• Face painting is a good activity for indoor parties.girl with painted face smiling image by E. S. Cavazos from <a href='http://www.fotolia.com'>Fotolia.com</a>
  
  Indoor birthday party activities can range from simple to complex. Whether you are planning an indoor party from the beginning or suddenly have to move indoors when the weather turns, an indoor party can be just as fun as an outdoor party. The key is to keep kids active and interested. To throw an indoor party, plan to have at least two activities for the kids to do.
  
  

Simple Activities

• Birthday party activities don't have to be expensive or elaborate. Children can take turns spinning a hula hoop and see who can spin it the longest. If you have several hula hoops, they can compete against each other. Whoever drops the hula hoop first is out. Another fun game that doesn't require much preparation is Pass the Orange. To play Pass the Orange, children sit in a circle with their hands behind their backs. One child is given an orange to hold with their feet, and they pass the orange to the next player. The orange is passed around the circle and the object of the game is to avoid dropping it.
  
  

Active Games

• If you have a good amount of space, such as a basement or garage, your guests can play some active games. From a crab-walking position, two teams can play foot volleyball, kicking a balloon back and forth. When one team drops the balloon, the other team gets a point. The first team to reach 15 points wins. Balloon stomp is another good game for active groups. Blow up some balloons and tie to the players' ankles. Children should wear shoes for this game. Have them stomp around trying to step on and pop each other's balloons. The player who has the last inflated balloon wins.
  
  

Quiet Games

• Word games are a good choice if you have less space. Twenty questions doesn't require planning ahead or any kind of props. One person is "It" and leaves the room, while the others choose an object. "It" can ask up to 20 questions to try to identify the object. Younger children may want to play guessing games, such as pretending to be an animal, while the rest of the group tries to guess what animal they are mimicking.
  
  

Classic Games

• Don't forget about classic games, especially when faced with a last minute change to an indoor party. Small children will be very happy with a game of hide and seek or Simon Says. Try to keep them busy with musical chairs or Red Light/Green Light. You can set up a treasure hunt that can be as simple or elaborate as you wish, or have children play Pin the Tail on the Donkey. See resources for instructions on how to play some classic party games.