Turn Your Backyard Into An Obstacle Course
The answer to a great party activity might be right in your backyard – literally. My friend Tamar was recently telling me about an obstacle course she made for her daughter’s party. It sounded like so much fun – just a simple activity but the kids and parents loved it!
As I looked around my own boring backyard, I saw how everyday items could be transformed into big time fun! By creating challenges for the kids, you can turn your yard (or the park) into a full on adventure. For example: Run to the tree, do 5 jumping jacks, hop through a hula hoop maze, try to make a basket – while standing backwards – draw a chalk picture on the patio, and run around the picnic table before crossing the finish line. Not only is it fun, but parents will love it because the kids will be exhausted by the end of the party!
Decorate Your Own Dessert
No kids party would be complete without a delicious dessert! Why not bake cookies or cupcakes (before the party starts) and then have the kids decorate their own dessert with frosting and sprinkles!
Talented Friends to the Rescue
If you can’t afford to hire entertainers, look to your own friends! So many of us have talented pals who would be happy to come play guitar for a half hour, or dress up as a pirate or princess and entertain away! Just because Uncle Joe isn’t a professional actor, doesn’t mean the kids won’t find him entirely captivating as one of the Pirates of the Caribbean!
What are your best eco-friendly and frugal kids party tips? We’d love to hear them!
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Great article and it’s so true! The more you ‘green’ your birthday you will see that effort translated into money in your pocket. At http://www.greenplanetparties.com we love the idea of reusing our cloth decorations that can be used at every family member’s birthday celebrations. Invest in sustainable decoration the first year and see the savings for many years to come.
Thanks,
Suzanne
co-founder Green Planet Parties
http://www.greenplanetparties.com
We took the Evite one step further and created a mini-site for my son’s 1st birthday. The website allowed folks to register for the party, see our wish list and a gallery of photos of how the little guy had changed over the year.
Here’s some more fun & frugal games:
- Donuts on a String: Grab some yarn and a pack of donuts. put the donuts on the string and hang it right above the kids’ heads. The first one to eat the donut without dropping it on the floor wins.
- Bean Bag Toss: Grab an old piece of plywood, some left over Easter baskets, a few old t-shirts and some beans. Glue or staple the baskets (without the handles) to the board. Grab some thread, cut the t-shirts and sow some bean bags. You have an instant hit!
- Work of Art: Grab some paint, an old white sheet and some garbage bags to protect the kids’ clothes and you have an instant party hit. Just make sure the warn the parents ahead of time and use washable paint.
As a mother of two toddlers we go to lots of birthday parties. My favorite ones are at home in the backyard or at the park with a piñata. We fill our piñatas with organic candy from my husband’s organic candy company YummyEarth. The idea was to create yummy treats without the yucky artificial ingredients found in other candy. The kids (and their parents) love the YummyEarth Organic Lollipops and Gummy Bears in flavors such as Sour Apple and Strawberry Smash.
I got the idea to give books as party favors from a dear friend. Party favor bags with the candy, little toys etc are a hassle to put together and you know from experience most of it ends up in the trash after the initial excitement wears off for your kid. I found a website called Better World Books – discounted books and free shipping (it takes a long time to get them so plan ahead) and then a portion of your purchase goes to fund literacy. They were super nice too. Less party favor in landfill too! And my only advice is kids have just as much fun at a casual backyard party with toys than a big event with all the bells and whistles. Save money while your kids are young enough not to compare to other kids’ big blowouts!
Every time i come here I am not disappointed, nice post!
Greetings from Tim.
I found your blog on google and read a few of your other posts. I just added you to my Google News Reader. Keep up the good work. Look forward to reading more from you in the future.
Great blog. Can’t wait to see what you come up with next!