Everyone wants to hear their kids say, “That was the best party ever!” You know you want to be the parent every child brags about at school where you are known for throwing the best and most creative kid parties, be it birthdays, Halloween, or other Holidays.
My philosophy is simple. I believe that when you are throwing a party for kids, you need to involve kids therein. Not only will this make them feel extra special; there is no better gift or better self-esteem booster than getting kids to help. Of course, if money or budget is not an issue, you can always hire a party planner. This way, you can just sit back, relax and enjoy the event while the professionals take care of everything. But, if you wish to rise up to the challenge and need some excellent kids’ party ideas, I have tons of inspiration for you.
Keep things SIMPLE
Whatever you choose to do when planning kids parties, I suggest that you keep things ‘SIMPLE’, where SIMPLE stands for:
- S-Setting a budget before doing anything else
- I-Involving everyone and discussing Ideas with the whole family
- M-Modifying and adapting to suit the event
- P-Planning in advance so there are no last minute hiccups
- L-Listing down everything and looking at the list from time to time
- E-Engaging people to help you out
Choose A Theme
Kids parties need to have a theme and I always insist on this. The reason, when anyone asks me, “Theme is everything when it comes to parties for kids”. Without a theme, you’d have no central idea to work on for decorations, invitations, food, favors, games etc. Parents often ask me, “How do I choose a theme for kids parties? Is one better than the other?” The only thing that matters is: “Your child should be thrilled with that theme. Then it really does not matter what you choose”. Naturally, you will need to consider your budget as well. I have discussed some age-wise themes below. I believe selecting the themes for kids’ parties is the best part of the planning process since you and your child get to let your imagination run wild during the process!
Guidelines for choosing age-appropriate kids party ideas and themes
Under 3– This age group has a short attention span. So keep things simple and avoid bringing in people in costumes as they could be frightening to the young ones.
3-5 year olds– This group loves the classic games and activities but I recommend keeping them short. I normally advise against using an entertainer, since, at this age as kids get bored easily and do not sit still for long.
6-8 year olds-This group is highly energetic and you have to be very creative when selecting the kids party themes and games. Most would love dressing up as a character. I usually recommend hiring an entertainer for this age group.
Here are some themes for kids of different age groups:
- Rug Rats
- SpongeBob
- Pokémon
- Beach
- Barnyard
- NASCAR
- Colors
- American Idol
- Pajama
- Dinosaurs
- Aliens
- Princess
- Rainbow
- Trains/Planes/Cars
In case of very young kids, try and keep the guest numbers low. You also need not necessarily have a theme for the younger ones, but if it helps you plan and decorate better, then go for it. For baby parties, try to keep the decorations bright and colorful. Have a few big blown up beach balls and keep poster boards with washable colors around as they make great activities.
For the Dinosaur theme, you could decorate your yard in a prehistoric theme. This theme is a huge hit with the 5-8 year old group. Many toys and accessories are available in the market that you can buy to decorate your yard for this purpose. Papier-mâché can be used for creating huge boulders and rocks or pre-historic trees and you could even make caves using old boxes. The possibilities are endless and you only need to use a little creativity and imagination when planning kids parties.