Part of my job is being a party coordinator for birthday parties. For the most part they are children parties (between the ages of 5-13) but I did do a few adult parties. The adult parties have an open bar option and a whole different setup but if you are interested you can find more info here. When it comes to children’s parties there are normally 2 general kinds of atmospheres, the one where the child is so excited and bunch of friends show up and they run around and have a crazy good time, and then there are the quieter shyer children where maybe not a lot of people show up or maybe they do not know how to socialize with their guests. There have been so many parties where these children do not really enjoy their birthday parties because they are so anxious about if their guests are having fun or if anyone will show up. One of the things I absolutely love about birthdays and birthday parties is that it is a day to celebrate you and no matter what the previous year held you made it to this point and you should be allowed to be a little selfish and enjoy your day. That is easier said than done especially for children, therefore having activities or planning a party that makes the event easier is paramount to a successful birthday party. A previous birthday I worked, the mother was telling me how worried the little girl was that no one would show up or those that did would tell everyone her party was boring, so the mom planned all these activities during the room rental portion of the party package and she told me that they were working on her daughter’s social skill but they are not at the point to entertain guests for an hour and a half and she wanted to make sure everyone was having fun. After that party there were several others that brought activities for the children to do during the room rental.
That is what gave me the idea for this blog. Here are a few of my favorite birthday party ideas for children:
1) Cupcake Building Activity:
I got this idea from a place called Molly’s Cupcakes where thier menu lets you build your cupcake and you chose base, frosting and filling. Cupcakes are an essential part of a birthday party and turning them into a fun activity can really add an extra layer to your party. Also as an event planner we love what a fun table set up can do for a birthday party. I love the idea of the painting pallets with sprinkls and topings and the cupcake in the middle, it is so perfect for a child’s birthday party. This is also a great activity to encourage conversation and everyone can talk about thier favorite desserts or cupcake toppings.
2) Movie Party
I was such an introverted child growing up and my mom threw me a movie birthday once at a local movie theater. It was great because we got to do the whole cake and food but then watched a movie so there was not this pressure to continuously socialize. At fifth third we do have hdmi capabilities for the tv in the party room all you have to do is ask. This gives the children a way to wind down while they eat and does not force the birthday child to social or be osterized during the room rental or party. Also for drop off parties this is great for the party parent. Bringing some pillows and blankets can even jaz it up. Also look at the pictures of cute snack ideas for a movie party!
3.) Crafting Party
Any activities that encourage individualistic creativity is always great. The great thing about doing crafts or artsy activities is if the birthday child is super shy and quiet they can work individually but can also work with others for ideas and it’s hard to not see something cute or a cool idea and comment on it. The first party I did that had an activity did slap bracelets, it was such a cool activity and it was a fun party favor because parties can get expensive so having a bulk activity that acts a party favors is a great idea as well. I also love doing polaroid pictures and scrapbook pages or just a photo booth kind of situation. Tie blankets are another fun activity.
There are so many other cool fun birthday party games and activities but I was inspired by doing parties for more introverted children and as adults it’s our job to not only instill life skills but also help them grow and make memories they love. These are my ideas being an event planner but just being someone who has worked with so many amazing children who have been in a state of anxiety that an eight year old should not know because of children being mean to them is actually infuriating. These tips are to help the children enjoy their party better but also we as a society need to normalize teaching children to be kind no matter what the case.
If you are in the Chicago area and looking for a great place to have a birthday party Fifth Third Arena is a great place and you should check it out! (Shameless plug, but this is my blogs so I can do these things.) FTA is great because there is ice-skating and room rental with so many other options and packages
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