OT: Need ideas for winter birthday party

[ryan840]

Next week is my baby's first birthday party and I have no experience whatsoever with winter parties for kids. It's a Blue's Clues theme, most of the kids there will be 2-4 yrs old. I have sledding as an option but it doesn't look like the snow will stick around, so I have to come up with some other ways to entertain them. I thought about playing Blue's Clues but given the particular crowd I don't think it'd go too well... Maybe it would, I don't know. What would we figure out anyway My oldest was born in August, I can throw a killer summer party but this is all foreign to me! HELP! Thanks in advance!

PS- The party will likely last several hours, it's all family and we don't see each other often due to distance, so having it last just a couple of hours is out.

 

[PollyannaMom]

Since it's a family party, you won't have to plan every minute. - The cousins will probably just like playing with each other the way they normally do when you get together (which I know you said isn't often, so they probably don't get sick of each other quickly) and the adults will want to chat and catch up with each other's lives.

I would make sure to have at least one active and one passive activity for the kids - sledding is great if the snow sticks around. Maybe "puppy tag" if it doesn't and you have the space indoors - whoever is it is "Blue" and each person they catch becomes another puppy. - Lots of barking and happy kids.

For the quiet activity, maybe blues clues coloring books or paint-with-water (do they still make those? - where the color is on the page, and the kids wet it to make it show.) Or collages of blue things cut from magazines. (Just give the little ones upside-down contact paper if you want to avoid glue.)

Something else, for the adults too, in the clues/guessing theme would be to fill a few different sized jars with candy or something, and each person puts their guess as to how many are in there on a slip of paper. -They are read at the end, and the closest one wins the jar of treats.

Another, "gushier," thing is to make a video of each person's message to the baby when he/she older (set a future birthday that they will watch it.) If you have a stuffed "Blue," you could even pose them next to it, as if she is interviewing them.

Good luck, and have a great time!

 

[Perditamarie]

Good luck!! I have a few ideas:

1. decorate cupcakes
2. play with playdoh
3. make up a blues clues scavenger hunt
4. get a craft kit -- like those foam sticker ones from Michaels or AC Moore
5. musical chairs
6. balloon volleyball

I am looking forward to seeing all the ideas that come up!

 

[Reagan&Co.]

There is an awesome website I always use to get ideas. It's www.birthdaypartyideas.com. Go to kids party themes and it will list dozens of parties sent in by other mommies. For each theme, they are listed by age, so you just pick what is applicable. I looked for you, and there are several BC parties for one year olds, and several BC winter parties. Some of the moms have WAY too much time on their hands, if you know what I mean! but it is really fun to see what other people come up with. I always get really good ideas for our parties.
Hope it helps!

 

[ryan840]

Thanks for all the ideas, keep em coming! I'm off to check out the link from Reagan&Co. and then hit the sack, "see" ya tomorrow!