards, serve some ice cream!
22. Obstacle Course
This age group loves a good challenge. Grab some cones, hula hoops, outdoor blankets, small stools, and any other equipment you could use for an outdoor obstacle course. Time each other running through. Who can do it fastest? This is a simple, fun way to get active.
23. Balloon Bulls Eye
One of the best party activities is balloon bulls eye. Affix several balloons to a vertical surface that you are okay with getting damaged. Provide darts to each child and see if they can pop the balloons.
24. Hula Hoop Fun
Use a hula hoop to play human ring toss, or just have some fun spinning the hula hoop around your waist! Get the Wham-O Original Hula Hoop Set of 3 Sizes, to fit your kids of all ages (and you!).
25. Sidewalk Chalk Mural
For a cool-looking geometric chalk mural, place masking tape on the ground, fence, or any surface you are working on your chalk mural. Create geomatric shapes similar to a stained glass window. Color in the shapes. When you lift the tape up, you’ll have a beautiful geometric mural.
26. Petting Zoo
You can either transport the kids out to a local petting zoo, or contract an animal keeper to bring one to your home. This is great for kids who are animal lovers.
27. Glow Stick Dance Party
One of the best things about being a kid is letting loose and dancing up a storm. Give everyone a set glow sticks, turn out the lights, and put on their favorite music!
Here are the 100 Best Kids Dance Songs to get your party started >>
28. Hide & Seek
This classic game is a sure-fire hit. One player covers their eyes and gives the other players 30 seconds to hide. After 30 seconds, they’re coming for you!
29. Keep It Up
Using balloons or a light bouncy ball, see how long you can keep it in the air without it touching the ground. Team members cannot touch it more than once in a row. The team gets a point for every touch. It’s a really fun activity that is easy for everyone to play.
30. Paper Airplane Cornhole
Each player creates the best paper airplane they can. Then take turns trying to land the airplane into a bucket or other target.
31. Relay Races
Penguin Race
Set up two cones or markers on either side of the yard. Each racer has to place a ball (the “egg”) between their legs. See how many laps they can complete in one minute. If they drop the “egg” they have to do 5 jumping jacks!
Egg & Spoon Race
Place a small object like a marble or egg on a spoon, and set up two cones or markers on either end of the yard. The first person has to try to get from the start to the finish line with out dropping it, then come back and tag the next person in line. Use objects from around the house, or use the cute and colorful Hey! Play! Wooden Egg and Spoon Race Game from Overstock.com.
32. Sly Fox
One player is chosen to be the Fox, and faces away from the rest of the players. The other players sneak up gradually on the Fox and aim to touch their back before they turn around to catch them. Before the Fox can turn around, they must count to 10 under their breath or out loud as fast or slowly as they like. When the Fox turns around all the other players must ‘freeze’. If the Fox spots a player moving, or falling over, that player must return to the starting point again.
33. Slip n’ Slide n’ Grab
When you can’t have a pool party, a slip n’ slide is the best way to get wet and wild! Better yet, place random objects along the slip n slide. Try to grab them as you slide down! Any 8-year-old boy or girl would love to have a slip n’ slide birthday party.
34. Frisbee Toss
Hone your frisbee throwing skills. Grab a bucket or laundry basket, and have each birthday guest try to toss the frisbee in from varying lengths across the yard.
35. Climb The Ladder
Go grab the ladder from the garage and place a bottle on the bottom rung. Fill a bucket or laundry basket up with sock balls and take turns trying to knock it down. When you knock it off one level, move it one rung higher. How many throws does it take you?
36. Cornhole
This classic game will be a fun activity for your next party. Split the kids up into teams of two and start a tournament!
37. Three legged Race
Tie the left leg of one person to the right leg of another person and see how fast you can get across the yard!
38. Bowl Buckets
Bring some bowls outside and put a piece of paper in each one indicating how many points they are worth. Mark where each player should throw from and see how many points you can get in a set amount of time.
39. Horseshoes
Horseshoes is a great game that all ages can play. Just toss the horseshoe to try to get a ringer around the stake! Get this safe-for-kids Hey! Play! Rubber Horseshoes Set from Overstock.com.
40. Freeze Dance
Bring a speaker outside and blast your favorite music. When the music stops, everyone freezes! You can also play musical chairs, where everyone has to sit down in a chair when the music stops. Take one chair away each round.
41. Potato Sack Races
Use sleeping bags or potato sacks to race across the yard in this field day favorite! You can get classic double burlap potato sacks on Overstock.com.
42. Flashlight Tag
At your next party, bring out your flashlights and play flashlight tag, shadow charades, catch the light, or flashlight limbo, or have a flashlight disco party!
43. Around The World
Bring out a laundry basket and set it against a wall outside. You can play H.O.R.S.E., Around The World, and Knockout – no hoop required!
Of course, it’s more fun with a real hoop. Check out this 43″ Indoor/Outdoor Height Adjustable Basketball Hoop on Overstock.com.
44. Limbo
Put some limbo music on the speaker, and grab a pole, stick, or shower rod. Let the limbo games begin! Any group of kids will love this activity. Want to level up? Get some island-themed party decorations, since the game of limbo originated in Caribbean island of Trinidad. Check out the GoSports Get Low Limbo Premium Wooden Limbo Game from Overstock.com.
45. Lawn Bowling
Set up some bottles and use any ball for a DIY version of lawn bowling, or get an official set from Overstock.com that you can use for years to come.
46. Backyard Baseball
Place four large objects in the yard as the bases and play some ball!
47. DIY Twister
Right hand – Red! Left leg – Blue! Find out how you can create a giant outdoor Twister game on your lawn using paint. See it on sheknows.com.
48. Beach Ball Shot Put
Create a throwing line in the grass and throw the beach balls from there by “pushing” the ball in the form of a shot putter. Measure each throw with a tape measure and write the measurement. See who can throw the farthest!
49. Giant Jenga
Stack up the wooden blocks and remove the one by one. Don’t let the tower fall! We like this set from Hey! Play! on Overstock.com because the pieces are large, but they aren’t so giant that they would hurt someone when they all come crashing down.
Alternative: If you don’t have a giant Jenga game, or want a budget friendly game option, you can opt for a giant Memory Game. Use a Sharpie to write two of each letter or number on large pieces of cardboard. (Or, with a little imagination, you could make more creative memory cards.) Then lay all the cardboard facedown in your yard and play a giant game of Memory!
50. High Jump & Long Jump Competition
For a High Jump Competition, find a big tree or a clear section of wall space outside, and make sure the area is safe. Jump and reach as high as you can. Use a tape measure to record the heigh of each touch. Who can get the highest?
For a Long Jump Competition, find a grassy area of your backyard that is safe to jump around. Market a take-off line, and have everyone jump from that spot. They should bend their knees, swing their arms, and jump for distance. Measure each jump with a tape-measurer and see who can jump the farthest!
51. Ring Toss
Toss each ring to get it around a peg, worth different amounts of point. This classic game will be fun all summer long! We like the Triumph Wooden Ring Toss Game from Blain’s Farm & Fleet because it’s super compact and disassembles easily.
52. Play Tag!
Tag is a classic kids game and there are so many different ways to play it:
Stuck in The Mud Tag
Players pick someone to be “it.” They get five seconds to run away from whoever is “it.” The “it” person must run and tag everyone to win the game. When the “it” person tags a player, the player gets stuck in the mud and can’t move. To save players who are stuck, other players can crawl through their legs to free them.
Freeze Tag
One player is It. When a player is tagged, they must remain frozen in place. They can be unfrozen if they’re tagged by a non-It player.
Tunnel Tag
One player is It. When a player is tagged, they must remain frozen in place, with their legs wide apart, creating a tunnel. They can be unfrozen if a non-It player crawls under the leg tunnel.
Bandaid Tag
One player is It. When a player is tagged they put a hand (as a “band-aid”) over the spot where It touched them. When they are tagged a second time, they places the other hand on the new spot. When they are tagged a third time, they becomes It.
53. Water Blob
Get a clear plastic tarp and fold it in half. Duct tape the three open sides so that they are completely shut. Leave a small opening to fill up the blob with water. Once it’s filled, close it up with duct tape. Everyone will love sliding, jumping, and laying on your new water blob.
54. Spud
You need five people to play this game, so the whole party can join in! Choose one player to be “it” and assign everyone numbers. Then have the person who is “it” stand in the middle of a circle, throw up a ball, and call out on of the number.
The person with that number has to catch the ball and yell “Spud!” Everyone has to freeze when they yell “Spud!” Then the person can take three big steps towards any player and try to hit them with the ball. If they miss, or the player catches the ball, the thrower gets an S. If they hit them, the person who got hit gets an “S” and they are now “it”.
If someone shouts a number that nobody has, know that this is called a “ghost number”.If a ghost number is called, everyone must rush up to the ball and touch it. The last player to do so gets a letter. For each letter a player gets, spell out S-P-U-D. If you spell out S-P-U-D you lose. The last player standing is the winner.
55. Ice Skating or Sledding
In a cold weather climate, ice skating and sledding can be the perfect birthday party activities. Just add hot cocoa!
56. Charades
Charades is one of those classic party games that will help break the ice and get everyone laughing. To prepare, review the basic instructions with the kids, do an example for them, and write down some of things they could act out.
Happy birthday to your 8 year old! We talked to parents, scoured the internet, and used our own experience to curate this epic list of the best party games.
We hope you loved these ideas and that your child’s party is a lot of fun. Here’s wishing them a very special day.
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Calie Herbst, Editor-in-Chief of Milwaukee With Kids, has spent over a decade combining her experiences as a parent of three to create a hub for Milwaukee’s family adventures.
Her decade-long teaching career in Milwaukee Public Schools and academic background, including a Master’s in Teaching from Marquette University and dual B.A.s in Sociology and Spanish from the University of Wisconsin – Madison, fuel her passion for inclusive and engaging family content.
Calie is also a recognized voice in local media, contributing to WISN Channel 12 News, WTMJ Wisconsin Morning News, Fox 6’s Real Milwaukee, and B93.3.
Discover more about Calie’s journey and editorial approach on her About Page and Editorial Policy Page.
