I really should have planned it better. I thought having 2 children with birthdays only 5 days apart would be fun! I thought I could even get away with joint birthday parties for a few years (you know, save a little money). Little did I know, having 2 children with such close birthdays actually means a full month (or two) of complete and utter double birthday party planning chaos. Every. Year. Forever.
I guess it makes sense that my 8 year old doesn’t want to share her special day with her 1 year old sister. So two parties in one week will just have to do – despite my disdain for party planning.
One of the biggest challenges that I have every year is figuring out what to do for each party. Now that I have successfully thrown 14 birthday parties (and counting), I thought I would share with you 5 of my favourite birthday party ideas for kids.
FOR THE ANIMAL LOVERS: A WILD CRITTERS BIRTHDAY PARTY
My oldest daughter has always loved animals. When she was younger, she talked nonstop about wanting to one day become an animal rescuer, so I thought it would be fitting to have a visit from some wild critters at her 5th birthday party! 20 critters (including a skunk, a flying squirrel and some tarantulas) had the children sitting perfectly still, awestruck and amazed. Instead of the usual dollar-store-stuffed goody bags, each child went home with a monogrammed strawberry plant. This was the perfect indoor party idea, definitely one to add to your birthday party bucket list!
FOR LITTLE EXPLORERS: A NATURE BIRTHDAY PARTY
My girl has always loved the outdoors, literally hugging trees and cuddling bugs whenever she can, so I thought a party at our local Ecology Centre would be the perfect venue to celebrate her big day! The party included a circle time, which covered the anatomy of creatures of the creek, a group craft where the kids each made bug characters to take home (goody bags!), and a nature walk where the kids were shown how to capture the bugs and larvae living in the natural environment that surrounded us. Everyone enjoyed exploring the outdoors!
FOR THE CAPED CRUSADERS: A SUPERHERO BIRTHDAY PARTY
For his whole second year, my boy was rarely seen without a hood on his head, and he often only responded to the name “Batman”, so it seemed fitting to throw him a superhero party in celebration of his third year. With a birthday in February, outdoor parties for him were not an option, so I invited his friends over for an indoor party at my home. Each child made their own customized superhero capes (another unique and successful goody bag idea!) and fun was had by all!
WANT YOUR KIDS TO THINK “YODA BEST” PARENT: A STAR WARS BIRTHDAY PARTY
Thanks to his dad, my little dude has become obsessed with everything Star Wars, so when he pleaded for a Star Wars themed party, how could I resist? Dressed in a stormtrooper costume (of course!), my son and his friends enjoyed an action-packed party at our local Laserdome. The kids loved playing lasertag and dancing in the light space room, and these homemade make-your-own Yoda kits were a huge goody bag win!
ADVENTUROUS KIDS CAN REACH NEW HEIGHTS – ROCK CLIMBING BIRTHDAY PARTY
I was thrilled when my oldest daughter asked to have her 8th birthday at our local indoor rock climbing centre. She had only tried it once before, and was eager to make it to the top of the wall. It was so fun to watch her friends lift each other up, conquer their fears and cheer each other on as they scaled the walls of the indoor gym. It was an awesome way to celebrate indoors while keeping the kids active.
I have so many more birthday parties to plan in the upcoming years, and am always open to new ideas, so please share!
