Throw an inexpensive, but fun-filled birthday party your child.
Throw a fun children's birthday bash without breaking the bank. Getting wet on a hot summer day, participating in decorating the birthday cake, visiting an area attraction or being part of a treasure hunt are all affordable, age-appropriate ideas children will enjoy. Summer or winter, use these ideas to play a fun celebration everyone can afford. Does this Spark an idea?
Water World
What could be more fun on a hot summer birthday than getting wet? Start with a balloon toss contest. Have the kids form two lines facing each other about 3 feet apart. Each child needs a partner facing them in the other line. Hand out a water balloon to each person in one of the lines. Each partner tosses a water balloon to his or her team mate. The catching partners take one large step backward and toss the balloon back. Repeat as the lines move slowly apart. When the balloon breaks, that team is eliminated. The remaining teams continue to move backward before each toss until there is one team remaining.
Keep track of the winning team. Move to the next game. Turn on the sprinklers and play Red Rover, Tag, or Simon Says right through the sprinklers. At the conclusion of this game give out prizes for things like the child with the wettest hair, the child with the driest shirt, the child who got wet first, the team that won the water balloon toss and the runner-up team in the water balloon toss. Water bomb soaker balls make great prizes.
Cupcake Decorating Contest
A cupcake decorating contest is appropriate for any season. Use a plastic covering to protect your table because this can get messy, especially with young children. Provide iced cupcakes and a variety of sprinkles, red hots, mini M&Ms and other toppings. Allow children to decorate one or more cupcakes. After decorating, let each child perform show and tell. Take a picture of the child with his or her creations. Award prizes for categories such as best use of green sugar, most colorful or best use of M&Ms. A cookie cutter or jar of sprinkles would make a good prize. Put all the cupcakes on a cookie sheet and add candles--use the appropriate number of candles based on the child's age.
Treasure hunt
You will need two or three teams of four for this game as teams will compete to find the same hidden objects. Whichever team finds all the objects first wins. Gather two or three sets of about 20 objects (pink pearl eraser, novelty pencil, color crayon, colored dice, marble, candy kiss, packet of sugarless gum). Visit the dollar store to purchase these and other small items. Make a list of hidden items for each team. Hide all the objects in your home, party room and yard one or two hours before the party starts.
After forming teams, team members should designate two people to be the "eyes," one person to be the "hands" and one to be the "mouth/list-keeper/basket-holder." The "eyes" look for the prizes and choose a noise to make or word to shout when they find an item on the list. Only the "hands" can pick up the object and put it in the basket. The "mouth" reads off the list, carries the basket and checks things off the list. When the first team wins, give the next team or teams time to find their remaining items. Each member of the winning team gets to pick five items from any of the baskets. The second-place team members get three items and third-place members get two.
Free Family Passes
Contact your local library to see if they have family passes available for library patrons. Some libraries offer free day passes to local museums, cultural parks, zoos or other fun family activities.
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