Keeping a house full of children happy and safe at your child’s birthday party is easy when you plan out appropriate games and activities. It’s easier to plan a group activity when all the children are roughly the same age, so keep that in mind when you’re sending out invitations. Make sure you keep your invite list manageable. The younger the children, the fewer you should invite. And remember younger children require more adult supervision.
Throwing a great birthday party for a child does not have to be stressful or expensive. Too many parents get carried away trying to plan the perfect party with tons of entertainment, rides, games and over-the-top décor. Honestly, you can give your child a terrific birthday party without spending a fortune. Most party games are fairly inexpensive and all they require are some planning and an enthusiastic game leader.
Try to avoid games that are excessively physical, especially if you’re planning a party indoors. A game like musical chairs can create quite a few bumps and bruises especially if big kids are allowed to play alongside toddlers. Relay races are fun for outdoor parties but three-legged races and obstacle courses should be avoided for the sake of safety.
The whole point of having games at your child’s party is to make it more fun for the guests but many traditional games have the opposite effect. When only one child can win the game it means that every other child loses. This can be a disaster at parties for very young kids. Sure, every parent wants their child to learn how to be a good sport, but creating a room full of sobbing sore losers is no way to party. Try these party ideas instead:
Ring Toss. With a couple of plastic rings and some inexpensive toys or candies as prizes you can set up this fun carnival game in minutes. Set up some fun toys, candies and other items on a sheet and have the kids stand several feet away while they toss plastic rings to try to win a prize. Older kids should stand further away from the prizes than the younger ones. Give each child several tries to win.
Safe Piñata. A piñata can be lots of fun for children of any age as long as you have enough room and adequate adult supervision. Letting a blindfolded child swing a heavy stick around a room full of little kids is a formula for disaster. Only use a traditional piñata if you’re able to keep all the excited children far away enough to remain safe. A better solution is to use a piñata that opens with pull-strings.
Treasure Hunt. Hide toys, candy or other pieces of treasure around the party area and let each child find one. For very young children don’t make this a competition otherwise you’ll have kids fighting with each other.
Scavenger Hunt. Organize the children into teams and provide them each with treasure maps with clues. Keep the directions fairly simple so that the kids will not need to keep asking for clarification. By playing in teams the children can enjoy the competition even if they lose.
Other great ways to keep the kids happy is to hire entertainment. A good children’s entertainer will have the children laughing and applauding. Magicians, clowns, balloon twisters and children’s party DJs will help lead the children with lots of fun and exciting games.
A scavenger hunt is a great idea. I think making the kids work in teams is definitely the way to go. Thanks for sharing these ideas.