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Children love to play a game where they can actively participate. However, the game can be either indoor or outdoor. For a birthday party game mostly indoor games are played. Here are some tips on indoor game which the children can play while sitting around the table.

Seat the guests around the table and give each one a sheet of white construction paper upon which you have previously drawn or traced the outline of some animal an elephant, a cat, or a dog. Pass a box of colored crayons, one for each child, to be used to color his animal. If the child can't keep his coloring inside the lines, ignore it he'll enjoy the coloring just as much as if he did.

When the children have finished the coloring to their satisfaction, give them round-tipped scissors with which to cut out the pictures they have colored. The youngsters will be very proud of their animals and will love lining them up on the mantel for exhibition. You'll find the children returning again and again to the mantel to admire their handiwork. Of course, each child will take home his own colored animal.

After this concentrated effort the youngsters will enjoy a story. Pick a simple story like William and His Kitten, by Marjorie Flack (Houghton). Assign to each child one of the characters of the story. For instance, let Tommy be the kitten, and every time the kitten is mentioned in the story, Tommy mews. One child may be the postman, another grocer, etc. When the postman is mentioned, the boy having that part whistles, the grocer says, "humph." With a bit of ingenuity you can find something for each child to do. When you read the story slow up a bit as you come to the characters, thus giving each child time to realize his turn has come. This makes the story much more exciting to the young participants and holds the attention of even the most active.

After the story these little ones will want to move about a bit. "Drop the Handkerchief" is a good game, and the children will especially enjoy it if accompanied by a song. All the players except the one who is "IT" stand in a circle. Encourage the children to sing the old favorite "A Tisket, A Tasket" with you, as "IT" runs around the outside of the circle carrying a hanky. At the words "I dropped it," "IT" drops the hanky behind a player. As soon as this player discovers the hanky behind him he A tisktt, a tasktt, a green and yellow basket, I sent a letter to my love, and on the way I dropped it. A Tisket, A quickly picks it up and runs around the circle trying to catch "IT" before he reaches the vacant place in the circle. For small children it is better to let each one take a turn at being "IT" rather than insisting that "IT" be caught each time.

After this active game the children will enjoy a ringer play. "Five Little Squirrels" was always a favorite with our small lads.

Five little squirrels lived up in a tree.
Said the first little squirrel, "What do I see?"
Said the second little squirrel, "Let's have some fun."
Said the third little squirrel, "I smell a gun."
Said the fourth little squirrel, 'Let's hide in the
Shade."
Said the fifth little squirrel, "I'm not afraid." When "Bang" went the gun and away they did run.

'Drop the Handkerchief', ringer play and coloring the pictures are always enjoy by the children. Each one of them must be given a chance to play actively.