Party fun for under-threes

You don’t need to spend a lot to have a fun party for babies or toddlers — we show you how to throw a great party on a budget

Published 03 Mar 2008
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Keep it short, sweet and structured Be realistic about your little one’s attention span; an hour to 90 minutes is about the most a one-year-old can handle. The best time is when they are most alert and calm — usually after a nap. If your toddler gets over-excited and difficult, switch to quietening down activities, such as story reading, or have a calming cuddle for a few minutes.
Have an indoor picnic “We laid out a blanket in our living room for a teddy bears’ picnic and set places for each guest and their teddy. I baked teddy-shaped biscuits and put on a nursery rhymes CD. We must have sung The Teddy Bear’s Picnic about 50 times!”

Jo, mum of Yasmine, 4, Frankie, 3, and Sienna, 9 months

There’s no place like home It’s a familiar setting that can easily be transformed into a baby-friendly fantasy land. “Instead of water, we filled a cheap inflatable swimming pool with lots of brightly coloured plastic balls to make a giant ball pond in our kitchen. All the babies loved it!” says

Tamar, mum of Ava, 5, Dov, 2, and Meira, 13 months

Fun in the garden A few age-appropriate garden toys will create all the fun that’s needed in the summer. “We decided to invent ‘Baby Olympics’ and got the toddlers crawling through hoops and bouncing from the mini-trampoline into the sandpit. They had hours of entertainment,” says

Laura, mum of Alice, 2, and Alfie, 18 months

Serve small portions Fill little tummies with bite-sized finger foods, such as mini sandwiches, chopped cucumber, fruit slices and mini rice cakes. “Keep food to a minimum by holding the party mid-afternoon, when children have already eaten lunch but it’s too early for dinner,” says

Debra Strong, nursery teacher and children’s party planner

Keep it simple Stick to a straightforward theme. “We threw a ‘rainbow party’ for Josh’s first birthday. All his friends were dressed from head to toe in bright rainbow colours and we decorated our house with multicoloured balloons, paper chains and streamers. I even baked a rainbow cake!”

Alison, mum of Olly, 7, Grace, 4, and Josh, 18 months

 Get help Economise on entertainment by roping in family and friends to help out. “My sister-in-law baked a fabulous cake, my neighbour sang nursery rhymes and my teenage niece did all the face painting. Best of all, they all stayed to tidy up!” says 

Binta, mum of twin girls, Halla and Johanna, 2


Find out more

 

  • Big Birthday Club
    Early Learning Centre customers with children aged 0-6 can join in-store or here for theme and game ideas, plus a 20 per cent off voucher before each birthday.

Words: Michelle Braham. Illustration: Ana Diaz