The Fun & Games

The Fun &The Fun & Games Games ... ...

Kids’ birthday parties may not rise to the level of gala events or a big wedding weekend when it comes to planning, but they deserve some attention too. Here are some quick tips to make your kids’ birthday party a smashing success.

Start with a creative theme and eye-catching décor. Bring to life their favorite book or movie. Recreate an old-fashioned sweet shop or soda fountain. Make it a virtual day at the zoo or walk with the dinosaurs. Bright, bold, colors and balloons galore will give the party a festive feel right from the get-go. Remember to check out party stores and local rental shops early on in the planning stages to find out whether you can get what you need here, or you’ll have to shop online or contact a party décor company like The Enchanted Frog to pull off the theme and look you have in mind. Of course, you’ll want to send out cute custom invitations to match the theme and make plans to have a cake made or get what you need to DIY your own. If you don’t want to go all out for a custom cake, it’s easy to dress up a storebought cake with icing and candy.

In addition to the essential ice cream and cake, it’s always a good idea to serve other snack food and offer a healthy choice like fruit. Even veggies can be fun when cut and served in creative ways. If your party lasts longer than a couple hours, plan on offering heartier options like chicken fingers or sliders to keep the kids (and adults who accompany them!) from getting hungry and cranky. Easy to eat finger foods that won’t make a mess are your best bet. If the kids are older, it’s hard to go wrong with a taco bar.

Porch on SSI is popular with adults and kids alike for their delicious chicken and grassy outdoor play area with cornhole boards and other games. It was the perfect party venue for Emilyn’s dragon themed birthday party with party décor and balloons by The Enchanted Frog. Outfits from Bailey Boys, like the coordinated set worn by Max and Chloe Harrison (above), ensure that your little party animals are cute and camera-ready for any occasion.

When it comes to presents, decide whether your child will be opening gifts at the party or taking them home to open them. If you’re planning time to open gifts at the party, it’s a good idea to talk with your child about manners in advance. If sharing new toys with excited party guests might be too much to expect from your child on what can be an overwhelming day, it might be better to save the gifts until after the party. In any case, make sure your child acknowledges each gift with a thank you either in person, or, preferably, with personal thank you notes later. If you’re handing out goody bags at the end of the party, a nice touch is to add a special note that thanks your guest for attending the party.

Keeping the kids entertained is the most important thing. You may want to hire a pro or recruit a friend to dress up as a favorite character to provide a special story time and pose for photos. You can set up a tattoo station where someone helps kids choose and apply their own easy-on/easy-off designs for their hands, arms, or face. For more elaborate art and skin-safe paint and glitter designs, hire a pro like Letz Face It..This is Fun! Face Painting. Kids love seeing themselves being transformed into tigers, dinosaurs, butterflies, unicorns, and more, so have a camera ready to capture the magic!

Another party entertainment option that has become popular with kids is karaoke. Small karaoke machines and mics are easy to come by and can be had for well under $100. Some even have disco lights, sound effects, voice changers, and more! Cue up the kids’ favorite songs and let them be the entertainment!

For kids and adults alike, a photo booth with lots of props adds an element of fun to any party. What to use for props? Hats, sunglasses, wigs, boas, scarves, signs, flower leis, toy necklaces, goofy headbands, party masks, pirate eye patches, easy-on/easy-off costumes – your imagination is the limit! While this doesn’t need to be a professional set-up, and is an easy DIY entertainment option, you might consider hiring a pro. Photographers like Studio Pixel Pop who offer photo booths have everything you need all ready to go and can provide you with high quality snaps of the fun. These photos are terrific take-aways from the event and often treasured memories of time with friends. If possible, you want to be able to print photos on site and provide digital copies to guests instantly.

What’s a party without games? Include some in your festivities even if it’s simply a “guess how many” based on your party theme. You can use jelly beans, gumballs, M&Ms, gold coins, golf tees, golf balls, Legos, animal crackers, etc. Have your guests enter their guess with their name on a slip of paper & put it into a pail or box. The closest guess to the actual number of items in the jar or container wins a prize. Of course, if you’re looking for something less

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sedate, you can always turn up the music and grab a limbo stick!

Balloon games are fun and have plenty of variations. Who can pop a balloon fastest by sitting on it? Hot potato (using a balloon). If you want to take time to stuff paper in balloons before they’re inflated, you can make this game even trickier. Write challenges like “Tell your best dad joke.” or “Cluck like a chicken.” or “Touch your nose with your tongue.” on slips of paper and insert one in each balloon, then inflate. The game is for everyone to pass the balloon around by hitting it to keep it in the air while music plays. When the music stops, the last person to touch it must pop it and complete the challenge. If you want everyone at the party to be a prize winner, set aside balloons for each guest and put a slip of paper with a number in it in each balloon before inflating. Let each guest choose their own balloon as they arrive, then when they leave the party, have them pop the balloon to claim the prize that’s been assigned to that number. Classic party hits like “Pin the Tail on the Donkey” modified to match your party theme and the ever-popular piñata are sure to get your guests laughing. These work for all ages too. Don’t forget the blindfold!

Piñatas don’t have to be filled with candy. Some non-candy prizes that work well are glow sticks, mini bubbles, toy animals, dinosaurs, and cars, little rubber ducks, temporary tattoos and stickers, erasers, bouncy balls, mini slinkies, snack bags of goldfish crackers or fruit snacks, stampers, mini pens, toy rings and necklaces, small containers of play doh, silly putty, or slime. If you’re filling the piñata for adults, plastic mini bottles of booze and hot sauce are good starters. Ring pops are still a big hit. Cheap bottle openers and key chains, glow bracelets, and gum can round out the mix. If you want to invest a little more, you can always throw in a few inexpensive gift cards, scratch-off lottery tickets, or movie tickets.