Children's Party Plans

Great Ideas for Activity Based Kids' Parties

Apr 15, 2007

Plan an activity based party for your kids with these fun, easy and fantastic party ideas, using your local ice rink, swimming pool or amusement park.

Ice Skating Party

Take advantage of a public skating session to invite a group of kids to the party.
The rink can provide rental skates at a nominal fee, and the guests have the choice of skating the entire time, or taking a break to play some video games or visit the concession stands.
Many local rinks also provide a party room for rental, which can become a respite for the ice-weary children.
As hostess, provide refreshments for the kids --- pizza, pop and cake are naturals --- and you may also want to provide some non-ice skating activities in the party room.
Crayons and themed coloring pages or a low-mess craft are good alternatives for guests that are cold or have sore feet.

Swimming Party

Public pools provide a large area for your birthday party, and lifeguard supervision is not a concern.
With the advent of so many water park-style public pools, the options for a non-traditional pool party have increased a lot.
You can provide splash balls, squirt guns and other pool-approved toys for the guests to enjoy.
Don’t forget to include refreshments for the guests --- popcorn, hotdogs, and popsicles are seasonal favorites.
Depending on the pool’s setup, you can also plan to have a non-water based activity.
One that is fun, relatively neat and very creative is to have the guests decorate T-shirts.
Provide inexpensive pre-washed cotton T-shirts, stuffed with T-shirt backer boards (found at your local craft shop), and fabric paints or fabric markers.
Let the kids design and create their own unique garment to remember the party.

Amusement Park Party

If you live near a full-scale amusement park, and your kids are middle schoolers or older, this type of party could be perfect for your situation.
Although the cost per person is relatively high, the stress level for the parents is low and fun level for the kids is terrific!
For this type of activity, limit the party size to a group of four – this size is perfect for most rides, assures that everyone has a buddy, and isn’t so large that it’s cumbersome.
Make sure that each kid has a cell phone or at least a walkie talkie for in-park communication.
As you start the day, take a Polaroid or digital photo of each kid in the group. Although you can sell this activity as a way to remember the party, in actuality, you are creating a photo ID of each child, in case someone gets lost.
Provide each guest with a bottle of water and $5 for emergency snacks.
If your kids are comfortable with you following the group, do so. If not, use the cell phones to check in frequently and track their progress throughout the park.
Meet at least every two hours to touch base and perhaps to eat as a group.

Part of the fun of this event is to let the kids have their sense of freedom with the run of the park, although you are providing a huge safety net since the park is self-contained, money is not involved once the admission price is paid, and you are tracking their progress for the entire day. It’s a win-win situation for all involved.

The copyright of the article Children's Party Plans in Children's Parties is owned by Janice Benoit. Permission to republish Children's Party Plans in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.