Best Birthday Party Games for Ages 9-12

The years of themed birthday parties may be starting to wind down when your child reaches 9-12 years old but that doesn’t mean the fun of playing games has to stop too.  Finding games for your pre-teen might be a little difficult; their favorite thing from last year is no longer favorited and what you once that was “cool” is definitely not “cool” anymore.  Kids within this age range enjoy engaging, laugh-out-loud, interactive, and fun games that allow everyone to play!  With experience of being one of those kids (once upon a time) I know what is “cool” to bring to your 9-12 year olds next birthday party. 

• Funglish
  • Ages 12+
  • 3+ Players
  • See how fast you can get the other players to guess your secret word using only descriptive tiles. Now quick - can you get another secret word revealed before time runs out?
• Truth or Dare
  • Ages 12+
  • 2 – 6 Players
  • Will you lick another player's arm, run around the block howling like a coyote, or stand on your head? Play Truth or Dare to find out how far you will go to win! Be the first player to get rid of all the Truth or Dare cards in your hand. Answer pop culture trivia questions correctly in order to force your opponent to tell the truth. But watch out! If you answer the question incorrectly, you will be subjected to an outrageous dare.
• Settlers of Catan
  • Ages 10+
  • 3 – 6 Players
  • The Settlers of Catan is the original strategy board game. Your adventurous settlers seek to tame the remote but rich isle of Catan. Start by revealing Catan's many harbors and regions: pastures, fields, mountains, hills, forests, and desert. The random mix creates a different board virtually every game. No two games are the same! Embark on a quest to settle the isle of Catan!
• Anti-Monopoly
  • Ages 8+
  • 2 – 6 Players
  • In Anti-Monopoly, players are divided into competitors and monopolists before the game starts. The two types of players then follow different rules in their quest for big money. It is this idea of movement and choice which allows Anti-Monopoly to be the first and only game in history which clearly distinguishes between the actions of competitors and monopolist.
• Autocorrect
  • Ages 12+
  • 2+ Players
  • You've just crafted a fantastic text message and hit send, only to find your smart phone has changed the words! In this hilarious party game of humans versus machines, players race to decode and correct autocorrected messages. Decode the most text messages to win!
• Card Caper
  • Ages 8+
  • 2 – 6 Players
  • Card Caper combines the classic play value of a card game with the strategy of a board game, as players gradually reveal clues in a race to identify their opponents' hidden cards. Involves logic, intuition, deductive reasoning, strategy, and a dash of luck.

Let’s cut the cake, open the gifts, and get the playing with one of the best board games that’ll blow the candles off of last year’s party.