Kids love the outdoors, so if you're planning a party for kids, consider an outdoor extravaganza. Outdoor parties are best during the warmer months, but you can try them on slightly cooler days as well. Whether you organize a picnic party, a scavenger hunt, a treasure hunt, or a day of water-filled fun, kids will love the outdoor party you've planned. Does this Spark an idea?
Picnic Party
Younger kids, especially toddlers and preschoolers, will love picnic parties. Just bring along plenty of old sheets or tablecloths to spread on the ground, and prepare typical barbecue food, such as hot dogs, hamburgers, grilled chicken, corn on the cob and salads. As activities for a picnic party, make a marching band and sing "The Ants Are Marching One By One," build picnic baskets from shoe boxes and a strip of cardboard and decorate them with craft supplies, or play a game of "I'm going on a picnic and I'm bringing a..." with each person adding one more object to the list.
Scavenger and Treasure Hunts
Older kids who can travel through the neighborhood on their own (or who can be driven places by a chaperone) will enjoy scavenger hunt parties and treasure hunt parties. For a scavenger hunt party, make a list of vague items that groups of kids must find, such as "something purple," "something more than 100 years old," "a stone," and "man-made object." If you give the kids digital cameras, they can take pictures of their finds; otherwise, they'll simply need to confirm that they visited each place. The first team to complete the entire list wins, and the party finishes with plenty of food and fun outside as the kids discuss their travels.
Alternatively, kids can go on a treasure hunt, following hint after hint until they finally find a large treasure (such as a box of some exciting party favors). This will take plenty of preparation beforehand. You also can make the end of the treasure hunt land them at the special location where the party will take place.
Water Fun
Pool parties are a great idea for outdoor fun. But if you don't have a pool in your backyard, you can still throw a water party that kids will enjoy. Fill up several kiddy pools on a grassy area; attach a sprinkler to your hose - or several sprinklers, if possible; start a water balloon fight with intricate rules; and fill up plenty of water guns and other water toys. Let the kids loose in their bathing suits and watch how much fun a bit of water can add to a party. When the kids start winding down, you can give them watermelon, Goldfish crackers, Popsicles, and other water-related foods, along with a cake shaped like a swimming pool.
