Parenting Toddlers

Theme Parties for
1 - 3 Year Olds

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TIPS FOR SUCCESSFUL TODDLER PARTIES

by Kathryn E. Livingston 
When it comes to birthday parties, the one-to-three-year-old set is pretty easy to please. A few presents, a few friends, and a birthday cake will probably satisfy most toddlers' birthday dreams; parents will find party planning in the early years quite a breeze compared to the demands leveled by older children for exotic locations, activities, and scores of birthday attendees.

One-to-threes blissfully appreciate a simple, short (one- to one-and-a-half-hour) party: my own eldest son fell asleep in his high chair while eating his first birthday cake. One-year-olds, in fact, won't remember anything about a party so you can pretty much invite your own friends or family members and have an adult wingding with the birthday baby�who may need to nap during the festivities�as the star attraction. By two years of age, and certainly by three, toddlers will enjoy having a few friends present�and, in most cases, those friends' moms, dads, or babysitters since separation anxiety is still an issue. Art projects, circle games, singing, and general frivolity will make your party boy's or party girl's day.

Choosing a favorite theme to center your child's party around will make him feel comfortable and special, and will also help you to coordinate invitations, paper goods, favors, games, a cake, and so forth. At this age, a theme needn't be elaborate; a simple concept such as a color or shape, or a favorite Disney character or storybook can be the focal point for your decorations and activities. Here are a few ideas for the youngest birthday revelers:

A PINK PARTY
(Or any other color of your little one's choice.)
Ask your partygoers to wear pink (or variations on the chosen shade) and decorate with a pink tablecloth and plates, a pink-frosted cake, pink candles, pink punch, etc. Kids can pin-the-tail on a pink pig (blue whale or yellow lion), and play a game to think of everything pink. Pass a pink "hot potato" or hide something pink and ask the kids to find it.

ABC PARTY
Decorate your table with ABC blocks, and use colored letters as festive pin-ups. Use a plain white tablecloth that toddlers can scribble on; supply plenty of crayons and washable markers so kids can create a colorful work of art. Don't forget to sing the ABC song.

TEDDY BEAR'S TEA PARTY (OR PICNIC)
Ask each guest to bring his or her own teddy bear and allow place settings for furry friends. Read some Winnie-the-Pooh, Corduroy, or other favorite bear tales. (This can be a doll party or a favorite stuffed animal party. Or throw a mid-afternoon "Pajama Party"; favorite stuffed sleeping mates can come, too.)

DRESS-UP/COSTUME PARTY
Ask guests to dress in their Halloween costumes (even if it's May!) or provide a box of dress-up hats and clothes. After everyone has created their get-ups, ask the children to parade around the yard or house while you make a video (you can play this back for them; kids love being in the movies).

PUPPET PARTY
Children love to make puppets and play pretend. Provide materials (safe, clean recycled items; socks, mittens, or finger puppets) and help toddlers make and decorate their puppets. Then put on a puppet show.

BAND PARTY
Decorate in red, white and blue; play some marching band tapes and create your own toddler band. You'll need paper plates taped together with macaroni inside for tambourines; empty oatmeal containers for drums; empty toilet-paper rolls with wax paper and rubber bands for kazoos. Kids can also make newspaper hats (or purchase white painters' caps or baseball caps that they can decorate with paint, glue, feathers, plastic stars, sparkles, etc.). Just be careful that decorating is carefully supervised and beware of using items that look edible but aren't (i.e. uncooked beans or beads).

DINO PARTY
All things dinosaur, of course. Dino invitations, dino cake, or cupcakes decorated with tiny dinos. If you have a sandbox, this is the perfect time to go on a sandbox dig for dino bones (you can bury tiny plastic dinosaurs or other favors). Or create an indoor dig in oatmeal using a large, flat box.

MASK PARTY
Make your own paper-bag mask. You can pre-cut ears, funny noses, and provide lots of coloring, glue, and other art materials so kids (with the help of their moms or other caregivers) can make a funny animal to wear home. If your mask theme is zoo animals, you can frost animal crackers to use as hors d'oeuvres.

STORY PARTY
Ask each guest to bring a favorite book, then sit in a circle and share. You or another mom can be the designated reader. When storytime is over, let your guests color and decorate their own "books" with crayons and stickers. (Provide small, blank-page books you've hole-punched and tied together in advance.) Decorate your home with storybooks and/or ask your toddler guests to come dressed as their favorite storybook characters. If you want to really go all-out, you can also hire a professional storyteller who will give a story reading with music and movement. If you're theatrical, you can do this yourself; have the kids participate by repeating key phrases and movements.

CARNIVAL PARTY
Some toddlers are wary of clowns, but if your child�and her friends�don't mind them, you can dress up as a clown and host your own toddler carnival. A bean-bag toss, go-fish game (using paper fish with clips and a pole with a magnet), face-painting, and circus music will create a festive party indoors or out.

HOLIDAY PARTY
If your child's birthday is near a holiday, why not take advantage of established themes? Make a glitter-coated decoration to take home for the Christmas tree (using construction paper or Popsicle sticks), dye Easter eggs, or color shamrocks and bake Irish soda bread.

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Once you get hooked on a theme, you can really let your imagination run wild. If your little one loves rainbows, ask your toddler guests to make rainbows on your sidewalk with chalk! If it's butterflies, why not make a butterfly fan from paper and a Popsicle stick? You can pin spots on the leopard, or the trunk on an elephant...follow your imagination!

Old standbys that work well at this age include bubbles and bubble wands (try to get the really big ones, too); Play-doh; games like Duck, Duck, Goose; and all kinds of art projects. Noncompetitive games are best; don't expect toddlers (especially those under three) to want to cooperate in organized games. Some toddlers, after all, will probably just want to sit on Mom's lap and snuggle throughout the whole party!

Whatever your theme, keep your toddler party short, small, simple, and sweet. Most of all, have fun!

Kathryn E. Livingston of Bogota is in her twelfth year of throwing birthday parties.