Indoor Party Games for 3 Year-old Children

An indoor party for three-year-old children can be lively and exciting. Sometimes, however, it is difficult to come up with games for children this young. Fortunately, there are a number of indoor party games that entertain and engage three-year-olds. These games are also designed for parents to watch and play along.

First, place circles of paper in a ring on the floor (one paper circle for every player in the game). Use a marker to write one number on every circle, from "1" through the total number of players (circles do not have to be in numerical order). Write these same numbers on squares of paper and place them in a bag or bowl. Have each player pick a circle and stand on it. Play music and tell the children to walk slowly around the ring, stepping on the numbers as they go. After about a minute, stop the music. Draw a number from the bowl. Whatever player is standing on the circle with the matching number wins. The winner is allowed to pick a party favor from a basket.

First, select a doorway to hang a sheet or blanket across (this should be high enough so that the children can't see over it, but low enough so they can cast their fishing poles over it). Have an adult crouch behind the curtain with a basket of prizes. The players take turns "fishing" for prizes. The fishing pole should be a sturdy stick with a long piece of string attached. Each player will take a turn casting his fishing pole by throwing the string over the sheet while holding onto the pole. The adult behind the curtain ties a prize to the end of the string and tugs the string. The player then pulls the string back over the sheet to discover his prize.

Have all of the players sit in a circle. Pick two players on opposite ends of the circle and hand each one a small item such as a beanbag or stuffed animal. Tell the children which one is the "fox" and which is the "hen." When an adult says "go," the children pass the items quickly around the circle to see if the fox can catch up with the hen. When the player holding the "fox" taps the "hen," the game starts over.

Make sure to play this game in the kitchen or another room with a hard-surface floor that is easy to wipe up once the game is over. You can also spread out a tarp over carpet to make for easy cleanup. Have an adult or older child blow bubbles. Each player takes a turn trying to pop the bubbles before they hit the ground. The player with the least bubbles to hit the ground wins.