Kids' birthday party ideas (babysitting, baby, games, parents)

[teddy-bear-party]

My kids love stuffed animals, and they especially love the ones they can stuff themselves at home. I found this made a wonderful birthday party theme, great for kids age 5-9.

Invitations:
Buy teddy bear shaped invitations, print them on teddy bear paper, search Google images to find teddy bear clip art, or use teddy bear stickers to decorate plain paper. Ask each child to bring along their teddy bears.

Cake:
Make a Teddy Bear shaped cake and decorate it with gummy bears.

Games:

1. Make your own Teddy Bear - Get Stuff a Friend party kits from http://www.teddy-bear-party.com/catalogue/parties.htm
2. Teddy bear relay races - each team gets a teddy bear. The kids line up in a row and have to run from one end of the race track to the other and hand off the teddy bear to the next kid. If the teddy bear falls down, whoever dropped it has to go back to the beginning. The first team to have all members finish the race wins.
3. Pin the Tail on the Teddy Bear - Print up a large picture of a Bear and have the kids try to pin the "tail" on the bear (bear must be facing sideways) while blindfolded, using a large cotton ball for the tail.
4. Musical Teddy Bears - put the teddy bears in the middle of the floor making sure there is one less than the number of children playing. When the music stops each kid has to grab a teddy vear, whoever does not get one is out of the game.
5. Bear Toss - Divid the children into two teams. Each team member holds a teddy bear and lines up in a straight line in front of their "basket" and takes turns throwing in their bear. The team with the most bears in the box at the end wins.

__________________
Not sure how to entertain a houseful of giggly girls or rambunctious boys? Need fun, easy party ideas? Visit http://www.teddy-bear-party.com/ for party games and themes

[mom2kids]

For My Daughter's 9th birthday we used the "olympic" theme..I set up 5 different yard games/events...and at the end everyone recieved a medal and a certificate of excellence...It kept them busy and active and happy. They still remember the party too!

[Paula Lynn]

When my son was in kindergarden, McDonalds had birthday parties. They were great. They had happy meals, a prize, drink, sheet cake and games. And no mess to clean up!!! At the time, it cost $28.00 for all 10 kids. Couldn't beat the prize. I also made goody bags for them to take home.

[mom2kids]

My other daughter is turning 7 soon and I have booked a party at Snippets Hair salon....They provide the cake, supplies goodie bags and the girl's get to pick out a costume get their hair done (they have 5 styles to choose from their hair is not cut) they are shown how to put on make-up and they keep the make-up kits afterwards..then they roll out a red carpet throughout the salon and the girl's walk down it and their pictures are taken and they are "interviewed"...that being said...I would not usually choose this type of party for her but she is like night and day compared to her sister....she already has been caught taking a tiara and a feather boa along with eyeshadow to school...her teacher called me saying that Donna refused to take her boa and tiara off for gym class. I know it was a bumpy ride home on the bus when she gets off looking like a clown....makeup smeared...eyeshadow on the forehead...lipstick that would make a clown jealous...The whole thing about it is that if her father and I make a huge deal out of it she would want to do it even more....This will be the first year for both that I am not doing a home party...that can be just as expensive as the other...especially when you have to figure in the cost of cleanup afterwards!

[Paula Lynn]

Make-up for a 7 year old????????? That might be a nice party for a 13 or 16 year old party, but 7? IMO.

[jkmewright]

Ah at 13-16 these wordly girls are TOO OLD for stuff like that. It's amazing how much "older" these girls are than we were at the same age. Now, I am not saying ALL girls in that age bracket are too old (in their own minds) but I can attest for the young women that I know. Have you been to the mall around prom night? These "kids" are getting manicures and having their hair styled along w/professional make-up! Shelling out $600-$1000 for a prom dress. They are growing up too fast in our 21st century culture. I am feeling lucky that my child is a boy but you never know, he might like that make-up too lol I think that a make-over party is a great idea as long as the child knows that make-up and such things as that are off limits any other time. ONLY as a special occasion treat. Don't you remember dressing in your mom's shoes and sneaking her lipstick?

[mom2kids]

Originally Posted by jkmewright

Ah at 13-16 these wordly girls are TOO OLD for stuff like that. It's amazing how much "older" these girls are than we were at the same age. Now, I am not saying ALL girls in that age bracket are too old (in their own minds) but I can attest for the young women that I know. Have you been to the mall around prom night? These "kids" are getting manicures and having their hair styled along w/professional make-up! Shelling out $600-$1000 for a prom dress. They are growing up too fast in our 21st century culture. I am feeling lucky that my child is a boy but you never know, he might like that make-up too lol I think that a make-over party is a great idea as long as the child knows that make-up and such things as that are off limits any other time. ONLY as a special occasion treat. Don't you remember dressing in your mom's shoes and sneaking her lipstick?

Thank you for that...the makeup we are talking about here is the kiddie type....not chanel or estee lauder for gods sake!...yes, we do set limits for our daughter and if 3 hours of make believe and dress up seems too over the top it's alot better than having your kid invite a whole bunch of 7 year olds to the house to sit around and complain that they are" bored.....the party games are stupid....i want to go home....i don't like yellow cake and vanilla ice cream...." ruining the party for the birthday kid....trust me it's happened to Donna.....NOT this year. She will only invite a few select friends those girl's who have consisitently shown my daughter respect. And they will enjoy themselves. Just to add about the expense of clean up for home parties...not all parents stay to supervise their kids...how about finding chocolate cake smeared on your bathroom wall after the party...cake /frosting ice cream ground in to the carpet...broken lamps....broken toys.... Some Kids and their parents have no respect for other people's homes or feelings...I at least always offer to stay and help out at any party my girl's are invited too....I don't run out the door jump into my car and peel out of the driveway thinking I just got two free hours of babysitting. That's why I am choosing to have outside birthday parties....

[NewHomeHappy]

Has anyone done any Boy parties? I'm looking for a cool idea that will make a 4 & 5 year old boy happy. I'm going to look into having the party outside the house too. We are in NJ so if anyone know of a cool place to host a party, please let me know. thanks

[mom2kids]

Originally Posted by NewHomeHappy

Has anyone done any Boy parties? I'm looking for a cool idea that will make a 4 & 5 year old boy happy. I'm going to look into having the party outside the house too. We are in NJ so if anyone know of a cool place to host a party, please let me know. thanks

Maybe try a family bowling center/indoor fun plex (I would avoid Chuckie Cheese at all cost) ...hope it helps!

[mainebrokerman]

when my son was younger, he liked a birthday party (with friends) at the ymca, they could play basketball, and swimming, then go to pizza hut for pizza
or id have a bunch of his friends over, and we'd go fishing, boating, and swimming. and have hot dogs and burgers on the bbq.