Ever stood in the party aisle wondering how you’re supposed to entertain fifteen kids for three hours without spending your whole paycheck? Yeah, me too. That’s exactly why I built this list.
You don’t need a rented bounce house shaped like Andy’s house or a professional face painter dressed as Buzz. You need cardboard, a hot glue gun, and about twenty minutes of prep time per game. That’s it.
This roundup covers active games, carnival-style tosses, quiet printable activities, and a couple of messy sensory stations-plus age tweaks for every single one, because toddlers and ten-year-olds do not play the same way. Grab a Dollar Tree bag and let’s get you a party plan that actually works.
Grab-and-Go Games (Low Setup, High Energy)
1. The Claw: Pizza Planet Prize Grab
This is the one kids remember for years, and it costs almost nothing to build.
What you actually need
Grab one large moving box (Home Depot sells these for around $2), green or silver poster paint, and a cheap claw grabber tool – the kind sold at Target or Amazon for about $8. You’ll also want 15-20 small prizes: mini plush toys, dollar-store action figures, bouncy balls, or wrapped candy.
Building the machine
Cut a hole roughly 12 inches wide in the top of the box, just large enough for an arm and the grabber tool to fit through comfortably. Paint the outside to resemble the Pizza Planet claw machine – a simple three-eyed alien face on the front does the trick, and you don’t need to be an artist. Let it dry for about two hours before filling it.
Running the game
Line the bottom of the box with a folded towel so prizes don’t just slide flat. Drop in your prizes, close the top loosely with a flap, and let each child take a turn reaching in with the claw grabber. Give them 30 seconds on a kitchen timer. Whatever they pull out, they keep.
Making it harder for bigger kids
For kids over eight, swap the towel for a shallow layer of plastic ball pit balls so the grabber has less to grip onto. Add a points system: small prizes worth 1 point, one “grand prize” plush worth 5 points, and let kids compete for the highest score across three rounds.
The catch:
Cheap claw grabbers from the dollar store often have a weak grip strength and drop toys constantly, which frustrates younger kids fast. Spend the extra few dollars on one rated for actual toy pickup, not the flimsy carnival-prize version.
2. Woody Says (Toy Story Simon Says)
Same rules as classic Simon Says, but Woody, Buzz, and Jessie take turns giving commands. “Woody says touch your hat.” “Buzz says reach for the stars.” Anything without “says” first means the player sits out.
For toddlers, skip the elimination entirely. Just let everyone follow along and cheer for silly mistakes instead of calling them out. Nobody under four wants to sit on the sidelines at their own cousin’s birthday party.
3. Bullseye’s Target Toss
Hang three hula hoops from a sturdy tree branch or a DIY PVC frame using string, setting them at different heights – 3 feet, 4 feet, and 5 feet off the ground works for mixed ages. Wrap the hoops in brown and white ribbon to mimic Bullseye’s coloring if you’re feeling crafty.
Players stand behind a taped line about 6 feet back and toss soft foam balls or beanbags through the hoops. The lowest hoop is worth 1 point, the middle 3 points, and the highest 5 points. First to 10 points wins a small prize.
Turn it into a relay for groups larger than eight kids: split into two teams, and whoever scores the most combined points in 90 seconds takes the round.
4. Buzz Lightyear Galaxy Bowling
Cover a stretch of floor with black or dark blue fabric – an old fitted sheet works great – and tape it down flat. Stick glow-in-the-dark star stickers (sold in packs of 100+ at most craft stores for around $4) onto ten plastic bowling pins to turn them into little planets and asteroids.
Set the pins in a standard bowling triangle and let kids roll a lightweight ball toward them. If you have a dark garage or basement, turn off the lights and use a black light for a genuine “space” glow. For toddlers, swap the pins for stacked plastic cups so a gentle toss still knocks something over.
5. Little Green Men Ring Toss
Line up five or six three-eyed alien toys (the claw machine figures work perfectly) and hand kids a stack of plastic rings. Toss from three feet back for little ones, six feet for anyone over seven. Whoever rings the most aliens in three tries wins a prize. Costs about $12 total if you buy the aliens and rings at the dollar store.
Carnival Booth Classics
6. Pin the Part on Mr. Potato Head
Cut a giant potato shape out of brown poster board or felt, roughly 3 feet tall, and tape it to a wall or easel. Make separate pieces for the eyes, ears, mustache, shoes, and hat out of felt, backed with a small loop of painter’s tape so they stick without damage.
Blindfold players and spin them two or three times before pointing them toward the potato. Whoever places their piece closest to the correct spot wins that round. For kids under five, skip the blindfold and the spinning – let them just walk up and place the piece freely. The game stays fun without the frustration.
7. Rex’s Roar Freeze Dance
Play the Toy Story soundtrack and let kids dance freely. When you pause the music and shout “Rex roars!” everyone must freeze like a nervous dinosaur. Last one moving sits out one round. Zero supplies needed beyond a speaker.
8. Jessie’s Yodel Dance-Off
Put on “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” or a country tune and let each kid take a 15-second solo turn while everyone else claps along. It’s less a competition and more a chance for shy kids to get a moment in the spotlight. Hand every single participant a small ribbon so nobody feels left out. Cowboy hats from the dollar store make great props if you want to dress it up.
9. Sarge’s Army Crawl Obstacle Course
Set up a backyard obstacle course using items you already own: string a jump rope between two chairs for crawling under, lay hula hoops flat for hopping through, and set up a cone weave using empty water bottles. Call it Sarge’s training course and time each kid with a phone stopwatch.
For younger toddlers, cut the course down to three stations instead of six, and skip the timer entirely – let them move at their own pace and cheer regardless of speed. Older kids love a leaderboard taped to the fridge with everyone’s best time.
10. You’ve Got a Friend in Me Three-Legged Race
Pair kids of similar height together and tie their inside legs with a soft bandana or strip of fleece – never anything that cuts into skin. Play the Toy Story theme song and let pairs race to a finish line marked with sidewalk chalk or a pool noodle.
Match toddlers with an adult partner instead of another child so nobody gets dragged over. For a bigger group, run heats of four pairs at a time rather than everyone at once – it keeps the finish line from turning into chaos.
11. There’s a Snake in My Boot Toss
Roll a sheet of brown poster board into a tall cylinder, about 2 feet high, and tape it around a five-gallon bucket so it resembles Woody’s boot. Buy a bag of rubber snakes – Oriental Trading sells packs of a dozen for around $6.
Kids stand behind a line taped 5 feet back and toss the snakes toward the boot, trying to land them inside. Give three tosses per turn and award a small prize for anyone who sinks at least one. Move the line closer for kids under six so nobody walks away empty-handed.
12. Hamm and Eggs Carnival Toss
Glue a mini plastic pig figurine to the front of ten plastic party cups and stack them in a pyramid on a folding table. Fill plastic Easter eggs with a little sand or rice so they have weight, then let kids toss them from a few feet back to knock the pyramid down.
Reset the pyramid after each turn and hand out mini rubber pig favors as prizes – Oriental Trading and Amazon both sell bags of a dozen for under $8.
13. Zurg’s Laser Maze
String red yarn back and forth across a hallway at various heights, taping each end to the walls. Kids have to duck, step over, and squeeze through without touching a single “laser.” If you tie small bells to the yarn, any touch makes a sound – instant, obvious feedback with zero arguing over who cheated.
Time each attempt for kids over eight. For younger children, remove half the strings and let them crawl through freely without a clock running.
Sensory and Craft Stations
14. Pizza Planet Alien Slime Station
Mix clear glue, a little baking soda, green food coloring, and contact lens solution into a batch of stretchy slime – it takes about ten minutes total and sets up in a bowl right at the table. Stick two or three googly eyes onto each portion before sending kids home with their own container.
This one doubles as a party favor, and it keeps hands busy during the quieter stretch of the party when energy starts dipping.
15. Forky Craft Station
I tried running this station without pre-cutting the popsicle sticks first, and I do not recommend it. Fifteen kids all reaching for one pair of scissors is not a birthday memory anyone wants.
Here’s what actually worked the second time around: cut two popsicle sticks in half ahead of time for every kid, shape a small ball of modeling clay per station, and pre-twist the pipe cleaner into rough three-fingered hands so all that’s left is sticking it on. Supplies per kid run about $1.50 – a plastic spork, red pipe cleaner, clay, two popsicle stick feet, googly eyes, and a rainbow sticker.
Kids press the popsicle sticks into the clay base, plant the spork on top, wrap the pipe cleaner hands around the handle, and finish with googly eyes and a red marker smudge for rosy cheeks. Skip the scissors station entirely and pre-prep everything the night before. Trust me on this one.
16. Alien Claw Photo Booth
Cut a photo backdrop from poster board shaped like the claw machine window, and set out foam antennae headbands and three-eyed alien masks as props. Kids pose behind the cutout like they’re inside the machine themselves. Total cost stays under $15 if you already own a camera or phone.
17. Andy’s Room Scavenger Hunt
Hide small Toy Story figures or printed character cutouts around the yard or house, then hand each kid a checklist of who to find. First one to check off every name gets first pick of the goodie bags.
Keep the list to eight or nine names for younger kids so the hunt doesn’t drag past their patience window, and hide items in plain sight rather than truly difficult spots.
Quiet-Time Printables
18. Toy Story Word Search Printable
Print a word search featuring names like Sheriff Woody, Rex, Bullseye, Buzz Lightyear, Hamm, Jessie, Potato Head, Wheezy, Aliens, Slinky Dog, Sarge, Andy, Little Bo Peep, Zurg, and Pizza Planet. Set these out at a quiet table with crayons for kids who need a break from running around, or use it as a table activity while pizza gets served.
19. Toy Story Memory Matching Game
Print two sets of character cards, cut them into matching pairs, and lay them face down in rows. Players flip two at a time, trying to remember where matches are hiding. Whoever collects the most pairs when the table clears wins. This is the calmest game on the entire list, and it works beautifully for kids who get overstimulated by the noisier stations.
20. Jessie’s A-Maze-ing Idea Printable Maze
Print the maze where Jessie has to reach Bonnie’s driveway before the family leaves. Hand it out with pencils at the same quiet table as the word search – kids can rotate between the two without needing new instructions each time.
21. Toy Story Shadow Match Printable
Print a simple worksheet asking kids to draw a line connecting each toy to its matching shadow. It takes about five minutes per kid and works well as a table activity while everyone waits for cake to come out.
Final Two: Physical Games for Bigger Groups
22. Slinky Dog Stretch Relay
Split into two teams and give each team a large metal or plastic slinky. One player at each end stretches the slinky as far as it goes without breaking the coil, then walks it hand over hand down the line to their teammates. First team to pass the slinky down the whole line without dropping it wins. Cheap plastic slinkies from the dollar store work fine and are easy to replace if one snaps.
23. Bonnie’s Toy Box Balloon Pop
Stuff half your balloons with small paper slips naming a prize before blowing them up, then scatter them across the yard. Kids pop balloons at random, and whoever gets a prize slip cashes it in at the favor table. Simple, loud, and always the last game standing at the end of the party because nobody wants to stop popping balloons.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best Toy Story party games for toddlers?
Stick with Woody Says, The Claw grab without a strict time limit, and Pin the Part on Mr. Potato Head minus the blindfold. Keep commands short and let every toddler walk away with a small prize regardless of how the game actually went.
How do I make a Toy Story claw machine?
Decorate a large cardboard box to resemble Pizza Planet, cut a hole in the top wide enough for an arm, and fill it with plush toys or small figures. Kids use a claw grabber tool or sturdy kitchen tongs to pull out a prize within a 30-second window.
Do I need expensive supplies for Toy Story party games?
No. Nearly every game on this list uses cardboard, felt, plastic eggs, hula hoops, or rubber snakes you can find at a dollar store or already own around the house. Total spend for all 23 games can stay under $80 if you shop carefully.
How many Toy Story games should I plan for a birthday party?
Aim for roughly two games per hour and set up four to six stations if you’re hosting more than ten kids. Always include one quiet printable or slime station nearby for kids who need a break from the running-around games.
What should I give as prizes for Toy Story party games?
Small plush aliens, mini action figures, temporary tattoos, and rubber snakes all work well as low-cost prizes that fit the theme. Buying a mixed grab-bag of party favors from Oriental Trading or a dollar store usually covers every single game on this list for one flat price.