Parents, what are you going to do to make your kids’ party different from all the other parties you’ve planned in the past, as well as those you’ve attended? How can you make your child’s special day memorable and unique? Easier said than done, right?
Don’t worry: we’ve got your back! We’ve come up with some pretty awesome kids party entertainment ideas to help you out. These ideas for childrens parties will give you a way to keep your kids happy and entertained for hours. No matter how old your kids, there is a theme you can use to make this birthday party special…
Laser Tag Party
If you’re looking for a way to keep your older children entertained for hours, NOTHING is better than laser tag! It’s much safer (and less painful) than paintball, but it’s still a chance for your kids to run around and shoot at each other.
Laser tag is one of the best ideas for childrens parties, thanks to the fact that most laser tag venues are an all-in-one service. You can usually get food and drink at the laser tag hall, or you can simply bring your own (for a nominal fee). For parents who don’t have the time or energy to invest into baking cakes/cupcakes/treats, this is the perfect option.
Best of all, laser tag is good for smaller children as well. As long as your child meets the minimum age requirement (usually around 6 years old), they can run and play with older kids. Of course, be aware that laser tag is aimed at an older audience (such as teens and adults), but your kids are going to have a blast!
Bounce Castle Party
What could be more awesome than hiring a bounce house (or castle) to kick things up a notch? If your kid is like most other, renting a bounce castle is one of the best kids party entertainment ideas.
The beauty of a bounce house is that the kids can spend hours jumping around. This means that they’ll use up a lot of their energy on bouncing, so they’re less likely to run around your house.
Bounce houses are good for kids of all ages–even teens and adults enjoy them! (Note: Make sure larger kids aren’t on with the smaller kids. That increases the of injuries.) No matter how old the birthday boy or girl, they’ll love to spend hours bouncing around with their friends.
One caveat: always make sure to serve the food and drink AFTER the bouncing is done. The last thing you want is for your kids to bounce on a full stomach–it increases their risk of getting sick.
If you’re dreading a house full of active kids, this is one of the best ideas for childrens parties. Your guests can get their ya-yas out on the bounce house, and they’ll be much more tired and compliant when it comes time for food, drinks, cake, and presents.
DIY Pizza Party
What could be more fun for kids than making their very own pizza? Best of all, this is a surprisingly easy party idea to implement!
In just about every grocery store and supermarket, you can find frozen pizza crusts.
Grab a couple of packs, and get:
- pizza sauce
- grated cheese
- pepperoni
- ham
Additional pizza toppings at home:
- onions
- pepper bells
- mushrooms
- pineapples
- tomatoes
Set up a “pizza making station” at the party. Arrange it in the order your kids will make their pizza: sauce first, followed by cheese, pepperoni and ham, and all the veggie/fruit toppings. Give the kids a plate with their pizza crust, and let them go down the line to make their own lunch.
Once the pizzas are made, take them into the house and bake them in your oven. (Note: For safety reasons, keep the kids outside when the oven is on.)
You can deliver hand-made pizzas as the perfect lunch, and it’s an activity that will keep the kids entertained as well as fed!
Summer Tea Party
If you are planning a party for a young lady, this is one of the best kids party entertainment ideas. This idea will be the perfect way for them to learn manners, grace, and charm. Plus, they’ll have a delicious lunch!
The only set-up required for this idea is a table and chair set.
- You can bring your indoor table outside, and spread a nice linen tablecloth over it.
- If you don’t have outdoor chairs, your dining room chair set will be just fine.
- You can even rent chair covers to make them look classy.
Before the food and drinks are served, it’s time to play classic tea party games: treasure hunt, bean bag toss, Pictionary, tea pot relay race, and so on. You can break out the croquet set, lawn bowls, and any other lawn games.
Pay attention:
If your young ladies are wearing fancy dresses, it’s best to avoid anything too active (grass stains can ruin a beautiful outfit).
Your young ladies can enjoy classic tea party food and drinks: iced tea, hot (non-caffeinated) tea, finger sandwiches, crackers and cheese, cakes and cookies.
Pool Party
In the heat of summer, there are no better kids party entertainment ideas than a dip in the pool!
The beauty of a pool party is that your kids can spend hours splashing around, tiring themselves out without realizing it. You can play all sorts of fun pool games: Marco Polo, Sharks and Minnows, diving contests, races, and so on. The more time the kids spend in the pool, the hungrier they will be when it comes time for food, drinks, and cake.
With this theme, the pool is the focus of the party. All of the games revolve around the pool, with the goal of keeping the kids swimming as long as possible. Keep the food and drinks until the end–you don’t want anyone swimming after eating. Make sure to have plenty of pizza, hamburgers, or sandwiches! Your kids are going to be ravenous thanks to all the exercise they’ll be getting in the pool.
Once everyone has dried off, it’s time to serve the cake and open presents. By this time, the tiredness will be setting in, just in time for everyone to go home.
What makes this idea so awesome is the fact that it’s suitable for kids of all ages. Small children can have just as much fun in a pool as older children. In fact, you can even get your older kids to help you care for and play with the little kids.
Baking Party
For children who prefer less active parties, this is the perfect indoor party idea! The kids can try their hand at baking and learn a skill that will serve them well in life.
If you are working with older kids (who can work safely in the kitchen), let the kids mix their own recipe. Lay out the ingredients and help them measure everything, but let them handle their own recipes. You can even let them choose what they want to bake: cookies, cakes, cupcakes, etc.
For smaller children, it’s best to stick with one of two options:
- Cookie Cutting – Roll out cookie dough on a tray, and let the kids use cookie cutters to make their own cookies. They can decorate them using sprinkles, icing, and other simple decorative items.
- Cupcake Decorations – Instead of baking the goodies, have the kids decorate them. Bake up a few dozen cupcakes, and let the kids go wild with the icing, sprinkles, colors, and other decorations.
The most important thing is that the kids have a chance to enjoy themselves and make their own treats!
Home Petting Zoo
If your kids are animal lovers, this is one of the best ideas for childrens parties. They will be able to see real live animals in the comfort of their own home. Talk about an unforgettable experience!
In most cities in the country, you’ll find there are “mobile petting zoos”, services that bring animals to your home. Puppies are always a winner with kids of all ages, but you can get creative and look for other animals: miniature horses,zebras, exotic birds, kangaroos, even giant snakes. There are many services that will bring these exotic animals to your home, giving your kids an up-close interaction with some pretty wild species.
The animals will be the main attraction, but you can keep your food and drink consistent with the theme by serving everything in animal-print cups and plates and serving animal-shaped food (chicken nuggets, crackers, cookies, and so on).
Video Game Marathon
For older children (older than 11 or 12), this is one of the best kids party entertainment ideas! This is best if you only have a few friends coming over – no more than 4 to 6. It’s a great way to keep your kids happy and entertained with very little effort on your part.
All you need is a gaming console (Xbox, Nintendo, or Playstation) and a handful of controllers (no fewer than 4). You can find a wide assortment of cheap games at Game Stop, or have your kid’s friends bring games over. They can spend the party playing their favorite game, challenging each other to street fights, boxing matches, car races, or football/soccer games.
Pizza, chips, and drinks are all you’ll need to keep your kids happy and fed during the video game marathon. They may not want to take time out for the cake and presents, so send a slice of cake home with each of the kids once the marathon is over.
If you can, get in there and play the games with them. You may not be as good as your kids or their friends, but it will matter what you tried!
Game Day
For smaller children, an entire day of games can be a whole lot of fun!
There are so many kids’ party games you can play, such as:
- Red Light, Green Light
- Simon Says
- Mother, May I?
- Duck Duck Goose
- Sack Races
- Ballon Stomp
- Pin the Tail on the Donkey
These games can keep your kids entertained for hours! They’ll love playing the games with their friends. You’ll need to make sure to have lots of prizes handy for the winners of the game, and try to give each child a chance to win and take home a prize.
What is your kid’s ideal way to spend his or her birthday? Are they the type to run and jump and play with friends, or do they prefer a more relaxed party? It’s important that you choose a theme that your kids will enjoy, and that will work for the crowd of friends they have over.
What did you think of our entertainment ideas? Which is your favorite? Have any more ideas you think could work for an epic birthday party for kids? Leave a comment below and let us know–we’d love to hear from you!
