Seeking Summer Birthday Party Ideas

How about a Pig Party? I had one w/ a cousin when I was a kid and it was my most memorable party ever (I think I'm doing one for my daughter this year). All the kids wear bathing suits, you make mud pies, have a shaving cream battle, compete to see who can eat thier cake first (no hands though)and get hosed down at the end. Most kids would love an excuse to get that dirty!

If you do a carnival theme, you can enlist older children or other parents or family members to do face painting, nail painting, temporary tatoos, balloon animals if anyone can learn that quickly. Enlist others to help out while you wonder around to supervise. Hire a clown to come to do games and balloon animals. See if an older child or adult knows how to juggle and they can dress up like clowns. Get colored hair spray and do the kids hair funny. Get tons of those spray cans that shoot out silly string.

If your water pressure isn't good for sprinklers then just get several small pools and set up water stations with a slide going into a larger pool. You can use lots of food color to dye the water too, as long as they wear old clothes, lol. My older son done water balloon fights and water balloon baseball, where they just hit the balloons with a bat, plastic for the younger kids. Have Dad put on a fireman's hat and spray kids who are "on fire". How about a water balloon toss. Prizes to the winners! Beach balls floating around.

Pinatas are always fun.

How about pirates and mermaids? Treasure chests, water, boats, fish, lots of ideas there. Beach balls, fish nets, shells, eye patches, waist sashes and more!

Here's some sites for ideas:
http://www.marthastewart.com/article/carnival-theme-party...
http://familyfun.go.com/parties/birthday/feature/famf0803...
http://www.amazingmoms.com/htm/party.circus.htm
http://www.fun-theme-party-ideas.com/carnival-theme-party...
http://familyfun.go.com/parties/holiday/specialfeature/fi...
http://www.theme-party-palace.com/water-theme-party.html

K. B
mom to 5 including triplets

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HarrisburgPAChat
chat and events within 2 hour radius

LOL I was going to say indoor bounce houses in Red Lion but since you don't want to go that way how about a face painter? Or someone to go party games like limbo, hokey poker etc? You could get a popcorn machine set up? Or cotton candy.

I'm pretty sure that they offer all of that at http://www.atomicbouncerocks.com

Good luck!

There's a train type ride called the "Rainbow Express" that can be rented for parties. I have never done it myself, so I'm not sure of the cost, but my kids have rode it at events we have attended and they enjoy it.

HI D.,
I would like to say that I too have 2 little ones whose bdays are less than a month apart and both in August. This year they will be 6 and 8. I've done the theme parties and I've done non themed parties. And I'll tell you they don't really care. What we usually do now is figure out what the boys are more in to about a week before, you know how quickly kids change their minds, and then buy plates, cups, napkins, etc. For example last year was all about Transformers. They had they decorative paper plates and stuff, plus thats how I ordered the cake to be decorated. Then we just had a normal cookout. burgers and dogs for the kids, ribs and chicken for the adults. Everyone drank water and juice to stay hydrated. As for the party its self. We bought a little pool, and had a bunch of water guns, the trampoline, and all the kids were entertained for hours. Plus at the end of the day I got to relax in the pool too. It was one of the rectangular 6' x30". I hope this helps.

Hi D.,
What about an underwater theme. You could use bubble machines, and shades of blues and picks like coral. Give out goodie bags that have fish/pirate/mermaid stuff in them. The kids could dress up like mermaids and pirates. And you could have a kiddie pool with little plastic fish that "swim" in it. Just an idea.

how about a princess and pirate party? or princess and knight party? s carnival pary would be fun, you could make your own games from cardboard or buy some of those ring toss games? my 6 year old just jumped on my lap and interupted me, so i will keep thinking and let you know if i come up with any other ideas. keep us updated on what you choose :-)

I am having my daughter's birthday party at the park... I reserved a pavillion (for free!), and we will bb'g some food. I found a pattern to make your own sled kites online, and I will set out markers and stuff to decorate them, then the kids can run around and fly their kites. or you can buy them pre-made http://www.kitesonaroll.com/fly_me_kite_kits.asp

I am also going to make some bubble solution, and have some big bubble wands... their gift bag will include a 4 piece bubble thing too (got it at walmart in the party section, but they have cool stuff at the dollar store too).
Also, check out www.orientaltrading.com
I just saw this yesterday... I might see if I can make these... (link won't work) so search "bubble wand".

They also have a ton of cool pirate stuff at the Dollar store if you want to do a pirate theme... you could make a craft of making their own treasure map, do a treasure hunt, etc. that would be fun too!

There is a company run by my sons gym teacher that is called maximumimpact4kids.com and they come to your house and entertain the kids for you with fun activities. I have not personally used them, but my son is attending one of his summer camps that is"fitness" driven. Hope this helps. Great ideas out there too!

Because it will be the middle of the summer maybe a pool party. They have so many of those big slide and pool things now in stores. Some are priced pretty good too. You can still do some games too. Classics like water ballon toss, relay races, anything with water! Just a thought. Have fun!

we used a little farm called sandy hill farm in norristown they bring out ponys it was also also have the petting zoo which was a huge hit.......

what about a carnival?? you could make games, like a bean bag toss, ring toss, the duckie game, and maybe have a friend do face painting, you can rent moon bounces for pretty cheap, as well as popcorn machines and cotton candy machines, you could even go so far as to get tickets that you give out to the kids to use on the games and activiites

what about the big blow up water slides u are able to rent them or u can do a climbing wall and at the top of it onthe other side is a water slide. I think they look neat my children always asked for one but we have a big pool no room for that in our yard. Or you can do slip and slide try to do like some kinda water park them i think the kids would love it. Hope i helped