Stuck for party ideas? We asked parents to share with us some of their favorites. We hope you’ll find inspiration here for your child’s next birthday bash.

We surprised our 7-year-old daughter Hava with an appearance and storytime session
from real live Rapunzel and Flynn characters. Rapunzel arrived on her horse and surprised the kids in our backyard.
Hava came up with the idea to have an art station and a nail painting station, which were such fun activities for the guests.
– Elisa Restea, Loganville

I planned a tea party for my daughter’s sixth birthday – complete with lumps of sugar.
The little girls dressed up in their mother’s or grandmother’s clothes, with hats and gloves and such – that was sooo much fun!
We asked every party guest to bring a new or gently used doll or teddy bear that we could donate to a shelter for women and children.
During the party, the girls all wrote messages to the children who would be getting their special friend, such as “I sure hope
you enjoy this sweet bear as much as I have.”
– Jai Muhammad, Riverdale

For a pirate party, we made “ice pirate ships” using Solo cups and Dixie cups. For the ship to “sail,” you need the
mast to stand up straight, so put a piece of tape across the top of the cup and stick straw (for Solocups)
or toothpick (Dixie cups) into the center of tape to hold it in place while freezing. Using washable markers, kids decorated
triangular- or square-cut sails; poke two holes in each sail to slide them onto masts. Everyone had a great
time sending their little ice pirate ships down the slip-and-slide, then sliding down themselves after them.
We also gave the kids eye patches, moustaches and wash-off tattoos! It was awesome!
– Ashley Kean, Snellville

For my twins’ fourth birthday I did a backyard water party. There was a baby pool, Slip ‘N Slide, oscillating sprinkler and water
balloons. They loved the water theme and opted for another pool party for their fifth birthday, this time at the community pool.
– Leigh Middleton, Gainesville

For my son Sawyer’s 2-year-old birthday (for 20 kids, ages 1-12), I put together a “Barnyard Bash.”  
We hired a mobile petting zoo and they brought about 20 animals: a pig, roosters,
rabbits, chicks, ducks, goats and a pony that the kids could ride. I turned our garage
into the petting zoo and called it “SoyBean Stables” because our son’s nickname
is Soybean. A friend brought over a giant tractor tire that I put on the lawn and filled
with corn feed; the kids sat on the tire’s edge and hunted for prizes hidden in the
corn feed. A friend made an amazing tractor tire cake with animals. The favor bags
just had gummy worms with some Easter grass and chocolate chip morsels – and a
note that said “Life is short, Eat Dirt. Thanks for coming to my Barnyard Bash.”
– Erin Ferguson, Dallas

I threw a wedding-themed party for my daughters fourth birthday
because she was going through a stage where she was into brides and weddings.
I bought fake flowers and the girls made bouquets.
The dollar store was great for wedding-themed plates and flowers. I even made a three-tiered cake!
– Malkie Citrin, Sandy Springs

My daughter attended a birthday party where the dad had built raised flower beds
in the backyard and filled them with sand and buried toy dinosaurs and toy bones.
Each kid got a pail, shovel and sand rake. They had a blast excavating and reburying the dinos.
– Melissa Cruz, Lawrenceville

I just threw my 6-year-old daughter a Doc McStuffins party.
I printed invitations from the Disney website (free). We asked each child to bring a
stuffed animal so they could serve as the kids’ “patients.” I set up tables with pretend
medical tools and equipment. (I even found foam skeletons for $1 at Walmart!) We played
“Doc” games with help from my aunt, who is a nurse and wore her uniform. The kids loved
the “sensory” game when you put items into a bucket and they guess which body parts they
are feeling (spaghetti represented our insides or guts, grapes for eyeballs, etc.). I collected and
cleaned empty Rx bottles and put Skittles inside them. I made “American Red Cross Oreos”
(Oreos dipped in white almond bark, with fruit rollups on top for the crosses.) Each child’s
goodie looked like a First Aid kit.
– Rachelle Gaffney, Fairburn

Our “Little House on the Prairie party” was a big hit. I was afraid it might be a little boring but the
kids loved doing the simple activities like handwashing clothes, stringing buttons and even
making butter. The best part was seeing all the girls in their little bonnets and fitting right in with
our prairie decor and activities.
– Amanda White, Canton

We held my son’s 2nd birthday party at the DeKalb Peachtree Airport.
The invitations looked like boarding passes, the goody bags were decorated to look like a
baggage claim and were filled with airplane toys and everyone enjoyed the “in flight meal”
of airplane-shaped sandwiches. Being able to watch real airplanes fly by was perfect.
– Meredith Morrow, Johns Creek

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