Birthday party activities?

[spaghetticat]

If you aren't having your party at a place (like a Bounce House or something) what kind of activities are you planning? I'm thinking of doing superhero tattoos and make your own superhero mask. I'm wondering how many organized activities I should have for 3 year olds.

[teamhayes]

Truck stuff like coloring and playing in the dirt and ring toss in traffic cones

We will prob rent a bounce house too

[teamhayes]

... And not organized but available to fee play with lots if trucks and stuff

[muppetinma]

We're doing a Play Doh themed party, so I'm going to have tables loaded with dough and toys.

[dbe100408]

Kentucky Derby party for us, so we will have pool noodle horse races. I think that's probably it.

[thedahliharpa]

For H's 3rd birthday (think the photo of her face in the heart wreath) we turned pictures into a craft. We hung a heart patterned sheet from ilea up and set up a little photo station to take pics of the guests and printed the pics on our photo printer. I pre cut hearts out of construction paper and had a bunch of decorating stuff out and they adhered the photos to the hearts. It went over really well.

Eta it was her third bday
Eta I guess I already said that, lol

[devonpow]

We hired a magician for E's upcoming party .

For H's 3 rd birthday we had a balloon maker/face painter come and it was really fun.

[greenkitty98]

For B's third birthday, our only organized activity was decorating cookies. The kids loved it, and the rest of the time they just played with all the toys we have like a regular play date.

Eta: It was a sesame street theme, so we had B cookies, 3 cookies, and ducks. And the kids got to take home rubber ducks and any cookies they decorated.

[vthokie]

We were thinking of cookie decorating and maybe buying those cheap white paper lanterns and decorating them (rapunzel party)

[fusion]

I've always had a pinata at home. We've hired a facepainter/balloon maker before too.

[laurack]

Bounce house rental
Popcorn machine
Magician
Face painter
Music man



Oh wait! You mean in real life where I'm not rich

Probably coloring books or something

[spaghetticat]

Jan 27, 2015 20:19:07 GMT -5 laurack said:

Bounce house rental
Popcorn machine
Magician
Face painter
Music man



Oh wait! You mean in real life where I'm not rich

Probably coloring books or something

I started to skim after bounce house rental. Ha. I'm glad I made it to the bottom.

Side note: I was reading a blog that did a girls superhero theme and thinking of taking some ideas until I got down to the budget: $3000

[laurack]

Jan 27, 2015 21:16:18 GMT -5 spaghetticat said:

Jan 27, 2015 20:19:07 GMT -5 laurack said:

Bounce house rental
Popcorn machine
Magician
Face painter
Music man



Oh wait! You mean in real life where I'm not rich

Probably coloring books or something

I started to skim after bounce house rental. Ha. I'm glad I made it to the bottom.

Side note: I was reading a blog that did a girls superhero theme and thinking of taking some ideas until I got down to the budget: $3000

If I had $3000 for a party I wouldn't be inviting the chaos to my house. I'd just do it somewhere else

The only reason we will do it at out house is because of money. Or lack thereof lol

[ninjabridemom]

This year is our first birthday party, and only b/c the boys have been talking about it since June lol.

We are doing a Pete the Cat theme, so the game will be pin the button on Pete. And we'll have a craft -- either cat masks or ears, I haven't decided yet. And maybe also a food thing but I might just keep that in case it's too gross outside (it's just graham crackers, yellow icing, and M&Ms for buttons).

I'm also hoping if we do all ^ that I can avoid party favors for 3yr olds. Because....yeah.

[dixeedeluxe]

My sister just did that dance party theme party and it was AMAZING. She just got some kind of light machine thing for $12 on Amazon and played her iPod in a dark room and the kids DANCED AND DANCED AND DANCED.

[hairballs]

Jan 28, 2015 10:11:55 GMT -5 dixeedeluxe said:

My sister just did that dance party theme party and it was AMAZING. She just got some kind of light machine thing for $12 on Amazon and played her iPod in a dark room and the kids DANCED AND DANCED AND DANCED.

We did something like this for New Years eve & the kids of all ages loves it. Especially with glow sticks

[hairballs]

How many 3 year olds? How many adult helpers? Super hero coloring pages with markers, crayons & paint. I like the mask idea, markers & foam stickers should be easy enough for 3 yrs without a lot of adult help. An obstacle course could be set up before the party & depending on the obstacles not need a lot of adult help. A dress up area with masks & capes.

[imimahoney]

I'm thinking of renting a bounce house. They aren't too expensive, $150 for a small one, and Ari's never had a b-day party before so I feel like I need to make it up to him. 

[mabillon]

My county will actually rent out bounce houses for only about $150/day (including labor) so you never know! If I weren't so worried about dicey weather, we were going to rent one and also do face-painting (by which I mean a friend and I would do the painting, not hire anyone).

[ninjabridemom]

Jan 28, 2015 11:05:09 GMT -5 imimahoney said:

I'm thinking of renting a bounce house. They aren't too expensive, $150 for a small one, and Ari's never had a b-day party before so I feel like I need to make it up to him. 

Uh that's like my entire party budget including food lol.

But actually less than I thought they would be.

[imimahoney]

Jan 28, 2015 12:35:06 GMT -5 ninjabridemom said:

Jan 28, 2015 11:05:09 GMT -5 imimahoney said:

I'm thinking of renting a bounce house. They aren't too expensive, $150 for a small one, and Ari's never had a b-day party before so I feel like I need to make it up to him. 

Uh that's like my entire party budget including food lol.

But actually less than I thought they would be.

Well the party will also triple as a "meet the new baby!" And "come see our finally completed renos on the new house!" so I don't mind spending a bit more than I normally would.

[spaghetticat]

I worry too much about the weather for a bounce house or the like. I did a lot of online sleuthing last night and I'm thinking: photo prop area, decorate a mask, decorate a superhero picture frame and maybe tattoos. I would do a piñata, but I couldn't find a pull string one and I don't want a bunch of 3 year olds swinging a bat.

You know what's annoying? Every superhero thing I see that isn't pink or purple says, "perfect party for boys." Why isn't there a superwoman?

[greenkitty98]

Jan 28, 2015 15:20:13 GMT -5 spaghetticat said:

I worry too much about the weather for a bounce house or the like. I did a lot of online sleuthing last night and I'm thinking: photo prop area, decorate a mask, decorate a superhero picture frame and maybe tattoos. I would do a piñata, but I couldn't find a pull string one and I don't want a bunch of 3 year olds swinging a bat.

You know what's annoying? Every superhero thing I see that isn't pink or purple says, "perfect party for boys." Why isn't there a superwoman?

There is a Super girl.

[laurack]

$150 sounds like a lot to me. I'm guessing just buying groceries and alcohol to feed everyone will cost us $300 can't afford large additional costs

I'm kind of considering scrapping the whole party and just taking them for a fun day out at the zoo of children museum. But I feel guilty that then wiliam doesn't get a 1st party like matilda did ...