Kids’ parties are always a blast – they make you feel like a kid again! Most of the time it’s easy to come up with endless ideas for kids' parties. But sometimes it might feel a little daunting to think of fun activities for the guest of honor and attendees that will keep them entertained. Here are five fun ideas for activities that kids will love!
1. Costume Photo Booth
Kids LOVE to dress up. Offer several different costumes, masks, hats, scarves, shoes, accessories, and more for your guests. Have a full-length mirror nearby so they can check themselves out. Ask someone to station themselves at the booth to take photos of the kids as they pose and goof off. Plan on uploading them to a digital gallery available for download OR take it to the next level by using a Polaroid camera so they get their prints right away. You may even consider hiring a photo booth vendor so you can even offer multiple prints so everyone gets a copy and the pressure is completely off of you!
2. Interactive Treasure Hunt
Every kid loves a treasure hunt! You’ll want to have a little bit of mystery as well as the element of surprise along the way. Create clues and hide little prizes at the end of each clue – this can be candy or little toy favors. Have one big prize waiting at the end of the hunt such as a piñata or ice cream. Perhaps each clue has another ice cream topping attached to it and the end of the hunt is the ice cream itself in a cooler with all the bowls and spoons nearby. A pirate-themed treasure hunt with candy gems along the way is another option with the final prize being a big treasure chest filled with gold “doubloons” – candy – and maybe even toy coins or real coins as well!
3. Make Slime!
Making slime is still all the rage with kids! Not only are the ingredients super cheap to buy, but what kid doesn’t like messy projects? You’ll create so much excitement with slime stations set up at a table for each party goer. Include pre-measured ingredients at each spot and a lidded container for the kids to mix it in and take it home. Label the containers with the child’s name and offer a few different color options so everyone feels like they made their own custom blend. Bonus to this idea: the slime can count as an activity AND a party favor! Win-win!
4. Relay Race
Create a custom relay race with three different activities. Form two teams with the guests and have them compete for prizes. You can set up stations for each relay race category. A fun idea would be to set a table with a paper plate on it. Set a smartie on the plate and spray whipped topping all over the top, hiding the candy. Have the kids race to see who can eat through the whipped cream hands-free and find the smartie first. Another fun relay level would be the old “pop-a-balloon-on-a-chair-by-sitting-on-it” game! It gets the energy up (along with the noise level) and everyone excited!
5. Cupcake Decorating
Sugar, sugar, and more sugar! Provide different colors of icing and some plastic spoons for spreading. Set out all sorts of sprinkles and candies in bowls with a couple of different syrups as well–chocolate syrup, caramel, etc. Allow each guest to decorate their own cupcake and when everyone is done, put candles on the birthday kid’s cupcake, light them up, and sing Happy Birthday! Then, let everyone feast on their concoctions. This activity is another dual-purpose one as it takes up time and creates a fun activity, but it also provides the birthday cake and keeps you from having to order or decorate one yourself!
Kid parties can feel like a bit of a challenge because every child has their own ideas on what it should be like. They want to outdo their friends and they want it to be well-attended and want all their friends to have fun. By including some fun activities for your party guests to participate in, you’ll create memories for not only the birthday kid but the party attendees as well! No more sitting around talking...eating a little cake, watching the guest of honor open gifts, and heading home. Skip the expensive bounce house rentals or balloon clowns! With these activities, you’ll be saving yourself a little money and creating meaningful memories for your child and their friends. Parent of the year goes to you!
