Your little girl is turning 9 years old, and both of you want something different from the clown or princess parties of the past. Celebrate a girl’s 9th birthday by brainstorming with her for creative, personalized themes, activities, decorations and delicacies that reflect her own style. Whether you want a glitzy event at an off-site location or an old-fashioned celebration at home, you can plan for a longer and larger party than you’ve had in the past.
Types
All sorts of themes and activities delight 9-year-old girls. Many parents find this age ideal for a first slumber party. Others keep it simple with a movie and pizza or a swim party. Get creative with a theme activity party, such as magic tricks, a mystery game, a carnival, bicycle riding, filming a movie or building fairy houses in the forest.
Function
Leave musical chairs behind. The point of a 9-year-old girl’s birthday party is to have fun, not just to fill time. Create a festive mood by adding a silly or creative element to games and activities. Program a soundtrack of wacky songs and stage a dance contest. Hang a sheet in the yard and project a movie onto it as the sun comes down. Play freeze tag with wet sponges or do vampire-style makeovers.
Time Frame
The common two-hour time limit for children’s birthday parties does not apply for your 9-year-old girl’s birthday part. With longer attention spans, 9-year-old girls can play creative boardgames, cook party snacks, such as bagel pizzas, do thematic crafts, and get active with flashlight tag in the dark or hide-and-seek at a playground. A party may last anywhere from three hours for a rented location to all night long for a slumber party.
Size
Parents may opt between a few choices for determining the size of a 9-year-old girl’s birthday party. Some people want to invite everyone in their daughter’s class, plus extended family. Others leave the decisions up to their daughters, as long as the length of the guest list stays within budgetary constraints. Others make parties smaller, having daughters invite their closest friends for a longer celebration that might include a visit to a theme park or a day at the pool.
Features
Have your daughter add her own angle to her birthday celebration. She may stamp images or add stickers to invitations. She can help make handmade decorations, such as a pinata or paper chains. She may like making a birthday cake with you, or you can make a tower of cupcakes, and have guests add favorite toppings.
Photo Credit
- cupcakes image by Mat Hayward from Fotolia.com
