I am planning a birthday party for my two children. My son is turning 6 and is in kindergarten and my daughter is turning 4 and is in preschool. My daughter's birthday is at the beginning of the month and my son at the end of the month. The kids have said that they want to have one big party together instead of two separate parties, so we are inviting all of both their classes to a party at the neighborhood park approximately 30 kids.
My daughter wants a Strawberry Shortcake Party and my son a T-rex party. I'm planning to get a sheet cake that is decorated with half Strawberry shortcake and half T-rex. I'm wondering if all of you Moms out there have any ideas for me for games the kids could play.
We are thinking of having a pinata, but aren't sure if we should have one for my daughter and her classmates and one for my son and his friends. We were recently at a party for one of my son's classmates and the boys were a bit rowdy.....what do all of you Moms think?
My note is actually about the cake, you might see how bad it would be to have a cupcake cake. With that many small ones, who wants to cut the cake and then give the kids utensils and hope nothing happens. Most kids know how to eat cupcakes and they don't need a fork to do it. I have bought these for my nephews and my daughters birthday. They worked out great.
I did a dino party once for one of my kids...We had a real fun time with a (dino-egg) hunt like you would do for an Easter egg hunt with plastic eggs I even put mini dinos inside them. Of course the prizes to the games can be dino related. We played hot potatoe with a stuffed dinosaur. Also did a form of musical chairs elemination using a dinosaur passed around. It was tons of fun. You could also let the kids make dinosaur masks for a craft project if you wanted to. Good luck M.
My advice is about the pinata...
We long since stopped using the store bought kind you hit with a stick since we started making our own that the kids kick (takes about a week to fully dry).
Use one of those big round balloons that you bouce with a rubber band as the mold. Do a layer of paper mache (tons of fun for the kids to help with). Let it dry and apply another layer every day for a week. Fill with candy on about day three and patch the hole with the next layers. Paint however you wish when dry...
Let the kids stand in a big circle and kick the pinata ball back and forth until it bursts. FUN! A variation is to make several smaller pinata balls for the same idea.
I would also encourage the kids to have a unisex or one themed party. If you are doing it together why have two themes going?
Any games involving bubbles have always been a hit at our parties, including putting the kids one at a time in the center of a baby pool filled with bubble solution and using a hula-hoop to trap them inside a bubble. Take a picture and send it with the thank you cards.
I would say two pinatas. Maybe get some jump ropes and footballs. Does the park you are going to have a gyn to play on? I know when we had our sons bday party at the park most of the kids just played on that and didnt bother with the stuff we brought.
Could you make some cookies in the shape of a dinosaur and stawberry shortcake for the kids to decorate?
Maybe a treasure hunt boys vs. girls.
Kickball?
Good Luck!
FYI - I planned a big party at the park one time and it rained (go figure) so if you need a back up plan, Peter Piper Pizza was the best deal for the most people and were accommodating with my last minute request. I also had my neighbor dress up as the 'game' fairy and initiate the games so I could do everything else! :)
HI L.,
I do great party planning and this is my idea for you. I would have the kids play 'red rover' while waiting for all children to arrive. This gives a chance for all the kids to meet the other children and get to know their names. You need to make 6 groups of 5. Have 3 different colored dinosours and 3 different Strawberry shortcake ideas like (strawberry, hat, ?)that are made from paper and pin them on their shirts. So all blue dinosours stick together and red strawberries stick together and so on. So now you would need six different stations. One that is game playing, arts and crafts (goes w/theme), possibly a food table where they can sit and have a slice of pizza or hotdog (grill station) and I would put a jumper in there. 20 minutes at each station. Try to keep all the girls together and all the boys together even if they are of different age. It's when you have two different age groups that this is really a must. The young girls like to hang with the older girls and the young boys become a little wierd around the girls when there are older boys around. Wierd like, annoying and/or shyness takes over. I think you'll have a great party. Yes, Yes, on two cakes (not divided) and a no on pinata's. They take too long and become boring for big groups and Dangerous. Plan a gift opening that moves along quickly. Both can open at the same time with a pre-drawing of numbers so there's no Crazyness going on. Gift opening can be dangerous too with that many children, but a must at both ages. This can be the most exciting part for many of them. Ages 7 and under love giving their gift and watching the birthday child open 'their' gift.
If you are organized this can go like clock work and be done in 3 hours. If you are dis-organized you will have a 4 hour party on your hands and whiny children. So stay focused and organized and you will have a good time too.
Good luck and I think your an awsome mom to be giving so much. You can do it!!
ABOUT MYSELF: SAHM/PR...I've been married 16 years and have 2 daughters ages 6 and 10.
Games, Games, Games - Kids love games! No matter what age. My dauhter is 6 years old. I've had really big parties and small ones. Kids have so much energy. Since its at the park you can do your traditional games? Sack race, wheel barrel race, water balloon toss. Maybe even rent a jumper.
I love pinatas, but with that many kids??? It can be too dangerous and hard to control! I am always the mom that hands the kids the stick and makes sure the kids are not running for candy when the other kid is swinging! It is so hard to control! kids can't understand that someone is swinging! They want there candy!!! I give prizes to all and a little bigger for the winner of each game. That way no one gets left out and feels bad for not winning a prize.
If you have music, you can have the limbo. That is so much fun to watch and do. I've also printed out pages for kids to color. You can do coloring pages according to the theme of the party. I even caught parents coloring!
Good Luck and have fun!
Hi L.,
I have a 10 and 4 year old and we have been to a lot of parties outside that rented the bouncy house or slides. Boys and girls like them and I think they drop off, set up and pick up. Hope this helps. Good luck:)
Hi L.,
My favorite party-game I've shared with a few Moms is called "Fruit Salad."
You can re-name it to fit your theme; the game can be as long/or short as you need it to be; it works great for lots of age-groups (including adults - lol); it works for groups as small as 5 kids, and as many as 30; and no child ever loses: in fact, they *like* being "it" most of the time!!
It's almost like musical chairs.
You can message me if you want the rules.
(oh, 2 pinatas, btw)
T
I would have to say you should buy separate cakes and pinata's. I have a twin sister and those are the two things we always wanted of our own. And didnt get them until we were quite a bit older.
Will there be plenty of adults to help with crowd control? Not all kids will want to play each game and some will tire of them before others. Is there someone who is used to managing that number and commanding attention when instructions are needed to be given (e.g. a teacher) who can help? You wouldn't want a child wandering off or additional neighborhood children to join in.
I always used the formula of inviting one more child than the child's age. The older they get, the less management is needed. Also, each guest gets time with the birthday child, the needier children were attended to and the birthday child doesn't get lost in the management process of the needier kids.
Hope you have a fun day!
