# multi-age birthday party ideas?



## proudmamanow (Aug 12, 2003)

Dd is turning 1 soon!!









I'm very excited & having fun planning her party, which we recognize is more for us at this point, but she will enjoy seeing big kids & people (she likes people & is pretty outgoing). We have invited a few friends with kids, and I'm expecting at least 5 other kids (plus dd) 1 other 1 year old, a couple of 2 year olds, a couple of 4 year olds. Plus a whole lot of grown ups (family, friends etc., about 25 people total). I want everyone to have fun, of course, and I was thinking it would be a good idea to have something more structured for the kids to do. Otherwise I think we'll have the cake, singing, eating snacks & standing around chatting. (still not sure about opening presents at the party, I'm not really a big fan of that, esp. with other kids around, and dd might enjoy it more if we did it in a slower fashion).

So... should I plan some multi-age games that everyone can take part in? Any ideas?
Do you agree with saving present opening for later, or do you think people would like to see her/us open gifts?
Anything else this first time mama should be aware of ??


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## captain crunchy (Mar 29, 2005)

Congratulations! Ours will be one in June so I will be reading the responses as well!

I think it depends on what your daughter is most comfortable with. If she seems cool with opening her gifts and isn't freaked by all eyes on her and the ooooohs and aaaaahs and such, then go for it. It might be a good idea to make treat bags for the other children (can be really inexpensive and fun) maybe some homemade playdough, a non-chokable bouncing ball (the bigger kind about the size of a baseball), little treats etc... and give those out when she is opening her presents or just before so they will have something to occupy them and also so it will minimize any possible jealousy or upsetment at her getting gifts and them not (though most kids are cool with it)...

If not, I am sure the others will understand, just explain your dd may get overwhelmed by all the attention and that you don't want the other children to be bored/jealous/upset/whatever...

For the other children in the way of activities, you could do an arts and crafts thing-- simple and entertaining, plus busies them while the adults are chit chatting.... you could (as mentioned) make some homemade playdough, or make party hats out of thick white posterboard and have the children design and color and glitter them themselves....you could do beanbag toss which small kids like, or you could get an old sheet or butcher paper (beforehand) and color or paint a big, easy *human maze* where they have to walk from the start to finish...

You could have a water game where you buy really cheap floating duckies (reuse them for your daughters baths in the future) and paint different colored dots on the bottom and flota them in a big pot or bowl and (just as an example), whoever finds the blue dot gets to have the first piece of cake (after dd of course), or whoever finds the green dot gets to hand your daughter her presents... I'm just thinking off the top of my head, but make it so everyone *wins* and gets some sort of treat or *special* job at the party type thing....

I am just thinking of games that may suit all of their ages even if the smaller ones don't *get it* but can still have fun type things...

You could do a simple treasure hunt, I don't know if your family does the whole easter thing, but since it is so close to easter you could buy a bunch of those plastic eggs really cheap and put little inexpensive treats and such in them and hide them...

Pinjatas (sp? sorry) are always fun, super easy to make out of paper mache' --- you blow up a huge balloon and paper mache' over it with strips of newspaper and glue water, and then pop the balloon (when dry), paint and decorate it, put a tail and ears and all that (beforehand of course) and you leave a little hole to put all the treats in, which you paper mache' over and paint to close it... suppppper easy....let the kids whack away at that for a while lol

I'm sure the other mamas will have some great ideas...Happy birthday to your dd...take lots of pictures!


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## proudmamanow (Aug 12, 2003)

those are great ideas!







s
I really like the pinata and the playdough ideas...and the hat painting one (I might have them paint a placemat or something....I'm not sure...)

keep 'em coming!!


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## onlyzombiecat (Aug 15, 2004)

I'd mainly just provide plenty of toys to play with for 4 years and under. Bubbles & play dough would probably be fun for all ages. You could have the kids make fruit loop (or large beads or spools) necklace or bracelet. A sand and water table might be fun. Sidewalk chalk if you are outside. Coloring pages and crayons might be good for the beginning of the party when people are arriving.

If you do a pinata get one with strings to pull instead of hitting it with a bat. You can convert one. http://www.pinatas.com/How_to_Make_Pull_Pinata_s/38.htm

http://www.pbs.org/parents/birthdays...yageguide.html

I think it really depends on you and your crowd about the gift opening. In my family people would be disappointed if the gifts were not opened at the party. At my dd's 1st b-day my dh opened the gifts while I held dd. I wouldn't try to make kids sit still to watch- just let them play and let those interested watch. You could also open the gifts as people arrive instead of all at once if you decide to open at the party. If you don't want to do gifts then just take pictures of your child with the gifts to send out with the thank you notes.


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## proudmamanow (Aug 12, 2003)

thanks kim -those are great links & very helpful ideas!

anyone else?


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## lotusdebi (Aug 29, 2002)

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