There is a lot to consider when hosting a birthday party for your child outside but if you plan carefully, then it’s bound to be a success. Have a look at these tips and learn how to make it a memorable, happy day for everyone involved.
Pick the Perfect Venue
The right venue will be different for different kids and their families. You could hold the party in your garden to keep costs, travel and stress down, or you could travel further afield – this doesn’t necessarily have to be expensive as you could go to the park or the woods and get involved with wildlife. However, if you have the budget, visiting or hiring a venue and even entertainment can be special and offer more variety. And, no matter where you go, always remember to keep children covered when it’s sunny and give them some time in the shade.
Find a Fun Theme
A theme always helps to get the party going and get the guests involved. Base it on something that your child likes such as a hobby or favourite book, or go more general with a dress-up theme of TV characters or everyone’s favourite animals!
Decorate to Your Heart’s Content
Decorations make a party an even more fun place to be and creating a colour scheme can make it look extra special. Think about balloons, banners, bunting and tablecloths – and don’t forget party hats for all of your child’s friends! If you’re hosting in your back garden, you could get them involved in making some, which everyone is sure to love. You could also set up a shade sail to create somewhere cool, relaxing and colourful for kids and adults to spend time beneath.
Food Galore
Who doesn’t love party food? Keep it tied in with the theme – think of a superhero cake or iced biscuits with animal designs – and try to cater to different tastes and requirements so everyone feels included. There are lots of easy recipes for making vegetarian party food and, if you lay out a spread with lots of variety, any picky eaters are sure to be kept happy too. Include healthy options alongside sweet and savoury treats, as well as things to keep the children’s energy up while they’re running around. Plus, you can keep some of your favourite ideas reserved for party bags so they can enjoy something tasty after they’ve gone home.
Games and Sports
Kids often like being competitive, so playing traditional games such as a tug of war or an egg and spoon race can be an effective way to get everyone on their feet and having fun outside. If you’ve got the space at home, you could hold a big team game of rounders or something on a smaller scale like padel. And, you could make the most of things already in your garden such as simple outdoor gym equipment or swingball, as long as the children are supervised and old enough.
Be Imaginative with Activities
The world is your oyster when it comes to finding activities to do outdoors for a kid’s birthday party. If you’re heading to the woods, why not try den building, nature spotting or a scavenger hunt to find different trees, flowers and other natural wonders? For a garden alternative, you could buy or make and hide items like small toys for the guests to find. If they like to get their hands dirty, you could set up a craft session, or an activity where they can plant something and take it home to care for. When catering to the more active, a slip ‘n slide, paddling pool and Giant Jenga are all great options. Meanwhile, hiring or going to an outdoor venue can allow you to be even more adventurous and try anything from go karting and archery to kayaking and an obstacle course!
Stay Safe
It can be easy to only focus on everyone having a good time when holding a children’s birthday party, but it’s important to ensure that they’re kept safe too. Invite several adults to supervise based on the number of guests and always have a first aid kit handy for any bumps or scrapes. Look into sun safety and lather on the sun cream to protect the kids’ skin, and think about using an outdoor canopy – either at home or at a venue – in case of any showers.
Whatever your budget, you can hold a fantastic birthday party for your child if you put some extra thought ahead of time into the food, decorations, activities, venue and what they and their friends love to do! Hopefully, these tips will get you started.
Luciana joined our team as a mum blogger in 2020. A dedicated mum to a lively daughter and a dog, Luna, Luciana brings authenticity and passion to every post. Her expertise in parenting and lifestyle topics offers practical, relatable advice for real-life situations.