Some of the best memories your children will hold onto are their birthday parties. A time when they are made to feel loved, surrounded by their family and friends as everyone comes to celebrate them turning one year older. For parents, they may struggle to come up with unique outdoor birthday party ideas each year that is simple to organize, yet leave long-lasting memories.
If you can relate to this, then you’re in the right place. Here are some of the most magical, crazy fun, and memorable outdoor birthday party ideas for kids.
A projector, some fairy lights, popcorn, an outdoor sofa or chairs, and some blankets are the main ingredients of this outdoor birthday party. Give your children the feeling of luxury, and let them relax under the stars with some yummy popcorn and their favorite movie of all time. The cleanup will be minimal, and you can be assured that your kids, and kids’ friends, will remember this forever.
Tip: Choose a movie that has singing and dancing. Encourage the kids to sing along, get up and dance, and have the time of their lives!
What kid doesn’t like bouncy castles? There are so many to choose from nowadays, whether it’s a simple princess bouncy castle or one of the bouncy castle slides that provides endless hours of fun. All you need is one bouncy castle, but if you have space and the budget, choose as many as you want. Add in some super fun snacks and refreshments, and let the kids bounce for hours.
Tip: Play some fun music to keep the kids energized and let them bounce along to the music. Provide a lot of water and drinks especially if it’s a hot day as they will need it.
For kids that like to dress up, send out some cute invitations with pirates and princesses on them and tell everyone to come dressed as their preferred character. Then, hang some pirate and princess decorations, play some fun music, get some on-theme cakes and let the party atmosphere take it away. You can even hang up a white sheet and put your phone on a tripod to have a makeshift photoshoot for the kids. Give some props and snap away.
Tip: if you are feeling adventurous, you can even add in a treasure hunt adventure. See #9 for more on this. Also, pirates and princesses are just one example of a themed dress-up party. If your child prefers Frozen, or any other movie/theme, go along with it and send out those invites. Kids will come dressed up as your child’s favorite movie or character, and this will be one to remember.
For the older kids, aged 12+, why not buy a mini-golf adventure course set, some golf balls, and golf clubs, and let the kids have a friendly competition day. You can even encourage them to come looking like professional golfers, and let their imagination go wild. This is a minimal setup, easy clean-up, and memorable outdoor birthday party for kids.
Tip: get some golf-inspired food such as themed cupcakes, or cake pops that look like edible golf balls.
Come up with 4-5 exciting sports, split the kids into groups and let them compete at each one. Some popular sports day tournaments include the egg and spoon race (boil the egg in advance or get fake eggs to avoid a mess.), relay races, wheelbarrow races, 100m sprint, hurdles, and so much more! Have prizes for each team, keep track of the scores on a big scoreboard, and let the kids’ smiles tell all.
Tip: have a lot of fun drinks, snacks, and refreshments available. Plan the day accordingly, giving the kids plenty of time to sit, eat, and laugh with their friends as well as compete.
Sometimes, the best ideas are the simplest. For boys or girls who love football, why not get 2 nets (you don’t even need to buy them, they can be 2 sticks in the ground if you wish), a football, some fun football vests, and let the kids have a fun day of football. You can even incorporate some fun games alongside a mini-tournament such as for warm-ups or cooldowns. Then, make sure you have some fun food at the end, such as pizza (or another high-carb food) to keep the kids energized and happy.
Tip: let the parents get involved too if the kids want it. Often, having their mother or father on their team, or even against their team, can be the most memorable and exciting thing they have experienced.
One definitely for the outdoors! Grab a ton of bubble tubes in a variety of colors and designs (you can even purchase some edible bubbles if you fancy, they are 100% safe for kids to eat and are non-toxic). Then, get a foam maker, play some fun music, and let the kids dance the day away. They will blow their bubbles and be covered in foam. It’ll certainly be one to remember.
Tip: have towels out and extra activities on the side for the kids that have had enough, and want to dry off and relax, such as coloring or painting. If you are trying to make the birthday party more eco-friendly, choose non-toxic bubbles that will not harm the environment around you.
Encourage all the kids to come in a white outfit, give them some non-toxic fabric paint, and paintbrushes, and let the magic happen. They can paint themselves, paint their friends, and be left with a beautifully painted outfit that they will remember forever. You can also provide them with some extra t-shirts and let them paint these should they wish. At the end, they will probably be covered in paint from head to toe. Have an outdoor hose ready to hose the kids off that need it, and let them dry in the sun.
Tip: encourage the children to come with a spare outfit so they can change and let their clothes dry after showering.
Whether it’s part of a dress-up party or not, a treasure hunt extravaganza always goes down well. Hide clues around your garden, set up some clues, and watch the kids go crazy running around to find the treasure. Make sure the prize at the end is for all of the kids, and have some yummy treasure-themed treats at the end ready for the kids to devour.
Tip: make your clues pirate-themed by dipping a black tea bag in water, and dabbing it over the paper. You can also light the edges with a flame and blow it out to give it a really realistic effect.
If you are feeling overwhelmed or a bit lost, do not worry. You are certainly not alone. Parenting is no easy task, especially when it comes to birthday parties. You may have a child who gets distraught when no one turns up to their birthday party, and you have to pick up the pieces. Or the party may not turn out how you expect it to be. Yet despite all these challenges, these parties you make for your kids will be long-lasting memories that they will never forget. Even a party as simple as an outdoor movie night can be some of the most special memories your child will cherish forever.
