How to Put Together a Great Birthday Party for a Child

Every child loves a party and putting one together can be easy and cheaper than you think. There are many games kids can play, with items you already have in the home. And there are stores that offer very cheap party supplies and other items. I have thrown a few parties for my little boys and they and their guests had quite a fun time, one little girl even said one party was the best one she ever went to. Below is a list of games, stores, activities and food that I used to put together the parties for my kids.

Dollar Tree: This store is AWESOME. You can get so many great deals on party supplies, party favors and gifts for your party guests. Both my boy's birthdays are near the beginning of the school year, so we got all the guests school supplies like rulers and pencils and erasers and cool sharpeners. These came in packs of like ten or so and everything in the Dollar Tree is one buck. You just can't beat that price. Here is the complete list of items I got from the Dollar Tree:

Streamers
Decorating balloons
Punch balls (the big balloons that come with a rubber band) these were party favors
Birthday banner (reusable)
Water balloons
Assorted candy
School supplies (mentioned above)
Water guns (better than water balloons)

The Dollar Tree also has grab bags filled with assorted gifts for both boys and girls. We got our paper cups and plates here too. I also found some other cool items there like battery operated paper lanterns, good for a party set for a summer evening.

Pinata: A pinata will be the big thing at any party whether it was intended that way or not. You can find them at Wal-Mart but they are the pull string kind, not the pinatas you bust open. They were also kind of small and were between ten and fifteen bucks. If you have a party store then you could probably find one there. I opted to make my own, as I am artistic. Mine were slightly bigger than the ones at the store and I was able to provide to my boys exactly the type they wanted. I filled mine with assorted candy and quarters. If you are artistic or like working with your hands then consider making your own. You can read about my tips on making them in the links provided.

Water balloons or squirt guns: With my oldest son's party we did the balloons, with my youngest we did the guns. Water guns are by far the better choice. I say this because it takes a lot of time to fill up the balloons and they are gone in a matter of seconds. With the guns you can have the kids refill their guns, just fill up a kiddie pool. You also won't have all those little pieces of balloon to pick up when you use water guns.

Horseshoe: I had a plastic horseshoe set that was never open, so I broke it out and used it as an activity game for the kids to play during the party. Most of the kids at the party had never played this game and really enjoyed it. I got the horseshoe set at K-Mart on sale.

Pin the tail on the donkey: I remember playing this game at a cousin's birthday party when I was a little girl. It was so much fun I had it for my kids parties. Again I made it myself by painting a donkey on a long sheet of plastic I got from a mechanic. I taped a large piece of cardboard behind it where the donkey was. I then tied some frazzled yarn to a large thumb tack for the pin. If you are not so artistic or do not have the time you can probably find a pin the tail on the donkey at a party store or maybe Wal-Mart.

Musical Chairs: This is a fun game for anyone and you already have what you need right in your home. Grab some chairs, and find a good CD or cassette tape with fun music. Arrange the chairs in a circle, enough chairs for everyone except one person.All the players should walk or run around the chairs when the music starts. The person playing the music will unexpectedly stop the music when he chooses. When the music stops all players must try and find a seat. Since there is one chair short, one player will not find a chair and as so, is out. The player with out a chair must then take a chair with him as he leaves. And the cycle starts over until there is only one chair and two players. The one of the two who sits in the last chair is deemed the winner.

Tips:

1) If the party is in summer, ask a local pool or water park if they allow birthday parties, If you don't like that idea, fill up a kiddie pool at home or buy a slip and slide or a water sprinkler. Kids love to play in water and everyone needs to cool down in the heat of summer.

2) If you plan on having food at your party other than cake and ice cream try chips and dip and check out pizza places to see what deals the have. One local pizza place in my town has large pizzas for five bucks a piece. For one party I made cold turkey and ham sandwiches, another party I made hot subs. You might also want to try a fruit or veggie tray.

3) Remember when throwing parties for kids to always supervise. If there are older kids, then ask them to help keep an eye on the younger ones in case you get a little busy. Be sure any hazards are taken care of. If you choose to have a pool for your party, even if it is a kiddie pool there always needs to be an adult outside when the kids are.

6) There are many places to hold your party. Besides the pool, you can ask your local recreation department about the local parks. You have to reserve these and it usually requires a refundable deposit. You could even do an overnight slumber/birthday party. You can have it inside with movies and boardgames, or outside like camping, with tents and lanterns or a campfire.

5) Let the kids be kids. I meet so many parents who expect their five year olds to be quiet and don't let them outside much. You got to let them cut loose and have fun. Let them get wet, let them get dirty and run around and be loud. They will only be young once and play is a form of learning. Let them play all they other games kids love to do on their own, like hide and go seek.

6) Do you know someone who is a firefighter, policeman or soldier? Ask them to dress in uniform and visit the kids and talk to them about what he does, kind of like a show and tell. Kids are fascinated by cops and firefighters, to children they are the good guys and sometimes heroes. Many cops and firefighters are happy to speak to kids and I don't believe there is any charge.

7) Want to take a walk on the wild side? A costume themed birthday isn't done very often and is sure to set your party apart from the rest. You might want to have some cheap party masks for kids who might not been able to, or allowed to dress in costume.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2394152/making_pinatas.html?cat=24

http://www.wikihow.com/Play-Musical-Chairs