Birthday party activity ideas
No, I'm not giving them. I need them. :lol From YOU!!
About 15 kids (4 years old). It'll be a small area (we have an English cottage style home that has 3 floors, but each floor is small in area). Activity ideas. Healthy food ideas. Ideas for food for parents. And keep your fingers crossed that some end up not showing up because I don't know if my house can contain that many people. :lol
^_^:
Are you having any type of "themed" cake? If you design a paryt around a theme, food/games/activites are much easier to come by. I'd love to help you with this!
^_^:
My mom always did great birthdays (and too bad, I hated them cuz I was a super shy kiddo). Some that she did, I'll do all ages in case anyone else wants them
Teddy bear picinic. If you don't want to worry about a special lovey being lost, you can buy teddies fairly cheaply at the end of certain seasons (I'm thinking after V-day, and cut off the identifying V-day thing) so every child has a bear. Then do ring around the rosie, simon says, hokey pokey with the bears, 'simon says hold your bear on top of your head...' We also had a bean bag toss into the honey pot. Cupcakes with bear faces decorated in the frosting.
Fishing/fish/aquarium. Fish shaped cake- that looked really cool. "fishing" with magnetic fishing pole and fish behind a painted 'sea' of cardboard, fishy simon says 'blow bubbles like a fish', fish pinatta.
Gardening- we did this when I was like 8, we had 10 or so terracotta flower pots, a bag of dirt, some tempra paints. Painted the terracotta pot, let it dry, and then did some activities, came back and planted a marigold plant in it to take home. Ate "dirt" cups for the cake, I think there's a recipe on the Jello website, it's ground up oreos, gummi bears, and chocolate pudding in a clear plastic cup. Totally gross now that I think about it, but we loved it.
Gots to go, hope that helps?
Cara
^_^:
I've gotten some good ideas for parties from Family Fun
I agree that if you pick a theme, it's easier to pull together, although there's nothing wrong with just picking the ideas that appeal to you.
^_^:
Remember to keep it simple and plan more activities than you think you will need. By keep it simple, I mean play games that they already know (the old favs) that way you won't lose their attention while you are trying to explain something new. You can put a new twist on it like playing hot potato with an object that matches your theme. (I do agree with pp that themes can make it easier to plan ideas from.) Also, if you think an activity will last 10 min, it will probably only take 5-7. Things just seem to go quicker when little kids are involved.
Themes don't have to be elaborate at all, they just help tie things together. My friend did a flower party for her 4yo last fall and it was a mixed group of boys and girls and they all loved it. We did a ballerina tea party which was way too involved (but it was fun, lol). My other friend with a dinosaur mad ds had a dino party. It could even be a color one child I know had a red party. We all wore red, ate red food, etc. I can't remember the games right now sorry. They had red balloons for each child as a party favor. Really simple, but still very fun.
HTH,
Jen
^_^:
Are you having any type of "themed" cake? If you design a paryt around a theme, food/games/activites are much easier to come by. I'd love to help you with this! We don't have a licensed character theme because dd doesn't watch TV and wouldn't know any if we tried. We do tons of crafts, but I'm not sure I can accomodate doing crafts for that many kids and entertain the parents at the same time. I am, though, leaning toward doing something the kids can make and take home with them. Not sure what.
^_^:
If this is a birthday party for the kids, I wouldn't worry at all about entertaining the parents. They are on their own as far as I'm concerned. :flipped
Also, the themes don't have to involve licensed characters. My niece had a Lego party. My kids have had bug parties, science parties and dinosaur parties.
^_^:
We are having DS' bday at the firestation (because i didnt want it in my house :lol ) and its basically a free room - you get your $40 deposit back if you clean up. And the firefighters will do a 45 min tour, so all I am providing is a craft, a pinata and some cake.
I have also heard that if they dont get busy with a call, you can arrange for the local firestation to bring the truck by your house, so the kids can climb on, meet the firefighters, etc.
^_^:
Themes can be done without the use of licensed characters at all, infact, I prefer them! Last year ds had a "space" party. This year he's having "Pirates" (he's lucky his momma is a cake decorator!).
If your dd loves crafts, how about an ART party? You could provide tee-shirts or smocks (from Hobby lobby) and paint them. Maybe let the kids help decorate the cake-or even let them decorate their own cupcakes. Set up "stations" outside or around the house...Popsicile stick crafts at one spot, collage making somewhere else.
For games you could play:
"Painter painter where's your brush" (doggie doggie where's your bone)
"musical colors" Lay swatches of fabric or even just painted carboard on the ground and use it instead of chairs.
"Clay Statues" you know, the FREEZE game
"rainbow toss" colorful beanbag tossed into a colorful bucket
"clay clay paint" Duck duck goose
I don't know,these are just the first thoughts to pop into my head. I'm sure with some tweaking you can come up with some fabulous ideas. For now, though, my son is whining and calling for me!
Good luck!
rigama
^_^:
Great ideas!! Thanks! I called the firestation. Can't do the party THERE, but we can visit. It's only about 5 blocks away, so potentially doable.
The problem with doing arts and crafts here is that we have very little space (>450 sq. ft.) per floor. We'd have to spread the kids out on different floors, which is going to happen anyway (dd's play room is in the basement), but I don't want to do that for crafts. I would LOVE to do a craft project, though. That is what dd is all about.
^_^:
are you doing party favors? we're doing a paper bag puppet craft and then the kids can take home their pinata loot in the paper bag puppet.
^_^:
My 4yo's birthday party is on Sunday at our house. The theme will be "camping". We're going to set up the tent and sleeping bags, toast marshmallows over the charcoal grill, read "Stella and Roy Go Camping" and have some sort of scavenger hunt involving animal tracks. I think we'll give the guests flashlights as favors.
We've always done parties at home, and never with TV characters:
dd was 4 - "Flower party" described in another post... we decorated pots, planted seeds, played "pin the bee on the flower" and had "dirt cake" served in a flowerpot with a trowel
dd was 5 - "Ballerina party"... we played Simon Says with various ballet positions, danced around the house in tutus, decorated 'wands', make-your-own sundae
ds was 3 - "Construction party"... nailed pieces of styrofoam together with golf tees and toy hammers, decorated the house with road signs, served cupcakes from the back of a toy dump truck
More Topical:
About 15 kids (4 years old). It'll be a small area (we have an English cottage style home that has 3 floors, but each floor is small in area). Activity ideas. Healthy food ideas. Ideas for food for parents. And keep your fingers crossed that some end up not showing up because I don't know if my house can contain that many people. :lol
^_^:
Are you having any type of "themed" cake? If you design a paryt around a theme, food/games/activites are much easier to come by. I'd love to help you with this!
^_^:
My mom always did great birthdays (and too bad, I hated them cuz I was a super shy kiddo). Some that she did, I'll do all ages in case anyone else wants them
Teddy bear picinic. If you don't want to worry about a special lovey being lost, you can buy teddies fairly cheaply at the end of certain seasons (I'm thinking after V-day, and cut off the identifying V-day thing) so every child has a bear. Then do ring around the rosie, simon says, hokey pokey with the bears, 'simon says hold your bear on top of your head...' We also had a bean bag toss into the honey pot. Cupcakes with bear faces decorated in the frosting.
Fishing/fish/aquarium. Fish shaped cake- that looked really cool. "fishing" with magnetic fishing pole and fish behind a painted 'sea' of cardboard, fishy simon says 'blow bubbles like a fish', fish pinatta.
Gardening- we did this when I was like 8, we had 10 or so terracotta flower pots, a bag of dirt, some tempra paints. Painted the terracotta pot, let it dry, and then did some activities, came back and planted a marigold plant in it to take home. Ate "dirt" cups for the cake, I think there's a recipe on the Jello website, it's ground up oreos, gummi bears, and chocolate pudding in a clear plastic cup. Totally gross now that I think about it, but we loved it.
Gots to go, hope that helps?
Cara
^_^:
I've gotten some good ideas for parties from Family Fun
I agree that if you pick a theme, it's easier to pull together, although there's nothing wrong with just picking the ideas that appeal to you.
^_^:
Remember to keep it simple and plan more activities than you think you will need. By keep it simple, I mean play games that they already know (the old favs) that way you won't lose their attention while you are trying to explain something new. You can put a new twist on it like playing hot potato with an object that matches your theme. (I do agree with pp that themes can make it easier to plan ideas from.) Also, if you think an activity will last 10 min, it will probably only take 5-7. Things just seem to go quicker when little kids are involved.
Themes don't have to be elaborate at all, they just help tie things together. My friend did a flower party for her 4yo last fall and it was a mixed group of boys and girls and they all loved it. We did a ballerina tea party which was way too involved (but it was fun, lol). My other friend with a dinosaur mad ds had a dino party. It could even be a color one child I know had a red party. We all wore red, ate red food, etc. I can't remember the games right now sorry. They had red balloons for each child as a party favor. Really simple, but still very fun.
HTH,
Jen
^_^:
Are you having any type of "themed" cake? If you design a paryt around a theme, food/games/activites are much easier to come by. I'd love to help you with this! We don't have a licensed character theme because dd doesn't watch TV and wouldn't know any if we tried. We do tons of crafts, but I'm not sure I can accomodate doing crafts for that many kids and entertain the parents at the same time. I am, though, leaning toward doing something the kids can make and take home with them. Not sure what.
^_^:
If this is a birthday party for the kids, I wouldn't worry at all about entertaining the parents. They are on their own as far as I'm concerned. :flipped
Also, the themes don't have to involve licensed characters. My niece had a Lego party. My kids have had bug parties, science parties and dinosaur parties.
^_^:
We are having DS' bday at the firestation (because i didnt want it in my house :lol ) and its basically a free room - you get your $40 deposit back if you clean up. And the firefighters will do a 45 min tour, so all I am providing is a craft, a pinata and some cake.
I have also heard that if they dont get busy with a call, you can arrange for the local firestation to bring the truck by your house, so the kids can climb on, meet the firefighters, etc.
^_^:
Themes can be done without the use of licensed characters at all, infact, I prefer them! Last year ds had a "space" party. This year he's having "Pirates" (he's lucky his momma is a cake decorator!).
If your dd loves crafts, how about an ART party? You could provide tee-shirts or smocks (from Hobby lobby) and paint them. Maybe let the kids help decorate the cake-or even let them decorate their own cupcakes. Set up "stations" outside or around the house...Popsicile stick crafts at one spot, collage making somewhere else.
For games you could play:
"Painter painter where's your brush" (doggie doggie where's your bone)
"musical colors" Lay swatches of fabric or even just painted carboard on the ground and use it instead of chairs.
"Clay Statues" you know, the FREEZE game
"rainbow toss" colorful beanbag tossed into a colorful bucket
"clay clay paint" Duck duck goose
I don't know,these are just the first thoughts to pop into my head. I'm sure with some tweaking you can come up with some fabulous ideas. For now, though, my son is whining and calling for me!
Good luck!
rigama
^_^:
Great ideas!! Thanks! I called the firestation. Can't do the party THERE, but we can visit. It's only about 5 blocks away, so potentially doable.
The problem with doing arts and crafts here is that we have very little space (>450 sq. ft.) per floor. We'd have to spread the kids out on different floors, which is going to happen anyway (dd's play room is in the basement), but I don't want to do that for crafts. I would LOVE to do a craft project, though. That is what dd is all about.
^_^:
are you doing party favors? we're doing a paper bag puppet craft and then the kids can take home their pinata loot in the paper bag puppet.
^_^:
My 4yo's birthday party is on Sunday at our house. The theme will be "camping". We're going to set up the tent and sleeping bags, toast marshmallows over the charcoal grill, read "Stella and Roy Go Camping" and have some sort of scavenger hunt involving animal tracks. I think we'll give the guests flashlights as favors.
We've always done parties at home, and never with TV characters:
dd was 4 - "Flower party" described in another post... we decorated pots, planted seeds, played "pin the bee on the flower" and had "dirt cake" served in a flowerpot with a trowel
dd was 5 - "Ballerina party"... we played Simon Says with various ballet positions, danced around the house in tutus, decorated 'wands', make-your-own sundae
ds was 3 - "Construction party"... nailed pieces of styrofoam together with golf tees and toy hammers, decorated the house with road signs, served cupcakes from the back of a toy dump truck
More Topical: