4 Year Old Birthday at a Park? Need Bounce House, Too?

when we've attended parties with bounce houses I never see the kids out of them lol.

As far as the boys; my girls had a tinkerbell party in november and I did pirate theme for all the boys. You know captin hook? Lol would have done petter pan but stuff that's petter pan ish is harder to find.

Good luck.

The bounce house is a great idea. I always use a bounce house and it's very popular no matter what design is on it. I personally have taken my boys to girl themed parties and they don't really care. As for the pinata, I usually have one and stuff it with small toys (age appropriate), and some healthy goodies like real fruit leather or any other healthy snack.
Good Luck!

So make the theme Tinkerbell and Peterpan. Atleast do a pinata and fill it with cheapy toys. The bouce house will be nice, however there is a lot to do at a park. Maybe they are ready for a little Croquette set or some balls to toss around. There is plenty to do without orchestrating the whole game thing.

Hi LS:
Great place to hold a Birthday party. I wish I'd done that more,when the boys were still little. Less mess,and the kids can spill their punch,or drop cake,without bringing in a carpet cleaner afterwards lol. The bouncer is a sweet idea,but I'd worry about (ALL) the kids at the park jumping in. Don't get me wrong,I love to see all children having fun,however,if some strangers kid gets injured in the process,this party may wind up a lot more expensive than you anticipated.The children will be kept busy playing for a while, but they can only (swing) and go down the slide so many times,and they will tire of it sooner or later.I would have at least one game. All kids love to compete and win a prize.Both boys and girls could play.Maybe purchase some medium size balls for a buck each and match a boy,girl up,reason being,that at this age it helps them realize that girls and boys can work together and still win.Have them begin close and slowly get further apart.tossing the ball.No Mess.Hope your party is a great success. J. M

Bounce houses are great and all the kids will use it, but double check with the city you will need a permit for it and the company you rent from must have the proper insurance as well. If not the kids will be fine at the park playing and running around. At 4 skip the party games and let them run, maybe get bubbles for all the kids they love them!! As far as tinkerbell goes if thats what she wants then of course go for that theme and who cares if the boys dont like it, they will of course attend, your having cake right? I love pinatas, if you dont like candy, which come on it is a birthday, you can put little toys and granola bars inside, kids love taking turns and at 4 they are starting to get ahold of how to hit it. Good Luck and have fun!!

Of course they would use it if it was there, but there really is enough at a park to keep them busy. I would save the money and buy your daughter something that will last all year!

About the Tinkerbell subject....people must learn to appreciate others' fantasies and what makes them happy. It's never too young to be understanding. And it should give parents a great opportunity to teach understanding and kindness.

Games....the kids love them! Organize a few wheelbarrow race, pin the wings on the fairy, marshmallows on the end of a spoon.......it's fun!

Personally, I think the park facilities will be plenty. When you have a bouncy, someone always gets hurt, and that is intensified when there is a wider variance in the age of the kids. You don't have to put candy in the pinata - you can put inexpensive prizes inside of it. Oriental Trading Company (online) has a great selection ! Baskin Robbins certificates is a great idea!

K.

I didn't check where you live...but if you are in Ventura County...you MUST go to Oxnard Beach Park!!!!

It is a brand new Pirate Park! Perfect with your theme. There is also many tables around to set up the party and plenty of room for the kids to play. I have not been there on a weekend to see how busy it is...but you have to check it out!

Love, A. B

Hi,

I don't think you need one. Kids LOVE the playground. I really don't think you have to spend the money on one. You will spend more than enough on reserving the space and on the food. It is totally fine not to do "party games". The party is really up to you. Honestly, you do not have to do all the "extra" stuff just to please. Your child will be totally excited to have a party and to have all the friends in one spot. I think the society has really changed now. They have put "stuff" as the important thing and not just on enjoying the party as is. Also there seems to be competition. Keep it simple. Less headaches and everyone will have fun! Plus, you don't have to worry about the kids, especially the rougher ones knocking their heads into the kid that is a more conservative jumper!

Parks are a great place for parties! I think we may do one this year for my son, but our park is on HOA property so they don't allow bouncers...bummer, but if it's a public park you will also need to find out what your city requires as far as liability insurance and permits. I agree with Julia, you don't want to be responsible because someone got hurt and you weren't prepared. Many of the bounce rental companies will not rent unless you are the property owner...found that out with my cousins party (very stressful, considering it was a collaborative effort at an Aunt's house).

I just went to a party where the Mommy didn't do 'games' but, had an activity bucket with coloring books, crayons and simple crafts that parents could help kids do. Very simple glue stick and paper stuff, that was themed to the party...Handy Manny.

Also, she had a bag of balls (like Julia mentioned) that was age appropriate and we had a great game of ALL ages basketball. Super fun and kept us busy while the food was arriving.

Good Luck!

first of all, double check with your city - bounce house aren't allowed in the park in my city!
secondly, consider hiring an entertainer dressed as tinkerbell to entertain the kids. We hired a disney princess one time and it was a big hit. And, it wasn't very expensive. She entertained the kids - and I didn't do any games at all.
make it more of a Peter Pan theme with Peter & Tinkerbell and then it will appeal to boys and girls. You could give the boys inflatable swords to battle the capt' with!

We had a bouncer for my son's 4th birthday -- it was a big hit! Kids love it, parents love them because they tire the kids out :).

How much stuff is at the playground? I'd say if you don't have a bounce house, you should have something different for the kids to do. Hula hoops, an art projects, some balls -- something to make it a little more special than just a trip to the park.

I'm not a big fan of pinatas either, but the gift certificates are a great idea!

Hi I own a bounce house business and we have taken quite a few to parks they kids really enjoy them. If you live in the Reno area. Please fill free to call me with any questions. Dina Peek Wilseya4fun ###-###-####

I think it's optional. I personally would not do it. I have a 9 yr old son and a 4.5 yr old daughter. When I've had birthdays at the park for my son, I never did a bounce house.

What I've observed over the years is that kids (big kids) go CRAZY in there. So IF you do this, you MUST have an adult observing and watching and making sure the kids don't accidently pummel each other.

You might want to SEPARATE the ages (her group, then big kids) so this is less of an issue.

Again, you really need to SUPERVISE it. I've noticed that parents do not supervise close enough with bounce houses and assume someone else is watching, when in reality, that's not happening.

Since you and your husband will be busy with her and her guests, you will have the additional burden of watching the bounce house, unless you can find an adult willing to take on the job.

When I see a bounce house at a party, I volunteer myself to oversee it, since I know the party parent planners have their hands very full.

It IS a very popular thing and kids LOVE it, but there might be tears. My friend had a bounce house for her 4 yr old daughter's park party and she got bonked and was crying. No one was looking!

(If the company sends those STUPID beach balls with hard bells inside them, don't use them. The boys will throw them at each other and the hard bells hurt eyes.)

So... the kids WILL love it and use it, but you need help supervising it.

LS,
The theme sounds cute. Tinker Bell was one of the main characters in Peter Pan and there were lots of boys, there were the Pirates, the Lost Boys and Peter Pan. For the invitations for the boys try to get the pictures of the pirates, lost boys and Peter Pan. This way it would get the boys interest, although a party is a party. For kids this age they focus on the gifts, cake and ice cream and playing. They can use their imagination like in the story Peter Pan. The toys for the party would be that of the Pirates, and the Lost boys. Some of the girls in the group might like to be one of the lost boys, or even Wendy. You have an excellent idea with this party. The bounce house would for me seem to be a little extreme since the park you are going to has swings, ladders, jungle gyms and such. My daughter did my granddaughters party at the park and the kids had a ball. There was enough there that when it came time for the cake and ice cream the kids almost didn't leave the sand box. The extras we had for this birthday party were balloons, and streamers. Have fun with it and Happy Birthday to your daughter.

You could do a Tinker Bell/Peter Pan theme. You could have the kids show up wearing an item of clothing showing one of the characters. If the boys catch onto the Peter Pan part they're less likely to be put off by all the Tinker stuff. ... I've thrown birthday parties in parks for my kids, too, though they were older than 4. You could ask the parents to send the kids with their scooters/trikes (and helmets!) if the park is laid out in a way that you'll be able to see the kids even if they're riding around. Between the wheels and a decent amount of playground equipment they'll probably have a fabulous time. If you're still worried, bring along a big supply of bubbles, nerf balls, and/or jump ropes, hula hoops, sidewalk chalk. Entertains the kiddos and it's way cheaper than a jumper. Have fun.

We've had two very successful park parties for my daughter's 5th and 6th birthdays. Hiring a character allows you to enjoy the party, while she does all the work. Even if she only comes for an hour, it will make your life a lot easier.

For one of our parties, we set up theme-related crafts at the beginning of the party to entertain kids while everybody arrived. This can be as simple as coloring pages printed from the internet (google "tinkerbell coloring pages" and "peter pan coloring pages") and crayons/markers. You can find other craft ideas online. We picked up some cool stuff at Lakeshore Learning, too.

As much as my daughter loves bounce houses, we've never had one because of park restrictions and because I think they are distracting (kids will come and go to them regardless of what else is going on at the party). My daughter has never missed having one.

I would design the party according to your daughters wishes. At that young age, boys won't care about it being a Tinkerbell themed party. They will be too busy playing at the park and eating cake.

For my sons 4th birthday party just last weekend we did a Tae Kwon Do themed party at his tae kwon do school. We invited his preschool friends and some of our close friends. I totally didn't expect many of the girls from his class to come. EVERYONE came and had a blast! The girls were just as excited as the boys were to learn some tae kwon and break boards. Everyone, including the parents had a great time. So I wouldn't worry about how the theme of the party affects the boys.

I was also going to suggest hiring a character to come to the party. But if you don't do that, I would definitely have a couple of simple games lined up. For my son's 3rd birthday (it was Curious George themed), I just cut out a bunch of "banana" shapes from yellow paper and taped them all over one section of the park. I gave the kids their empty goody bag and told them that whoever found the most bananas would get a prize and the one that found the banana with the #3 written on the back would also get a prize. It got the kids focused on the task at hand and it was easy for them to follow the instructions.

For my daughters 1st birthday party, my sister handled the games. Since her birthday party was toward the end of May, she had the kids do a water balloon toss which was really fun to watch :).

For my sons 1 st birthday my sister went to Target, spent $40 on a huge inflatable basketball hoop and had the kids shoot hoops with this huge inflatable ball. That went over well with the kids too...and the adults. We still have the hoop and pull it out for most of our kid/family parties.

I am also not a big fan of giving out a ton of candy at parties. I fill our pinatas with a little candy, but mostly stuff like stickers, pencils, erasers, crayons(like those little minipacks you can get at the Dollar Store or at Walmart), stamps, little bouncy balls, little jars of bubbles, and usually one item that is related to the theme of the party. Most of the stuff I get at either the Party Store, the Target dollar section or at Wal mart.

Maybe instead of JUST Tinkerbell, you can do a Peter Pan theme, to help out with the boys, but of course anything for her would be Tinkerbell.

A bounce house is fun, but who needs the cost? I'd try to skip it if the park is a nice facility and has good equipment.

As far as games at this age, kids can be hard wrangle and don't usually have the attention span for too much. One or two games oughtta do, and let the park equipment handle the rest of the entertainment.

I don't know if this was much help, but good luck and have fun!

I don't think you need a bounce house in addition. They should have plenty to do with slides, swings, etc., plus cake, and gifts.
As far as the Tinker Bell theme, would it be alright for the boys to dress as either Peter Pan, the Lost Boys, or Hook? I don't think at four she's going to feel like it's turned into a Peter Pan party.
I would forgo the games. Kids love to run around and play at a park. I think that trying to corral them to get them in the game will be just added stress on you when they're having a good time anyway. Someone mentioned an activity table as they arrive, I think that's a fabulous idea.
It sounds like it should be a lot of fun!
Best,
S. G.

HI! I personally think that the equipment at the park would be enough if there is a variety of it (swings, slides, monkey bars, etc...) If you do decide on a bounce house, be sure to get permission from the parks and recreation in your area. Some parks will not allow things like that because of insurance issues. Some parks will even require you purchase a "permit" to officially throw a party.. :-(
My oldest daughter had a Tinker Bell themed party one year, and we printed out invitations for the boys which had Peter Pan on them. It was still in the theme, but the boys didn't have to feel like it was strictly a "girly" party. :-) I also think that since it will be at a park, just let them play and skip the games; you'll have a hard time getting all the kids round up for them because they'll be playing on the park equipment. (I speak from experience on that!)
As for the pinata, you could put those little bags of fruit snacks, raisins, and/or nuts instead of candy. Just a thought.

Well, hope this helps. Have a fun one!

L. M

Hi!

I think the bounce house is optional. 4 year olds will be able to entertain themselves at the park. No need for party games either. My son is very much a boy, but loves Tinkerbell so I think you are ok on the theme (now if you said a dress up princess party that would be different!).

If you want games, you could something real simple like a race, but I would just go with the flow of the party and see what the kids are interested in!

We've had parties at the park for our kids and have never needed a bounce house. Plus, the parks we've used don't allow them! The kids had a blast, even one year where it poured down rain. Maybe especially when it poured down rain.

For 4 year olds, you can skip the party games at a park. But if you want to do them, do something park friendly, like a nature scavenger hunt. And if you want to skip the pinata, skip it! As a parent, I hate them, unless they're filled with trinkets rather than candy. Gift certificates to BR is a great idea instead of the pinata.

As for the Tinkerbell theme - you can always use Peter Pan for the boys.

Happy birthday to your daughter!

Hi!

You know I get a bounce house every year and It's seems that that is all my kids look forward to. Whenever they see one they freak out. "MOM A BIRTHDAY!!!!"

4 year olds have so much energy they'll be jumping back and forth from the jumper to the park anyway. I think a bounce house is never a waste of money, My husband even got one for my 30th birthday to keep the kids entertained so we all could have a great time :).

The theme. Boys don't care.... A party is a party. And if your party favors are gift certificates for ice cream then you really don't have to worry about gender specifics at all.

As for games. AAAA. I don't think you need it. The structure will stress em' out at this age. Just let em' go nuts at the park. A pinata is as far as I'll go for games. Why not have a little more sugar..HAHAH.

Have a great party and don't try to over entertain. You need to have fun with the family too :)! :

I think it would be a great idea to have a bounce house. Everyone loves a bounce house! =) It also gives another option for the kids, they can play in the park then jump in the bounce house and go back & forth. Since you're not having games it will just be something to keep everyone entertained. The Baskin Robbins gift certificates are a GREAT idea! I'm going to keep that in mind for my next birthday party! Also, I don't think the boys will care about the theme, they will just be excited about the birthday party.

S. Shimizu
http://www.5starhelps.com

I did a Tinkerbell party for my girl too. She is from the Peter Pan movie and the boys had pirate stuff. Captain Hook is a pirate so do that for the boys.
Have fun!

I'm pretty sure the bounce house will be used - kids that age, and older kids, love them! If you don't have games, I would definitely have a bounce house. If not, you should plan games like potato sack, three legged race, etc. Have fun!

You could always do a few good old fashioned backyard games, such as "red light/green light" and "duck duck goose". They are quick, fun, require no props, only a prize or two at the end for the winner. You could always do something with bubbles, or hula hoops, or balls if you are worried about the play structure not being enough. Also an easy one to do in a park is limbo with a broomstick. Another good outside game is to hang powdered donuts from a tree on a string and have the kids eat them with their hands behind their back... Whatever you do it can be super easy since you have awhole playground for backup.

Hi,
My 4 y.o. had her party at our local park and there were all ages there too (lots of siblings) she loved Lightning McQueen and the girls didn't care at all, the kids are just happy to be at a party. We did have a pinata w/ some candy and small toys from $store, but we also had a craft area too.
We got a bounce house that was used by everyone (parents included!), but the only thing you need to check is whether your community requires a use permit and insurance fees to have a bounce house at the park. Ours did (an added $175) but completely worth it as everyone had a GREAT time.
Happy Birthday!

Hello,
I am a children's entertainer and have been in the business for 22 years.
My advice to you...

Reserve your spot at the park. Call your local parks and recreation and they will charge you a fee of $12. Normally. Depending on how large the space. Some spaces have elecricity. you may choose to bring a boom box for kids music...

Make a mini schedule of your event....
Playtime, eating time, fun game time, cake and presents last.

Moonbounces are not only fun for kids, but a way to gather the kids in one spot.
Make sure you have plenty of supervision on the playground. Parents tend to chit chat and not watch their kids... remember this is your party. Ask a friend or neighbor kid to help you watch the playground..

Bring a First Aid Kit... include frozen pouch juices for ice packs

Moonbounces need to be approved by the park. They will often ask you for a million dollar insurance policy. We own several pieces of various inflatables and have a large policy just for this reason. Ask the Moonbounce company to submit paperwork to the park... get their fax number when reserving and the moonbounce company should take care of the rest... if they don't, then get another moonbounce company!!!

Other ideas? games, 3-legged race, water balloon toss, Bring a soccer ball to kick around.. face painting or bring a craft...

Have the kids play for a little while then do something else to gather them back at your picinic spot. Your child will feel more special if the kids are sitting with her. Otherwise, you will have chaos and kids will want to play on the equipment rather than eat.

Have fun and get all the parents involved. Parks have lots of hazards and they can be lots of fun and inexpensive too. The more help you have, the more time you have to enjoy your party at the park.