Throwing a birthday party for a toddler is a different kettle of fish altogether. They can comprehend what a birthday is and get involved in all the excitement, rather than becoming alarmed by it all as they did when they turned one. Therefore, be prepared for a disorganised and chaotic, but ultimately rewarding, time!
Plan it together
Talk about your toddler’s birthday with them a few weeks before the event. See if they would like to have a ‘themed’ party, based on a favourite toy, animal or cartoon character, for example. If they have a definite preference for a theme, you could do invitations that reflect this. For example, bear-shaped cards for a Winnie the Pooh party. Half of the fun will be getting your toddler to help make the invites, if you have the time, or at least choose them in the local stationers!
Themes and dreams
As we said above, the best way to discover what theme would work best at your toddler’s party is to ask them to give you one. Most toddlers have favourite toys or interests than can form a proper theme – transport (trains, planes and automobiles!), animals (cats, dogs, horses etc), cartoons (Teletubbies, Hoobs, Tweenies). Once you have this, you can plan decorations with this in mind (plastic plates, cups, wall hangings and balloons) and look for a fun birthday cake!
Fun and games
Toddlers are so active they will love most activities and games. The
only thing you have to worry about is tiring them out too quickly! If
this sounds unlikely, remember that all the excitement and anticipation
of a birthday party can be exhausting in itself to a toddler. The following
games should be fun and not too wearing for both children and parents!:
Bubbly fun:
Buy several sets of bubble wands and bubble solution (unless you know
the secret ratio of washing-up liquid to water!) to give to some of the
parents attending the party. Get everyone to go outside and ask the parents
to all blow bubbles together. This will create a river of bubbles which
the children can them have fun chasing! Alternatively, have enough sets
of wands and solution to give to each child and get them to have a little
competition to see how many bubbles they can produce at once!
Dressing up:
Toddlers love anything new so some fun clothes or hats (don’t risk those
from your own wardrobe) should go down a treat. Again, think of the theme
- little plastic swords or pirate hats should be fun for a pirate theme,
or fake ears and a tail and paws can work for an animal-based party. Just
remember to check that any costume extras you buy are suitable and safe
for the age group.
Teddy bears’ picnic:
Most children love teddies so why not ask each child to bring along their
favourite one (with their name on it in case it gets left behind!). When
all the children and bears arrive, set out a little children’s tea set
and sit them in a circle, with some cake and biscuits for food, and water
for tea.
Dancing:
You could try getting things off to a swinging start by playing some
classic children’s music and getting the toddlers to dance around to it.
Better still, see if they can sing along and do the actions to the songs!
As with adult parties, this can be an excellent ice-breaker, and children
won’t have the inhibitions that their parents suffer from in order to
get on the dance floor.
Soft play:
You might decide to forget hosting the party at your place (the cat never
recovered from the last one) and hire out a village hall or a soft-play
centre instead. Soft play activity centres are fantastic for kids’ parties
- not only can they let off loads of steam but they are in a perfectly
safe environment too. Most places that offer this facility can also provide
a room for refreshments afterwards, thereby saving your carpets! And you
never know, while the kids are jumping on bouncy floors or rolling along
mats, you might even manage a conversation with one of your friends. Excellent!
Time it right
Even now your child is older, don’t drag things out too long. The best
parties are kept short and sweet – three hours is the maximum time you
should keep things going for. Too much excitement, otherwise, can lead
to a very tired and upset child. Be prepared to change things at the last
minute too, if your little one is finding it all a bit too much earlier
on.
Nice nosh
Obviously you’ll need the piece de resistance – a super-duper birthday
cake. If you’re either brave or blessed in the baking area, you could
make one of your own a few weeks before the big event then freeze it to
keep. If you’re extremely talented, you could make it the night before,
but this is generally a bad idea if your cooking skills aren’t quite up
to scratch and you value your kip. Otherwise, pop along to the supermarket
or local cake shop and buy one of those splendid ones that are already
made and decorated.
The best foods at birthday parties are finger foods, so stick to what
the children like and want. Raisins, salad sticks, fruit, flapjacks, cheese,
crackers and biscuits go down a treat, but make sure they all leave room
for a piece of the cake!
Where to next?
- Need some recipe suggestions for the big day? Look at our Recipe ideas forum!
- Want a book on what to feed your child from birth to early teens?
Read our review of The Collins Children’s Food Bible - Check out the forums home page
and talk to other parents about their birthday party plans! - Read babyworld’s pregnancy health and beauty tips
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