We’ve already covered location, food and decorations. Now it is time to entertain those little munchkins. There are two schools of thought on entertaining children. The first is to fill up every moment of the party with an activity so the kids don’t have a chance to get bored or out of control. The other school says to only choose one or two fun activities and let the kids have free play time for the rest of the party. I’m personally in the second school of thought, as I don’t think kids enjoy being herded from one game to the next for the entire party. If you have a lot of guests I guess you may need to supply entertainment to keep the kids busy, but we don’t throw big parties. A happy medium is to stage one or two games and have a couple of easy ones waiting in the wings just in case the kids get bored.
Crafts
Young children especially love getting messy but even older boys and girls enjoy crafts. Craft making doubles as both an entertaining activity and the finished item is the favor. Finger painting, making jewelry, slime, painting wooden cars and a large range of other craft projects are inexpensive for a group of kids. Choose a craft that matches the theme if at all possible. Encourage the kids to wear old clothes to the party or make art smocks by cutting holes for the head and the arms in garbage bags.
Pin-the-what?!
Pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey is a classic party game. So classic that most kids have played it a thousand times by the time they are five. Instead of the traditional donkey, make your own version of the game to fit the party theme. You could pin crowns on princess or pin wheels on trucks. While older kids may not enjoy it, younger kids will.
A version we have played with older kids that they have more fun with is draw-the-tail (or whatever). We made a posterboard up for each guest with the basic shape of a pirate head (it was a pirate theme). The kids were blindfolded then had to draw the face on the pirate with no peeking. The results were hilarious and the boys had a ball.
Pinata
I love pinatas. I make simple ones for our parties around here. You stuff them with the some toys and inexpensive toys then make the kids earn their party favors by whacking it with a stick. What could be more fun? The simplest way to make a pinata is to blow up a large balloon. Mix equal parts water and flour in a bowl, then tear newspaper into strips. Soak the strips in the flour mixture then stick them to the balloon. Build up a layer over the entire balloon that is at least 6 strips deep. Let it dry for three or four days then pop the balloon. Decorate with paint or crepe paper. With practice, you can soon be making pinatas that rival the fancy store bought ones!
Outdoor Activities
Send the kids outdoor after cake so you can clean up the party mess without screaming banshees under foot. In summer, a large supply of water balloons sitting pre-filled by the back door is enough to get the party really started. In winter, snow ball fights are an option if you have snow on the ground. In any weather, a homemade obstacle course entertains the kids for the last leg of the party. Use old tires and other items laying around the house. The kids take turns running the course. If you have a stopwatch that adds even more fun and authenticity to the course.
There are plenty of activities to entertain kids with. Use your party theme as inspiration when deciding what to do. Tomorrow we’ll wrap up this series by covering both invitations and favors.
What are some forms of entertainment you’ve found to be successful? I’d love to hear about them in the comments!
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