Planning your child’s birthday party at home can ultimately save money and time. Hosting the party at home also lifts any restrictions a party venue might have, such as the length of the party or the decorations. Choose a theme or type of party and tweak the party details to fit in with the theme and your child’s personality.
Tea Party
A tea party works for a girl of any age as the specific theme can change. Host a princess tea party where the girls can dress up in princess gowns, tiaras and white gloves while sipping tea and eating dainty cookies in the garden. If you don’t have a garden, create one in your dining room by surrounding the table with potted flowers and plants. A coed tea party can include an “Alice in Wonderland” twist, including dressing up if you desire. The invitations can look like tea cups and party favors can include flavored tea, flowers, personalized tea cups or other tea-related items. Allow the kids to make their own tiaras or wands to keep them busy and create a favor.
Role Playing
Role-playing parties are great for kids of any ages. Use a theme that has captured your child’s attention, such as pirates or super heroes. Invite your guests to come in costume and plan out games and activities that revolve around your theme. For example, the little pirates can have a ship fight where they try to destroy the other ship with cannonballs–rolled-up newspapers or aluminum foil. Set a time limit where they throw the cannonballs onto the other team’s ship–decorated appliance boxes–and whichever team has the most cannonballs on their ship after the time expires must walk the plank. Superheroes can take part in a crazy obstacle course set up in your home or yard in which they must save civilians–dolls or action figures.
Carnival
Set up carnival games and treat the kids to carnival snacks, such as cotton candy, nachos, hot dogs, snow cones and popcorn. Mix it up with a circus theme including stuffed animals if your child loves animals. Make the invitations look like carnival tickets and include carnival terminology, such as “Step right up.” Simple carnival games, such as tossing bean bags to knock over bottles or tossing pennies into small bowls or containers filled with water, can be played. Let the kids earn small favors at each game or give them tickets to cash in at the end of the party for goody bags filled with toys, trinkets, candy and stuffed animals.
Luau
Create the relaxed ambiance of the islands by creating a luau, even if it’s held inside. Set up 3-D paper palm trees or blow-up palm trees. Draw pictures of a large fire pit to add to the ambiance. Give everyone silk or seashell leis when they arrive. Play festive Hawaiian music and ask the kids to hula hoop and limbo. Hire a hula instructor to teach the kids how to hula dance if possible. Fill kiddie pools with sand and water for an outside party if you don’t have a pool. Serve fruity drinks in coconut cups with umbrellas.
Sports
Sports parties are simple to pull off at home. Take your child’s favorite sport or team, and build the entire birthday party around that. Make invitations in the shape of the ball, team logo or other relevant shape or to look like stadium tickets. Divide the kids into two teams and have them play a short game. Other activities could include designing jerseys and a short awards ceremony where each child gets an award. Favors can include candy or balls. Serve popular stadium foods and drinks, such as soda, popcorn, nachos, hot dogs, hamburgers and peanuts.
Photo Credit
- birthday table image by yuri4u80 from Fotolia.com
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