Partypalooza's Free Children's Party Tips!

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~~~Fixin' to hold a horse and pony party? Well, saddle up and enjoy the ride.

Though lots of kids love pony rides, you don't need to hire a pony for your party. Stick horses are a super fun toy that can double as a game/activity accessory and as a neat party favor!

Make a mini equestrian obstacle course with fences, barrels and water obstacles for 'riders' to navigate around and over!

Play horseshoes, of course!

Decorate horseshoe cut outs. Use sturdy card stock or foam sheets then add stickers, glitter and other creative touches.

Related horse and pony party themes:

~~~Kids are only kids once, so let them be kids and let them eat cake!

The end of summer can be both a time of excitement for the new school year and all that brings and a time of sadness for the passing of another summer. If your kids are feeling that way, then just before school starts is the perfect time for an end of summer party! Invite some friends, ask them to bring a snack or drink to share, and party it up!

And don't forget the cake!

~~~If it's hot outside, think cool with a winter theme party! Break out the penguins, snow men, and snow flakes!

Serve snow cones, snow ball cakes, and snow flake shaped cookies!

Challenge guests to build a tower of ice cubes!

Make snowman crafts, paper snow flakes and share winter theme tattoos.

Play the frozen shirt game! Before the party, wet and wring out old t-shirts. Fold them and place them in the freezer until party time. At the party, hand out the frozen shirts and see who's the first to unfold and put their shirt on. Try frozen gloves for something different!

Decorate with sugar cube igloos, paper snowflakes, penguins, and other winter theme items.

~~~Old-Fashioned Summer Fun! Between summer camp, vacations where you run-run-run, and back-to-school shopping, kids might not have enough time to just relax and be kids. Maybe you remember the carefree days of summer from your childhood and want to give some of that to your own children or grandchildren. Pick a day then invite the cousins and the neighborhood kids for a day of old-fashioned, summer fun!

Instead of planned, structured activities, give them the tools for fun, like:

Serve lemonade and cookies to keep it simple.

Encourage the grown-ups to get in on the fun, too!

~~~Have a Werewolf Party with some of these cool ideas!

  • Find out when the full moon will be and hold your party on the night of a full moon!
  • Decorate the party area with images of wolves and moons. Add silver streamers.
  • Have face painting to transform mild-mannered party guests into werewolves! Or invite guests to wear werewolf costumes and masks.
  • Watch a favorite werewolf movie.
  • Add these party ideas to a vampire party for a dual theme party!

~~~A vampire theme is just the kind of party you can sink your teeth into! While vampire parties are fun around Halloween, they are great any time of year, too. Here are some vampire party ideas to get you started.

  • Since vampires can't face the light of day, start your party after the sun has set.
  • Make edible fake blood. There are various recipes and uses; search for one that suits your blood type.
  • Goodies to hand out: fake vampire teeth, vampire bite tattoos, toy bats.
  • Decorate with black and dark red balloons, toy bats, and candles (remember to use caution with live candles).

Things to do:

    • Hot potato vampire style. Instead of passing a potato from player to player, pass a head of garlic! The vampire holding the garlic when the music stops is eliminated. Keep playing until the last vampire is left.
    • Watch a favorite vampire movie!

~~~Give a gift that keeps on giving!

Looking for something different for kid's birthday gift? How about a Goody Bag a month for the next year?

Order a dozen Goody Bags in assorted themes. Each month deliver one Goody Bag to the recipient!

All year long, the birthday child will anticipate their special monthly gift!

~~~Some Cool Summer Party Games For Outdoors!

  • Keep it dry
    Give each person an object that changes when it gets wet, like a cotton ball, wad of construction paper or a dried out kitchen sponge. Have them attempt to swim across the pool without getting the object wet!
  • Engineer a water transporting device
    Divide group into teams of two or three. Give each group the same materials and have them build a device to carry water from one place to the next. Items that you can give them: sheet of copy paper, tape, sheet of aluminum foil, or other materials that can be used to build a water carrier. Once the devices are built, let them test them!
  • Water basketball game
    Play basketball in the pool - use inflatable swim rings as the 'basket' and inflatable beach balls as the 'basketball'!

~~~Kids love puppies and kittens because they are so darn cute! And that's why puppies and kittens are a great birthday party theme. So, unleash the fun!

  • Serve snacks in new, clean dog or cat food bowls! After the party is over, you can wash the bowls then donate them to a local animal shelter.
  • Use dog bone shaped cookie cutters to make dog treats for your human guests at a dogs and puppies party! Make fish-shaped cookies for your guests at a cats and kittens party.
  • Hold your party at a park where they have a dog run and invite guests to bring their dogs, too!
  • Some kids just love to make noise, so indulge them! Set a timer for a minute or two, or however long you think you can handle the noise, and let them howl, meow and bark to their hearts content until time is up!
  • In lieu of gifts, have a collection drive for a local animal shelter. Beforehand, find out what the shelter needs and accepts as donations. Also many food pantries also accept pet foods, so check your local food pantry or food bank.
  • Some local police forces have K-9 units that do public outreach. Contact them to see if they could come to your party. If not, try a local canine search & rescue or organizations that train guide and service dogs.

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