Games and Activities

Find inspiration for your party games and activities from the Backyardigans episodes themselves, which are often themed. As examples: The Heart of the Jungle, Riding the Range, and Castaways.

1. Walk the Plank. Set up a wooden beam a few inches off the ground that the kids must walk. 

2. Digging For Treasure. Fill a barrel with sand and add colored rocks for their treasure dig.

3.  Musical Islands. Set foam tiles in a large circle and play the Backyardigans CD. When the music stops a color is drawn from a hat and the child standing on that color receives a prize. 

4. Penny Toss. Trace various sizes of circles on large pieces of foam. Once a party guest tosses a penny into a circle he or she wins a prize.

5. Tattoo Parlor. Give the kids Backyardigans temporary tattoos.

6. Beach Ball Barrel Toss. Toss a Backyardigans beach ball into a large barrel to win a rubber bouncy ball. 

7. Pool Toss. Blow up an inflatable pool and fill it with water and add several plastic drinking cups. The kids must throw a ping pong ball into a glass. 

Hold a Scavenger Hunt outside based on the Key to the Nile episode: Split the group into teams and give each team a tear-stained and burned-edge scroll with instructions to find three presents for the Sphinx. When they complete the hunt, tell the teams the Secret of the Nile.

• The first present is the Jewel of the Waters ─ hide several blue stones in a sand box.
• The second present is the Yellow Lotus Flower ─ place large yellow silk flowers in the bushes.
• The third is a Drink of Water from the Secret Oasis ─ place a cup next to a bucket of water that is hidden around your home.
• When the teams find all three items, reveal the Secret of the Nile: the magic words “please” and “thank you.”

Jump over the Gobbly Goo from the episode The Tower of Power. Create the Goo using cornstarch, water, and green food coloring. Have the kids jump over the Goo.

Jump from Stone to Stone over the river from the episode The Heart of the Jungle. Place garden stones over streams of blue streamers that the kids must jump from one to the next without falling in.

Yeti Stomp through the balloons from the episode The Yeti. Blow up water balloons in a small pool that the kids must stomp.

Castaway Coconut Bowling. Make pins from pineapples and use coconuts for balls.

Aloha Dancing. Play Backyardigans music and let everyone dance. Add a limbo stick for Laser Limbo Rock for the kids to play too.

Other Backyardigans Party Games and Activities:

Upon arrival to the party, give each child a Backyardigans cap in one of the fun colors: fuchsia, orange, blue, yellow, or purple. Before the party, affix large plastic eyes to the caps using fabric glue.

While waiting for everyone to arrive, have the kids make their own musical instruments using empty jars, beans, paper plates, bells, and any other craft materials that you have in your home. The children can take these home as a party goody.

Print out pictures of the Backyardigans characters’ faces and have the kids color in the masks and attach to a Popsicle stick.

Catch a Fish with Tasha. Purchase an inexpensive magnetic fishing toy set or attach a magnet to a long stick and place the magnetic fish into an empty small pool. Have the kids catch fish like Tasha would.

Follow Pablo: Ask an adult helper to wear a bow tie or propeller hat, and have her or him come up with various moves that the kids follow.

Play Pin the Bowtie on Pablo.