Of all the ages, birthday parties are the most memorable and fun for preschoolers. Of course, parents get excited over their baby and toddler’s parties, but for the most part, the child is clueless over the significance of the day. When they hit three or four years old, they start to really understand what happens when they turn a year older, and their anticipation is contagious. Plan a party to remember and celebrate their special day.
Choose a Birthday Party Location
Birthday parties at a child’s home are special, because he is in his own environment, and he will also enjoy hosting friends at his house. Home parties do require more effort and planning on the part of the parents, however. Parents would be responsible for all of the food, decorating, games, activities, and overseeing the children.
Going to an outside location for a birthday party has benefits as well. Some locations have all-inclusive packages which include decorations, food, and activities. Typically, whether it be at a playground, pool, or bowling alley, the children have something to entertain themselves and there is less need for games. Parents won’t have to clean up their house afterwards, but they may have a harder time keeping track of the children.
How Many Children to Invite?
An easy-to-remember standard is to invite the number of children that corresponds to the child’s age, so if a child is turning four, she could invite four friends to her party. This helps in keeping the party to a size that is not overwhelming for any of the children.
Sometimes this rule is impossible to follow, because of a large extended family, or because of a school rule that insists all the children be invited. If inviting more children to a party, be sure to have enough hands and eyes available to keep track of them all. It may be a good idea to hire a couple of babysitters to help out with the festivities.
Choose a Theme for the Party
This should be the easiest part of the planning, because preschoolers are notorious for having something or someone they are totally into at this point of their lives. For boys, sometimes it’s a certain superhero, or dinosaurs. Commons girl choices are princesses, or a favorite television icon, like Dora the Explorer. Whatever the child likes, try to incorporate it into the party as much as possible, including decorations, cake, games, and presents.
Preschool Party Games
For this age level, the children do need structured activity, especially at a home party. Children love games, and the best thing at this age is to keep them simple with just a couple of directions. Some common ideas are:
- Children play go-fish using a stick with a magnet, and try to catch paper fish with paper clips on them. For each fish caught, the child gets a small prize.
- Hot-Potato. Use a small toy in the theme of the party, so the last person left gets to keep the toy.
- Musical Chairs is always a hit with young children.
- Pin the ________ on the ________. Fill in the blanks using your theme. For example, for Superman, play pin the “S” on Superman’s cape.
The details of a preschooler's birthday party can come together easily with some thought and imagination. A little effort with the theme, games, and location will make a birthday party a memorable day for a preschooler.
Laura Wilson - Relatively new to the writing community, Laura Wilson is spending time writing about children, parenting, health, and education. She ...
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