Ideas for Son's 2Nd Birthday Party

I recently went to a party at Playmania in Riverview and it was pretty cool. The staff there did all the work(decorating, serving food and cake, and of course entertaining the kids) it was my friends 2nd bday. I think their website is playmaniatampa.com

I do agree with Carolina - my son wasn't really into parties at 2 but at 3 he knew he wanted a party with friends and Bob the Builder theme. For his 2 year old party, we had family, cousins and one other family friend who had a child the same age. This seemed to be more than enough.
If you are looking for ideas, I have used my theme and googled it - Bob the Builder Birthday Party Ideas. I came across a bunch of websites that people had listed their ideas on - from invitations, to food, to games and even party favors. It was really helpful.
I would try to keep the number of children on the smaller side. Too many kids can get too crazy and the birthday boy can't really even spend time playing with all those children. One suggestion though would be to keep an even number of children so that two won't pair up and the third gets left out. This can and does happen with children, not on purpose, just does.
Have fun - remember that toddlers attention span is short and even shorter when in a group.

I don't know where you're located but if you're close to South Miami try Cool de Sac. My son and I just discovered it a couple of months ago and he LOVES it there. I was thinking of doing his 3rd birthday there next year. Don't know the cost yet but it's definitely a cool place for a party.

M.,

15 - 20 kids?!? Wow. Why so many?

I follow this rule for birthdays: The # of kids at the party should equal your child's age plus one. A 2 year old should have 3 friends. (I read this somewhere years ago and thought it was smart.) If your son has cousins too, then maybe you bend it a little. I've been to toddlers' parties that had lots of kids and parties with fewer kids. In this case, less is usually best. Your son will have a better time, get to enjoy his playmates, and things will be less chaotic all around.

With fewer kids, you have more options for the party you want to throw too.

Good luck. I hope he has a great birthday.

In my opinion, I think he still too little to do a bigger party... by the time they turn 3 (this happened with my son who is going to be 4 this year) he asked for a themed party (with Thomas)... he knew exactly what he wanted...
This is totally up to you!!! but I think on their 3rd birthday is better to do something big b/c they are more aware of their surroundings and can actullay request what they like... my son could have care less for a party by the time he turned two!!!
Whatever you do, just enjoy it to the max since they are only 2 once!!!
good luck

Fifteen to twenty kids + parents sounds like a lot for a 2 year old. Could you cut that in half maybe? That way you can have about 10 activities they can do together without getting too tired and cranky. I like old fashioned birthdays where children play, not just jumping on inflatables.

Good Day,
God Bless you all. Through my experience, I have discovered the joy of having Birthday parties at a park! We usually use Quiet Water in Deerfield. We set up around the play gfround and after words we often go to their water park. I usually order pizza and have the cake ect and games around the playground; and even older kids have fun on the play ground and at the water park. If it's open in Oct. I am not usre, but if not, older kids and little ones can run around the area having a ball game, or hiking around ect.. Most of the picnic table areas' have a small grill if you choose to do a cook out for adults & children alike! Both my girls love celebrating there! Good luck and Happy Birthday coming soon to your little one!
Sincerely,
Kathy N.

M.,
My son will be 2 on Nov 2nd...right around the corner from your son. We are thinking about renting one of those bounce house things for our backyard. We will see as it gets closer as to whether we do one with water (depending on weather) or not. That is fun for the 2 year olds, as well as the 6-8 year olds.
Another option is to have it at a bounce house. That way you dont have to worry about the condition of your house before & after. WE have a HUGE family, so that would get really pricey for us. That is why we are opting to have it at home.
Hope that helps.
Heather

I went to a birthday party and the kids came dressed up and there were halloween crafts to do at tables and a bounce house. it was at my friend's house but I think you could do the same at a park at a shelter right by a playground then you wouldn't even really need the bounce house (or you could have it, too).
that's all that you need: a bounce house and a craft, lol. the craft was to decorate witch hats I think it was, but really at Michaels you can find masks, visors, really anything to decorate w/ foam stickers...just make the party SHORT and sweet- 2 hrs I'd say. enough time to bounce/decorate, eat some pizza and then have cake. the end.

Hi, M.. Well, when my son was around that age, we used to hire a clown, who did about an hour or two of keeping the kids happy and busy. Different clowns do different kinds of things. A magic clown would be good for older kids, but 2-year-olds don't usually have the attention span for that. Try getting a clown who does balloons, songs, etc.

I love having parties in parks, but that depends on your resources. You might think about having your home as a backup, because here in Florida, October is still in hurricane season, and we could still get rained out. Try to get a couple of helpers to help you serve the kids, keep them entertained, clean up, etc.

A Halloween theme is wonderful. You can get all kinds of cupcakes, goodies, and a themed cake without having to special order any of it. Just don't do anything too scary or allow any really scary costumes -- 2 year olds get nightmares really easily, and it takes them a long time to get over them!

I hope you have a wonderful time!

Peace,
Syl

The second birthday for my daughter was also a small family party. At that age, children are still quite small for the excitement of a big day. Keep it as simple as possible. (I was also 8.5 mos pregnant with my son...) My children are 3.5 and 1.5 and I haven't had more than simple home parties with family and taking a cake into daycare yet! (And this isn't because it's out of our budget.)
I figure when the child starts asking for a party with friends is the appropriate time to do so. As a child, I grew up with simple home parties and Mom-made cakes. Today birthday parties have become crazy with this rental and that... goodie bags, etc... It's almost like a competition.
Whatever you decide, enjoy the milestone with your little man. (Mine will be two in November.)
T.

For your sons 2nd birthday I would recommend Butterfly Dreams Theme Parties. They are great, all types of parties for boys and girls that comes to you or any location with different packages that you can choose from or you can tell them what you want and they will do it to fit your budget. Look at there website at:
www.butterflydreamsparty.com or call them at ###-###-####
They are on mamasource with great reviews. They are very professional and kids love them. Call ahead of time to get the date and time that you want. good luck ..

Just have family and friends. He won't remember it anyway and you will be relieved of the stress. Wait til he gets married to have extravagant parties...

A birthday around Halloween is a great thing. You can have it in your back yard if it's big enough. Set up little booths. Dunking for apples, a fish pond, the sucker tree, ball toss, duck pond,(you can get the ducks at the dollar tree for a buck), etc..
Have pumpkins and markers for the children to decorate. That is always a big hit.
Also cut out cookies ready to frost and decorate are always a smash hit at all parties no matter what time of year.
I have helped plan several Birthday parties and they have always turned out great.
Trick or Treat bags with little treats to take home for each guest. You can pick stuff up at the dollar tree to fill them.
I love doing parties. They are so much fun and there is so much you can do. Relax, enjoy yourself.

I have had all 4 of my son's birthday parties at home so far. Usually around 20ish kids and their parents. We have been to sooo many at places like My Gym, etc. I wind up spending just as much $ for an at home party as you would to have it somewhere else. At a place like My Gym, they do all the work and cleanup for you. The kids always love them and that's my recommendation, have it somewhere else :). 20 little kids walking/running through your house is a LOT, it is exhausting and there is always a huge mess after.

Happy birthday to your baby :):)

I dont have any ideas for you but I would suggest to do outside of the home. You clean up for your guests to come to the party and you clean even more when they leave. When I do partys at my house I am sooooooo focused on the people its hard to share the moment with the b-day person. Have it outside the house. My kids love parks maybe a nice park. What does he like?

Pinatas are fun for all ages. Best wishes to all.