Ball Theme Birthday Party Ideas

Food, Supplies and Games for a Baby’s First Year or Toddler’s B-day

Feb 17, 2009 Marcy Paulson

Tips for affordable invitations, food, and decorations to get a ball theme birthday party rolling.

“Ball” is one of the first words for many boys and girls. Why not turn that fascination into a fun birthday party theme?

Invitations for the Ball Theme Birthday Party

Invitations for a ball theme party are easy to make with some card stock and sports stickers. Here are some thoughts to get the ball rolling:

Porter’s first birthday has finally rolled around!

He’s rounding up all his friends

Saturday, October 6th

We’re going to have a ball!

Rolling the world’s largest beach ball,

Sliding into the pit of balls,

Shooting hoops,

And tossing down meatballs, melon ball salad, and of course, Porter’s birthday cake!

Be there and be anything but square.

No triangles aloud either.

Everyone’s a bouncer at this bash.

The festivities kick off at five o’clock and don’t end until seven.

orter hopes to catch you there.

Give a “Head’s up!” if you’re coming by calling (telephone number) or e-mailing (e-mail address)

Food for the Ball Theme Birthday Party

This theme makes it easy on party planners. Even parents with hardly any experience decorating cakes can make great cup cakes resembling baseballs, basketballs, and tennis balls.

For an incredibly simple main dish, a batch of rice can be frozen far in advance then reheated before the party. A bag of frozen meatballs can simmer in a Crockpot of spaghetti sauce while parents take care of last minute details.

Some ideas for fun ball theme side dishes include:

Fruit salad with grapes, balled melon, and blue berries
New potatoes
Peas
Puffed cheese balls
Any colorful, ball-shaped cereal
Popcorn balls
Malted Milk balls

Decorations for a Ball Theme Birthday Party

Parents will be happy to discover many great decorations buried in the toy box. Plus, a wise party planner can choose decorations for this theme to double as props for games.

Here are a few affordable suggestions for party decorations. This colorful décor will brighten up the yard, make for great video or photo ops, and keep guests of all ages entertained from the moment they join the party.

A giant 60” beach ball to push around the yard
Several small beach balls of all colors
A pool filled with ball pit balls
Hop balls (the bouncing exercise balls with handles)

Game Ideas for a Ball Theme Birthday Party

With all those balls rolling around, games are easy to come up with. Here are a few fun ideas for games toddlers will have a ball playing.

Several fun activities make use of a silk parachute. A parent can direct all the children to sit around the parachute’s edge, pile the beach balls on top and have fun launching them on the count of three. For another fun activity, each guest can stand up and grab the parachute. Guests can put the birthday boy or girl in the middle of the parachute and sing “For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow” as they march in circles to the music.
On a large piece of butcher paper, party planners can draw a clown’s face with open mouth and paste it to the side of a refrigerator box. Kids will have a blast trying to pitch balls from the ball pit into the clown’s mouth.
Guests four and over will enjoy relay races of pushing the giant beach ball across the yard, bouncing over the finish line on the hop balls, or balancing a small beach ball on a tennis racket.
For babies, party planners can set out a ball theme activity center on a quilt or blanket out of the way of bouncing balls. Fun ball theme activities for babies are easy to borrow from friends with young children. Tiny basketball goals, a push-popper full of balls, a round shape sorter, and any other of the many baby toys matching the theme.

Gift Bags for a Ball Theme Birthday Party

As guests leave, they’ll love taking home a special bagful of memories from the fun afternoon. Some inexpensive bag stuffers are easy to find in bulk at the toy store or online party suppliers. A few fun ideas include:

Suction cup balls
Super bouncy balls
Round candy
Paddle balls
Koosh balls
Hacky sack balls

In terms of affordability, fun, and simplicity, a ball theme is an all round great choice for a baby or toddler’s birthday party. Parents won’t break a sweat throwing the bash together, and the kids are guaranteed to enjoy the day. And when next year's celebration rolls around, parent's can check out ideas for a fun barnyard theme birthday party.

The copyright of the article Ball Theme Birthday Party Ideas in Kids & Teen Parties is owned by Marcy Paulson. Permission to republish Ball Theme Birthday Party Ideas in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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