Party Ideas For You

By admin 　http://www.partyideasforyou.com/kids-party-ideas-at-home/

kids birthday party ideas?

Have a bithday party to arrange for a 6yo. Like home parties with traditional games etc; but have done that in past years, would have liked an entertainer but it costs nearly £200 for 2 hours – anyone got any good, tried and tested ideas to entertain about 20-25 kids?

If the genders are mixed, I’d advise staying away from anything that is based in competition. The reason I say this is that this is supposed to be a happy event, and inevitably, if you have two teams, one team is going to end up “the losers”. You want all of the kids to leave having had a good time, so your choices for events come down to three basic categories:
1) chaotic fun: either as one big whole group or by breaking them up into smaller groups. As a big group, think something that’s fun and messy and without much structure. Getting that many 6 yo’s to focus on “the rules” is going to be nigh impossible. Something fun, messy, and chaotic is always good. The suggestion of water balloon fights is always fun, just so long as the children don’t gang up against any other kid they perceive to be “weaker”.
2) creative collaboration: If you have a fence in the backyard or off to the side that you don’t mind having “colored”, you can give each of the kids a section and have them paint whatever they want on their own little area. It encourages them to share paints, be creative, and leaves a memory of the celebration.
3) individual expression: Alternately, you can pick up fairly cheap canvases from you local art store or even old sheets from your local used clothing store. Pin these up to the fence in sections (one for each child) or as one big long mural (for them all to contribute to). If you make them individual segments, it gives the children something that they can take home as a souvenir of the fun time they had at your place. If it’s one big mural, it can be hung in your son’s/daughter’s bedroom for a while or just stored as a lasting memento of his/her birthday.

Another really cheap/fun “theme” that can be carried through the day is the idea of a “Photo Journal”. Have them decorate a sheet of construction paper on one side. Fold the paper in half. On one side, you’re going to stick a list with all of their creative projects and the “Passport” gets filled up during the day.

For example, have the children make up a superhero or an imaginary friend or animal or any sort of alter-ego that they can pretend to be. Use face paints to make it more fun and help them feel more like a tiger, or superhero, or rosey-cheeked doll, or whatever. Snap a Polaroid of each child and have them glue their secret identity into their Journal on the non-list page. Have them decorate the other side of the paper.
It’s simple, cheap, yet allows the children to be creative. Children, especially at that age, are highly creative when given the opportunity to let their imaginations run wild. They may need a little coaxing, but give them the opportunity to sit around and lead a story, and you’ll see what I mean.

Also, as you’re thinking of these activities, think of cheaper alternatives. These things don’t have to be expensive; you’re not trying to impress a bunch of adults with a swank cocktail party catered by some chi-chi French restaurant. These are children, and the thing to remember about children ISN’T that they’re easily amused, but they appreciate the simpler things because they haven’t become jaded…yet. Apply this when it comes to food and the kids will be much happier. For example…

Children love being tactile, so keep that in mind and let them have at it as much as possible… after washing their hands, of course. Get some or make your own cookie dough. Have the kids design and color their own cookies with icing, or chocolate chips, or even non-traditional cookie-things like gummy worms, licorice, or even marshmallows. Have them think up a name for their one-of-a-kind-cookie and write that in their Journal. Take a Polaroid of the cookie and stick it into their journal.
NOTE: Make sure to do the cookies towards the start of the party to make sure that all of the cookies are baked and done for when it’s time for them to leave.

Pizza can be expensive, and not everyone’s going to be happy with what’s ordered – especially considering there are some REALLY finicky children out there. Instead, give them an English Muffin half or two, let them coat the top with sauce, and them have a bunch of different pizza toppings out on the table for them to design their own mini-pizzas. It’s cheaper than Dominoes and again, they get to be creative. To make it different from the Polaroid of the cookie (and to help you keep each child’s pizza separate!), have stamps (or stickers) that represent each topping. As they bring you their creation to put in the over, you stamp their journal according to what’s on their pizza. Bam – easy to match up the pizza with the child and another activity done.

Finally, I don’t know if it’s customary where you live to send the children home with goodie-bags of treats and toys like it is here in the U.S. These bags can get expensive really quickly if you buy everything that you put in there. A really simple solution is to fill it up with stuff that the children have created or stuff that they can share with their parents when they go home. The Journal concept gives you a star with the sorts of things you can fill it with (cookies, photos, canvas paintings, etc.). It also gives the parents something to relate to visually – especially considering many children are highly susceptible to severe outbreaks of narrative tangents.

Just remember to watch the pacing of your activities: too much activity can burn them out too soon; too little can make them bored and restless.

Good luck!

EDIT: Bobbiegreen had a really good idea about the video-birthday-card for the birthday boy/girl. Those sorts of things are the best to lean towards. Not to slight shafermeyer, but unless your son/daughter is really into sports/dressing up, there is no need to have any aspect focused on gender roles. Playing “dress up” is one thing as it encourages creativity and imagination. The danger with the fashion show idea is it can inadvertently yet easily send and establish an archetype to your daughter that to be feminine or to be a woman, you are to be like these on the runway. Women in today’s society have enough outside sources bombarding them with “what it means to be a woman”. Do we really need it coming from within the home too?
Now, if the focus was re-directed on the designing of the clothes (perhaps you buy white t-shirts for everyone and everyone designs their own shirt with glitter, puff-paints, etc…), then the message can become a celebration of the creativity. There’s no need for these little 6 yo girls trying to look sexy, sexual, or adult. Not unless you want your daughter to end up in a GirlsGoneWild video because her perspective on female sexuality wasn’t allowed to grow into it on her own because it was thrust upon her at such an early age.
Paris Hilton is not, can not, will now, nor should ever be someone for young girls to aspire towards.
(If you watch South Park, they perfectly summed up what I’m trying to say here in their “Stupid Spoiled Wh*re” episode.)

Brian Regan Kid’s party games~By PKLive

Wilton 2104-9008 Chocolate Pro 3-Tier Chocolate Fountain $59.99 Serve melted chocolate with style and finesse with the Chocolate Pro fountain by Wilton. Using three tiers, this electric fountain holds up to four pounds of chocolate and continuously flows down the levels, allowing you to dip your snacks and fruits. It is great for parties and gatherings, and really makes your party more distinguished....

Nostalgia Electrics CFF-965 Mini Chocolate Fondue Fountain $24.99 Forget the Big Rock Candy Mountain - no point seeking something you can't find when you can have the rich taste of chocolate with this nifty chocolate fountain. Dazzle your party with this elegant device that sends chocolate cascading down into a pool of lusciousness. Enjoy the fun as your guests dip fresh strawberries, marshmallows, pretzels or cookies into the rich goodness. Fountain is easy to ...

Popcorn Bags (8) - 50 Count $4.99 Get 50 8" Bags to serve your friends and family your great tasting Real Theater Popcorn for pennies per bag! 8" bags hold lots of popcorn....

12 Pack Kids Party Favor Super Songs CD (Packaged in carrying case with Stickers, Crayons and Coloring Book) $34.50 This 12 Pack Kids Party Favor Super Songs CD will be a big hit at your next birthday party. This party favor set includes 12 individual activity kits. Each kit has: 1 CD with 50 Super Songs that kids are sure to love (see track listing for entire list of songs), Stickers, Crayons and a Coloring Book all packaged in a convenient carrying case. This product is a perfect party favor to hand out at yo...

Disney Sing Along Songs: 101 Dalmatians / Pongo & Perdita [VHS] $9.80 It's the day of the annual Bow-Wow Ball at the Dalmatian Plantation! Pongo, Perdita, and Nanny do their best to keep your favorite puppies from Disney's live-action hit, 101 DALMATIANS, out of trouble before their friends arrive for the big party. Videos features a never-before-released song from Disney's animated 101 DALMATIANS. Don't be late -- you'll have a ball....

Real Theater All Inclusive Popcorn Popping Kits 27.5 Ounce box (Pack of 4) $28.99 Tastes so good you'll think you're at the movies! Use the secrets ingredients movie theaters have known for years to make perfect movie popcorn at home! Everything you need is included! Just snip and pour. Its so good it was Awarded 1st Place at FDM's 1998 National Popcorn Pop-Off! Made for stove-top popping in your pan or our Whirley Pop Popcorn Popper (not for microwave use). Includes Gourmet Po...

The Sims 3: Generations [Download] $13.59 ...

Traffic Light $8.95 Awesome Traffic Light....

Super Mario Bros. Removable Wall Decorations $10.95 Includes 48 self-stick, reusable decals (up to 4¾"H). They stick to almost any flat surface....

celebraTORI: Unleashing Your Inner Party Planner to Entertain Friends and Family $15.29 New York Times bestselling author of sTORI telling, Mommywood, and uncharted terriTORI, reality show star, and hostess extraordinaire Tori Spelling offers tips and advice for throwing a fabulous—and affordable—party as only she can.Tori Spelling has a proven track record of creating mega hits, with her first three memoirs. Now, in celebraTORI, the star of her own smash hit reality series...