3 to 8 Years, All Games & Activities to Play, All Party Themes, Animals, Birds & Insects, By Age, By Occasion, Kids Parties
The 3 Coolest Penguin Party Games for Aiden’s 4th Birthday
Jul
To celebrate Aiden’s fourth birthday, Elizabeth from ELK Prints hosted a birthday party inspired by her son’s love of penguins. Aiden was a key decision maker in his party planning and chose his favourite Antarctic animal as the star attraction of the party theme.
Aiden has more friends at preschool and playing party games with friends is a fun thing to do for a 4 year old birthday party. Elizabeth asked me to create a selection of fun, themed games to play at Aiden’s party. The games needed to suit their house and garden, the party set up, the children’s ages and most importantly, Aiden’s love of penguins. Inspired by the penguin theme, I brainstormed a range of penguin party games based on the different types of penguins, their Antarctic habitat and food source. Read more here about how to plan your own party games based on your child’s interest. Elizabeth completed the look and feel of Aiden’s penguin party theme by designing and painting the watercolour artwork featured throughout the party styling and party games.
Elizabeth chose the 3 coolest penguin party games for Aiden’s 4th birthday party. All party game ideas are clever twists on the traditional favourites or fresh ideas inspired by the penguin party theme.
Some links in this post click through to various partners. When you make a purchase, I may earn a commission. Affiliate programs include, but are not limited to the eBay Partner Network (Australia and International), Amazon and a variety of Australian online shops.
The penguin themed Musical Icebergs Game was immediately familiar to the children and they enjoyed the themed twist on the classic party game, musical chairs. Played to the soundtrack from the movie Happy Feet, the white cushion covers, or white cushion inserts, became the floating icebergs. A portable speaker, available to buy from here and here helped project the music in the outdoor space.
For this age group, the elimination concept of musical chairs is a brand new concept. This meant that eliminated contestants rejoined and jumped back into the game!
Elizabeth’s hot tip for this party game is for the party host to support and remind party contestants of who’s in or out of the game. Disqualified children can still play, but the party host needs to be on top of who is still in the running for the final iceberg!
The Penguin Go Fish Game was a fun, muddled-up kind of party game for the newbie 4 year olds. Children used wooden spoons, available as teaspoon size here, or here, to scoop as many fish as they could – without using their hands – out of the white macrame hammock and into a container. Played as an individual party game, there was no set winner. This game gave the attending parents a real chuckle!
Best advice for the party host – go with the flow of the party game. Particularly at this younger age, if children change the rules of the game a little, let them enjoy their own variation!
Add a different element to the game – attach metal penguin paper clips to the fish and give the children magnetic fishing rods for them to collect as many fish possible from the macrame hammock. For another fish style of game, read how to play the Dr Seuss inspired game of Up, Up, Up with a Fish.
The Penguin Party Scavenger Hunt game was definitely the most popular of the games played. Due to the young age of the children (either just turned 4 years old or still 3 years old), the parents initially helped to guide the children to look for the penguins and stamp their cards. The kids soon grasped the concept and eagerly raced around the garden waving their bingo cards telling the party host, Elizabeth they were just looking for one or two more penguins!
Elizabeth said the penguin party scavenger hunt was a real winner, “a game everyone was keen to keep finding the penguins even once the first “winner” had claimed their prize”. Elizabeth’s hot tip for the game is to have a variety of stickers and stamps to mark off the penguins once found. The children enjoyed choosing which sticker from the sheet they loved the best as their reward for finding their penguin.
Parents at the party were particularly impressed by this game and found it interesting and creative. It was ideal for a range of children, including the younger ones who were gently guided by their parents to look for the penguins. Elizabeth said that “everyone commented on how fun and unique it was to play”.
What You’ll Need for the Penguin Party Scavenger Hunt
- Scavenger hunt picture card for each child, by ELK Prints
- Individual watercolour penguins, by ELK Prints
- Skewers and tape from here to secure on to the back of the individual watercolour penguins
- Variety of stamps from here and stickers from here
How to Play
- Randomly place the individual watercolour penguins around the garden, outdoor space or house. Leave a small selection of stamps or stickers with each penguin.
- Give a scavenger hunt picture card to each player.
- Children search for each penguin, stamping each one as it’s found. The aim is to complete their scavenger hunt picture card – one sticker per penguin found.
- The winner’s prize – a special fluffy penguin prize.
The Back Up Party Games
Aiden’s Mum planned for three back up penguin party games as well. They were Pass the Penguin Egg, the Penguin Iceberg Hop and Pin the Egg on the Penguin Feet.
The 3 coolest games penguin party games played at Aiden’s 4th Birthday party were the backbone for the children’s party entertainment ideas. The three games – Musical Icebergs, Penguin Go Fish and Penguin Party Scavenger Hunt – combined with playing were enough to keep the children active and together during the birthday party.
Some links in this post click through to various partners. When you make a purchase, I may earn a commission. Affiliate programs include, but are not limited to the eBay Partner Network (Australia and International), Amazon and a variety of Australian online shops.
Contributors of Aiden’s Penguin Party
The party games component of Aiden’s 4th birthday party was made possible by a collection of quality Australian businesses. The watercolour artwork design, styling, and invitation stationery was made possible by ELK Prints. Here at Party Ideas in a Box, I created the party game ideas and Amelia Soegijono Photography snapped the photos. Other businesses that helped bring this Penguin Party together include Delleicious by Elle, Arelio Sweetbox, Deliciously Sweet Gourmet Biscuits and Favor Lane.
Aiden’s Penguin Party features in the online Australian magazine, Celebrating Little Ones Issue #5 July 2018. Collated by Australian party directory Life’s Little Celebrations, the magazine shares some inspirational kids party ideas. Click here to view the free online magazine for details and click here to read more about Aiden’s Penguin Party.
For more inspiration and photos about Aiden’s 4th birthday Penguin Party, visit the blog on Elk Prints.
Musical Icebergs – what a cute idea and so simple too 🙂
The musical icebergs game is a cool idea for an Antarctic themed party. All in to play a simple yet fun party game! Glad you like the idea of the game, Carlie and hope you get a chance to play it too.