Kids birthday parties

I'm curious to see what everyone else has done to celebrate their kid's birthdays! What's the best party you've thrown for your child? Or great parties they've attended? What about favorite parties when you were little?

Last year Lillian's first was just a rainbow tie-dye themed barbecue/ pool party. Her and her 8 month old friend were the only kids lol, so I didn't need games or anything.

This year I'd like to do a storybook theme - invitations like old fashioned library check out cards and snacks like "if you give a mouse a COOKIE" and "cloudy with a chance of MEATBALLS". I'll decorate with old book covers and things.

This year she'll have more kiddie friends in the toddler-preschool range, so I'll probably pay my pre-teen SIL to do games like parachute, freeze dance, limbo, etc. We *might* do a character appearance, but probably will wait til she's older.

When I was little most of my parties were at play-places. I had one done by a woman with an exotic animal rescue where we got to hold fennec foxes and play with her coatimundi and stuff so that was cool. When I was 9 I had a luau where we made grass skirts and learned hula moves from a video and that was a lot of fun but I think I just liked it because I made it girls only so my brother wasn't around lol.

Piggy party. It was the most amazing thing I have ever experienced. We looked for grapes in plates of whipped cream (no hands allowed!), had a silly string/jello fight, bobbed for donuts (They were on a closeline strung through the hole, you had to eat it off, put makeup on each other (The person applying the makeup stood behind the person having it applied and did their best- maybe leave off the eyeliner :yikes. The dessert was cupcakes made to look like little pigs. It was glorious.

I'm not a parent but I do have a "best" birthday party I remember from when I was a kid. My oldest brother had a magic kit that taught you how to do a whole bunch of magic tricks with all the props and everything. He loved it. So for my party he put on a big magic show for all of my friends. I had kids in high school that I hadn't spoken to since elementary school tell me that they remember that party (while I have no memory of them being my friends lol). I think people just thought I had a really cool brother.


Most of my parties, like the one above, were done at my house. Though I recall one at plaster fun time and one at the bowling alley. We usually did some sort of crafts (I remember painting suncatchers once) I think. But I don't remember most of them.

The best birthday party I ever attended was like Clue themed or something like that (4th grade I think). We were each assigned a character name and description. Each of us also got a T-shirt that went along with our character that we wore during the party. Then throughout the night while we did whatever other activities there were we each had different lines to say which contained clues to solve whatever it was we were solving. I remember I said one of my lines during dinner. I don't remember a whole lot about it but I remember more than almost any other party I went to, it was fun.

I really don't do big parties or intense themes. But this year my daughter did have a small part at MO animal protection association. Instead of gifts (which we rarely do with other kids anyways) all her friends brought donations for the animals at the shelter. Then we had a basic animal safety class and got to tour the shelter taking extra time in the puppy room. It was cool. We did a train bday for my son one year. There is a mini train that runs and you can rent it for a party.

Kids birthday parties are a Very Big Deal in our family - mostly because I have an incredibly creative aunt who started doing them, and helped with ours as kids. Always themes. I remember having a My Little Pony party (complete with a giant haystack with toys hidden inside on our yard), a Star Search party (everyone had to bring a talent, we recorded it, my brother was the host, and everyone got a video of the "episode" to take home)...I forget what else I had. There's recently been a baking party and a robot party for the grand kids. Usually the planning for the next year's party starts even before the previous party has happened.

Looking back, they were very cool parties. But I also remember being jealous of all the parties my friends had at bowling alleys and such, and BEGGING for one of those. My mother finally consented to a bowling party - and I broke my arm about 3 weeks prior to it.

OMG.


I never had exciting parties as a kid so I have nothing to add but OMG. I love this.

our birthdays were usually centered around family. Cousins, aunts uncles, etc. grandma would make a cake, always decorated. I remember a cookie monster cake that left us all pretty blue one year. We mostly played the games we always did as a kid anyway.

I think in only had 1 party really where I got to invite like 5 friends to our house. I remember my mom taking us to a movie another year, but that was 2 friends only and pizza after

we always had fun, but it was never anything themed or really planned.

In my experience, kids just want to run around and play. They don't want to have to stop for games... They only want to stop for cake. Our best parties have been renting a pavillion at a park, bringing some bubbles, balls, and sidewalk chalk and letting the kids go play

My favorite party as a kid was when my mom helped us all bake our own cupcakes and then decorate them. I just remember having a blast and going crazy on frosting the cupcakes. I always had parties at home as a kid, and we would always invite all the extended family, but I was only ever able to invite 4 or 5 of my good friends. It got crazy sometimes though because my brother and I have the same birthday (3 years apart), and there sometimes were a few too many kids all in one house. As I got older I stopped having parties with my friends and we just did a big get together with all the family. And everyone always had a double incentive to come because it was 2 birthdays in one day.

I've always thought that at-home parties with a couple good friends and your family are better than huge birthday bashes at different venues. I just think they're more personable and memorable.

Nothing really huge here. First birthday was just us and my BIL's family, nothing for the second birthday, third birthday I invited a couple friends who had kids close to their age and they just played in the house. Fourth birthday was with close family at our house, fifth we did a bouncy place with preschool friends, sixth it was at the Little Gym, seventh we did nothing, just had a cake at home (my mom has been coming over for their birthday the last two years too).

The issue is that with a Winter birthday, the backyard is out, and I'm not spending a ton for two parties (with so many kids per class, I'd pretty much have to invite 40 kids, and no place is fine with that). I noticed that they've only been invited to one party this year so far too, I guess parents are starting to think that enough is enough...

I've seen all kinds of parties that were pretty fun though, the Y, soccer club, some little tea place, the ice skating rink, the bowling place, chuck-e-cheese (never again), only one did it in her backyard but it was May. Otherwise I agree, just let them run around and play with bubbles and balls, you don't need a lot of activities.

When I was a kid we were just left to play on our own, and it was just fine really. But typically only a few kids. Maybe next year the kids will have a couple closer friends and we can just invite those (I wanted to do that this year but I haven't got the best track record with parents calling me back so I just didn't want to bother). With two kids it's frankly a pain in the butt though.

As to what my kids prefer, I'm not sure. They asked for the bouncy place that year, and I liked it because I had nothing to do, lol! A lot of them were frankly painful for me.

I don't have kids, so my kid birthday party experience is pretty minimal - until my friends baby has her first birthday that is


But I have a question (sorry MM, I promise it's on topic )

A little while ago a lady that I work with was complaining about planning her daughter's birthday party. Apparently she had rented out one of those indoor playground type facilities - fully staffed, lunch provided and all that.
The mother's issue was that parents wanted to drop their children off and then come back when the party was over.
She spouted about how "irresponsible" it was because they didn't know her at all, and that she was going to make them sign a waiver if they wanted to leave.
I don't remember my parents being at really any of the birthday parties I went to growing up, unless they were friends of my friend's parents. So I thought that was totally normal.
I dunno, is it weird to drop your kids off for a party? Especially one that is in a facility with a bunch of staff?

Not a parent, but I don't think so... we were always dropped off at friend's parties, so unless the parents were specifically invited, no one's parents stayed.
My SIL has had some 'theme' parties - had a luau for her daughter, with a woman who came to teach the kids to hula, told stories about Hawaii, and danced for everyone. Most of the parents stayed but SIL put that on the invitation and most of them were friends anyway. (Their friends also know my brother home brews, so they don't miss an opportunity to sample his beer).

Depends on their ages, I think. I don't remember my mom dropping us off until I was like 9 or 10 (which is around when we stopped having those kind of parties, lol).

I think it depends on the kind of place, too. If it's a plaster craze party where it's pretty much only party kids in attendance and constant supervised activity, it's different than a big play place with free play and strangers there too.

When I was working kids parties, I never saw parents drop them off - but that's probably because of the kind of venue.

ETA: for that kind of indoor play place, I don't think it's normal to drop kids off, even if it's staffed - unless they're old enough to say...find the first aid tent by themselves or call home from the front desk if needed. If it's like a bowling party or at home party it's different

Depends. I dropped my kids off the first time when they were 6, but I made sure to give my phone number just in case.