Childrens Birthday Party - questions & ideas (merged)

Queenie

You may like to take a peek at this thread in the Old Style forums - you may find some ideas of interest.

Old Style Birthday Party

It begins with the food ideas, but as you read you will see ideas that you're after.

A quiet, sit-down-and-hunt-so-you-don't-vomit-on-the-carpet-after-party-food game which is dead easy, really cheap .... those small Panda Pop bottles (empty!) or similar. Fill with some sand and put in there some really small items such as a drawing pin, safety pin, a dried pea, a bead etc., Set the timer for 10 mins and give one to each pair of kids. Each pair gets that 10mins to see how many items hidden in the sand there are (keep the items secret, no hints!). The pair who spot the most things at the end of 10mins are the winners.

You can get all sorts of clipart off the 'net and you can use those to make "certificate's".
All the certificates could be the same (This is to certify, so-n-so was a great party guest at *your child's* birthday part on such-n-such date) or even individual such as: "This is to certify so-n-so won the pass the parcel, Well Done!" Roll them up and get some cheap ribbon from the market to tie them up and that makes a big fill up in any party bags you do. Add a balloon to the bag, some birthday cake, pencils - buy pencils or pretty rubbers in packs and split them between the bags.

Sarahsaver

read this thread. we had a great time, although i think the parents were shellshocked at not being in a 'venue' as such, but in my house:)
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=50333

Becles

My youngest recently went to a Pizza Party.

It was held in his friends house, and his Mam made loads of pizza dough. They were each given a base, and there were bowls of different toppings on the table. Each child made their own pizza and his Mam cooked them while they played. She didn't need to do a birthday tea as they all ate their pizzas when cooked.

It worked out quite cheap, and all the children thought it was great fun.

kissmekate_2

Hi

think I mentioned it in one of those old threads. HSS hire shops (and online) do a bouncy castle for approx £20 which is fantastic value.

have fun
Kissmekate

barbie_babe

we have a garage that we clear out and decorate with fairy lights and disco lights and we have a fog machine.after about six it pretty dark in there.so we do a disco in there for are kids and we give them hotdogs and burgers and fairy cakes and fizzy drinks they love it and no mess in house for me.
another party i have done is making things get cheap paper glue and art stuff and have an art attack party.make paper hats cards boxes if near xmas crackers.
think kids like idea of something difrent not how much it costs .have fun

Savvy_Sue

I had several Thunderbirds parties when they were popular 2nd time around. Made sashes from crepe paper, hats from pale blue A3 paper, etc. Our childminder's daughter made a TB4 cake for us and its picture was in the Thunderbirds comic! (I feel old ...)

Edinburghlass_2

As a Christmas baby birthday parties were always a bit of a nightmare for me as so there was so much going on at that time that I used to have a party on 5 November when my Dad did the fireworks things.

As an older teenager and until I left home to get married (and this was some time ago) we used to have a party on Christmas night where we played games. Left overs from the Christmas Dinner was laid out on the dining room table along with mince pies, shortbread etc and my Mum made up a punch.

Games always started with Duckie, Duckie. Everyone sat around and someone was placed in the middle of the room and blindfolded. After a few turns they had to find a knee to sit on then guess who it was by saying Duckie, duckie and the person could only answer Quack, Quack. This was always a great ice breaker if there were people who didn't know each other.

I still have a couple of the bought games in their original packing, one was Railway Stations where we pinned up round the house (the more awkward the places the better) cards that had stations on them say Kings Cross, now find Euston so you had to run round the house with your card which started with Kings Cross looking for a card that gave you Kings Cross and your next destination. Still got a similar one for younger kids that was called Shopping List where if you found milk you then had to find bread, easier for kids to write down.

We also did the usual Who Am I, with sticky labels on your forehead saying Marilyn Munro or some other celebrity and by questioning other people you found out who you are.

Two bits of cards, one blank and one with a song written on it. Everyone had to draw their song on the blank card and when everyone had finished pass the cards rounds and guess everyone else's song. This can be done to suit all ages, for kids it can be the latest hits.

We always played hide and seek in the dark, where one person went off and when you find the person you have to hide with them, great fun in the dark when you can't see what you are doing. I remember someone standing on the back of the toilet (this was in the days when your cistern was high up on the wall ) and as my aunt tried to get up to join them put her foot down the toilet and her slipper got stuck!!

Invariably we finished with charades but old fashioned charades where you split into teams and went out of the room to pick a word then had to come back in and act out the word using the whole team and break down the word into sylables then do the whole thing. My Mum's wardrobe was always raiding during this game as the team who had to pick a word went there to discuss their strategy!

If I can remember any others I'll come back :rotfl:

but you are talking a long time ago....

Glad

Becles wrote:

My youngest recently went to a Pizza Party.

It was held in his friends house, and his Mam made loads of pizza dough. They were each given a base, and there were bowls of different toppings on the table. Each child made their own pizza and his Mam cooked them while they played. She didn't need to do a birthday tea as they all ate their pizzas when cooked.

It worked out quite cheap, and all the children thought it was great fun.

that sounds a fab idea
son is reading over my shouder and asking can he do this for his next birthday
he'll be 11

Edinburghlass_2

oh Glad, add to that a chocolate fondue, get the kids to prepare the fruit too and it keeps them busy for ages :rotfl:

and don't forget the marshmallows :cool:

frizz_head

Edinburghlass wrote:

Games always started with Duckie, Duckie. Everyone sat around and someone was placed in the middle of the room and blindfolded. After a few turns they had to find a knee to sit on then guess who it was by saying Duckie, duckie and the person could only answer Quack, Quack. This was always a great ice breaker if there were people who didn't know each other.
:rotfl:

My daughter played this at her last party - only we call it Squeak Piggy Squeak. The girls were in stitches at having someone sat in their laps. Half the fun was them trying to say Squeak Piggy Squeak - they couldn't as they were lauging so much, which in turn made them laugh even more.