The old fashioned back yard birthday party seems to have gone the way of the punch card computers. That is to say that it doesn’t seem to be a very popular option these days. However, in my opinion, it is a much overlooked option and can be the best party your child ever had!
There are several options when considering the backyard birthday party. One can hire entertainment or one can do the entertaining oneself. You can allow a free for all playtime or you can plan games and activities for the children. It can be a big bash or a small intimate gathering. It can be a catered meal or it can be snack foods and make your own sundaes! The options are literally endless. Let’s explore some of the possibilities!
As far as entertaining young children, it first depends on the age of the children. Once that is taken into consideration, you also have to decide what may be interesting to them. For the youngest children, a few games, some balls, and a swingset are probably the most appealing party ideas. As children get a bit older, they may enjoy more sophisticated entertainment.
If you choose to hire entertainment, you may choose a clown, a team that does science experiments for the kids or a traveling zoo among other choices. Be sure to check with the entertainer for the optimal number of children he prefers and also find out how long the performance will last and what exactly is included. Find out if there will be any hands on opportunities for the kids or will they just watch a show. Also find out if the entertainer needs anything specific like a table or if the children need to be seated in a particular way (i.e. in chairs or on the ground or maybe it doesn’t matter). Do find out all the details! This will make the party a huge success!
Some choose to do the entertaining themselves. This can be done in a variety of ways. I’ve seen arts and crafts parties where there are stations set up with different crafts and each child moves from station to station as they are ready to do so. Crafts are set up and easy to do independently. Games can be set up in a similar fashion with things like bean bag toss or a magnetic fishing pond or you can choose to do whole group games where everyone at the party participates together. Group games can range from “Pin the Tail on the ____” to relay races to something you create on your own. Here are a few of my favorite party games:
Surprise Balloon Relay Race: Before the race, blow up balloons but put toy or candy surprises INSIDE the balloons. Children line up in two teams on one end of the yard. Baskets with the surprise balloons are on the other side of the yard. Proceed as in a relay race but when the racer gets to the basket of balloons, he has to take one out, pop it to get his surprise then run back to tag the next person in line to go. Line that finishes first wins but really everyone wins because everyone gets a prize!
Scavenger Hunt: Place a treasure chest somewhere secret. Create clues that lead the children to the treasure chest such as “check behind the tree that has the pink balloons hanging from it” or “the key to the treasure lies where you will find baking pies (kitchen)”. At each location, children will find another clue until the final clue leads them to the treasure. Inside the treasure box, children will find small toys to keep.
Musical shapes – Place cut out shapes (or use paper plates with numbers on them even) around in a circle. Each child starts off on a shape or numbered plate. Play music and the children must walk around the outside of the circle. When the music stops, each child finds a shape or plate. The caller calls out a shape or number (you can put them all in a cup and draw one out each time so it is random). If the number or shape you are standing on is called, you win a prize.
Penny or Gem Toss: Spread pennies or gems out in one particular area. Have children stand outside that area until you shout “go”. At that time, children are encouraged to pick up as many pennies or gems as they can find. The one with the most pennies or gems is the winner. Children seem to love finding the “gems” (I used clear/colored marbles) and then even trading them to get the ones they found most beautiful.There are also plenty of well known party games such as Simon Says, Red Light Green Light, Mother May I?, Duck, Duck Goose and so many more. You can do bean bag tosses or basketball toss (if you have a hoop). You can do soccer ball kicks to see who can kick the farthest.
