Great Party Ideas For Kids

I have noticed that the gifts my children receive aren’t always the thing they remember from birthdays. Usually, it’s a feeling or special moment, not that toy they said they were dying for. Things like when I messed up race car wheels on the cake and when we camped out in the backyard. That’s what they remember. Love is what makes a child’s birthday special not material goods. It doesn’t hurt to make them king or queen for the day either!

Let Them Pick Their Cake

When my first child was almost one, I purchased a little book from a friend who was helping a child with a fundraiser. This little book has been one of the most special books in the lives of my children and me. The book has approximately fifteen different cake decorating ideas for children’s birthday cakes. Over the years, this little book has become a birthday tradition in our home.

Every birthday, each one of my children and I sit down and look through this book so they can pick out what cake they want. I admit, some cakes have been better than others. Even though I love to bake I’m still working on my cake art skills. That made the memories even more memorable, though. As we look through the book we always end up talking and doing the “remember when?” and have a good laugh over past mistakes.

I always include my kids in on the whole experience too. Kids love being hands-on, remember.  From shopping for the different decorating ingredients to preparing the cake and OF COURSE decorating it together. They love it ALL!

Take LOTS Of Pictures

When it’s present time, have the birthday child call out the name of the child’s gift they are about to open. Have that child come and sit with the birthday kid as they open their gift. After the gift is opened, take a picture of the gift between the two.

It also makes sending out thank you notes a breeze. You know exactly which gift came from what child with no guess work. The parents loved that I include that picture in the thank you note as well. Everyone was extremely tickled to get these picture and it makes child gifter feel really special as well. Everyone wants to be recognized for the gift they gave so this works out perfectly. And if you have other party pictures of the party goers you can add those to their thank you card too. It makes the “thank you” extra special!

Set Up A Treasure Hunt

Something else we have done over the years is set up a treasure hunt in the backyard, around the neighborhood, or in the house. Leaving clues from place to place leading them to their final treasure. This often included all their goody bags loaded with treats and their main gift. All kids love a good treasure hunt and it is something that can be set up in advance with just a little thought.

Go To A Fun Place

Other years we did not have huge parties but let the birthday child pick out a special place they wanted to go. This was especially nice when they got a little older and were between stages. Where they did not want a “little kids” party but they were not old enough for a full blown teen party either. We would let them invite two or three friends and take them to their special destination. Places that come to mind are ranches where we went horseback riding or trips to a nearby lake or beach. Girls may want to go antiquing with a couple of girlfriends or walking along the beach if it’s nearby. My son wanted to go play games at a family entertainment center and ride go-carts. It was their day and their choice which they loved!

Have A Slumber Party

Slumber parties are always fun for birthdays. One year we took a group of boys to a movie, bought pizza, stopped at RedBox, and had a sleepover. We did not get much sleep that night but he had a lot of fun. Another year we put up a large tent in the backyard, invited friends over, and we had a fun camping trip right there. We played games, ate dinner, and told stories. Another time we had an indoor camping trip right in our family room because it was too cold to camp outside. They had a wonderful time watching movies from the tent, eating popcorn, and goofing off.

Have A Family Birthday Party

Family birthday parties are special in and of themselves. Birthdays that include aunts and uncles, cousins, grandparents, and special neighbors who really love them can be some of the best. I remember when my son was small, he loved blowing out the candles. To keep him happy my grandmother would lit the candles and let him blow them out over and over again. He was absolutely thrilled and she had a wonderful time as he sat on her lap.

You don’t have to spend a ton of money or have a large group of kids over to have a great birthday. If you simply make the day all about the birthday kid you can’t go wrong.

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