The planning of children's party games does not need to require elaborate preparations. It doesn't have to call for a piñata, although that storehouse of candies is used at a great number of present-day parties. A children's party can be fun for all, and can be absent of stressful planning, if one makes use of some of the more traditional children's games. A party hostess with no more than music, chairs and a place to line-up those chairs can offer a fun party game.

She can invite her young guests to play musical chairs. Musical chairs is a game that has enjoyed such prolonged use that many hosts and hostesses have taken to using a slightly shorter name-music chairs. That is the name by which this game of music and chairs will be called in the following article, an article directed at the party hostess.

First of all the hostess must not worry over what sort of music to play for her young guests. Children like all sorts of music. The rules of the game require that any music played will start and stop repeatedly, so that the type of music that the children will hear is not very important. If, however, the hostess has music made for children, then she might want to use that while her guests play musical chairs.

In case a hostess is not familiar with the game of music chairs, let's review a few simple facts regarding this game. The hostess should form a line of chairs. There should be enough chairs for all but one of the children at the party. The chairs should not all face in the same direction. The hostess needs to have each chair in line facing a direction opposite to the direction of the chair next to it. The hostess is going to ask her young guests to walk around the line of chairs while she is playing some sort of music.

The hostess might need to review for her guests the rules of music chairs. For very young children the game may be something unfamiliar. They might not realize that once the music stops, then they need to quickly find a chair in which to sit down. The child who is left standing is out of the game. Children might need to be told that in music chairs the process of circling the chairs is repeated a number of different times. After the elimination of one child, then the hostess removes one chair from the line of chairs.

Children usually catch-on quickly to the rules of music chairs. It does not take them long to realize that as they circle the line of chairs they need to be prepared for a sudden end to the music. That is what adds to the fun of music chairs. The children need to keep moving, all the time knowing that they will soon be expected to sit down.

Music chairs requires less space than a game played with a piñata. It also requires less planning. That is one of the reasons that music chairs used to enjoy great popularity. Perhaps the appearance of hip-hop music, music that often lacked a strong melody led to the declining use of music chairs.

So if you are a hostess without a "stick," and if you find yourself without room or rope for a piñata, then you should  get ready to treat your guests to a game of music chairs.