Winter Birthday Party Ideas
Cool Suggestions for a Child's Birthday Party in the Colder Months
Activities, games and other fun ideas for your child's next winter party.
Everyone thinks the best parties are the summer ones outside in the backyard. But the truth is a winter party can be lots of fun too.
Invitations
A fun invite, although a little tricky, is to take a piece of paper 8 by 8 inches and fold it three times. Trace out a snowflake outline for the child to cut out. When they open it up, the details of the party are written on the arms of the snowflake. You want a pattern that is very simple, with not too many cutouts. You can find great templates online at Kinderart. Another option is to send your invitations using winter E-cards. Try the Build-a-Snowman e-card at 123 Greetings.
Decorations
To decorate for a winter party, think white. Your kids can actually make all the decorations by hanging paper snow flakes, stringing chains of white paper across the ceiling, and stenciling windows with spray fake snow (watch the movie “Elf” for inspiration). You could also wrap white mini lights around window frames, use white paper lace dollies under plates (they look like snowflakes) and have a snowman at the end of the driveway holding a sign that says, “Party’s Here”.
Theme
If you want to have a girls’ party you could create a snowflake type ball and the girls can be snow princesses. Ask the girls to wear party dresses and then give them white fake fur cuffs and collars. You can get fake fur inexpensively at any craft or fabric store. Just cut strips about 3 inches wide and attach Velcro to make cuffs for their wrists and one as a collar to go around their neck. You could also add silver crowns and wands. For boys you can make them snow pirates, with a white eye patch and head scarf.
Games
You can have snowshoe races in the back yard. For snowshoes you will need thick branches from a fir or evergreen tree, about two feet long and one foot wide. Have the child step on the branch and tie it to their boots with strong twine. They can race individually or in teams.
You could also have the kids decorate snowmen. You don’t have to build a whole snowman, just snowman heads that each kid can decorate with buttons, carrots, hats, etc. You can even use Mr. Potato Head pieces. When they are done take their picture with their head resting beside their snowman head.
A snow dig is just as much fun as digging in the sand. Section off an area of clean snow and then drop in coins or small toys. Give each child a sand shovel and have them dig for the prizes.
For an inside game try the Penguin waddle. Take black crepe streamers and wrap them around each child’s legs, from their ankles to their knees, but not too tight. They then have to race each other or in teams. They may fall, so try to do this on carpet and away from anything they can bump their head on.
Food
Obviously the birthday cake should be a white cake, but you can cover it in shredded coconut or whipped cream for a snowy effect. Add crushed candy canes to the batter or peppermint extract to the icing to get a cool, winter feel.
Make rum balls out of white chocolate instead of dark chocolate so the kids will think they are eating mini snowballs. You could also make popcorn balls with the same effect.
Snow cones are another fun snack idea. Just fill a plastic cup with crushed ice. Take a can of fruit juice like grape or cherry and let it melt. Add a half a cup of water to the melted fruit juice and pour it over the crushed ice.
Loot Bags
A fun loot bag for a winter party is a white velvet sack or fluff fur bags that you can fill with candy and other small party favors. Paper Mart has great ones for about a dollar each. Alternatively you can give a personalized hot cocoa mug (like the ones at Personal Creations) or a snow brick mold that you could fill with candy and wrap up with cellophane and ribbon.
Hope these ideas help you plan your child’s next winter party. For more kids' party ideas see my articles, Entertaining Party Games for Kids and Classic Kids' Games Re-invented.
