Toddler Party Ideas

Whether it's a birthday, Christmas, Easter, or Halloween party, having a party for toddlers can be a blast...or a nightmare.

What can you do to have a successful toddler party? Is it about the games or the food? Having parents there or not? These toddler party ideas will help you get started.

If this will be your first toddler party, there are a few basic things that you should think about as you make your arrangements:

• Limit the guests or invite parents. Unless you're a preschool teacher by profession, you'll probably have a hard time dealing with a large number of kids on your own. Limit the group to just 5 kids (including yours) or ask the parents to stay.
• Some toddlers don't care for group games. At this age, it's normal for children to want to play alongside each other rather than with each other.
  
• Toddlers are picky eaters. You probably already know this from your own child but do you really want to try to cater to the tastes of 10 different toddlers? I didn't think so. Plan for a party when it's not mealtime.
• Stick with a short party (one to two hours) to avoid potential meltdowns.
• Create a basic timeline for the party and stick to it. Know when you want to serve snacks, when you want to do activities and when you want to open presents.

If you have these basics under control, then you can move on to the more complicated aspects of party planning.

What to do when you've got all those little ones there? It's hard enough to entertain your own child for a few hours, but now you have many more. There are many things that you can do.

Keep it simple. You don't have to plan elaborate games or activities. Simply set out a few toys that the children can play with. This works well if you have a large play area.

Do something different. Since it's a party, the kids will be excited if there's something new for them to do. If you can afford it, a bounce house can be a fun addition to the party. You can also purchase a small kiddie pool and fill it with plastic balls to create your own ball crawl.

Get crafty. Choose a craft that toddlers will be able to do. For example, they could easily make paper plate masks using markers and gluing feathers. Alternatively, you can just set up a space where the kids can play with paint or drawing.

Move around. If the weather's nice, you can take the kids outside for a bit of fun. Play a game of chase to get them moving. If the weather's not so nice, you can have a dance party inside.

Toddlers aren't so picky about what they do. It's only when they get a bit older that they start complaining about being bored.

You don't have to hold your toddler party at your own home. More and more places allow you to host the party there. Typically, you pay a per-child charge. It's a bit more expensive than hosting your own party, but it's much less stressful. Some of the most common locations:

• Chuck E Cheese
• Bounce house location
• Children's museum
• Science museum
• Park
• Build-A-Bear
• Ice cream shop
  

While a theme certainly isn't necessary for a successful toddler party, it can help you to get organized and purchase decorations. At this age, you don't need to worry too much about choosing a theme that your child likes. She'll hardly care whether the paper plates have Barbie or Disney Princesses.

ABC. An ABC theme is fairly easy to do. Simply print out large letters and hang them on the wall. You can find plates and cups that feature this theme.

Characters. It's hard to look at party supplies without seeing ones covered with characters. Most toddlers love Elmo, so he's a natural choice. You can also go with Disney characters or any of the characters on Nick Jr or Sesame Street.

Animals. Most children are fascinated by animals, which means that they could make a good theme for the party. You can choose a specific favorite animal, such as a dog and buy things that relate to that. You could also group animals by going with a farm or jungle theme.