Whether your kid is about to turn one or the big one-zero, some themes and ideas will always be fun. Get their friends and family involved in celebrating them on their special day, and make the day really memorable with some of these (simple) ideas.
Cake Decorators
Make enough cupcakes for each child coming to the party, plus a few spares. Set up a decorating station, with plenty of frosting, food dye, and cake gems. Bribe one or two brave adults to man the station, and then let each party guest decorate their own cupcake. This is a fun activity, and one which feels fair as each child gets a sweet treat.
Nature Explorers
Create a list of treasures that your kid and their guests need to find in a garden. Items could include a pinecone, an acorn, a particular type of flower, or a snail’s shell. Set the explorers off, armed with magnifying glasses, a checklist, and plenty of team spirit. Whichever team brings the items back to you first wins.
Mini Picassos
You can buy mini canvasses for not too much from many budget art stores, or online. Buy enough canvasses to supply your guests, plus water-soluble paints, and brushes. You could give the kids a quick art demonstration or ask an arty friend to show them a few techniques. Some children might want a theme, to help guide their creativity, so you could print out pictures of summery scenes, delicious fruit bowls, or cute puppies and kittens. Others will want to be as creative as they possibly can be. You could ask one of the adults (or perhaps the birthday boy or girl) to judge the three best artworks and hand out prizes, or you can simply praise the artistic efforts of everyone involved.