When it comes to birthday parties, we strive for ways to keep kids entertained for a few hours, often using tried and true methods and games. How about adding some new ideas to your repertoire?
Here’s a simple, yet fun idea. Add boxes of crayons to the treat bags you make up so each child will have his or her own crayons. Purchase two solid colored, paper tablecloths, preferably white or another light color. Spread one tablecloth out on the table and let the kids color the entire thing, making designs, leaving notes, and signing their names. Cut the second paper tablecloth into placemats and let each child design their own. You might want to purchase a third cloth to actually serve food on or use the placemats to protect the special tablecloth, which your child can fold up after the party and save as keepsake.
Another idea is to collect supplies and let each child make a cool craft project. One idea is to have each child make a party journal. You can use the directions for the keepsake book previously shown here in Kids’ Crafts, or pick up composition books and let the kids decorate the covers. Each child can document the current party and continue using the book to write about other parties in the future. It’s a great way to hold onto special memories.
If you need new game ideas, try the coin toss game. Divide children into teams of four. Have each child flip a coin. If one is odd, that person is out. In other words, if three children have heads and one has tails, the child with tails is out. Children should keep flipping until a child is out, and then until there is only one child left from each group. The last two children will call heads or tails, and the child who wins gets a prize.
Another fun game is camera tag. When the child who is “it” tags someone, that person stops so the tagger can take his or her picture. That child then becomes it and chases the other children around. When the children are done playing tag, they can use the remaining film to take group pictures, capture silly poses, etc. They can take the cameras home and get the film developed, or you can offer to have it developed if you desire. This idea works great with the party journal, so kids can add photos to journal entries later.