How to throw the perfect kids birthday bash at home
Are you looking for the perfect place to throw your child a birthday party that is fun, stress-free and budget-friendly? Forget about driving across town to the nearest skating rink because we show you how you can throw the perfect birthday bash at home!
By Mary Fetzer
Our preschooler, Isabelle, seems to be invited to a birthday party every other week. Her friends throw birthday celebrations at the movie theater, skating rink, bowling alley, amusement park, indoor playground, Pizza Hut, McDonald’s…
So when it came time to plan Isabelle’s own fifth birthday party, I panicked. How could I compete with those other bashes?
It’s been said that you know what you know. What I knew was how we celebrated birthdays when we were kids. It was all pretty routine – everyone gathered at the birthday kid’s house where we feasted on cake and ice cream, played games, opened presents and went home.
Drawing on my own experience, I decided to host an old-fashioned birthday party at our home. Amazingly – and perhaps due to the novelty of it all – the party was a huge success! The celebration ended with happy, satisfied children, relaxed grown-ups, and no gaping hole in our pocketbook.
Here is how to get started planning a fun birthday bash at home:
DECORATIONS
Keep it simple. Use colorful plastic tablecloths to protect serving and eating areas. Hang a few balloons and streamers and perhaps a personalized banner from your computer. That, along with food, cake, and incoming gifts, is decoration enough.
TIMING
Keep the party limited to two hours, and hold it mid-afternoon – after lunch and before dinner. The guests will arrive fed and in a pleasant mood, and you won’t be stuck preparing a meal that they will barely eat. Kids don’t attend parties for the food – they’re there for the fun.
FOOD
So while there’s no need for a feast, it is important to keep a steady flow of snacks available – if not for the kids, then for the adults that may decide to stick around. Keep it simple – a fruit and veggie tray, some cheese and crackers, chips, pretzels, Jell-O Jigglers and some cold drinks. Set everything out on a table where guests can help themselves throughout the party.
PLAYTIME PART I
Get it started. Oftentimes, kids stand around awkwardly wondering what it is they’re supposed to do at a party. Not sure how to begin? Think recess, where there was never a problem coming up with unstructured fun. Throw out a couple of soccer balls. Fill up some balloons that the children can twist into shapes. Give each kid a can of bubbles and just let them run around and enjoy themselves.
THE CAKE
After a half-hour or so of playing, bring out the cake. Gather up the kids and sing “Happy Birthday” to the guest of honor. (Tip: Don’t let any of the young guests get so close that they’re able to blow out the candles before the birthday kid does – it will result in a meltdown, no pun intended.) Since many kids just eat the frosting, cut small servings. Put the children on a blanket or under a tent in the yard where they can freely enjoy without worrying about the mess.
TRADITIONS
You’re halfway through the party! This is a good time for planned activities, the kids played and ate, and the sugar hasn’t kicked in yet. Even today’s kids love traditional fun like pin the tail on the donkey, musical chairs, and piñatas. Let their interest level guide you; if they get fidgety, move on to the next activity. And keep it simple - no complicated crafts.
ICE CREAM
Since the kids probably didn’t finish their cake, and it’s now approaching suppertime, you may want to offer more food. Instead of serving the ice cream with the cake, make it a special treat of its own. Place a variety of different sprinkles and toppings in separate bowls on a table. Offer each child an ice cream cone that they decorate themselves. They love eating their own creations.
PRESENTS
While the guests enjoy their cones, they can watch the birthday child open presents. Let each child present the gift that he or she brought. Bring out the digital camera and get a shot of your child with each guest and the gift he or she brought. After the party, print the photos and convert them into thank-you cards.
PLAYTIME II
Send the kids into the yard for some more “free time.” They can swing, play hide-and-seek, and just enjoy being with one another – like a group play date!
PARTY’S OVER
As parents arrive to claim their children, encourage your child to offer thanks and good-bye to each guest. Give each child a small takeaway – a balloon, a little bag of goodies, or an inexpensive trinket from the dollar store.
Bottom line: It’s not the venue or the expense of the party that makes it special. Taking the old-fashioned route keeps costs and stress levels down, and puts a smile on everyone’s face.
Read More:
When my son turned 5, there wasn’t a guest who didn’t enjoy the WATER BALLOONS!! We had kids of all ages here, (even teenagers!) and each and everyone of them loved the notion of a good old fashioned waterballoon competition!
Comment by Megan — July 11, 2008 @ 1:27 am
[…] Do you find that throwing your child a birthday party can be stressful? Do you find yourself spendin… […]
Pingback by Holly Hunter, Benefits of High Gas Prices and Dangers of Fruit Juice | Daily Dish — July 16, 2008 @ 8:02 am
Right on the nose. I’ve been pondering the issue of parents who go way overboard celebrating a birthday (particularly a first), thereby sucking all the fun out of it for themselves and their kids. And they seem to forget these come around every year. Just how will they top it the next year if they overdo it this year?
Comment by Sesame Street Birthday — August 22, 2008 @ 8:18 am