My oldest daughter will be turning 5 on March 10 and she wants a Rapunzel birthday party. I have no problem doing so but I am not sure of how many friends she should invite. She has a sunday school class of about 9 kids (5 girls and 4 boys). She wants to invite her 5 year old boy cousin also. I am having a tough time finding any activities that a boy would enjoy. I have painting, and making tiaras, and bracelets, fixing each others hair and other crafty things , but I just don't think a boy would enjoy it.
I'd just like to say that we had a fabulous Dora the explorer party for my three year old this past saturday where we just had cousins come. Lots of fun but it wasn't geared to boys or girls. So I guess my question is, What would you do? Do you have any ideas that boys would like? Also how soon should I send out invitations? This would be the first time i've thrown a bday party and invited kids other than family.
thanks in advance.
Can you make cardboard swords for the boys to decorate?(I know, I know, anti-violence moms out there won't like that one) Or they can play pin the tail/fire on the dragon? If you have boys then you will have to forget the hair fixing activity.
My friend had a similar party once, and she had treasure boxes the boys could decorate. Just little ones, but they could paint and use the jewels that she already had for the girls. It was a big hit, and boys love things they can stash stuff in. Another thing could be Shields(like for sowrds fighting) that they can decorate.
Loved the idea that you got for shields and swords, you can find them sometimes at the dollar stores, or even check at hobby lobby or other craft store for a craft to make a foam one.
Rapunzel liked to paint, painting is a unisex activity....let them paint = )
You do not need a lot of activities to keep them entertained, not at age 5...one activity should be enough with present opening and eating cake.
Send out the invitations 2-3 weeks before the party. I never really do crafts at my kids birthday parties, but the one we did do that was a big hit was decorating swords the year my oldest had a pirate party. Both of my children are boys, but we always have a big mix of genders at the birthdays. Both boys and girls enjoyed decorating the swords! I got a great deal on super cheap foam swords that came with jewels to glue on them from Oriental Trading. I bought a bunch of glitter glue and they had a really good time with them!
Boys that age also enjoy decorating different types of hats and making more "boy-looking" bracelets and necklaces -use hemp rope, leather strands, that sort of thing. You can find packages of all of that at craft stores and at Oriental Trading. Have fun!
I know what you mean. It seems easier for a girl to do boy things then for boys to participate in girl things....why is that anyway? My daughter turned 4 in Dec and wanted a princess party so we did a royal celebration and all decorated crowns/tiaras and goblets. Boys decorated a shield and girls a wand. Tricky but can be done.
For Rapunzel, for the boys you could let them do crowns (instead of tiara's), they could make swords or shields. All could do lanterns or paint their own pictures...just set out art supplies. Add something with horses (maybe find pictures they can color).
It will be fine. They know it is a girls birthday party and will be fine with it.
I send my invitations about 3-4 weeks early because my family tends to be busy and may book up. Also, invite more than you intend to show because typically they don't all show.
I think that you can do crowns instead of tiaras for boys and maybe skip the hair stuff. boys enjoy making jewelry as much as girls. they could make friendship bracelets etc. invites should go out at least 2 weeks in advance. good luck
if your really just not into her having boys over for this then only invite the girls but its better to go ahead and make your house the house that everyone likes to hang out at now. and keep it that way. then when she is a teenager it won't be a big deal for you to say just have them all over here and she will and you will all be happy she can have friends and you know where and what she is doing. that doesn't just happen over night you have to cultivate it.
Have him do a CROWN instead of a Tiarra.
You could get some "colored" hairspray and do the boys hair like that! (Spike it with gel and then spray in some color.)
Play some games. Some sort of bean bag toss. Pinata.
Have them frost and decorate cupcakes! Even boys like doing that!
The idea of the littl boy treasure box is great. I would also have one separate party favor set aside for him that has more "boyish" things in it.
As far as number of kids, when they are younger the parents usually attend too, so for our kids we ahve always said the more the merrier. My son's 3rd birthday party is in three weeks and will have 14 kiddos there, plus him and our daughter. As they get older we will start to limit the number of kids, as I know the parents won't stick around.
I've heard a great 'rule' that children should invite one friend for each year of age. So, your daughter would invite 5 because she's turning 5. That's kinda what we do.
What about playing games or having a scavenger hunt? You could google 'children's party games' and find some things you think are gender-neutral. Then just *Rapunzel* them up a bit.
I would send out the invitations about 7-10 days before the party.
I haven't seen the movie, but if you have, maybe you can remember some things from the movie that inspire games or fun stuff for boys. They could make and decorate swords or something? Good luck!
Instead of a tiara for the boy, have a manly giant crown for him. He'll get a hit out of it.
Think of things Flynn Ryder themed for the boys, if you have any attend. You could do bows and arrows (dollar store suction cup tipped arrows), a treasure toss (tossing inexpensive jewelry into a jar) and pin the nose on the wanted poster. Maybe you could work some horse themed ideas in there, too.
