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When planning kids’ birthday parties, a single theme that combines decorations and activities can be lots of fun and keep the children entertained (a fun thought for the grownups!). But there’s no need to wear yourself out with complicated arrangements before the party’s even started: here are 5 children’s birthday ideas that will be enjoyable for the kids … and easy for busy grownups to plan!
By Lesley Mattos
Good Sport Kids’ Birthday Party Ideas – Go For the Gold
Think Olympics as a theme for a children’s birthday party. Depending on when the birthday party is taking place, you can do simple variations on summer or winter events such as gymnastics and relay races and set up your party space for indoor or outdoor play. Hang flags from different countries and buy foil-covered chocolate circles in gold and silver to award as “medals” to all the kids participating. You can decorate your kids’ birthday party cake like the Olympic flag or, instead of a birthday cake, serve cupcakes colored and arranged like the Olympics flag circles: blue, yellow, black green and red.
A Capitol Kids’ Birthday Party Idea – Hail to the Chief
Your child doesn’t have to be old enough to vote for you to elect a presidential theme for a kids’ birthday party. And no one has to choose sides, either: just decorate the birthday cake and party space in all-American red, white and blue. In addition to regular party games, one activity you can do at this kids’ birthday party is have the girls and boys write down one thing they each would do if they were president. Or they can write one question they have for the current commander in chief, and you can send it to the White House on their behalf.
Just Boys Kids’ Birthday Party Idea – It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane …
Boys love playing superhero, and if you’re having a birthday party just for boys, a fun kids’ birthday party idea and activity would be to have them come as their favorite superhero. You can also transform the guests into superheroes at the children’s birthday party with the help of some store bought or homemade masks and capes. The boys can even make their own masks, and one birthday party activity can be for them to use their imaginations and make up a brand new superpower.
Just Girls Kids’ Birthday Party Idea – It’s Tea Time!
If your children’s birthday party is going to be an all-girl affair, how about having the birthday girl host a tea party? It can be simple or fancy, depending on the girls’ ages and what’s easily available to you. If the girls are little, use different-colored napkins to set the table prettily and serve iced tea in plastic cups. For older girls, using china cups and saucers would be an elegant way to celebrate at your child’s birthday party. If you don’t want to risk your own fine china, look around at local thrift stores or garage sales for a mix-and-match variety of dishes.
Unique Kids’ Birthday Party Idea – Picture This … With an Adesso Album Instant Photo Guest Book
With an Adesso Album Instant Photo Guest Book, you can capture the magic moments with instant Fuji, Polaroid or Digital photos at your children’s birthday party as they’re happening. While the party is going on, taking instant photos can be one of the kids’ birthday party activities. If the children are old enough, they can even be the ones taking the pictures! Together with hand-written messages from party guests, friends and family, you’re creating a personal, one-of-a-kind keepsake that you’ll have long after the party’s over. Enter this discount coupon code KIDS09 to get a 10% discount at checkout.
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About the Author: Lesley Mattos, Founder of Adesso Albums helps people all over the world capture the Now in life’s most important moments. The Adesso Instant Photo Guest Book is an ideal children’s birthday party idea that provides an instant memory of your child’s birthday event in both pictures and words. Get it now at www.adessoalbums.com/kids-birthday-party.html.
 Are you looking for the perfect place to throw your child a birthday party that is fun, stress-free and budget-friendly? Forget about driving across town to the nearest skating rink because we show you how you can throw the perfect birthday bash at home!
By Mary Fetzer
Our preschooler, Isabelle, seems to be invited to a birthday party every other week. Her friends throw birthday celebrations at the movie theater, skating rink, bowling alley, amusement park, indoor playground, Pizza Hut, McDonald’s…
So when it came time to plan Isabelle’s own fifth birthday party, I panicked. How could I compete with those other bashes?
It’s been said that you know what you know. What I knew was how we celebrated birthdays when we were kids. It was all pretty routine – everyone gathered at the birthday kid’s house where we feasted on cake and ice cream, played games, opened presents and went home.
Drawing on my own experience, I decided to host an old-fashioned birthday party at our home. Amazingly – and perhaps due to the novelty of it all – the party was a huge success! The celebration ended with happy, satisfied children, relaxed grown-ups, and no gaping hole in our pocketbook.
Here is how to get started planning a fun birthday bash at home:
DECORATIONS
Keep it simple. Use colorful plastic tablecloths to protect serving and eating areas. Hang a few balloons and streamers and perhaps a personalized banner from your computer. That, along with food, cake, and incoming gifts, is decoration enough.
TIMING
Keep the party limited to two hours, and hold it mid-afternoon – after lunch and before dinner. The guests will arrive fed and in a pleasant mood, and you won’t be stuck preparing a meal that they will barely eat. Kids don’t attend parties for the food – they’re there for the fun.
FOOD
So while there’s no need for a feast, it is important to keep a steady flow of snacks available – if not for the kids, then for the adults that may decide to stick around. Keep it simple – a fruit and veggie tray, some cheese and crackers, chips, pretzels, Jell-O Jigglers and some cold drinks. Set everything out on a table where guests can help themselves throughout the party.
PLAYTIME PART I
Get it started. Oftentimes, kids stand around awkwardly wondering what it is they’re supposed to do at a party. Not sure how to begin? Think recess, where there was never a problem coming up with unstructured fun. Throw out a couple of soccer balls. Fill up some balloons that the children can twist into shapes. Give each kid a can of bubbles and just let them run around and enjoy themselves.
THE CAKE
After a half-hour or so of playing, bring out the cake. Gather up the kids and sing “Happy Birthday” to the guest of honor. (Tip: Don’t let any of the young guests get so close that they’re able to blow out the candles before the birthday kid does – it will result in a meltdown, no pun intended.) Since many kids just eat the frosting, cut small servings. Put the children on a blanket or under a tent in the yard where they can freely enjoy without worrying about the mess.
TRADITIONS
You’re halfway through the party! This is a good time for planned activities, the kids played and ate, and the sugar hasn’t kicked in yet. Even today’s kids love traditional fun like pin the tail on the donkey, musical chairs, and piñatas. Let their interest level guide you; if they get fidgety, move on to the next activity. And keep it simple – no complicated crafts.
ICE CREAM
Since the kids probably didn’t finish their cake, and it’s now approaching suppertime, you may want to offer more food. Instead of serving the ice cream with the cake, make it a special treat of its own. Place a variety of different sprinkles and toppings in separate bowls on a table. Offer each child an ice cream cone that they decorate themselves. They love eating their own creations.
PRESENTS
While the guests enjoy their cones, they can watch the birthday child open presents. Let each child present the gift that he or she brought. Bring out the digital camera and get a shot of your child with each guest and the gift he or she brought. After the party, print the photos and convert them into thank-you cards.
PLAYTIME II
Send the kids into the yard for some more “free time.” They can swing, play hide-and-seek, and just enjoy being with one another – like a group play date!
PARTY’S OVER
As parents arrive to claim their children, encourage your child to offer thanks and good-bye to each guest. Give each child a small takeaway – a balloon, a little bag of goodies, or an inexpensive trinket from the dollar store.
Bottom line: It’s not the venue or the expense of the party that makes it special. Taking the old-fashioned route keeps costs and stress levels down, and puts a smile on everyone’s face.
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 The Fourth of July should be all about family, fun, and fireworks. But thanks to many potential hazards, the holiday can bring about plenty of big time boo-boos, too. Here’s how to keep your kids safe this Fourth—and all summer long.
By Sarah Wassner Flynn
As barbeques simmer and fireworks pop this Fourth of July, hospital emergency rooms around the country fill with victims of Independence Day injuries. In fact, the one-month window surrounding the Fourth is one of the busiest times for ER doctors and nurses. But the good news is that there are plenty of ways to sidestep common summertime ailments and injuries. Here are some expert tips on making your Fourth spectacular and safe.
FIREWORKS SAFETY
According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), 9,200 people were treated in emergency rooms across the country due to accidents caused by fireworks devices in 2006. And children ages 10 to 14 are the most likely to suffer from fireworks-related injuries, usually involving burns to the hands and fingers, eyes, head, and face. “Every year, we see the same thing,” says Donna Bucciarelli, a trauma nurse with William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, MI, and director of programs for Safety City, U.S.A . “Kids come in with severe burns, lacerations to the eyes, and worse. We don’t really think about their danger because they are so beautiful, but fireworks pack a lot of power.”
Experts recommend avoiding homegrown fireworks displays all together. But if you do decide to put on your own display, keep the pyrotechnics in the hands of the parents. Have kids watch from a safe distance, which is at least 20 feet away. Or better yet, just hit up a local fireworks show put on by professionals. “If you don’t know what you’re doing, the dangers far exceed the fun of it all,” says Bucciarelli.
SPARKLERS OF CONCERN
Sure, sparklers seem like a simple way to keep kids entertained on the fourth, but these sizzling sticks come with their own set of safety concerns. Bucciarelli recalls a small girl arriving to the ER with severe burns to her lower body one a recent Fourth of July. “She was wearing a skirt made of some sort of synthetic material, which just went up in flames as she was playing with a sparkler,” she says. “Little kids’ arms aren’t that long, and they tend to hold sparklers way too close to their bodies, resulting in burns.”
It’s no surprise, then, that sparklers (which can reach up to 2000 degrees) account for over one-third of injuries to children under five years old, according to the CPSC. “Sparklers don’t look very threatening, but still have the potential to burn a child,” says Sherri Hannan, a registered nurse and head of the Safe Kids Coalition at Kentucky Children’s Hospital in Lexington. She says it’s key to keep sparklers away from children under five, and to supervise the older kids closely as they play. “They’re essentially playing with fire, so extreme caution should be taken any time sparklers are out,” advises Bucciarelli.
GRILL WISELY
Another hot topic around the fourth? Grill and campfire safety. “Anything with an open flame is an invite for potential burns, especially with kids,” says Bucciarelli. “They’re naturally curious, and once the cooking’s done and everyone’s busy eating, they tend to sneak over to the grill or campfire, which is when injuries can occur.” You can never be too vigilant about eyeing your little ones as they play outside. Britt Michaelian of Responsible Family Company recommends keeping your barbeque lid closed and kids at least five feet away at all times. “And if you’re lighting a campfire, keep the flame small, and make sure to have plenty of water and a shovel on hand in case the fire gets out of control,” says Michaelian.
WATER WATCH
As families descend upon beaches and pools around the fourth, ERs become saturated with victims of water-related injuries. “We see many, many drownings around the fourth,” says Bucciarelli. “There’s just so much going on that it’s easy to lose sight of the kids.” To prevent a potential scary situation, Hannan suggests designating an adult as a “child watcher” whose sole duty is to observe kids around water. “This way, everyone doesn’t assume that someone else is doing it,” she says. And this may be a given, but be sure to strap on the lifejackets while on the open water—all children seven and under are required by law to wear US Life Guard approved life jackets when riding in boats.
To be properly prepared for any potentially scary summertime situations, prepare a first aid kit and toss it into your beach bag or backpack. And as with any time you’re having some family fun in the sun, drink plenty of fluids on a regular basis and frequently slather on that SPF. Then, just focus on having a fabulous fourth!
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Between changing diapers, taking the kids to soccer practice and making sure the kids are well fed – how will you find the time, not to mention the money, to plan a big birthday bash for your child? While we may not be able to tell you all about time management (we’ll save that for another day), we can certainly talk some sense into your budget when planning the perfect soirée. Check out our pick of budget-friendly birthday party favors all the kiddies are sure to love.
 By Amanda Fornecker
Old McDonald Had a Farm
For the animal loving kid or a farm animal-themed party, be sure to give out Barnyard Licorice Pals. These tubs look like a pint of ice cream, but are filled with licorice animals in all different shapes. From orange flavored ducks to red cherry piglets to chocolate flavored cows, your guests will go crazy playing with and eating their favors. And they can learn all about the animals too! At $6 for each seven-ounce tub, you can easily divide up the licorice and put into small baggies for each child.
Oh Goody!
Goodie bags are always a common favor at birthday parties, but the last thing you want to do is give an already-hyper child more sugar. That’s why passing out some healthy (yet yummy) treats are always in order. Yummy Earth is a concept that was created by two dads who were looking for a healthier kind of treat for their kids. These gluten-free, nut-free, organic lollipops are a perfect snack for guests of your party. There are different packages available, but a bag of 15 lollies will cost about $2.99.
 Display Your Favor
Who doesn’t love Play-Doh? With different types of Play-Doh Make ‘N Displays, kids can pick their favorite shapes to make into a colorful creation they can put up for all to see after the party’s over. Butterflies, Dalmatians and race cars are just some of the fun creations children can make. At $1.99 per kit, they won’t break the bank.
Colorful Favors
What kid doesn’t love crafts, crayons and crazy colors? With Crayola crayons, kids can make their own party bags and get their creative juices flowing at the same time. Crayola has party packs that will get you started on making up favors. You’ll get individually wrapped four-packs to give out to the kids. The Crayola website even has a ton of great ideas for birthday parties, kids’ crafts, and games to play that involve crayons.
 Outdoors and Bubbly
For the outdoors birthday party, bubbles make the perfect birthday favor. Your child will love giving out bottles of bubbles that corresponds with her party theme. Using them before the party is over will keep the kiddies entertained and then they can bring this fun item home! In fact, if you are having trouble coming up with a birthday theme, you can take the bubble theme all the way through with bubble invitations and a bubble cake. From ice cream cones (pictured) to trumpets to their favorite Disney character, your kids will have lots of fun playing with their party favor. Prices are dependent on your bubble choice, but check out partymerchant.com for bubble ideas.
 Thirsty Characters
Juice boxes are usually in order for longer car rides, but sometimes those sugary fruit juices are not the best for kids. That’s why Bot has flavored water without the artificial sweetener, which is both unhealthy and makes kids hyper. The cute characters on the bottle will be enough to sell any child on a refreshing drink on the way home from their play date or even from the party itself. They can be found at supermarkets, like Whole Foods, for just $1.49 a bottle.
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