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Birthdays
by Rexanne - Main Page / Birthday
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Children & Teen Party Tips, Tricks & Ideas
Tips and great
ideas to make your birthday bash unique, better and easier!
This is an ever-expanding compilation of children's party tips, tricks and ideas that will make your life as a party giving parent easier and help you throw the best parties on the block. This is not your typical 'party tips' page as you will soon see. Hopefully, you'll chuckle once or twice and be entertained while learning. ;-) Have a tip to contribute? Please send it here: Party Tips. (This is an email link for sending party tips, not to request them. Everything I know is already on this site and I can't help you plan your party other than what is already here, much as I'd love to. If you're a kid and need help, go ahead and ask. I'll do all I can to help you figure out your party but everyone else, please read through this entire site and you'll find everything I'd tell you anyway.)
Remember the most important aspect of any party you're giving is to have fun yourself! And don't miss browsing the other pages on this site for more great party ideas and inspiration!
OK, go grab a cuppa whatever ... you're gonna be in here a while. ;-)
First tip: Stock up on batteries!
Children's
Party Tips:
Before
you do anything, you'll need a guest list. Save this one: party
guest list to your computer, fill it in as you go or print it out
and fill it in by hand.
Decide
who and how many guests you will invite. Keep the guest list small the
first few years of baby's life.
A good
guide is to invite only twice as many children as the age of your child.
A baby will be overwhelmed by the festivities as it is and too many
other kids shrieking about will only add to baby's stress level. Family
and friends will comprise the majority of your guests at baby's first
few parties or until baby starts preschool or kindergarten.
Once
your child starts school, there will be a pool of kids to choose from.
You can be brave and invite the whole class or just a select
few. If you know a particular child is a trouble maker, don't invite
said tormentor. An out-of-control kid will ruin the party and your child will be
miserable. In this case, invite only a select few and no one will feel
singled out or individually excluded.
Plan on some of the parents
staying until your child is about six. This will either be a blessing or
a curse, depending on how you feel about said parents. Good advice: if a
parent decides to stay (reasons being many: their child could be too
young to leave unattended, scared to be left without a parent or they
just want to ...) put that parent to work. You aren't there to entertain
a bunch of kids and their parents or you would have
specified such. Give them something to do, something that helps you
and let the party evolve.
Until your child is about eight or nine, you will most likely be having co-ed parties. Enjoy these ... they will probably stop abruptly at around age 10 and won't resume until your child once again regains some semblance of hormonal normalcy at which time you'll have a whole new set of co-ed party issues to deal with. Do try to keep your child open to the suggestion of the opposite sex bestowing their presence on said parties. It will be a stab in the right emotional-stability direction but don't push it if your child has strong negative feelings toward inviting members of the opposing sex.
Send
birthday party invitations at least two weeks ahead of the big date, three weeks
before if the date falls on or around a holiday or long
weekend. If your child will be passing
invitations out at school, try to
make your child aware of discretion. Uninvited kids will be hurt,
displeased and could potentially badger your little one with pleas,
threats and all manner of other pathetic, rude or conniving behavior.
While this is a drag, it is also important that your child realize how
he/she would feel if excluded from any festivity and be taught to act accordingly.
This also helps instill compassion in your child ... a good
thing.
If
most everyone invited has an email address, by all means send those
invitations by email if possible. Here's a great place that has free and really cute children's party
invitations:
electronic birthday invitations.
You could also print the invitation you create online to hand out or
send to those unfortunate souls who have not succumbed to the wonder
that is the Internet ... yet. ;-)
On
the
invitations, be sure to include the reason for the party (ie:
Gibson's fifth birthday!), the date, the time, the place, an RSVP phone
number and the theme of the party, if any. It's a good idea to inform
parents if you'll be feeding their kids. A starving, sugar-infested
munchkin does not make a pleasant combination and parents will like you
less for not warning them. And always include a party ending
time on the
invitation ... some parents might assume you're their latest sucker and stick
you with little Johnny until they return from the Bahamas a week later ... 
You
can buy fill-in or
customized invitations
if you're not keen on email invites. A super online place to purchase
custom or generic children's party invitations, thank you cards and
other fun stationery is:
my party store and on this page I've created by popular demand that
has a large selection and variety of all
children's birthday
party invitations.
A very fun
idea for
jazzing up birthday invitations and cards is to include a sprinkle
of
birthday confetti inside the envelope.
Also especially cool are
birthday invitation stickers - Kids love to help decorate the
envelopes with these. These are also perfect to add to thank you
notes.
And the
very fun new craze for birthday invitations is to create your own
personalized stamps with photographs of the birthday kid (or adult).
Use these when you mail your invitations and thank you cards. How cool is that?
You might also think about making invitations in your word processor program. This is fun and you can get really creative. You will find all manner of birthday graphics by doing a search in Google, then click on the 'image' tab in the upper left corner. Save these images to your hard drive (on a PC, right click on the image and "save as" - Mac users ... you're on your own), name them something you'll recognize, remember where in your cyber world you stashed them, then use them to decorate your invitation. Remember to do a 'print preview' to make sure the invitation will print all on one page and that everything is properly aligned. Let your child help decide on graphics and text fonts. This is good for their self-esteem. :-) For a lot of fun, free graphics, check this page: Graphic Links. For birthday specific graphics, go here: Birthday Graphics
Here's a good party checklist to copy to your computer and fill in and/or print out: Party Check List. This is now your most valuable possession ...
Update
and study your
party checklist religiously. It will help you avoid
last-minute sprints to the market or forgotten necessities. Post it on
the refrigerator, make a copy for your purse and give one to your
significant other to either prove how hard you work for your family or
to enlist help. Admitting you need help is half the battle! You could put a specific mark next to each item the
'other' is responsible for. This will save your sanity if you have a
significant other you can turn to for help. I've done
it both ways and having help is a much better way to live. *sigh*
Obviously, cross off the items on your party checklist that have been dealt with, purchased and/or no longer need to be handled. This will make you feel good, like you actually are accomplishing something ...
Party Favors
Party favors are to kids what paychecks are to adults: the most compelling reason to motivate. Do not, in your wildest moments of budgeting and/or over-burdened trauma, decide to forego this mandatory staple of children's parties. You and your child will be labeled cheap and boring. You don't have to spend a lot, however, do budget for about $5 per child. Figure on more if you're loaded or you just like to indulge kids, less if you can make it look good for dirt cheap. I start with a $5 budget and usually end up spending more like 6 to 8 bucks per child. If you only have a few guests, you can spend a little more. Here is a list of affordable kid's party favors: Children's Party Favors.
One
reason the 'RSVP' is on party invitations is to help plan how many party favors to have available. If you're not sure
about the number of guests and not many have responded (all too common ...), always have enough on hand if every kid invited shows up.
Save receipts and return the unused favors. Remember to include the
birthday child in this equation. He/she gets a party favor, too. Yes, I
know they'll be getting plenty of gifts but so what? Indulge them. It's
their birthday!
The
ever-popular 'loot
bag' is pretty standard at little kids'
parties. You know, a woefully flimsy plastic bag with even more woefully
constructed built in handles filled with a variety of kid-friendly
goodies: pencils, erasers, mini notepads, mini clappers, a choice candy,
etc. While these favor bags are OK and kinda fun to put together the
first two or three years, for the same amount of money or less, you can
find something a little more special once your child is five or older. For
the very best loot bags that won't fall apart, get these: Functional
Loot Bag
One item, wrapped really swell,
will delight kids who have a cache of little plastic junk already
infesting their rooms. Parents will love you for this, too. Also consider
that the older children are, the more discriminating they become. Don't
bemoan your fate ... just be imaginative and loving when you pick party favors. Think about what your kid would like to receive,
or, better yet, have your child help decide and buy
accordingly. Again, for a good list of party favor ideas, go here:
Children's
Party Favors.
A very fun party favor is a
collectable Lunchbox,
in the same theme as the party or pick guest favorites. You can fill
them with goodies or give them alone.
If you
have older children at the party, buy special favors just for them. You can spend a little more on
theirs, especially if they're running games, activities and
helping you serve food. These kids deserve an award, let alone a party
favor. Give them something that will entice them to come back next year.
;-) Here's a list of older kid or teen favors:
Teen
Party Favors. Find those labeled "Teens!"
at the end of the list.
I like to set up the party favors in a pretty basket lined with colorful tissue by the front door. They look festive and it's easy to hand them out as guests are leaving. If you have little ones grabbing at them, put them out of reach and pray you remember they exist before the last guest leaves empty-handed.
Party Food
Pizza
pretty much rules children's parties after about age three. Go with
it. It's what your kid is gonna ask for and what all the other kids are
gonna expect. So what if they all had pizza in the school cafeteria the day
before. They don't give a rat's whisker and neither should you. Besides,
it's easy and they deliver. Figure on two slices per child, plus adults. Be ready for the shock of just how much five or more
pizzas are going to cost you. Add some veggie sticks, grapes or a fruit
salad to the table and you're all set.
Hot
dogs are another good staple party food and could be a kid request besides
pizza. These are easy enough to boil or grill. Have plenty of catsup and relish.
Mustard and onions are nice for the parents but most kids won't touch
mustard or onions with their tongues. Complement the dogs with chips, veggie
sticks, grapes, fruit salad, etc.
Finger
foods
are good for children's parties. Sandwiches (cut in halves or quarters), veggie
sticks (carrots, various colored bell peppers, celery, jicama), grapes, cut up cheese pieces, etc. will make a nice looking
table and the kids can grab and go or pass the food around the table and
never think about a fork or spoon. Party sandwich recommendations: peanut
butter & jelly, cream cheese and cucumber slices, ham with mayonnaise
(remember a lot of kids don't like mustard ...), turkey with mayo, etc.
These are kid pleasing and pretty easy to slap together. These will take
more time than you have to make them, so plan accordingly. Unfortunately, you cannot make
these the night before. They will be inedible by morning. Better
yet, order
kid friendly finger foods
and heat them at party time. These are
delicious, bite sized goodies,
sure to please kids and adults alike, plus you don't have to fret about
cooking or creating food.
How easy can it be? Perfect. :-)
Dips
and chips can be set out on a coffee or end table. A bowl of
M&Ms is
a nice touch but be forewarned: there will be at least one kid at the
party who is sugar-deprived to the point of cruelty. This child will
station him/herself by that
M&M dish and eat an ungodly amount. If you see this happening, move the candy dish discretely to
higher ground and pretend it's all gone. Try to get the sweet-starved
kid to eat some real food so he/she won't go home in sugar
shock.
To
cake or to cupcake? Your child's choice or yours if you really prefer
one over the other. Cupcakes are super easy and I recommend them for
toddlers and kids up to age six. Otherwise, older kids will want/expect
chocolate cake. And the frosting flowers will become a point of war for
quite a few munchkins under the age of 10. Make sure the birthday
child gets one, then just ignore the other pleas of: "I wanna
flower!" There will never be enough and you'll drive yourself crazy
trying to make every kid happy. Slap a hunk of ice cream on top of the
pieces without flowers to hide the evidence. This is another reason I
believe in cupcakes for the very young ... they all look the same.
If you're serving cupcakes, a
cupcake stand is essential. It looks great on the table and is a
perfect way to display your creations with pizazz. You'll also want to
decorate those cupcakes with fun toppers, rings or whatever you can
imagine. Find great cupcake accessories here:
Cupcake Pans, Holders, Toppers, Liners, etc.
If you're baking the cake, check out these awesome
cake pans to make the
cake even more festive and fun.
Speaking of ice cream ... I try to avoid it, however, a lot of kids
love it and you might think cake without ice cream is sacrilege. This one's
up to you and your child. And it does come in handy to cover the
no-flower pieces of cake. ;-) If you have chocolate cake, go with
vanilla or offer both vanilla and chocolate. Too many choices gets
confusing for little ones so try to stick to only one or two flavors or
go Neapolitan.
Ice
cream cakes come with their own set of rules. Make sure you have room in
your freezer for the cake, pick it up as late in the day as possible and
remember to take it out of the freezer at least half an hour before
you're planning to serve it. It still won't be easy to cut, but at least you
tried. Have a scary-looking huge knife on hand ... you'll need it. Don't
sweat it when the cake moves all over the place and the frosting slides
off as you try to cut it. Ice cream cakes are a pain but kids love 'em.
So, just deal with it and remember the basics.
For
my older daughter's 14th birthday, we ordered a 'photo' ice cream cake
from Baskin Robbins. They somehow superimposed a picture of her on the
top icing. It was a real kick. This is a tad expensive as is
any B.R. ice cream cake. But yeah, they are so good. ;-)
An easy way
to WOW the kids is by having a
chocolate
fountain set up either on the food or dessert table or in
a place of honor, where they can dip cut fruit, cookies, marshmallows,
pretzels, etc. into delicious, dripping chocolate contained in a cascading
fountain. So cool, so fun and so so delicious!
Chocolate
fountains are a huge hit at any party!
Buy a chocolate fountain
online today. I use mine every chance I get.
Beverages
are vital. For toddlers and children, always have extra milk on hand and
when supplying juice or sodas, always remember to have
bottled
water, too.
Plan on at least 1-2 drinks per child. If they're playing hard, they
will be thirsty munchkins. If you're serving drinks in cups (as opposed
to single serve boxes or pouches), write names on the cups with
permanent marker to avoid
mixed-up drinks and having to provide multiple cups per kid.
Custom soda labels (from Jones
soda, a pop culture favorite) are too fun and do the same with
custom water bottle labels!
A classic
and very fun idea for candy bowls are
personalized M&Ms. You can choose the words and even have a picture
of the birthday boy/girl imprinted on M&Ms now. I SO love this new idea!
Personalized M&Ms work great for kids (and adults) of all ages!
For more than a fair share of inspiration, check out my birthday food page here: Birthday Party Food
Tableware &
Accessories
Half the decorating battle can be launched with table decorations. My daughters pick the theme of the party and/or tableware, then we decorate accordingly. If it's a Barbie theme, there are loads of Barbie tableware items to pull everything together. If it's Sesame Street, there's plenty of that, too. Themed tableware includes tablecloths, napkins (large ones for food, small ones for cake and drinks), paper plates (large ones for food, small ones for cake), cups, centerpieces, matching colored plastic utensils, etc. You can find just about everything and every theme you'll need or want at my online party store here: Rexanne's Party Store.
Candles
can be fun and there are some cute ideas floating around for candle
holders instead of the standard little plastic flower things that sink into the
cake. Some good candle holder options are: lifesavers, large
marshmallows, mint patties, Rolo candies, gummy rings, etc. Use your
imagination to think up or find other unique candle holders. Remember
to stick the candle in whatever holder you're using before you
stick them on the cake or you'll be sucking more frosting off your
fingers than the kids will appreciate. You can find plenty of fun,
cool candles and theme candles here:
Birthday
Candles.
And
candles that spell out Happy Birthday are always fun.
Another really cute
birthday candle idea is to buy long, thin candles, heat
them for a few minutes in warm water or the microwave oven until they're pliable then gently
wrap each candle around a pencil. After about 15 seconds, remove the
pencils. This could take some experimenting and I suggest you experiment at any time other than when the cake is about to be
served. These are good to make as a family craft the night before
the party, when everyone's adrenaline is pumping with nothing left to do
but ... wait.
Number candles are good and your child will probably think this is a
great idea up to about age ten. Then they get all grown-up on you and think
it's dumb. One
cool idea is to have a personalized
birthday
countdown candle for each child. This goes from age 1 to 18. Also
fun is a
personalized
birthday candle without the countdown feature.
Musical
candles are also fun. They play a pretty tacky, tinny version of 'Happy
Birthday To You' but hey, they cost very little ... what do you expect? Besides, kids get a kick out of them. So do I, for that matter. ;-)
A word on those candles that keep re-igniting: this is funny only if
your child has the ability to laugh at him/herself under stress and only then ...
save this trick for grown-ups with a warped sense of
humor. ;-)
Birthday Name Place Cards are cute and fun to print and decorate for
kid's party tables. Let the kids help with these.
Here's a really important tip I forgot only once: make sure you have plenty of foil and plastic wrap on hand for leftovers. And remember to buy a box of those extra sturdy garbage bags with good handles. Aha! ;-)
Then again, you could always book your child's party at McDonald's and forget the hassle of food prep and home destruction. ;-)
Balloons add a whole
lot of pizzazz to the place and complement any theme or decor. Just go
with the colors your child wants, those that match your themed party
ware or a colorful bunch of
"Happy Birthday balloons" and let 'em float with the
strings dangling. You can rent or buy a
helium tank if you have more time than money or order them
pre-inflated. Some places deliver or you'll need someone to pick
them up an hour or two before party time. You will be too busy. Enlist help ... Also
remember that some helium filled balloons will pop en route to your
party or while being wildly dragged through your home by an excited child. Plan accordingly and order a few extra. I usually order about 30
or 40 balloons, which might be excessive. Twenty balloons look great, too. :-) You'll
want enough to send a balloon home with each child. You can find
birthday balloons online:
Balloons.
One
word of caution about bunches of balloons floating in your party air space:
there will always be at least one kid who decides to gather them all up
and run through your house, prompting all the other kids to do
the same. You will need to get over the fact that you spent half an hour systematically
separating like-color
balloons from each other and
spreading them throughout the room evenly. I still get upset over
this destruction of my "decorating." I swear I won't let it
get to me every
year, but it still does. 
Kids don't care, they're gonna screw up
your lovely
balloon arrangement within the first ten minutes of the
party so swallow that curse and plant a phony
smile on your face for your child's sake.
Another
too-cool decoration idea we always use is tossing
wrapped candy and
bubble gum
down the middle of the food table. You can similarly decorate coffee
and end tables. Some good and colorful candy ideas are: mini chocolate
bars,
tootsie rolls, push
pops, pixie sticks, Now
& Laters, Laffy
Taffy, mini-Dots boxes, small packets of Smarties, mini Necco
wafers, chocolate coins, Tootsie
Pops, lollipops,
blow pops and whatever else looks
festive and/or your child asks for. Also consider what you like. ;-) We go for the individually wrapped
blobs of bubble gum but you could strew packs
or sticks of gum, too. Make it colorful, using a variety of candy. And yes, the kids will be chowing down on this free-for-all
candy medley as soon as they see it. Let them. It's a party!
;-) A great place to find all the various types of
candy
you'll need to do this right is
CandyWarehouse. They have everything from new candy to old fashioned
favorites. Order online, they'll deliver and you can browse and order tons of
candy choices in
your jammies. :-) Remember to put out bowls of
M&Ms in strategic places! For an even better
M&M experience, have them
personalized with you kid's name and
picture!
Birthday Confetti is another good touch on party tables, mingled in with the
candy or you could just toss it down the center of the food table. There
are numerous types of
confetti
to choose from. I suggest you don't use the cheap, by-the-ton paper
confetti. It tends to attach like Velcro to everything and even a good
vacuum will have a rough go picking it all up. And yes, a lot of said
confetti, no matter what the consistency, will hit the deck and embed
itself into your carpet. If this bothers you, don't have parties at
home and if this really bothers you, give your kids away before you make
yourself and them insane. ;-)
I always
have
fresh flowers on the main and end tables.
Fresh flowers bring a room together, add a festive atmosphere and
give a very cool "homey" and classy touch to your home and party.
A
bubble machine
at the party is loads of fun for little and bigger
kids, too:
This
bubble machine
is great. Set it up and it'll blow a gazillion
bubbles all day long to amuse the little munchkins. Good for indoor or
outdoor parties.
A
HAPPY BIRTHDAY banner is a good investment. They are kill-proof, come in a
variety of bright colors and can be used every year. There are some very
cool ones you can have personalized (or not) here:
Birthday
Banners
If you want to amuse kids and get them giggling, have fun toilet paper in the bathroom. This is a fun "added touch" that makes the best parties memorable. Kids have been known to talk about the 'funny' toilet paper a year after one of our parties. :-)
Games/Activities/Entertainment
Music
livens the atmosphere of any party and adds an air of festivity. Play
kid-friendly
songs, tapes, CDs or have a musical video or DVD playing
in the party room. For a good energy zapper, play freeze dance and let
everyone get a little crazy for a while. We like to keep everyone on the
dance floor and don't penalize a kid who has slow reflexes or isn't
paying attention. Just stop the music, let 'em all freeze in place for a
few seconds then start it up again. This is fun for about ten minutes
and works especially well at all-girl parties. Little boys might be loathe to
dance, especially if there are girls in the general vicinity, but you
could give
it a try. Dancing is good for the soul. ;-)
Another
really great tip for kid's starting at around age 10 is to have
birthday party cameras (single use) laying around the party room. Encourage guests
to snap pictures throughout the party which gets children mingling,
laughing and getting silly, which is good. :-) The pictures will be
especially entertaining after the party because of the diversity and
everyone attending will probably be captured on film at some point. Send
copies of pictures to each guest in their thank
you note for a special surprise.
birthday party cameras are right here:
birthday party cameras
Children
love
having
confetti
clackers
available for a spontaneous, crazy few minutes of
fun.
Store these great
confetti
clackers in a basket, bring them out toward the end of the party or
when you need to liven things up. Yep, they make a huge mess but it's
relatively easy to clean up and kids get such a kick out of being able
to make noise and a mess. :-)This
has always been one of my best kid party secrets. Kids are delighted
that I allow them make a mess in my home and they're
so much fun! Toss them on the food and end tables for
teenage parties along with wrapped candy. Cool!
Piñatas
are great for outdoor parties. Piñatas can be anything your child
thinks is cool but be forewarned ... many a munchkin under age six has
been known to be horrified when the bat starts swinging and
Elmo's head
goes flying. Best to keep it non-traumatic at this age and buy
piñatas
with pull strings. The birthday child can pull it and the other kids can
dive for the goodies or a parent can pull the string so little birthday
Bobby or Sarah can dive at the same time. A
pull string Piñata kit
is essential for kids under 6 or 7 or even 8 and turns any piñata into a
pull string variety instantly. Great invention! :-) I try to fill piñatas
with
fun
and unusual candy instead of the typical hard wrapped candy that
most kids don't care for. Try blow pops, mini life savers, chupa chups
lollypops, bubble gum, etc. You can find all
these online here:
cool
candy
Little
ones can be kept busy for half an hour or so with coloring
books and
crayons
or markers. Label each set with the child's name and send the
coloring books and crayons or markers home as party favors.
Face painting
is a classic activity for children's parties (up to age 8). Learn
how to easily master the art of face painting and delight your child and
little guests with a face painting activity or build an entire party
around a face painting theme with this cool instruction guide:
Easy Face Painting.
Again, a
bubble machine at the party is loads of fun for little and bigger
kids, too:
A
bubble machine
will
rock a little kid's world and amuse the older kids. Set it up and it'll
blow bubbles all day long. Coooooool!
Candy
games and activities
are always fun for kids up to age 10.
An
All-Girl's
Slumber Party is a fun way to celebrate without a huge guest list.
If you have a child who would love a sleep over party, know that they
will drive you crazy without ideas and activities to keep them
entertained. Fun sleep over craft activities (doubles as a party favor)
for girls are:
candy & jewelry activity kits.
Other party favor
ideas for sleepover parties are jammies or fun slippers
and
plush saying pillows.
Hollywood
Theme Party - Perfect for kids of
all ages (especially teenagers!) and loads of fun to put together. A
Hollywood party makes it easy to plan around your child's favorite
actor, TV character, cartoon character, movie or just plain Hollywood
magic. Party entertainment can be rented videos or DVDs, a game of
charades, etc. Place a
life-size standup of who or whatever lights
your child's fuse in the
entryway or outside the front door and get the mood started as guests
arrive. Party favors can be miniature "Oscar" statues, clap boards,
movie themed key chains or whatever wets your whistle. Send Hollywood
movie ticket invitations, have guests dress as their favorite movie or
TV star, decorate the room with cool movie posters, a Hollywood banner,
jumbo movie clap board and film reel balloons, A
Hollywood centerpiece on the table ... you get the picture - ;-) A very
fun idea for everyone, especially teenagers! Find all these props, decorations, invitations,
favors and more online:
Hollywood
Party Supplies and make it easy to plan and create the perfect
Hollywood party.
Kid's
Party Crafts & Games -
Is
an
amazing e-book, filled with every piece of advice and know-how on
throwing the most talked about party of the year. You
can instantly download this book for immediate ideas and planning.
Birthday
Party Games are fun
for adults to put together and watch as the kids play. The very best
birthday parties, where the kids all go home saying: "That was a
GREAT party!" have super fun and unique
party
games. I try to outdo myself with great games and activities every
year and it's sometimes tough but now the
Birthday
Party Games Lady is here and she's awesome. Her games are guaranteed fantastic and include themes
such as "Survivor," "Harry
Potter," "Detective
Party,"
"Medieval
Madness," and
an all-new "Theater
Party Game." Another great
site is
Printable Birthday Games, where you can instantly print as many fun
birthday games as you need, for any age, even at the last minute. Find
all birthday games and ideas here:
Birthday Party
Games.
Outdoor
activities could be something as extravagant as a scavenger hunt (only
if you have cooperative and indulgent neighbors ... and warn them ahead
of time), relay races or
take the easy way out and rent a bouncer (You know ... that big plastic
thing kids love to jump around in). Do not
underestimate bouncers ... kids love them, the rental place sets them up
and bouncing up and down is actually good for their bodies. It
stimulates some vital gland that I can't remember the name of but it's a
good thing.
You
can set up a game room in your home or outdoors with an array of
homemade games that cost very little to produce. Every completed game
garners each kid a 'prize'. This could be anything from a
candy
bar,
stickers,
a
glow
stick, a lollipop,
ring pop,
mini
die cast cars for boys,
glittery nail files for girls
or whatever your imagination conjures up. Each
child receives an
empty loot bag already labeled with his/her name and proceeds
to fill it with rewards from each game completed. This loot bag filled with game
prizes doubles as their take home party favor. Nifty, huh?
Following are a few of the games we've made for both my daughter's
birthday parties when they were under age nine. As we live in a condo, we set
up the communal exercise room for this purpose and decorated it with streamers
and
balloons. The games were big hits, every time:
Soda
Bottle Bowling
Use three empty, plastic one quart soda bottles. Add enough water to
keep them upright in a stiff wind but not too much so they won't fall
down when they should. Set them up in a triangle shape, about ten to twelve feet
from the child
and have each kid throw any good sized ball down the 'lane'. Give them
three tosses each.
Mining
for Jewels
Fill a large cardboard box with popcorn.
Bury
Ring Pops (or other
wrapped treats) in the popcorn and have each child 'mine for
jewels'. This is an especially great game for a "Snow
White" themed party and assorted
ring pops are the perfect prize to dig for. :-)
Golf
Ball or Ping Pong Ball Walk
This one's pretty simple but kids love it. Go figure ...
Have each child 'walk the walk' with a golf ball in a teaspoon or
tablespoon for younger kids. The
object is to get to the other side of the room (or designated game
area) without dropping the ball. You could also use a ping pong
ball.
Bean
Bag Toss
Buy a three-sided cardboard project board (or make one from a large
cardboard box). Draw a clown (or whatever) in the center portion of the
board. (The sides are only there to hold it up.) Cut two big holes for
the eyes, a hole in the center for the nose and a bigger hole for the
mouth. Buy (or make) small bean bags to toss into the holes. Have each
child try for the smallest hole (usually the nose).
Limbo
is always a fun game at parties. Even boys like this one. ;-) Crank the
music and have two adults hold the limbo stick (or a broom stick if you
don't have a loose long stick laying around the house) as the kids try to outdo
themselves and bend their little bodies backward as far as they can.
They're young - they won't sustain injuries. ;-) Just add
kid-friendly music and watch them go to town.
Limbo kits are easy to set up and fun for kids of all ages.
Another good
staple party game for young and older children is
charades. You can have
various words or phrases on pieces of paper. Each child can pick one
and act it out. Also try any variation of
Pictionary. Partner
kids in teams or alone. You can also print
Charades and Pictionary games at
Printable Games online.
Makeover
or glamour parties are a lot of fun for girls around age 10 to 13 or 14. After
that, you'll probably have to spring for salon manicures, pedicures and
possibly facials to make an impression. ;-)
To throw a good makeover party at home, gather all those makeup samples
you've been meaning to try for the past year (sniff to make sure the
lotion-based ones aren't rancid), nail polishes, emery boards, cotton
swabs, makeup remover, a few clean hair brushes, combs, hair clips, etc. Put them all in a
pretty wicker basket or tray on a table in the party room. Place a few
hand mirrors on the table, too. Let the girls do makeovers on each
other, themselves or have another mom or teen help you makeover
each girl.
My younger daughter had a makeover theme party for her 10th birthday and it was a
big hit. The girls chit-chatted over a lady-like lunch for about
half an hour, then we moved into the living room for some freeze dancing
to burn energy. Next, we ran girly DVDs and played with all
the makeup samples I'd amassed. I had nail polish duty and my older
daughter applied makeup. Eventually, each girl began experimenting with
the makeup on her own. This was, amazingly, not too tragic. Ten year-old
girls today have a pretty good grip on 'less is more.' ;-)
Ideal party favors for makeover parties are:
purse pouches or
cosmetic cases filled with glamour accessories such as:
nail files,
nail polish,
roll on body glitter, lip gloss, etc.
If you are
having a craft theme, the kids can make and take home their own party favors.
You
could have a
garden theme where they decorate a mini flower pot, add dirt,
easy-to-grow flower seeds and a little water to hold it together. Send
the pots home with tin foil wrapping to absorb leaks. Many craft party ideas are
available on the Internet: Birthday
Crafts
Entertainers
are nice. They come prepared to occupy your child and guests in a manner
suitable for their age group. They can be anyone from magicians,
princesses, classic Disney movie characters such as Snow White or
Cinderella to Joe the Gladiator or Dweezil the Clown. Entertainers usually bring little party
favors for the children and have a good set of activities planned. This will go on for about an hour. While hiring an
entertainer is pricey, they do still expect tips. Figure on palming Joe
the Gladiator an extra $10 to $20 when he leaves. Same for Cinderella,
Snow White and the magician. ;-)
A Chocolate Party is very fun for every age, from a first birthday to an adult birthday party. Order a chocolate fountain and set it up in a place of honor where guests can dip cut fruit, cookies, nuts, marshmallows, pretzels, etc. into delicious, dripping chocolate contained in a cascading fountain. So cool, so fun and so, so delicious! Chocolate fountains are a huge hit at any party! Work a chocolate theme around the chocolate fountain and have a blast!
This
is my favorite part of birthdays. I love buying and giving great gifts
and no, they don't have to be expensive. When your children are older,
around seven or eight, you'll want to let them at least attempt to help pick out
presents for their friends. If they have no interest in this, all the
better. You get to be creative without input. ;-) There is a whole page
on this site designated to birthday presents here: Birthday
Gifts. Browse it for good gift ideas and/or buy directly from the online
merchants featured. Each one is secure and reliable. You are guaranteed a
very happy online shopping experience or they'll have to deal with
me.
First
things first: Always include appropriate
batteries
with a
battery-operated
gift. It's the classy and considerate thing to do!
Naturally,
you'll want to buy a present that is age and gender appropriate. In the
birthday
gifts section, you'll find suggestions categorized by
children's age and by
male/female for adults and teenage gifts.
Girls,
starting at age 3 or 4 and up to age eight want
Barbie
dolls and everything that goes along with them. Or you could go 'unique' and give a cute
t-shirt, a fun,
unusual board
or table game, a pretty purse filled with inexpensive girly items or a
personalized
book.
At around age nine, the Barbie fascination has dimmed somewhat and girls
would rather pretend to be Barbie and receive
trendy
clothes,
accessories,
an addition to whatever collection
they might be accumulating or even a
cuddly
stuffed animal to tap into their newly acquired mothering instincts.
Teenage girls love
bath
& body products, trendy
shirts, accessories
and cash. ;-) If you cringe at the thought of stuffing cash in an
envelope, get the birthday child a
gift certificate and let them burn through their 'credit" by using
their gift certificate online.
Little
boys aged four to eight want
toys,
trucks, cars and anything that makes noise.
Bob
the Builder (or whoever swings the birthday boy's bat) gear is
always a good choice. So is a cool character
t-shirt or
personalized
book.
Older boys and teenagers would probably love a cool
t-shirt,
too.
Sports
memorabilia is another great gift for a boy who's into athletics and cash always
works for older kids. And teenage boys would especially love a
gift certificate to use at a favorite online store.
Typically,
I spend around $20 for a child's birthday gift. A
little more if it's a best friend or good family friend.
Also, consider the older a child gets, the pricier the toys become. :-) Some communities could be spending less, some more. You'll
know better than I what the going amount is for birthday gifts where you
live. Spend accordingly. If you're giving a gift to your own
child, all bets are off ... spend whatever you can afford. :-)
Gift
certificates to a favorite store or a universally loved
Amazon.com gift certificate work well for teenagers but this is not
such a coveted prize to a 5 year-old. Always think age-appropriate
and don't underestimate the knowledge your child has of the birthday kid
- ask.
Wrapping
presents is another of my all-time glory moments. A good present,
artfully wrapped, makes it all the more impressive. If you're
bagging it, remember it takes two large pieces of
tissue
paper to look right,
and lots of
matching
ribbon tying the handles together adds
a festive touch. Bury the birthday card inside the
gift
bag where it won't get lost in the melee that awaits.
Always tape the birthday card to
a present if you're wrapping a boxed
gift or tuck it inside a birthday gift bag. There's nothing more frustrating for a parent who is listing gifts
and givers than a present without a card and three or four stray
envelopes lying in the general vicinity of the present pile.
Here's a cute gift wrap idea: Save deflated birthday and festive Mylar
balloons, cut across the bottom and insert the gift. Tape the opening
closed and you have a very cleverly wrapped present that will make any
child happy.
Need
a refresher course on gift wrapping? Here's a great how-to page that
also has super ideas for unusual wrapping materials:
How
to Wrap a Gift
“Silent
gratitude isn’t much use to anyone.”
- Gladys Browyn Stern
Sending
thank
you cards or notes is important. I know it's just about impossible to get
most kids to do this but it is the classy and well-mannered thing to do.
If you drill manners into your child at an early age, they will surprise
you at unexpected times and actually use those manners
without being prompted. Amazing how that works. ;-) You can print
automatic
thank you letters online. These are inspired,
fill
in the blank thank you letters for when you just can't think of
another way to thank yet another person. Makes it really easy for the
kids: Instant
Thank You Letters - How cool is that?!
A parent or older sibling can fill out the
thank you cards for about the
first 5 or 6 years. When your child is 5 to 7 and can't really
write all that well or for any length of time, buy the thank you cards
where your child only has to fill in the name and the gift item. You
will have to address the envelopes if you don't want war with your kid.
Gradually have your child move up to filling out blank thank you cards
with a brief note and mention of the gift. It's also nice to thank
whoever for attending the party. At about 10, your kid might even agree
to address envelopes.
Your child will feel more inclined to 'do the right thing' with his/her
own personalized stationery on hand. For super cute, affordable kid's
stationery and personalized thank you cards, go here:
kid's
personalized note cards.
Personalized
stationery is also a good and unique birthday present idea.
I
have one word to say about bringing siblings to a party your 'other'
child is invited to: don't! This is rude and the child does not belong with a group of kids
who are
trying to do their thing. Besides, sibling bring-alongs are usually
little ones who get underfoot and cause the host to loose whatever cool
the host has left. This has prompted many a party parent to include 'no siblings please' on the invitations. Don't be the one to
make this gaffe and if this happens in your community more often than you'd
like, have no qualms about spelling it out on the invitations. The only people who will take
offense are those who think nothing of imposing on you and who cares if they're offended. They might even get a clue ...
Older
bring-along siblings can be helpful, however, there is always the issue
of the host of the party not having planned on an extra kid and not
having a party favor for this child. Don't put your host in this
position and if you are the host who is so imposed upon, try not to feel
bad about not having a favor for the uninvited guest. It's not your
fault, it's the parent's fault who committed this shameful act. Oh sure,
I've been known to scramble in my 're-gift' stash for something
appropriate when an older sibling has arrived, happy to help and has
been more of a blessing than not. Do what you feel is right for the
circumstance. Whatever you do, don't feel guilty. If you are a
parent who simply must bring an older sibling along, at least call first
to alert the host.
If your birthday child has a sibling, this changes everything. ;-) Older sibs are awesome collaborators and seem to enjoy helping out. Let them organize games, activities, corral unruly little ones, serve food and/or cake. My older daughter is the best party helper. She happens to truly enjoy it. Hopefully yours does, too. Always allow a sibling to invite one of their friends to the party. If the sib is younger, they can hang in another room and play video games, watch TV or whatever. Older sibling friends make a double help team ... take full advantage of this and be sure to reward them with a nice age-appropriate party favor.
Back
to top
Home Parties
If
you're having an outdoor party, have a back up plan in case of
unexpected weather conditions. Other
than that, most of what you need to know about home parties has already
been discussed above.
One
compelling reason to have your child's party at home is the sick factor.
Unfortunately, kids whose birthdays happen to be in flu or cold season
could fall victim to the latest nasty virus making the rounds and not be
able to attend his/her own extravagantly expensive location party. This
is a big drag. My younger daughter, who was born in winter, has been
sick enough to have to cancel her birthday parties four out of eight
times. Thankfully, she understands why I refuse to consider
a party anywhere but at home for her birthdays. My older daughter was
born in the summer, however, and this has never been an issue with her
parties.
Pool parties in the summertime are always a great way to entertain children without a lot of parental involvement other than playing lifeguard and barbecue duty. Get a bunch of those foam noodles that double as life savers, a few other pool toys the kids can take turns playing with, a couple of beach balls, an industrial-size bottle of suntan lotion and let the kids go hog wild in the water. They love this, especially if not many of them have pools of their own. Remember to specify bringing bathing suits and towels on the invitations. There should be enough adults on hand to make a four kids to one adult ratio for safety so make sure you can count on those adults to be there.
Venue
Parties
A lot of this page won't apply to location parties, however, there are still things to know that can help the day go a little more smoothly.
Book
your child's party as far in advance as possible, six weeks ahead being
ideal. Send the invitations only after you have secured the location so
as to not have a disaster on your hands if the place happens to
be booked solid the day you anticipated having a party there.
Most
location party event places supply all you need but remember to bring party favors, camera, extra film,
(better yet, bring several disposable
birthday party cameras, video recorder, the cake if you're
supplying it and your wallet just in case. Most venues will insist on
payment before party day but there can be hidden surprises lurking. Take
along a few big garbage bags or sturdy handled shopping bags to drag
presents home.
Venues
will not reimburse your money if your child becomes sick enough to have
to cancel his/her birthday celebration or for any other reason you deem
necessary.
My older daughter has had some great venue parties,
including a Chucky Cheese bash (hectic ... OMG!); a very cool place that sets up a stage presentation of any fairy tale
starring your child, complete with costumes. The party guests play supporting
roles (can't remember the name of the place ... sorry); a
Color-Me-Mine party where kids can paint on object of choice and have
pizza delivered (this can get expensive ... have a budget for the kid's choices
before they get there) and the list goes on. We have
been to plenty of location parties, too. Mostly, I've always been a
nervous wreck, trying to keep an eye on every kid and worrying myself
sick that one of the little munchkins left in my care will be abducted
right out from under my otherwise occupied eyes. Kids love venue parties and the staff
are experts at entertaining children. You also don't have to clean up,
prepare food or have your house mangled. A toss up, to be sure.
;-)
Bowling parties are always fun for a mixed group of kids. Most bowling alleys have party packages and will serve pizza, cake and soda after the kids have worked up an appetite on the lanes. :-) For fun & a large variety of bowling novelty items, invitations and party supplies check out: Bowling Delights.
Teenage
Parties
We are now almost at the end of parent-planned birthday parties for our 'babies.' Teenagers do not want us to even exist at their parties, let alone help them plan one. But there are some instances where you will want to throw your teenager a bash to end all bashes and they're just going to have to live with it. ;-) Sweet 16 (or any variation of a special teen year) parties for girls are one of those times. I'll stick to what I know on this subject. I couldn't fathom trying to figure out someone else's teenager's idea of a good party. Send your ideas and teen party stories for possible inclusion in this page, please: Teen Party Tips (Please note that this is an email link for sending teen party tips, not to request them. Everything I know is already on this site and I can't help you plan your party other than what is already here, much as I'd love to. If you're a kid and need help, go ahead and ask. I'll do all I can to help you figure out your party but everyone else, please read through this entire site and you'll find everything I'd tell you anyway.)
Hollywood
Theme Party - This is a perfect party to throw for teens and loads of fun. A
Hollywood
party makes it easy to plan around the teen's favorite actor,
character, movie or just plain Hollywood magic. Place a life-size standup of who or
whatever in the entryway to get the mood started as guests arrive.
Party favors can be miniature "Oscar" statues, clap boards,
movie themed key chains or whatever seems fun. Send Hollywood
movie ticket invitations, have guests dress as their favorite movie or
TV star, decorate the room with cool movie posters, a Hollywood banner,
jumbo movie clap board and film reel balloons, Hollywood confetti
on the tables, you get the picture - ;-) A very fun idea for everyone!
Everything you'll need and many more ideas for a Hollywood party can be
found at the Hollywood
Mega Store. I highly recommend this party idea for teens.
A
Luau Party for teens is another idea to consider.
If
you live in Alaska and your teenager's birthday happens to be in winter,
a luau could pose problems. Even so, you could plan an indoor feast,
complete with an inflatable
tiki pole, leis,
hula
hoops, grass
skirts for girls and Hawaiian shirts or bandanas
for boys (these and the leis could double as party favors), bowls of tropical
punch with fruit garnishes and a menu of pacific island
finger foods
such as spare ribs, egg rolls, pineapple spears, etc. A poolside luau is
ideal, decorate accordingly and rent torches for added ambiance. For an
authentic Polynesian feast and party decorations, check out My Island Party
which explains how to organize a Tropical Island theme party
complete
with menu, food, desserts and drink recipes plus authentic decorating
ideas.
Casino
Night Birthday Party - Too fun! Set up a casino at home or a
rented facility with all the decorations, and accessories you'll need to
do it right. - This will especially appeal to teenage boys
and it's perfect for a mixed girls/boys group. You know your teen is
just dying to be all grown up and have some adult fun. Throwing a casino
night party for him or her is a great way to show your teen that you
understand that longing. For all the great casino decorations and
accessories you'll need to set up a casino party, go here:
Casino
Party Decorations & accessories. The perfect party favors for a
casino party are:
Personalized
Playing Cards.
Limo ride & dinner
at a fun or swanky restaurant is pretty standard
fare for teen parties here in Los Angeles. Considering limos comprise
about a quarter of all vehicles in this town, it's no wonder. Either
have the kids gather at your home and all leave in the limo together or
have the limo make stops at each kid's home to pick them up in style. After
dinner, the limo, which is usually on call for a minimum of four hours,
will take the kids wherever they want to go. We cruised Hollywood
Boulevard to see the strange folk that gather on said boulevard. I had
great plans of taking eight 14 year-old girls to the Polo Lounge in the
posh Beverly Hills hotel for
an after dinner milk shake when we did this for my older daughter's
birthday, but they were all pretty rowdy after dinner. I had to rethink that
splendid idea to spare the Polo Lounge and their guests so those Hollywood Boulevard weirdos came in handy.
;-)
A
dance
party
at your home or a location such as a hotel event room, teen
club, YMCA etc. is always fun but can be pricey. You'll need to
calculate a budget for the location rental, D.J. (can run high,
try to
hire a novice or a kid who knows how to spin), decorations (you usually
have to supply your own
balloons, table decorations,
flowers) and you will need to consider how many adult
chaperones to have on hand. At least one for every ten kids is how I
figured it. I suggest waiting until your child is at least 15 or 16 for
this type of party, otherwise, the boys will cower on one side of
the room and the girls will become a gaggle of giggling flirts on the
other side of the room and all that planning for a real dance
party will be wasted. Usually, once boys and girls are high school sophomores,
they tend to mingle in the same one foot radius more willingly. This is a case of raging hormones, thus the
chaperone imperative. ;-)
At my daughter's
dance party, we tossed candy,
confetti and various
'favors' on each of the banquet tables. The favors were lip gloss rings
and candy necklaces
for the girls, little
plastic
army men and
mini die cast model cars
for the boys. These were meant to be tacky and silly for
the age-group.
Take this approach only if you have a sophisticated bunch of teens who
would get as big a kick out of nonsense as you would (if you do). Your
teen should make this call as he/she will know his/her friends better
than you. Obviously, my daughter and her friends have as silly a sense
of fun as I do. The boys, by the way, had a blast with those plastic
soldiers and there wasn't one
army man or
mini die cast car
left when they all departed.
The girls had the candy necklaces on within half an hour and the lip
gloss rings were flashing out on the dance floor. I loved it as much as
the kids. ;-)
Your teen might better appreciate a single, nicely wrapped gift for each
place setting such as pretty candles
for the girls and small bottles of
cologne for the boys. Wrap these in appropriate colored tissue paper
and tie them off with streaming metallic or color-coordinated ribbons.
Makeover
parties
are fun for girls up to age 14.
Any older and you might have to spring for professional salon makeovers, possibly including facials,
manicures, pedicures and eyebrow/leg waxing. I would consider this for girls
15 and above. This could be a precursor to a night of dancing and
pizza back at the house where boys can be invited at a later hour.
Mitzvah
Parties can be a blast to put together. Here are some great Mitzvah
Party Tips- Ideas to give your Mitzvah baby a great
celebration. If your child is not Jewish, you can still find lots
of ideas for a 13 or 14-year-old's party on this site.
Young
teens would love a
Medieval
Party. Find the whole party package, including games, invitations
and loads more here:
Medieval
Party Package - Just add kids and food!
Bowling
parties are fun for teenagers, too. Contain them in the bowling
alley and hand out tokens if the bowling alley also has an arcade. :-)
You could leave teens to their own devices for an hour or more but do
check to make sure everyone's behaving and happy at some point.
Printable Birthday Games could be fun for a more subdued teen party, especially for a sleepover.
Be sure to also check out the "Reader's Party Tips" page here: Reader's Party Tips
Birthdays by Rexanne - Site Map:
Have a tip to contribute? Please send it here: Party Tips.
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