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When you’re in the midst of planning a birthday party for your child, the best part about it is that kids are entertaining (and entertainment) all on their own. In other words, their happy disposition and boundless amounts of energy make it easier to plan ways to keep them amused.
However, in the midst of all of their joy and excitement, you want to plan a few activities that will not only be fun for them, but can keep a certain level of order among a room full of kids too. It’s a fine balance, but we have five activities that will be able to pull this kind of goal off:
Sports Center. Do you have a child that likes all things sports? If so, taking them and some of their friends to a local sports center can be a lot of fun because there are a variety of things for them to choose from whether it’s swimming, playing football or even going ice skating.
Painting. There used to be a time when parents thought about children and painting and it didn’t bring about warm and sentimental feelings because all that they could think about was all of the mess that would be left behind. These days, there are paints that do not leave stains that you can’t get out. Or, you can wait until the summer and hold a pottery painting party outdoors in your backyard.
Movies. It seems like every week, there’s a new children’s movie release. For a parent with a child’s birthday coming up, that can be to your advantage. You can either take five of their friends on your own or make it a family day where a bunch of kids and their parents can come along. If your child is a bit older and you really want to go all out, check with a small independent movie theater about how much it would cost to rent out one of their viewing rooms. Then you can show one of your child’s favorite movies and the only people in there will be loved ones and friends.
Tea. A very sweet idea for a little girl is to throw a tea party. You can have all of her friends dress up in pretty dresses and have gloves and hats waiting for them when they arrive. Instead of birthday cakes, go with cupcakes, cookies and finger sandwiches. Also, make sure to have a variety of drinks in little tea cups for them to choose from. The key here is to keep the party going as long as it holds their interest and to make sure to have their parents bring over other clothes for once they get a bit restless.
Camp out. One activity that never gets old is camping out. The great thing about it is that you don’t have to go far or spend much in order to do it. Your backyard, complete with a couple of tents, sleeping bags, flashlights and snacks can easily keep a group of kids entertained for hours on end; no matter what the age.
My grandson loves his little kiddie tent that we set up in our living room. These are all great suggestions!