There are so many fun Valentine’s Day crafts for kids, many of which can be done in the classroom or at a Scouting event.

And while crafts are fun, the party really gets exciting when there’s a fun game to play.

Kids love to race, which was the inspiration for this heart relay race.

Valentine’s Day Relay Games like this one are perfect for that group party or to play at home as a family.

Looking for more Valentine’s Day party ideas?

Make sparkly Valentine’s Day slime  or have fun with this melting frozen hearts activity. 

You may also like these fun games for kids. 

Valentine Relay Races

Affiliate links have been used below.  See my full disclosure for more details. 

Materials Needed:

• Plastic Drinking Straw for Each Participant
• Foam Heart Stickers
• Paper Cup for Each Team

Divide children into  teams.

Teams of 5-6 kids work great, but you can easily do this activity with a smaller group. 

We did it with a Girl Scout troop of 5, and had one team with 2 and another with 3 girls.  And later I did it with just my 2 at home.  Both times it was lots of fun!

Give each team 10 foam heart stickers.   (Heart stickers are also perfect for this cute Love Tree craft.)

Have them line the stickers up on a table placed at the starting area.

Give each player a plastic drinking straw.

Have the kids practice using the straw to pick up the stickers.

They will do this by placing one end of the straw in their mouth and the other end on a sticker.  When they suck in through the straw, the sticker will get suctioned onto the straw’s end.

As long as they maintain the suction, the sticker will remain on the straw.

Valentine’s Day Relay Game

Once the kids are familiar with how to pick up the sticker hearts, it’s time to begin the game.

Have teams line up next to the table where you have placed the stickers.

Place the plastic cups on another table at the other side of the room.   

Since we played in the school cafeteria, we were able to place our cups 30 feet away from our starting area.  

This is a relay race.  That means the players on each team will take turns transporting the hearts.

The first person in line goes first.

Once they get their heart sticker into the cup, they will race back and tag the hand of next person in line.  Then that player will use their straw to carry a second sticker to the cup.

If a player drops a sticker, they must pick it up and go back to the starting point.

The goal is to be the first team to transport all 10 of the team’s heart stickers from the starting table to the plastic cup.

The first team with all 10 hearts in the cup wins!

Valentine’s Day Relay Games like this one are always fun at parties.  

If you are planning a party, you may also like the following ideas.

• Valentine’s Day Ideas for Boys — Make your own bow and arrows.  Build a Valentine’s Day robot.  The holiday doesn’t have to be all hearts and flowers.  In this post you’ll find activities and homemade cards that even boys will enjoy.  
• Heart Crafts for Kids —  Find tons of craft ideas that are perfect for kids of all ages.  
• Fizzy Valentine’s Day Science —  Everyone will enjoy this sweet-smelling, bubbling science experiment.  

More Valentine’s Day Games

• Valentine Minute-to-Win-It Games
• Heart Hop-Scotch
• Musical Hearts Reading Game

Originally published January 23, 2019.

The post Valentine’s Day Relay Race with Hearts first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.

Planning a party doesn’t have to be stressful. 

From DIY Halloween decorations to fun Halloween party games, I’ve scoured the Internet to find all the BEST kids Halloween party ideas and put them in one spot so you can rock that party like a pro.

Kids Halloween Party Ideas

Whether it’s a classroom party or a small gathering of friends, these Halloween party ideas for kids will make it a party they’ll remember. 

And, for even more Halloween fun, visit our Halloween Crafts/Activities page.

Kids Halloween Party Decorations

You can’t have a party with out decorations.  

Here are some fun and easy DIY Halloween decorations you and the kids can make to help set the party mood.

• The kids will be proud to make their own Paper Plate Pumpkin decorations.
• I love these simple and cute Candy Corn Trees!
• Use a balloon for these Garden Ghouls!
• Get the kids involved and make this over-sized Eyeball Garland before the party.
• These over-sized stick spider webs are a fun Halloween craft and can be used as party decorations.
• Recycle those milk jugs into your own Milk Jug Ghosts!
• Let the kids get creative and make these Paper Plate Monsters as decorations.
• Use those old crayons to create colorful crayon drip pumpkins — perfect table centerpiece.
• These glowing Halloween decorations would be a fun party craft kids can take home.

Halloween Snacks 

Fill those bellies with more than just candy.  Once the guests arrive, they’ll enjoy these tasty Halloween party treats.

• Caramel apples are always a hit, make ’em extra special by creating your own Caramel Apple Monsters.
• When it comes to party food, you just can’t lose with this Halloween Chex Mix.
• These Apple Monsters are cute and healthy.
• Pizza is always popular with kids.  Check out these mini Mummy Pizzas.
• I love these simple Rice Krispy treat ghosts!
• Not all treats have to be sweet.  I love these simple String Cheese Mummies.
• Little ones can’t handle a whole apple?  How about these yummy Caramel Apple Pops?
• These Chocolate Covered Banana Mummies are almost too cute to eat!
• Talk about cute, check out these Orange Jack-O-Lantern Fruit Cups!
• Wash down all those delicious snacks with some healthy Ghost Milk!
• Or, make these cute Drink Box Mummies!

Halloween Games for Kids

Don’t let the kids get bored! Keep them happy with some of these fun DIY Halloween games.

• Grab a box and create this easy Feed the Monster game!
• Print out these Halloween Charades ideas for some classic party fun.
• Put a Halloween spin on an old favorite with this Pin the Face on the Monster Halloween party game!
• Get the kids moving with some fun Pumpkin Bowling.
• Have a bang with this Pop the Pumpkin game!
• Take the kids on their very own Lollipop Ghost Hunt.
• Create your very own Tape Spider Web Maze.
• Or, make your web 3-D with this Spider Web Maze.
• Need one more web idea?  How about a Sticky Spider Web?
• I love this Spider Race idea, using plastic spider rings.
• Recycle some tin cans and play a howling fun game of Tin Can Bowling.
• Younger kids will have fun with this Candy Corn Color Match Halloween game.

Halloween Party Favors

When the festivities are over, send them off with one of these cute Halloween party favor ideas.  

• Send each child home with their very own Take and Make Jack-O-Lantern.
• These Witchy Fingers would be a cute take home treat.
• Kids will love these take home Monster Slime Halloween party favors.
• These Witch Finger Crayons are sure to be a hit with artists of all ages.
• I love these Glittery Coffin Boxes as a fun DIY Halloween party favor.

I hope you have a spooktacular time this October with all of your festivities.  

From DIY decorations and tasty treats, to the party favors and everything in between, these kids Halloween party ideas are sure to make your party a hit.

You’ll also like these posts:

• Amazing Vanishing Ghost STEM Activity 
• Fun No-Carve Ways for Kids to Decorate Pumpkins
• 10 Activities to Try with Real Pumpkins 

Updated post.  Post originally published September 18, 2014. 

The post Fun DIY Kids Halloween Party Ideas first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.

These 4 DIY Halloween party games are the perfect addition to any kids Halloween party.

Affiliate links were used below for your convenience.  See my full disclosure here. 

When it comes to a kids party, you just have to have a few good games for kids to play. 

These kids Halloween party games are easy to make and fun to play.  

Halloween Party Games

These simple DIY party games would be perfect for a kids Halloween party, an October birthday party, or even a family game night this fall. 

You can even make your own ghost pinata’ for extra family fun! 

Pin the Face on the Monster Game 

This is a fun twist on the classic pin the tail on the donkey.

To make the game, draw the outline of a very simple monster on a piece of large paper.  (I used brown packing paper.)

Draw and cut out a variety of facial features for your monster.  Make sure there are plenty of parts for party members to choose from.  The idea is to wind up with a funny monster, so it’s okay to have multiple eyes, a few horns, noses, and mouths put in a pumpkin bucket just waiting to be pinned.  You could also include a variety of arms and legs to be pinned onto the monster.

Feed the Monster DIY Ball Toss 

Take  a large packing box and cut the bottom at an angle so it leans some, making it easier for the balls to go into the hole.  (See photo below.)

Cover the front of the box with white paper, draw a monster on the paper, and cut a hole in the box for the mouth.

You can use bean bags, rolled up socks, or even plastic ball pit balls to toss into the monster’s mouth.

I drew Jack’o Lantern faces on orange balls we had left from our old ball pit and turned them into pumpkins to feed the monster.

Pop the Pumpkin Game

The night before the party, fill orange balloons with small stickers, confetti, a little glitter (optional), and Smarties candy.  The Smarties are skinny enough to slide into the balloon’s neck fairly easily.

Once the balloon is blown up, use a permanent marker to draw various faces on them.

To pop them, secure a flat thumbtack to a fly swatter with duct tape.  Be VERY careful here.  I made sure the pointy end of the tack poked through the duct tape and then wrapped tape completely around the fly swatter.

The kids will have a blast popping their pumpkins and discovering the hidden surprises.

Tape Spider Web Maze

I found the original idea for the spider web game on No Time for Flashcards.

For our version I marked one end of the spider web as “start” and the point as “end.”   The kids walked carefully on the tape lines of the web, collecting a few plastic spiders that were scattered across it as they made it to the end of the maze.

I hope you have fun with these 4 simple and fun kids’ Halloween party games.  Of course, you don’t have to wait for a party — go ahead and try one for a family game night this October.

Looking for more Halloween ideas?

• 30 Halloween Party Ideas for Kids — From DIY decorations, tasty treats, and more, you’ll find everything you need to host a party they’ll remember. 
• Colorful Crayon Drip Pumpkins — This no-carve pumpkin is a great way to recycle those broken crayons.
• Alternatives to Trick-or-Treating — Weather got you stuck indoors?  Here are 10 fun alternatives to trick-or-treating to make Halloween fun.
• Halloween Crafts and Activities  — Find all our Halloween crafts and activities on our Halloween page. 

This post was originally published October 14, 2013. 

The post 4 Simple and Fun DIY Kids’ Halloween Party Games first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.

Whatever the occasion, if you are looking for fun ocean themed party games, this one will have them cheering each other on.

You may also want to check out these fun shark games for kids.

No matter what party, you just can’t beat a few fun games for kids.  

We had lots of fun playing this simple game as one of our shark party games for my son’s birthday party.  It works great for a wide range of ages, from toddler to elementary school aged kids.

For more wacky summer fun, check out this water wing game. 

Save the Sea Animals — Ocean Themed Party Game

Affiliate links have been used below.  See my full disclosure for more details. 

You will need:

• 1 large plastic tub, kiddie pool, or storage container
• Collection of small plastic sea animals
• Sand buckets and shovels (1 bucket and shovel for each team you will have)
• Can of shaving cream
• Water

To play, place plastic sea animals into your plastic tub or kiddie pool.  

Fill the container part way with water, making sure to at least cover the animals.

Then spray shaving cream on top, covering the animals so they can’t be seen.  

Divide kids into teams, making sure each team has a plastic sand bucket and shovel.

Line the teams up behind the buckets.  We had our buckets about 12 feet away from the plastic tub of animals, but you could make the distance longer or shorter depending on the age of the kids.  

Tell the players that it is their job to save the sea animals from the pollution (shaving cream).  They must use the shovel to scoop up the animals and carry them back to their bucket without dropping them.  

If they drop the creature, have them go back and try again with a new animal.  

Once a child’s delivers a sea animal to their bucket, they should pass the shovel to the next person in line.

Play continues until all the figures our out of the shaving cream and water.  

The team with the most animals in their bucket, wins.

For younger children, you could just finish with, “Yeah!  we saved all the animals!” and not announce a winner.

 ***

Increase the Challenge for the Ocean Animals Party Game

• Have players wear an inner tube around their waist or arm floats when its their turn.  Or, for older children, you could use a pair of swim flippers.
• Use different sized animals.  It’s hard to get more than one large animal on the shovel at a time!
• Toss in a handful of seashells with the animals.  The shaving cream makes it hard to see what you’re really scooping up.
• Tell players they must keep one arm behind their back when it’s their turn.
• If players drop a sea animal, don’t let them pick it back up.

You may also like:

• Educational Shark Games
• How to Make  Shark Cake 
• Frozen Shaving Cream Sensory Play 

The post Save the Sea Animals! Simple Party Game for Summer first appeared on There's Just One Mommy.