Kids Label These Classic Party Games 'Cringe' and 'Boring'

A recent survey of 1,000 children aged between six and 11, along with their parents, has unveiled which traditional party games are falling out of favour with the younger generation. Games such as blind man's bluff, limbo, and wink murder are among those being left behind.

Traditional Games Losing Appeal

The study found that only 16% of children have ever played wink murder. Sleeping lions and musical bumps also ranked low on the list of classic games that kids have tried. Instead, youngsters now prefer free play on bouncy castles or with inflatable games (63%), being entertained by a performer (55%), or watching films (50%).

Parental Concerns

Nearly 68% of parents admitted that one of their main concerns is finding enjoyable games that all children will want to join in with, without costing much or requiring extensive preparation. Interestingly, 38% have hosted video game competitions, such as Minecraft, at parties.

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The research was commissioned by Capri-Sun, which has launched a 20-pouch party pack with 14 interactive games to help parents bring straightforward fun to children's parties. A spokesperson for the brand said, "Perhaps parents need to learn some new games as well as show their little ones what they used to play when they were young. The trick is not to overthink it – children won't remember the tiny details in the same way a parent does, only how it made them feel."

Top Three Most Played Games

The study also revealed that hide and seek (73%), pass the parcel (66%), and musical chairs (64%) are the top three most played traditional party games. Children who want to give these games a go said it was because their friends would enjoy them (65%), they sound amusing (48%), and they like trying new things (47%). However, the main reasons for avoiding unpopular games like wink murder, sleeping lions, and blind man's bluff were that they sound boring, are 'cringe', or they didn't like the name.

What Kids Want

The best games contain prizes or rewards (47%), and only 8% said it doesn't matter who wins. But 24% love it when everyone can play at once. For parents, a typical party takes three months to prepare for, with 14% planning five to six months in advance. While 39% of parents find party preparations exciting, 30% view it as stressful, and 23% worry about the expense, as 42% said children's parties are pricier now.

Despite this, 44% said their youngsters enjoy modern games and activities just as much as the traditional party games from their own childhood. The Capri-Sun spokesperson added, "Parents need as much help as they can get when it comes to party planning. They want to keep things low cost but kids are wanting venues booked with fun activities. And with not all parents quite knowing how to get the traditional party games off to a flying start it can be stressful – when you just want them to have as much fun as possible and to keep the party atmosphere going."