Musical Chairs

A fast, funny party classic that gets kids laughing, running, and cheering.

🧒 Age 4+ 👥 5-12 kids ⏱ 10-15 minutes 📍 Indoor & Outdoor ⚡ High Energy

Kids playing musical chairs at a birthday party

How to play Musical Chairs

Musical Chairs is pure party energy. Kids walk around a circle of chairs while the music plays, then race to grab a seat the moment it suddenly stops. It’s quick to set up, easy to explain, and always gets big laughs.

What you need

One chair fewer than the number of players
Music (phone, tablet or speaker)
A bit of open space

Step-by-step instructions

Arrange the chairs in a circle with one chair less than the number of kids.
Play the music and let all the kids walk around the chairs in the same direction.
Stop the music suddenly at a random moment.
Each child must quickly sit down on a chair.
The child without a chair becomes your helper or cheerleader.
Remove one chair and repeat the game until one winner is left.

Pro Tip 💡

For younger kids, avoid eliminating them completely. Give them fun helper roles like DJ, judge or clapper so everyone stays involved and happy.

Fun variations

🎉 Play themed music that matches your party (superheroes, princesses, pirates, disco, etc.).
🎉 Let kids move in different ways each round: tiptoe, hop like a bunny, walk backwards, dance moves only.
🎉 Instead of being ‘out’, kids who miss a chair choose the next song or movement rule.

Safety tips

Make sure chairs are stable and placed on a non-slippery surface.
Leave enough space between chairs so kids don’t bump into each other.
Remind kids not to push – it’s about fun, not tackling.

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