• 64 games

Party Games for Toddlers Aged 2 and 3

For 2 and 3 year olds, where everyone plays and nobody is out: press Pick 3 new games, then Print.

Party Games for Toddlers Aged 2 and 3

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  1. Pop Goes the Weasel Jump-UpWalk in a circle holding hands, crouching lower and lower through the verse. On "pop" everybody jumps as high as they can. Grown-ups can lift the smallest guests into the air. Players: 3 to 12, plus grown-ups. Time: 3 min. Props: none.
  2. Roll the Ball CircleSit in a circle with legs apart and feet touching. Roll a big soft ball to anyone, saying their name as you send it. Add a second ball once the group has the idea. Players: 3 to 8. Time: 4 min. Props: one or two big soft balls.
  3. Water the FlowersGive each child a small watering can filled from a jug and point them at the flower beds, the pots and the lawn. Toddlers will refill and water for far longer than you expect. Dress for wet feet. Players: any number. Time: 8 min. Props: a small watering can each and a jug of water.

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Circle songs and games 11

  • Bunnies Asleep, Bunnies Hop Everyone curls up on the floor as a sleeping bunny while the grown-ups sing softly. On "wake up" the bunnies hop around the room, until the singing slows down and they curl up again. Players: any number. Time: 4 min. Props: none.
  • Duck, Duck, Goose With a Helper Sit in a circle. The picker pats heads saying duck, then goose, and runs a lap back to the empty spot with the goose chasing. At three, a grown-up runs hand in hand with each child, and every child gets one turn as picker. Players: 4 to 6, because only two children move at a time. Time: 6 min. Props: none.
  • Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes at Three Speeds Sing it once at walking pace, once as fast as you can and once in slow motion with a deep giant voice. Two year olds will be one body part behind, which is the fun of it. Players: any number. Time: 3 min. Props: none.
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Circle songs and games, continued

  • Hokey Pokey, Big Parts Only Left and right mean nothing at two, so call one arm, one foot, your head, your tummy and your whole self. Shake it, turn around, clap. Grown-ups dance beside their child so there is always someone to copy. Players: 3 to 15, plus grown-ups. Time: 4 min. Props: none.
  • If You're Happy and You Know It, Kids Choose After clap your hands and stomp your feet, ask each child in turn what comes next: roar, spin, blow a kiss, touch the floor. A shy child can point and let their grown-up say it. Players: 3 to 10. Time: 5 min. Props: none.
  • Itsy Bitsy Spider, Tiny and Giant Do the finger rhyme once as normal. Then do the teeny tiny spider in a whisper with pinched fingers, and the great big spider in a booming voice with whole arms. Players: any number. Time: 3 min. Props: none.
  • London Bridge Hug Tunnel Two grown-ups join hands to make the arch and the children walk under it in a line. At the end of the song the arch drops gently around whoever is underneath for a wobble and a hug, then lets go. Nobody is out. Players: 3 to 12. Time: 4 min. Props: none.
  • Pass the Parcel, One Layer per Child Wrap one layer per child with a single piece of tape and tuck a treat under every layer. The adult on the music watches the circle and stops it so that each child unwraps once. Choose treats too big to fit in a mouth, such as a board book or a pot of bubbles. Players: 4 to 10. Time: 8 min. Props: a wrapped parcel, music, one treat per child.
  • Pop Goes the Weasel Jump-Up Walk in a circle holding hands, crouching lower and lower through the verse. On "pop" everybody jumps as high as they can. Grown-ups can lift the smallest guests into the air. Players: 3 to 12, plus grown-ups. Time: 3 min. Props: none.
  • Ring Around the Rosie, Everyone Falls Hold hands in a ring, walk around singing and all sit down with a bump on the last line. Nobody is slowest and nobody goes in the middle. Three rounds is plenty, and switch direction each time. Players: 3 to 12, plus grown-ups. Time: 3 min. Props: none.
  • Row Your Boat Rocking Pairs Each child sits on the floor facing a grown-up, feet to feet and holding hands, and the pair rocks back and forth like oars. Sing it slowly, then fast, then as quietly as you can. Players: any number of child and grown-up pairs. Time: 3 min. Props: none.

Music and movement 10

  • Animal Walk Follow the Leader A grown-up leads the line and changes animal every twenty seconds: stomp like an elephant, hop like a frog, waddle like a duck, slither like a snake. Let the birthday child pick the last animal. Players: any number. Time: 4 min. Props: none.
  • Bubble Pop Stomp Two grown-ups blow bubbles low and steady while the children clap, poke and stomp them. Play on grass or carpet, because bubble mix makes hard floors slippery, and keep the bottles in adult hands. Players: any number. Time: 5 min. Props: bubble mix and wands for the grown-ups.
  • Choo-Choo Train Line A grown-up is the engine, everyone holds the shirt of the person ahead, and the train chugs around the room. Stop at stations to pick up new passengers, and let every child pull the whistle. Players: 3 to 15. Time: 4 min. Props: none.
  • Freeze Dance With No Outs Dance while the music plays and freeze when it stops. In the usual rules anyone who moves is out, but here nobody is: the host just points out the silliest statue, then the music starts again. Players: any number. Time: 5 min. Props: none, just music.
  • Musical Cushions, One Each Musical chairs with the losing taken out. Put down one cushion per child and never remove any. When the music stops everyone sits on the nearest cushion, and the host calls a new way to move: tiptoe, stomp, hop. Players: 3 to 12. Time: 5 min. Props: a cushion per child and music.
  • Musical Hugs Children dance in the middle while their grown-ups stand around the edge. When the music stops, each child runs to their own grown-up for a hug. In round two hug any grown-up, and in round three a teddy. Players: any number, with a grown-up each. Time: 4 min. Props: none, just music.
  • Puddle Jumping Spots Tape paper puddles flat to the floor, or chalk them on the patio. Children jump from puddle to puddle while the music plays and find one to stand on when it stops. Sharing a puddle is allowed. Players: 2 to 12. Time: 5 min. Props: paper and tape, or chalk, and music.
  • Scarf Dancing Give each child a light scarf. Wave it high, low, fast and slow with the music, then throw it up and let it float down onto your head. Collect the scarves at the end instead of leaving them around the room. Players: any number. Time: 4 min. Props: a light scarf per child and music.
  • Shaker Band Parade Hand every child something to shake or tap, then march in a line behind a grown-up through the house or around the yard. Play loud, play soft, and stop when the leader raises a hand. Glue and tape the lid of any homemade shaker, because the rice inside is a choking hazard. Players: any number. Time: 5 min. Props: sealed shakers, or wooden spoons and pans.
  • Stop and Go Drum A grown-up beats a drum or a saucepan. Fast beats mean run on the spot, slow beats mean giant steps, and silence means freeze. Three year olds can take a turn as the drummer. Players: any number. Time: 4 min. Props: a drum, or a pan and a wooden spoon.

Hunts and hiding games 12

  • Ball Pool Rescue Fill a dry paddling pool with play balls and bury a few soft toys underneath. Children climb in and dig until every toy is rescued. Use balls wider than 1.75 inches: anything smaller counts as a small ball under US toy rules and is not for under-threes. Players: 2 to 5 at a time. Time: 5 min. Props: a paddling pool, play balls and soft toys.
  • Color Basket Hunt Give each child a basket with a colored card taped inside. They search the room for big objects of that color, such as blocks, cups and soft balls, with a grown-up helping. Nothing in the hunt should be smaller than the child's fist. Players: 2 to 8. Time: 6 min. Props: a basket and a color card per child, big colored objects.
  • Flashlight Spot Chase Dim the lights a little, never fully dark. A grown-up slides a flashlight beam across the floor and up the wall, and the children chase it and stomp on it. Let the spot get caught often. Players: 2 to 8. Time: 4 min. Props: a flashlight, not a laser pointer.
  • Follow the Music Hunt Hide a small speaker or a wind-up music box somewhere low while the children cover their eyes. They follow the sound together until someone finds it. Hide it somewhere harder for the three year olds. Players: 2 to 8. Time: 5 min. Props: a small speaker or a music box.
  • Footprint Trail to the Cake Tape paper footprints from the play space to the table where the cake is waiting. The children follow the trail together, stepping on each print. It moves a whole party to the table without anyone being carried there. Players: any number. Time: 3 min. Props: paper footprints and tape.
  • Hide and Seek With a Grown-Up Each child hides together with their grown-up while one pair counts to ten out loud. Toddlers hide with their feet sticking out and giggle, which is the point. Keep the hiding places to one room or one fenced yard. Players: 2 to 8 pairs. Time: 6 min. Props: none.
  • Nature Color Match Hand each child and grown-up pair a card with four color patches on it. They walk the yard looking for a leaf, a flower or a stone to match each patch. Point instead of picking if it is not your garden. Players: 2 to 8 pairs. Time: 6 min. Props: a color card per pair.
  • Peekaboo Blanket Two grown-ups hold up a blanket like a curtain. One child slips behind it with their grown-up, everyone calls "where did they go", and the blanket drops to cheers. Every child who wants a turn gets one. Players: 2 to 10. Time: 4 min. Props: a blanket.
  • Sandbox Treasure Dig Bury chunky toys in the sandbox, such as toy trucks and big plastic animals, a couple for each child. Hand out spades and let everyone dig at once. Anything you bury should be too big to fit in a toddler's mouth. Players: 2 to 6. Time: 6 min. Props: a sandbox, spades and chunky toys.
  • Shape Match Walk Tape big paper shapes to the wall at toddler height and hand each child one matching shape. They walk around until they find its twin, then swap shapes and go again. Matching by color works for younger guests. Players: 2 to 10. Time: 5 min. Props: two sets of paper shapes and tape.
  • Shredded Paper Dig Fill a big box or storage tub with shredded paper and bury chunky toys in it. Children reach in and pull out whatever they find. Expect paper everywhere, so stand the tub on a sheet you can gather up afterward. Players: 2 to 6 at a time. Time: 5 min. Props: a tub, shredded paper and chunky toys.
  • Teddy Bear Hunt Hide soft toys in plain sight at toddler eye level: on a chair, at the edge of a curtain, under a table. Hide at least two per child. Finds come back to a picnic blanket, and nobody counts who found the most. Players: 2 to 12. Time: 5 min. Props: soft toys, two or more per child.

Toss, roll and knock down 10

  • Beach Ball Keep-Up Everyone tries to keep one beach ball in the air, or just chases it when it lands. It floats slowly enough for toddlers to hit, and it does the job of a balloon without the choking risk of a burst one. Players: 2 to 10. Time: 4 min. Props: a beach ball.
  • Beanbag Drop in the Basket Set a laundry basket on the floor. Two year olds stand right beside it and drop beanbags in, and three year olds take one step back. Give each child three beanbags of their own, and check the seams first because the filling is a choking hazard. Players: 2 to 8. Time: 5 min. Props: a laundry basket and three beanbags per child.
  • Big Goal Kickabout Set two cones or buckets far apart as a goal with no goalkeeper. Give every child a ball to kick in, fetch and kick again. With a ball each, nobody waits and nobody is tackled. Players: 2 to 10. Time: 5 min. Props: a ball per child and two cones.
  • Feed the Monster Box Paint a monster face on a big cardboard box and cut a wide mouth. Children feed it soft balls, beanbags and rolled-up socks, and a grown-up behind the box makes munching noises and burps them back out. Players: 2 to 8. Time: 5 min. Props: a big decorated box and soft things to throw.
  • Knock Down the Tower Grown-ups stack big cardboard or foam blocks into towers as tall as the children. On "go", everyone knocks them down, then everyone helps rebuild. Most two year olds will happily repeat this ten times. Players: 2 to 8. Time: 5 min. Props: big cardboard or foam blocks.
  • Parachute Popcorn Children and grown-ups hold the edge of a play parachute or a bedsheet. Tip soft balls into the middle and shake until every ball has popped off, then send the children to collect them and start again. Players: 4 to 15, plus grown-ups. Time: 5 min. Props: a play parachute or bedsheet and soft balls.
  • Ramp Rollers Lean a plank or a flattened box against the sofa to make a ramp. Children send balls and chunky toy cars down it and run to fetch them. Use toddler-rated cars, because wheels that pull off are small parts. Players: 2 to 6. Time: 5 min. Props: a plank or flattened box, balls and chunky cars.
  • Roll the Ball Circle Sit in a circle with legs apart and feet touching. Roll a big soft ball to anyone, saying their name as you send it. Add a second ball once the group has the idea. Players: 3 to 8. Time: 4 min. Props: one or two big soft balls.
  • Sock Snowball Toss Roll pairs of socks into snowballs and tip them out in a pile. Children throw them into a big box, at a sheet hung up as a wall, or at a willing grown-up. Nothing breaks and nothing hurts. Players: 2 to 10. Time: 4 min. Props: rolled-up socks and a big box.
  • Soft Ball Bowling Line up six empty plastic bottles and roll a big ball at them from a few steps away. Run two lanes side by side with a grown-up resetting each, so no child waits more than a turn. Take the caps off first: a loose cap is a small part. Players: 2 to 8. Time: 6 min. Props: empty plastic bottles and two big balls.

Pretend play and calm-down games 13

  • Animal Sounds Show and Tell Pull one soft toy or animal picture at a time from a bag. Everyone makes its sound, then moves like it for a few seconds. It is a first step toward charades, with no guessing to get wrong. Players: any number. Time: 4 min. Props: a bag of soft toys or animal pictures.
  • Box Car Drive-In Give each child a cardboard box big enough to sit in and chunky crayons to decorate it. Then park the cars in rows facing a grown-up for a puppet show, a story or the birthday song. Players: 2 to 10. Time: 10 min. Props: a big box per child and chunky crayons.
  • Dress-Up Hat Parade Tip out a box of hats. Each child picks one and parades around the room to music. When the music stops, swap hats with the nearest person, grown-ups included. Players: 3 to 12. Time: 5 min. Props: a box of hats and music.
  • Echo Chant Animal Hunt The leader chants a line and the children echo it, slapping their knees to walk. Swish through long grass, squelch through mud, splash across a river, tiptoe into a cave, then run the whole trip backward to get home. Players: any number. Time: 5 min. Props: none.
  • Giant Scribble Banner Tape a long roll of paper along the floor or a low table and put out chunky crayons. Everyone draws at once, grown-ups too. Write the date on it and hang it behind the cake table. Players: any number. Time: 8 min. Props: a roll of paper, tape and chunky crayons.
  • Magic Carpet Rides A child sits or lies on a blanket on a smooth floor and two grown-ups pull it slowly across the room. Run two or three carpets at once so the line stays short. Slow is more fun than fast here. Players: 2 to 8. Time: 5 min. Props: two or three blankets and a smooth floor.
  • Parachute Waves and Hideout Hold the edge of a play parachute or a bedsheet. Make small ripples, then big waves, then lift it high on three, step under and sit on the edge so the whole group is inside a dome. Players: 4 to 15, plus grown-ups. Time: 5 min. Props: a play parachute or a bedsheet.
  • Play Dough Birthday Cakes Give each child a ball of play dough, a paper plate and a few craft sticks for candles. Everyone makes a cake, then the group sings to each one. Ask parents about wheat allergies first, and leave out beads and buttons. Players: 2 to 10. Time: 10 min. Props: play dough, paper plates and craft sticks.
  • Puppet Says Hello A hand puppet greets each child by name, asks for a high five, then hides behind the grown-up's back and pops out somewhere new. It is a gentle opener that lets shy arrivals watch from a lap. Players: any number. Time: 4 min. Props: a hand puppet.
  • Simon Says With No Tricks In the full game you are out for obeying a command that lacks "Simon says". Three year olds cannot filter that yet, so every command counts: Simon says touch your nose, Simon says jump. Let the birthday child be Simon for the last minute. Players: 3 to 12. Time: 4 min. Props: none.
  • Sleeping Lions for Little Ones Everyone lies down as a sleeping lion and a grown-up tiptoes among them whispering how still they are. Schools use the game to calm a class after lively play. Nobody is caught out, and thirty seconds of stillness is a win at this age. Players: any number. Time: 3 min. Props: none.
  • Teddy Bears' Picnic Every guest brings a teddy. Sit on a blanket, pour pretend tea, feed the bears, sing them a song and tuck them in for a nap under a napkin. It settles the room before the real food arrives. Players: 2 to 10. Time: 6 min. Props: a blanket, a toy tea set and a teddy each.
  • Tiptoe to the Sleeping Giant A grown-up giant snores on the floor at one end of the room. Children tiptoe closer until the giant yawns, stretches and sits up, then they squeal and run back to the wall. The giant never catches anyone. Players: 2 to 12. Time: 4 min. Props: none.

Backyard games 8

  • Big Box Tunnel Crawl Open both ends of a few large boxes and tape them into a tunnel, with a window cut in the side for peekaboo. Children crawl through one way, and a grown-up waits at the exit to cheer. Players: 2 to 8. Time: 5 min. Props: three or four large boxes and tape.
  • Catch the Grown-Up's Tail Each grown-up tucks a scarf into the back of their waistband as a tail and jogs slowly around the yard. The children chase them and pull the tails out. All the children run at once, and the grown-ups lose. Players: 2 to 12, plus three or more grown-ups. Time: 5 min. Props: a scarf per grown-up.
  • Chalk Road for Ride-Ons Chalk a looping road on a patio or a driveway closed to real cars, with a crossing, a parking bay and a gas station where a grown-up fills up each car. Children drive ride-ons, push toys or just run the route. Players: 2 to 8. Time: 10 min. Props: chalk, and ride-on or push toys.
  • Paint the Fence With Water Give each child a wide paintbrush and a cup of water and let them paint the fence, the patio or the shed. The pictures dry and vanish, so the wall is always ready for more. Refill cups from a jug instead of leaving a bucket out. Players: any number. Time: 8 min. Props: a wide paintbrush and a cup of water each.
  • Pull-Along Parade Line up wagons, pull-along toys and doll strollers, load them with teddies and parade around the yard to music. The grown-ups line the route and wave. Players: any number. Time: 5 min. Props: wagons, pull-along toys or doll strollers.
  • Red Light, Green Light With Signs A grown-up holds up a green paper circle for go and a red one for stop. In the playground version anyone seen moving goes back to the start, but here nobody does. When the first child reaches the caller, everyone cheers and starts again. Players: 3 to 12. Time: 5 min. Props: one red and one green paper circle.
  • Toddler Obstacle Path Crawl through a play tunnel, step over a pool noodle, walk along a rope laid on the ground, jump into a hoop and ring a bell at the end. No timing and no set order: children go around as often as they like. Players: 2 to 10. Time: 8 min. Props: a play tunnel, a pool noodle, a rope, a plastic hoop and a bell.
  • Water the Flowers Give each child a small watering can filled from a jug and point them at the flower beds, the pots and the lawn. Toddlers will refill and water for far longer than you expect. Dress for wet feet. Players: any number. Time: 8 min. Props: a small watering can each and a jug of water.

How this list was compiled: Written for parties of two and three year olds, in our own words; ages, player ranges and times are our estimates. Nobody is out, nobody waits long and an adult plays beside every child. This is party planning help, not safety advice for your child: read the age label on every toy and prize, and keep an adult within reach of every toddler. Choking-hazard wording was checked on 2026-09-18 against the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (https://www.cpsc.gov/Business--Manufacturing/Business-Education/Business-Guidance/Small-Parts-for-Toys-and-Childrens-Products and https://www.cpsc.gov/s3fs-public/5087.pdf) and 16 CFR 1500.19 (https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/16/1500.19). The traditional games, the size of the small-parts cylinder and the note on side-by-side play were checked on 2026-09-18 against English Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ followed by the name): Choking, Ring_a_Ring_o%27_Roses, Hokey_Pokey, London_Bridge_Is_Falling_Down, Pass_the_parcel, Musical_statues, Statues_(game), Simon_Says, Sleeping_lions, Parallel_play; and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duck%2C_duck%2C_goose and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/What%27s_the_time%2C_Mr_Wolf%3F. Licence: own work

How it works

Toddlers cannot wait for a turn, so every game here has all the kids moving at once and nobody is out. These party games for toddlers suit ages 2 and 3, and most are over in five minutes.

Read the full guide

Birthday party games for 2 year olds, in five-minute blocks

Plan four or five games of about five minutes each, with free play, food and cake between them. Open with Circle songs and games, move to Toss, roll and knock down when energy peaks, and use Pretend play and calm-down games before the cake. Play just after arrival and just after eating, when nobody is tired or hungry. Press Add another until the list holds 5 for two spares, then Print.

Indoor party games for toddlers, and why nobody is out

From about two, children play side by side more than together, and being out of a game only means tears. So Freeze Dance With No Outs keeps every dancer in, and Musical Cushions, One Each never takes a cushion away. Indoor games holds 55.

  • Indoors, a two year old does well with songs and a grown-up partner, so push the furniture back.
  • Size-check props and prizes: US rules for under-threes call anything fitting a 1.25 by 2.25 inch cylinder a small part.
  • Alternate lively and calm: two running games, then Sleeping Lions for Little Ones or Teddy Bears' Picnic, then food.

Questions and answers

What if a toddler will not join in?

Let them watch. A child on a lap at the edge of the circle is still at the party. Partner games such as Row Your Boat Rocking Pairs and Musical Hugs bring shy ones in, because nobody lets go of a familiar hand.

Which party games for 3 year olds are too hard for a 2 year old?

Three year olds can follow one simple rule: indoors that means Simon Says With No Tricks, and outdoors Red Light, Green Light With Signs. The list has 15 of these; the other 49 suit both ages.

Are balloons safe at a toddler party?

Hang them out of reach as decoration and bin broken ones at once. The US Consumer Product Safety Commission warns that children under eight can choke or suffocate on uninflated or broken balloons. No game here uses one: keep-up is played with a beach ball.

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