Birthday Party Ideas for 3 Year Old?

1. A neighbor hires a Story Teller to come to her house. She brings a back-drop, puppets, costumes and tells a story. Princess Belle-Beauty and the Beast is what she has done here. She also encourages the girls to dress up, participate and play act, face paint make-up. Maybe a bit much for the 3 year old, but she does different stories. Unfortunately I don't have her name. There are story tellers in the book.
2. Rent one of those blow up jump things. Especially for a small party, they can all use it at the same time. You do need to supervise the little ones. But they love it and it expends some energy.
3. Have a tea party at home. Each should bring their own favorite friend so there's less arguing over who gets which. Let them use white grape juice and actually pour their own tea. It will get a bit messy. Cute cracker treats or cup cakes.
4. Get a cd of common sing-a-longs and you or Dad be the clown. Get some face paints or kids makeup, etc and dress them up like clowns or big girls. Have a parade when they're in costume. They'll just be happy to play the rest of the time.
- Just some ideas. I've seen all of these be huge successes. Remember, it doesn't take much to impress a 3 year old, so just do what yours seems to have the most fun with, she's the star. Don't forget party hats.

Hi KC!

My little girl turns two next month and this weekend my Mommie and Baby class is having a reunion birthday party. We're going to JW Tumbles for a wild two hour party. We did it last year when our babies turned one and it was fantastic. They are located in the lower level of the Galleria in Edina. I believe there's another location somewhere else as well. It's not the cheapest, but it's so much fun! We're renting the space for two hours (I'm thinking it's about $300), and the kids will be lead in a variety of fun activities. We get to bring in a birthday cake as well as any other munchies. I believe their website is http://www.jwtumbles.com.

A.

I would keep the party short maybe two hours max. I tried games at my daughter's 3yr.old party it didn't go the best but kinda worked. They say you shouldn't have more friends at the party than the age of your child. So 3yrs.old equals 3kids. Good Luck!

Looks like you got a lot of good responses. My neighbor does reptile and animal shows for birthdays, daycares, etc. If your child likes that kind of stuff, let me know and I will forward his contact info.
D.

K C,
My daughter just turned three in August. We had a party with a Little Mermaid theme because we have one of those giant Six Flags water slides. The advice that I received from an experienced neighbor was invaluable.

First, we had an art activity when the other kids were arriving. In our case they decorated sea shells with glitter paints, googly eyes, and pipe cleaners. After everyone arrived, we moved to a pool filled with soapy water. The kids each got a mini-net and fished for objects. They could turn each one in for a prize. Next, they slid on the slide. Next, they broke a Little Mermaid piñata (the kind with pull strings v the kind you hit). Finally, we had lunch and cake while my daughter opened her presents.

On the invitations I had said the party was from 11-1pm. The timing was pretty good. The key is really to keep the activites moving. Five to ten minutes per activity is plenty. Obviously, the water slide was longer - as would be a bouncer or some other physical activity.

One thing I learned is that the kids eat virtually nothing. They are pretty keyed up and don't want to rest for very long. I put a lot of time into planning a themed menu and it was really lost on the little ones. Incidentally, I had all the parents here, too.

A final note: I had several fun $1 items from Target in party bags for the kids. The biggest hit was a plastic recorder. They sat up in the clubhouse on our play system and tooted after the party was over.

If you don't want to have the party at home - it is a LOT of work! - Pump-It-Up is very fun for the three year old set! http://www.pumpitupparty.com/locations.html
We will probably do that next year, although I really enjoy the challenge of putting together a party. (Easy to say after it's over...)

K.

Sara Waters is a local storyteller. She does baby and toddler storytime at The Red Ballooon bookstore. She said she also does birthday parties. Her website is www.babytimefun.com
She is really fun to listen to and watch and uses puppets and songs as well. You'd have to email her about birthday info. and her email address in on her website.