Most tweens enjoy playing games, laughing hard and being silly. Adults planning party games for a group of 10-year-olds should keep in mind that kids work together better if they know what is coming and transition smoothly from one game to the next. Also, consider that splitting children up into equal groups can encourage bonding with new people as well as make the games more fair. Finally, before planning the games, consult with the parents of your party guests to see if their are any special needs, such as medical condition, you should be aware of first.

A scavenger hunt is like an adventure for a kid, and can bring out healthy competition in everyone who plays. For indoor scavenger hunts, heading to the mall to search for colors, employee signatures or low-cost creative outfits. Digital hunts can call for videos of kids performing silly tasks at various locations -- think making a human pyramid or singing to a sales clerk -- or taking pictures of each item on the list. A more low-key hunt could involve searching for goody bags hidden around the house or party venue.

Classic outdoor games are simple to plan and fun for the 10-year-old age group, which will have more skills than younger children but not as much self-consciousness as older kids. Split the children into groups to participate in a potato sack or wheelbarrow race or have everyone bring a change of clothes, and play tug-of-war on the wet lawn or in the mud. Relay races are fun too for tweens. You can plan an egg race where players race while holding a raw egg in a spoon from a starting point around a cone and back. The first team who completes the race without breaking any eggs wins the game. Or have a costume relay race with a theme -- each child must race to the clothes box and put something on, race back and tag the next team runner.

The white elephant gift exchange game can be a hoot at a Christmas party or any event with a group of tweens, because everyone wins something. Each child brings an inexpensive, wrapped gift to the party and places it in a pile in the middle of the group. All players pick a number and the person with #1 picks a gift from the pile. The person holding #2 chooses a new gift from the pile or takes the gift from the person with #1 if he likes it better. Each subsequent person can either open a new gift or take one that is already open until all gifts are opened.

Many a 10-year-old enjoys reading mystery books. Even 10-year-olds who are not hooked on one of the many popular mystery series for tweens, still enjoy solving a good whodunnit. By this age, kids are pretty adept at using logic and clues. Planning a mystery dinner game for your child’s party will make it an event to remember. Kids can come dressed in character and sit around a table to dine and act out their characters' personalities as they respond to clues served with food and drinks by waiters aka you and volunteers from the family. Themes can be as varied as western, environmental, pirates and such.