Parent-Approved Party Games for Preteens

Nature Scavenger Hunt

• If the party is taking place at a park or other outdoor location, plan a nature scavenger hunt for the party. Prepare a list ahead of time of the items the tweens need to find, such as a pine cone, dandelion or feather. Divide the children into groups of two or three. Provide each team with a scavenger hunt list and a paper bag to collect the items. The team who finds all the items on the list first wins the game. For safety, play this game in the daylight and provide boundaries for the preteens so they can be monitored.

Name That Song

• Name that song is an entertaining game for preteens. Prepare ahead of time and choose between 10 and 15 songs and make a playlist. Choose songs that that the tweens will recognize. The songs should be age-appropriate without any profanity. Provide each party guest with a piece of paper and pen. Play the first few seconds of each song and ask the children to write down the name of the song. Whoever guesses the most correct songs wins the game.

Water Balloon Toss

• Water balloon toss is a fun outdoor game to play at a tween party during the summertime. Divide up the party guests into teams of two people. Fill up enough water balloons so each team has one balloon. The goal of the game is to toss the water balloon to your teammate without breaking it. To begin, line up the preteens in two straight lines with teammates facing each other. Direct the players to toss the water balloon to their teammates. After a successful toss, each player takes one big step backward and throws the balloon again. If a water balloon breaks, that team is eliminated. The team who successfully completes the most tosses without breaking the balloon wins the game.

Truth, Truth, Lie

• To play truth, truth, lie, provide each guest with a piece of paper and a pen. Ask each preteen guest to write down three things about themselves. Two things written down should be factual, while the third thing is a lie. Ask the guests to sit in a circle and take turns reading the three things they wrote down. Each person must guess which one is the lie. The tween who guesses and identifies the most lies wins the game.