Custom Pin the Tail Party Game

A child blindfolded, pinning the nose on a bear for a game at a party.

Favorite Kid's Party Game!

Do you remember playing Pin the Tail On the Donkey at a party? This game continues to be a favorite with the kids for a party game.

What? A Custom Pin the Tail Party Game for your grand?

What’s cool is this game can easily be adapted to fit whatever theme you and your grand choose for their party. The kids can help make the custom pin the tail party game for their party ahead of time. This will build excitement for them and they will learn an awesome art skill as they enlarge their theme picture to poster size!

The outline of a lipstick cartoon character drawn for custom pin the tail game for kids.

Choose your birthday party theme...

Once the party theme has been chosen, locate a picture that will match the theme and could act as the background for the Custom Pin the Tail Party Game. We have made several for parties- the last two featured Daniel the Tiger and one of the Shopables. Of course the picture could be almost anything- a car, super hero, dinosaur, book character or animal for example.

Tip: It is easiest to work from black outlined pictures (like cartoons or color book type pictures).

A lipstick cartoon character drawn for custom pin the tail game for kids.

What feature will we pin on?

One feature from the drawing becomes the item to pin on the picture. Choose which feature from the picture will be the “pin on” item. This can be a nose, bow, tail or a wheel for example. You will make copies of that feature for the kids to pin on your picture.

Drawing your Custom Pin the Tail Party Game Poster

If you are artistic you can just draw the picture freehand onto the poster board.

Not artistic? No worries. There is a great art skill you can learn for enlarging a picture. I think you may even find it fun!!

A puppy cartoon character being drawn onto a posterboard from a guide.

How to Use a Grid to Enlarge a Drawing or Picture

Draw a grid on the picture in 1 inch by 1 inch squares.

Draw a pencil line grid on your poster board or paper- a grid with the same number of squares as you drew on the picture, except larger. Mine were about 3 inches by 3 inches

Transfer the picture from small grid to large grid

Now, draw the outline of the picture from the smaller grid onto the poster board grid, one square at a time.

Tip: It will help to number the squares on the picture as well as on the poster board. Then you can keep track of which square on the picture is to be drawn in each square of the poster board. Even then I made a little boo-boo. Oh well!

Children at a party ready to play a custom pin the nose on a bear game.

Black magic marker outline

Go over your pencil drawing outline in black magic marker. You will have a color book looking outline drawing on your poster. When you are certain the black marker is dry, erase the pencil lines and numbers.

Coloring in your custom pin the tail party game

Let your grands have fun coloring in the black line drawing with colored markers.

The Item to "Pin" on the Poster

Next, make copies of the item that will be pinned on the poster. You can trace it onto printing paper, cut it out, and then use this for a pattern. Cut out the amount you will need out of poster board and color them appropriately. You will need enough so that each child coming to the party will have one to pin on when it is their turn. Write each child’s name on the item and then place tape on the back of them.

A child with a balloon being blindfolded by a parent to play a pin the tail game at a party.

It’s hard for kids to wait for their turn when standing in line so it’s really nice to have that all done beforehand!

Hang up the Custom Pin the Tail Party Game Poster

Hang the poster up on a wall and get the kids at the party in line to play! Yes, this sometimes is like herding cats!

Blindfold, spin and pin!

Place a blindfold on the first child in line. Turn them around a couple times and face them towards the poster. Allow them to walk forward and stick their item on the poster.

Tip: The younger kids were much more willing after seeing a grownup do this first!