

Ask HN: Parents, What's The Coolest Kids Birthday Party Activity You've Seen - jeremybencken


======
bartonfink
When I was younger, I went to a birthday party where some presumably wealthy
parents had shelled out to keep a waterpark open a day after it closed for the
season, and we had the park to ourselves. Not every ride was open, but there
were basically no lines, and it was pretty cool.

------
L4mppu
Letting them play and making sure that they don't start fighting is pretty
good.

~~~
thejteam
For one of my daughter's parties (age 4 or 5) I blew up an insane number of
balloons, threw the balloons in a room with the kids, and let them play while
the adults talked in the next room. We poked our heads in every once in awhile
or when we heard screaming. Everybody had a great time.

For our last party we had unexpectedly good weather so we ditched all our
games and opened the door and let them play in the backyard while the adults
talked on the deck. A good time was had by all.

------
gus_massa
How old are the kids?

------
lifeisstillgood
The most important thing is engagement from adults (till about age 9).
Assuming they are this age or less I suggest

\- pirate treasure hunting. Start by everyone decorating their own eyepatch,
then have someone stagger in with a large map, a bullet wound and a story of
buried treasure if they can decipher the clues. Which of course are located I
the garden / nearby woods. Depending on age use written of visual clues, plant
caches in nearby woods to make a suitable round trip, extend for older kids
into a picnic.

\- Dragon egg hunts are similar in vein

\- build a shelter and make a fire (older kids)

\- build a raft (!)

\- British Bulldog

\- or, just run around and tell them follow me (works better for sugared up
Pre schoolers) and make up any variation on screaming then quiet (creep up on
the castle, then attack or run away)

I know none really answer the specific question, but i suspect there is a
question behind the question - really Cool has become hijacked by TV cartoons
and movies.

As has your expectation level. Yesterday I looked after my two - I made
breakfast, dinner and we made lunch together, we we t blackberry picking,
scooting, swings and slides, ran through the woods, two puzzles, a telescope
and a dragons head, trampolining and various sitting on Daddy. And guess what
- I felt I spent most of the day shoving them in front of a DVD just to catch
time to clean things up or calm things down.

Just lower your expectations of the day - it's going to be a party, jelly and
Ice cream, games to play and friends to get excited with. Everything else is
feeding off our fantasises of what a perfect kids day is - and then trying to
make everyday like that

Give yourself a break - your kids deserve it.

If all else fails jelly and ice cream will go a long way. As will making up a
story that involves running around and tiptoeing.

