Games please for ds's fifth birthday party.

[Friederike in Persia]

The party is tomorrow and I've got some planned already, but I thought you might have good ones up your sleeves.
By the way, I'm not American, so if you could shortly explain them, rather than just give names.

Thanks, Friederike

[Jean in Newcastle]

Musical chairs. Put two rows of chairs out in the middle of the room. There must be one chair less than children. Put on some music of your choice. While the music plays, the children walk around the chairs. Stop the music suddenly. Each child must quickly sit in a chair. One child will not be able to (since there aren't enough). That child is "out". Take a chair away. Repeat the above (children walking with music, try to get chair when music stops). When it is down to just two children (and there is only one chair) you have to try to trick them a bit but the last child to have a chair wins.

[Old Dominion Heather]

Treasure Hunt? What about a treasure map with a hidden treasure at the end? If any of the children can read, you could write a serries of clues to lead them from place to place. At my son's fifth birthday party, I put the name of each guest on an envelop and only that child was permitted to open that message. The notes led to the birthday cake, which the birthday boy got to discover.