Princess Party Games for 5-Year-Olds: A 90-Minute Plan at Home

The 90-minute princess party timeline

Keep one or two games in reserve. If a game falls flat after a minute, move on to the next one; if it's a hit, let it run and skip a later one.

8 princess party games where nobody is eliminated

Active games (0:15–0:45)

1. Royal Statues. Everyone dances while the music plays and freezes in a royal pose when it stops. Nobody is out, and the birthday child calls the next pose. Props: music.
2. The Royal Procession. Walk to the throne with a beanbag "crown" on your head. If it falls, put it back and keep going. The game ends when the whole court reaches the throne. Props: beanbags or rolled-up socks, a chair as the throne.
3. Musical Cushions. Lay the cushions on a blanket. When the music stops, everyone climbs onto a cushion. Take one cushion away each round, but nobody is out: children share, and in the last round the whole court squeezes onto the blanket. Props: a cushion per child, a blanket, music.
4. Keep the Royal Balloon Up. The whole group keeps one balloon off the floor and counts the taps out loud, trying to beat its own record. Props: two or three inflated balloons, or a beach ball.

A note on balloons: the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) says balloons pose a choking risk to children up to 8 years old, and the US Consumer Product Safety Commission advises keeping deflated balloons away from children under 8. Pick up popped pieces right away, or use a beach ball.

Calm games (1:00–1:15)

5. Find the Royal Jewels. Everyone searches the room for paper jewels. Once you have three, help a friend find theirs. Props: big jewels cut from colored paper, a small paper bag per child.
6. The Queen Says. It's Simon Says with a queen. Anyone who moves at the wrong time gets a royal giggle instead of being out, and a new queen leads each round. Props: none.
7. Make the Princess Laugh. One child sits on the throne as the princess who never smiles. The others make silly faces and sounds without touching her. When she laughs, someone new takes the throne. Props: a chair, a crown. The idea comes from the folk tale of the princess who never smiled, known in Russia as Nesmeyana.
8. Pass the Royal Parcel. Pass a wrapped parcel around the circle while the music plays. When it stops, whoever holds the parcel unwraps one layer and finds a sticker. The adult at the music makes sure every child gets a turn. Props: a small gift, one wrapping layer and one sticker per child, music.

How to make a paper crown that fits

You'll need: cardstock or thick construction paper, a piece of string or yarn, a ruler, scissors, tape or a stapler, and stickers or markers.

1. Wrap the string around the child's head where the crown will sit, across the forehead and just above the ears. Pinch the spot where the ends meet.
2. Lay the string along a ruler and write down the length. Add about an inch (2–3 cm) for the overlap.
3. Cut two strips of cardstock along the long side of the sheet, each about 4 inches (10 cm) tall. A letter-size sheet is only 11 inches long, too short for a child's head on its own.
4. Tape the two strips end to end and trim the band to your measured length.
5. Draw points, scallops or towers along the top edge and cut them out.
6. Decorate the band while it's still flat. It's far easier than decorating a ring.
7. Wrap the band around the head, overlap the ends and tape or staple them. Cover any staple on the inside with a piece of tape so it doesn't catch hair.

At a party, you won't measure every guest. Measure the biggest head you expect (a parent's will do), cut every band to that length before guests arrive, and let the children decorate them flat. When a crown is finished, close it on its owner's head with tape.

Princess party shopping list

On snacks: ask about allergies when you send the invitations. The AAP's choking-prevention page lists foods to keep from children until 4 years or older, depending on the child, including whole grapes, popcorn, nuts, hard candy and marshmallows. With 4-year-olds at the table, skip them or cut grapes into small pieces. The same page says children should sit down when they eat, which is why the feast in this plan is seated and separate from the games.

How to adapt the party for 7- to 9-year-olds

• Give it more time. Two hours works if the games get longer and more complex.
• Swap Royal Statues for a royal dance-off without judges. Small groups invent a four-move dance and teach it to everyone.
• Turn the jewel search into a treasure hunt with written riddle clues that lead from room to room.
• Upgrade the craft. Add a royal flag or a family crest to the crown, and allow 20 to 25 minutes.
• Add a story circle. Pass the crown and add one sentence each, using our princess story cards for a heroine, a wish and an obstacle, or start from one of our story starters.
• Hand over jobs. A guest can be the DJ, the queen in The Queen Says or the keeper of the rules.
• Rename it if you need to. Some kids this age prefer "royal court party," with knights, inventors and queens all welcome.

A quiet corner for overwhelmed kids

Set it up before anyone arrives, in a corner away from the music: a blanket, pillows, a few picture books and coloring sheets. Call it something friendly, like the royal library, and show it to every child on arrival so it feels like a place to visit, not a punishment.

• Anyone can go there at any time without explaining why.
• An adult keeps an eye on it from nearby but doesn't hover.
• You'll often notice a child needs it before they say so: hands over ears, hiding under the table, tears, or sudden wild running.
• Offer a job instead of a game: pressing play on the music, handing out jewels, guarding the throne.
• Tell parents about the corner at drop-off. The birthday child may need it too.