Birthday Party Suggestions for Turning 4

hi sarah you can hire a clown i had him for jears and order pizza and soda. and then you must havea cake lol. this clow does also do face paintinng . if you ant me to find out . and call him ill e maill you back ty
B.

My kids favorite party game was " pass the present". As you play music the kids pass a present that has been wrapped many times. When the music stops the child with the present unwraps a layer and the one who opens the present keeps it. At my daughters party it was a Kelly Barbie and at my sons it was a Hot Wheels or Play Dough. One time in each layer I wrapped a little something. A baloon, ring, plastic spider so everyone had something.

To find some really great ideas go to www.birthdaypartyideas.com I love that website and I've gotten some really awesome tips from it. Good luck!

Hi S., Things have changed a bit since I was a kid. On our birthdays, my mom would bake a cake and it would be served after dinner with just the family (my mom, dad and the six kids). The only time we had a birthday party was when I turned 1 (can't remember that one) and 13. In today's age, I think parents are going over the top with birthday parties. My sister has had a birthday party (complete with 30 attendees-parents and kids and more presents than at Christmas!!) for each daughter every year since they've been born! It takes away from the specialness of a birthday. Her daughters just rip through the presents and don't know who they're from and they don't even appreciate it.

That being said, I would just have a cake with one present and just you, your husband and your other children, if any. Keep it simple. Make them appreciate things.

Hope I didn't offend, but people give WAY TOO MUCH to their kids nowadays and the kids don't appreciate it!!!

A mother of four grown daughters with 11 grandchildren,

L.

Oh my, there are so many things you can do with kids that age. First and foremost enlist a couple of the other mothers as helpers for the party. Limit the sugar too! Serve fruits, cheese, and other goodies, maybe arranged in your party theme if you have one. Familyfun.com is a terrific resource for that sort of thing. There are games you can play with balloons, such as a relay race where they carry the balloon to a designated spot then have to sit on it to break it before the next person runs with theirs. If it's going to be warm you can do some water games. Finger painting, easy tie dye (there is a great kit with tie dye strings and you only have to put them in warm water, it works awesome and very little mess.) marble painting (where you tape a piece of paper in the bottom of a case soda box put 3 or 4 dollops of paint in the box, add 3 or 4 marbles and have the kids roll the marbles through the paint.
Activities that last 5-10 minutes each are best for that age group. Doing something like painting, then a physical activity then another sitting activity also helps with their energy level, but you don't need sophistocated play stuff for that age group and don't be afraid to give them some time to run around and entertain themselves with supervision. Above all, relax, don't panic, have a good time. The kids will love whatever you do, but don't be afraid to ask for help from the other mothers, most are glad to volunteer. Good luck and Happy Birthday to your little one.

I have a small home and a daughter w/a February birthday(brrrr) and have had many successful home parties. However, seating is limited, kids must be entertained, and after paying for decorations, food and entertainment supplies, I end up spending more than doing it elsewhere. My suggestion to you(if your main objective is to save money,) is to have the party at Chuck E Cheese! You don't have to buy a party package. They will let you bring your own cake, just buy everyone a drink and some tokens, and entertainment is already there! I usually end up spending about $30-40.00 and that is buying a cake as well! Best part is, your house isn't trashed!!!

Definitely do not rent bounce equipment, hire a pony, or any of that other stuff! We always kept our parties small - I never invited the whole class because I didn't want my kid to get 20 presents or to go to 20 parties! We used the "age" rule - if you're 4, you get 4 friends. If you're 6, you get 6 friends. You can adjust this a little but don't go overboard or it gets too expensive and they get too over-stimulated. Don't be afraid to go back to the old-fashioned games - you can get books at the library. You can update old favorites like "Pin the spots on the dinosaur" - we picked a theme based on stuff he already had, such as dinosaurs. We displayed all his toys, hung them from the trees, etc. You can do a treasure hunt - even use those plastic Easter egg things and call them dinosaur eggs. Put small candies or toys in them - the hunt is the fun. You can try Potato Races by having them carry potatoes in spoons - call them dinosaur eggs. Don't worry so much about who won, but more about who tried. Give everyone stickers in the party theme. Or, do something with insects - hide plastic insects, or put gummy critters in eggs and hide them, make spiders out of marshmallows & licorice strings, make a "cake" out of cupcakes arranged like a caterpillar (cover a long board with foil and fake Easter grass or green coconut) - arrange cupcakes, frost with green icing or other color, and decorate with red licorice legs, gumdrops or other candies for eyes, antennae, spots, etc. There are lots of ideas in kids' cookbooks and camp game books. Older kids can manage things like bean races (transferring beans from one cup to another), 3 legged races, sack races, and more. Anything that's not electronic or involving rental equipment will be new, fascinating, interactive, creative and fabulous! We were very happy to buck the tide of spend more/outdo the neighbors - and we had the best parties! The things the kids find are better than goodie bags. Another idea is basic crafts - and the goody bag is the picture or thing that they made. The simpler, the more unique! And you teach the kids that the company and the fun are the basis of the party, not the big expense. Good luck!

I found Bingo to be a big hit at my son's 4th birthday. Here is a link to a site where you can print your own FREE Bingo games. They have a kids bingo with Dora, Blue, Dragon Tales and others. It's fun and easy for the kids. We use M&Ms for markers. http://www.dltk-cards.com/bingo/

My daughter is turning 4 at the end of the month, too - so thanks for asking the question!

This will be her first party with friends, (just family previous years - and she was thrilled. She'd probably be thrilled with just family again this year...but we want to support her budding friendships).

We're going to follow the "age of the child plus one" rule we've heard about. So 5 kids total at the party. We've taken our daughter to parties with more kids...and they were just nuts! Some people thrive on high energy...we like it a bit more mellow. Though 5 kids can generate tons of noise!

We'll see how it goes.

We've always done her party outdoors at a great park in town with an awesome playground. We're planning the same. With pizza, vegies, and cake of course. One helium balloon with an egg of silly putty tied to the bottom for party treats. And we'll open her presents afterwards - sharing is too hard for our daughter and her friends.

But now we have some great ideas for if it rains and we have to (shudder) do it in our smallish house that never seems as tidy as we'd like it.

Hope your son has a blast and you do, too!

Hi S.,

Some great ideas out there -- esp. from the event planner! I would just also add a pinata. My son is 4 and every time we're on our way to a b'day party he's all talk about the pinata. To him, if there's no pinata, it is NOT a party!

We've always done parties at home. Keep the party to just 1.5 hours and it will go by quickly for you. I always have a very easy craft set out and have kids do that and/or "free" play at the start. Once everyone is there (oh, and plan on all the parents staying at this age), have an easy lunch. Pizza is a good choice, since most kids like it. Chicken nuggets & mac & cheese is also a thought. Make sure you have food & drinks for the parents too. After lunch, do some games -- pinata, bean bag toss, treasure hunt/scavenger hunt, etc. (keep them simple w/inexpensive prizes for everyone). Cake time! Free play again, if there's time. Then send them home w/goody bags -- don't go overboard! I advise opening presents AFTER everyone has left.

Have fun!

I had the best birthday party at our local fire station. We did the cake and icecream thing and of course a fire engine pinatta at home but I contacted my local fire dept. because my son at the time was very fascinated with fire trucks. It was great they gave the kids fire hats, let them use the water hose and let them go into the fire truck. The fireman thought it was great because it taught the kids some more fire safety and the kids thought they were so special to be at the fire house. Plus it was free! They could not accept cash but I made sure I brought pizza's and treats the following day. Now I have to tell you I spent in previous parties lots of money. This was the most in-expensive party and the kids were talking about it for weeks! My son was four at the time.

Good Luck!
H.

I've found this web site to be really helpful when planning at home parties. Some people go a little overboard, but there are some great ideas, too.
http://www.birthdaypartyideas.com/html/party_ideas.html

I like to work around a theme. It makes it easier for me to come up with games activities. Also, because of the rain, we've needed to hold some parties in our garage, which is definately not that great. I usually did messy type games/activities there and people seemed fine with it.

BTW, for me the best part of the party is planning it with my kids! Good Luck!

Hi S.,
For my son's third birthday, we had a cookie decorating party. We baked gingerbread men before hand- sugar cookies work too. You can make frosting and put it in sandwich bags. Cut off one corner and you have frosting bags. Add some sprinkles and the kids will have a blast. It is messy , but we had so much fun. If this is too daunting, you could also find small wood cars or trains at Michaels or JoAnns- sometimes they are $1 a piece. The kids could paint and decorate their cars with stickers and acryllic paint. When the cars are dry, they could have a race. Good luck and don't freak out. At this age, they are pretty easy to please!

Dear S. R,

I am a mother of 4 and we have always had the parties at home. I still end up spending about:
$50 cake (gourmet bakery)
$25 goody bags
$5 prizes

So, with that said, just give yourself a budget and stick to it.

Then we do the traditional games at home:
-pin the tail (15 min),
-toss the bean bag into buckets with point values(10min),
-musical chairs (15 min),
-coloring: whatever their theme is (i.e. curious george) I usually pencil a drawing and photo copy for them to color when they first arrive to get settled in (10min).
- You can also do playdough (another 10 min).
- baloon animals is always great. 15-20 min(very cheap too)

This can be done in the first hour, and then sing and have cake and open presents can last about 30min or more. The kids will be whipped and just happy to sit and open their goody bags. I've done a 3hr. party and it is usually too long. Two hours for this age is usually enough time....I wouldn't go past 2.5 hrs!

Good luck. N. P

I agree the simpler the better...cake and ice cream with the immediate family was always a winner for my girls. But, we did give each of our 3 girls (two were twins) one 6 year old friend party and again when they turned 13...at six, we did a treasure hunt theme complete with buried treasure of gold coins, necklaces and rings and things...it was fun seeing them figure out the clues. I wrote simple things like 'Today you're six. How time fies. Clue number 5 you'll find where YOU fly...back and forth, as a child on a _________ (and you hope someone will scream out SWING!!!!!) and off they run to swing set to find another clue. Perhaps for 4 year olds you can do Blues' Clue theme?

Have fun Mom, and ask yourself 'why the panic? Certainly your child just wants you and husband and maybe grammie and gramps to be there. That would be enough...and if it isn't, then perhaps his expectations are high because YOU have high expectations for yourself. Live simpler. Trust me. Living below your means can be a very good thing. :)

Up until my daughters 5th b-day we always had them at our home. As packed as our little house would get, we made do. I would suggest having a couple of games for the kids to do. If your son is into Pirates, a treasure hunt would be fun, we just went to a 6 year old b-day party that had "pirates" as the theme and they did an indoor treasure hunt and the weather wasn't great but the ended the treasure hunt outdoors but the majority of it was indoors, if it's nice out the day of your party you could do the whole thing outdoors. I would just make sure you have games/prizes for the kids. Usually they have a ton of fun just doing something and having cake. :) Good luck, you'll do fine. there are tons of party themes and ideas out there, IParty usually has a bunch of games and little trinkets to put into bags for prizes.

We have some standard party games that work inside or out (at this age anyways). Pin the tail on the donkey, if you have any clothespins we stand on a chair and drop them into a cup (the cup gets smaller the older the kids), and the ballon pop game (tie a balloon with yarn/string around each of the kids ankles and they try to pop each others balloons without theirs getting popped, when your ballons are popped your game ends. This is fun to involve the adults when the kids get older but it's a good idea to tell all the kids to get the adults first and then go for each other). If it can be outside, a balloon toss is fun (pairing an adult with a child). You can get the long thing balloons with the pump and all try to make balloon animals (I'm pretty sure it comes with directions).

That's what we've done in the past.

K.

How about a treasure hunt? It's cheap and fun, the kids love these! You can take pictures of clue locations and use these instead of written clues, for pre-literate kids.

My son just turned 5 and up until then we had always had at home indoor parties (his bday is in Feb)

Kids LOVE to play with other kids toys..just have the 'toy room' set up for playtime. Finger Foods: Carrots, grapes, strawberries. apples..all of that out on a low table for the kids to snack on. Also Dinobites (breaded chicken shaped like dinosaurs) are great to have ready also.

We got pizzas for the parents (or lasagna) and kids, mac n cheese for the picky ones and you can set up a craft per your theme (pirate, dinosaurs, knights) they can decorate swords, crowns, treasure maps..

Balloons go over great (wal-mart does not charge to blow up if you buy their packs of balloons)

My biggest worry was always getting the house clean in time.

Good Luck

Hire a zoo mobile. They come to your house with small creatures for this kids to see and touch. Educational and boys love it.

We did an at home party for my son when he turned 4. We did it outside and for 2 hours. We kept it simple. I am not a nursery school teacher, so I knew I would not be able to lead any complicated activities. The kids really enjoyed drawing in the driveway with chalk. The 'special' activity was smashing a bunch of water balloons we made up ahead of time. The cake, singing and present opening pretty much took up the rest of the time. Then they played with their goodie bags and our son took a few kids inside to see his toys.

I usually start with a theme of some sort and I build from there. For instance, if you have a super hero theme, you could have the kids take turns dressing up in old clothes, masks, sheets for capes, etc., then take their pictures with a digital camera and print them out (I have done this with girls as princesses), Then I used craft foam to make small picture frames, put magnet stickers on the back and let the kids decorate them with stickers, gems, pom poms, etc. and they had a favor to take home with them. They will need some help of course, but I find that some sort of craft time works really well. Also, games like Bingo work great because they are usually sitting still and its a great way to wind them down at the end of the party. You could use candy for the markers and they could keep the candy at the end of the game and maybe have a small prize for the winner. Have back up ideas for outside like blowing bubbles, playing soccer or t-ball or if you have a swing set. Also a scavenger hunt is always a favorite and that can be done inside or out! Also, you can go to Yahoo.com and in the search field type in "party ideas for 4 yr. old boy". Sometimes you can get great ideas that way!. Most importantly, don't stress and have a great time. Hope this helps.

I have boys and a pirate party is always popular and fun. You can get paper that looks like a tresure map,(staples) print thm yourself. If you go onto an invitation website you can get ideas from there. Talk like a pirate, example Have yer mum call by land line.

Oriental trading has great stuff cheap. You can order pirate bandanas, and pirate treasure. A stryrofoam cooler spray painted black, is a great treasure chest. If you hide this in your yard and have the kids find it with clues. Have a clue for each child and if they can't read use pictures. They get so excited to find the next clue. The last clue brings them to the treasure. Have goodie bags ready, so they can fill the bags from the cooler. They bring the bags home as treat bags. This replaces a pinata too.

We have done a pirate party at the house a few times and the kids love it. It is inexspensive and a party they will always remember. Face paint for mustaches is fun and tatoos/ Good luck

The new issue of Parents magazine had a bunch of cute ideas for parties in the spring. Also, I went to a ball themed birthday party and it was raining. My sister in law filled the basement with all different balls big ones, little ones, squishy ones. We did dunking for apples, decorated circles with glitter and fun things, throw the ball through the hole game(made out of plywood, could be done with big poster board) and the kids would throw until they made it and get a prize.
Another idea is candyland, make a game using sheets of construction paper on the ground and have everyone try to get to Kings Castle. Have a candycane lane, a gumdrop lane, a lollipop lane and at eacch lane do a game and add a piece of candy to their goody bag. This was a lot of fun. Good luck!

i've found they're easy to entertain at this age. We did water baloon tosses, walked with an egg on a spoon to see who'd win. We bought little plastic toys from the dollar store. The kids were happy to win something and we made it so everyone ended up walking away with something. you can buy a pinyata (sp), pin the tail on the donkey. Kids at this age don't really care about presentation. they'll be happy with a cake you baked and some pizza, chips and soda. when my daughter turned 6 we did something similar and it really was a hit.

I have the same situation here. A small fixer upper with beautiful land. We always do my son's party outside and every year I panic that it will rain, and so far it never has. His birthday is in July though. Maybe have a few activities....treasure hunt,pin the tail on the donkey,musical chairs? I think 4 yr olds can do those all those games. Maybe keep the party short in case you do have to have it inside, so that you don't get overwhelmed. You could also fill the basement with helium balloons and make it colorful and fun. You can get a helium tank and balloons at Walmart or Target for about $20.

Hi,
The simpler, the better. Pick a theme and have small activities that the childrn can do. For example, dinosaurs, sports, etc. Activities may include: having the children decorate their own hats with stickers, playing bingo games with theme boards (you make them with stickers), having an small art table or two with large figures to fill like mozaics with things to glue (cut up construction paper, dabby paints in bingo stampers), foam dinasours to glue on construction paper with crayons to complete picture, a song to sing that's really easy, costumes to make out of paper bags turned inside out, etc.
Kids love decorating their own cupcakes or cookies before eating, using spreadable frosting and gummy candies (stay away from tube decorators as these are too difficult for this age). Add a lego building center with appropriate theme materials for those who love that. Glue theme stickers on plastic bowling pins and bowl. Have a cd of kids music and get them all dancing, stopping the music to have them freeze, then start again. Keep things simple and have fun yourself, with the idea being that the children will love having choices of things to do.

Hi S.,

I'm an event planner in Boston and have been amazed, actually, at the money that typically goes into kids b-day parties. My daughter will be 1 in July and I have been thinking up ideas for her birthday too -- we are in the same boat and need to save some $$$!!

I say go old school for his b-day. He won't know the difference if you are in the $500 rented venue or his own backyard if he is having fun.

Here are a few ideas:
1. Pizza party -- get the dough and toppings and let each kid make their own pizzas.
2. Cupcake party or ice cream sundae party -- same idea, although that might be a bit feminine??? (my 8 year old son loves to cook, so it really depends on the boy)
3. Backyard obstacle courses. Tell the parents to bring a change of clothes in case it rains and/or they get dirty. Set up fun games like three legged races, eating crackers then whistling, hoola hoop, spin around the bat, sommersaults (sp?), etc. Give a prize to the winners (maybe put them in teams so they have more fun).
4. Bingo party -- are they too young for that?
5. Think of the games you played as a kid -- pin the tail on the donkey, pinata, musical chairs.

I would assume a typical 4yo b-day party would last about an 1.5 hours or 2 hours. By the time everyone gets there, does a fun game or two or three, eats pizza (or whatever) and cake/ice cream and opens presents that time will fly by.

Hope that helps! If you want more suggestions, let me know. I'll see what I can come up with.

All the best,

J.

Hi S.,

Well of course include the birthday boy in the planning, that's part of the fun. Usually they have some idea of a theme they want. You can really get into decorating inexpensively with crepe paper, balloons, banners etc. The banner can be actually part of the party activites. Get a long piece of art paper (like the kind they sell in rolls for art easels or tables) You and your son can draw some basic theme related pictures and then have your guests add their own greeting when they arrive. Then you can hang it up as decor.

I think the most important thing about a successful party is to have a very specific itinery and then stick to it. You are going to keep this party moving along. Even if there are other adults, I find they tend to get together and socialize leaving me to run the party. So don't plan to be cooking and serving food. Have all the food and snacks prepared in advance and then delagate.

We usually start the party with a theme related craft for 20 minutes or so. This way the guests are engaged immediately when they arrive while you wait for the rest of the guests to arrive. I then have several party games prepared. The standards such as pin the tail on the donkey, the wonder ball, simon says and musical chairs can be customized to your theme. (imagine pin the peg leg on the pirate etc.) Make sure you have a plan to ensure all children win a prize (especially important with ones this young) If you are more motivated, scavenger hunts are very popular but, require a little more preparation. After about 30-45 minutes of games, you can serve ice cream and cake and then gifts. After gifts we end with a pinata or a story (theme related of course) Goodie bags are distributed when children leave. The party altogether should last about 2-3 hours. Last thing pour yourself a generous glass of wine! You're good for another year! Most important of all don't sweat the small stuff. If you are happy, your son will have a great day! Good Luck!

J. L.

Good morning S.,

I had many home parties and you really have no need to worry so much. I did have a girl but at this age you can do the simple little games of putting an object in a bottle, pin the tail ..., make hats for pirates and princesses, make their own cupcakes (deco of course). I think it is endless - remember to be 4 is just to learn and have fun doing it. I always did goody bags with just a few trinkets from W-Mart and maybe little bubbles. I even did bingo at age 6 and when you won you got a ribbon and every one went home with one.

Animal dancers, if you have enough space.
Play music. Tell children "I want you to dance like animals. When the music stops you have to stand still. First, stomp like an elephant." Play music, and off they go. Stop music and then choose another animal:

Flap like a bird
Swim like a bird
Leap like a frog
Hop like a bunny.
Slither like a snake
Waddle like a penguin
Scamper like a mouse

Bunnies under blankets
All children lie in ground and pretend to be sleeping bunnies (must close eyes). Helpers put blankets over all but one of them. Uncovered child is woken up and has to guess who is under each blanket. Correct guesses wake a bunny up, who then has to help guess who is under the other blankets. Play twice, with different children starting each time.

Before you know it - the time will pass with so much fun had at a real party instead of the "pay to play" - good luck.

At this age age you can just play games and do a craft. You could have a party where they come dressed up as princes or their favorite costume and have a parade around the house. I always make the craft their party favor so I don't have to buy those as well. Also if you need a cheap place to have a party Papa Gino's is the least expensive that I could find. They have a website with party information/prices.

I am not sure if your son is interested in Legos - but I had a Lego Bday party for my son (he was a little bit older at the time). I had a big tub full of Legos and the kids played and built things. We had a Lego hunt around the yard - we had Lego relay races where they had to hold Legos on a spoon and walk without spilling them. I even made a Lego Pinata with a large square box. I cut out holes and poked through the blue plastic Solo cups and spray painted it blue to look like a Lego. I used Lego base plates as place mats and each boy received a small Lego racers kit as their gift. I even found Lego shaped candy and we served cupcakes with Lego shaped gummi candies on them. They had a blast.
Sorry if this was too long - also the invites were construction themed.
Good luck-
M. M

I know its a bit late but for your next birthday party when you need to rent equipment or hire someone for the party works you can hook up this great search engine that is dedicated to party rental supplies http://www.rentalcomp.com/ , you can find and compare multiple suppliers in your area.

Hi S.. My sons are almost 5 and 2. I've always had parties at my house because it is too expensive elsewhere. I set up a net and let them have at it. You can buy one of those 5 in 1 games for like $20 at walmart. Maybe a pinata filled with dollar store candy. Wiffleball sets are very cheap. Also, my friend rented a bounce house for like $60 at ocean state job lot. Kids are resourceful and find fun wherever they are.

We did a home party when my son turned 3 and found that some of the "old school" games of pin the tail on the donkey (it was actually stick the mask on Spiderman), a pinata and musical chairs were a great hit for the kids (who were a mix of ages). I also went to an arts supply store and bought a bunch of those "decorate your own mug" kits ($1 each) and set it out on a table with lots of markers and crayons and then put out a bunch of other age-appropriate toys. Surprisingly, the kids had a great time and were well entertained. The party stores have a lot of great theme-related games too and I recommend checking out what they have to come up with additional inspirations. Hope that helps and have fun!

Hi,

For my daughter's Birthday party we did a few simple games. WE had musical chairs, and we did donut on a string (which the kids LOVED!). We also did a slip n slide but her bday is in september so obviously a lot warmer than now.
You could do a pinata very simply and cheaply, you could do all kinds of arts and crafts as well like sand art.

I have lots of ideas. Feel free to contact me if you need anymore!

E. P.

My younger son turn 4 in December. We decided to have them make pizza and then eat their creations. To make it simple for me I got pizza dough from the local bakery and bought pizza sauce and mozarella. I bought from Oriental Trading Company aprons and chef hats and put the names on the aprons. I made laminated place mats. The kids had fun making their pizza and looked adorable in their chef hats. While the pizza was cooking they played inside. They then ate the pizza when ready and loved that they made it. I also put our carrots. After they went back into the play room and opened presents they had cupcakes. Voila an 1 1/2 hour party!! The party favors were the aprons, chef hats and place mats. You could do the same thing with using the dough to make crazy pretzles.

It was quite a success...The electricity went out and I had to ask a neighbor to cook the pizza, but the kids had a ball.
We did only have 6 children in total.

This past fall we celebrated my nephews birthday and it was really fun. There were different stations: a batting section, a beanbag toss, a sand box, side-walk chalk section, and a decorate your own mini pumpkin with foam stickers station (bought at dollar store and pumpkins were only a dollar each and were their favors). For spring you could have kids paint mini birdhouses or decorate their own sand bucket or T-shirt. All the kids had different things to do and there was even a section for younger siblings to play. It was really fun and interactive and not chaotic because the kids were spread out at each section not doing one thing at once. So you don't need to spend a lot for the kids to have fun, especially if you want to interact with them. We packed the cooler with juice boxes, which the kids loved and had hay stacks for the kids to sit on when they ate their dessert, which was "make your own sundaes." The kids picked out their own toppings, and it was a lot of fun. We brought out the large water cooler so the kids could rinse their hands. The boys and their dads loved the batting section, my sister bought (as a gift) a mini automatic pitching machine that pitches softballs (it was only 40 dollars). The party was a big hit. good luck!

You can also play musical chairs and hot potato. They are pretty easy to entertain at this age. I also have done the scavenger hunt, it is great if you can play it outside.

I had a pajama party for my daughter that just turned 5. The kids loved it. It was at noon, kids wore pajamas we had pancakes, chocolate milk and sausages for lunch. they played red light green light, simon says, twister and pillow fights. we had a pinata, cake and ice cream. all of the kids had a great time.and it was really cheap. we had about 9 kids there from age3-5 half girls and half boys.

At this age kids aren't really expecting too much. Just someone to play with and some cake. Make sure your son knows that he is going to have to share his toys when his friends come over. And they're not going to notice that the basement is less than ideal - they're going to be at a party! Hang up some streamers and it will seem like Disneyworld! We had good luck doing a scavenger hunt. I bought about 45 rubber ducks and hid them and gave each kid a bag. I also did some duck stickers to save some money. Hiding them in less obvious places, or giving each kid a special thing that they have to find (Petey finds ducks, tommy finds horses) might work for four year olds, because the could help each other too. And for playing outside, think the old gym games - red rover, freeze dance (you could do that inside too), red light/green light, etc. I was really worried about having my 3 year old's party at home, but I'm so glad we did. She had so much fun, and it went much better than I thought.

S., here's the joy of turning 4.... Birthday cake and a few people to sing to you. You don't really need to do big elaborate things with your little kid as sometimes the plans just blow up in your face and the party becomes more about entertaining the adults who end up hanging around. I have been there and DONE that. My middle child didn't even really have a friend party until she turned six and then I kept the head count low. My youngest (turning 4 as well) had a small family party last year with decorations we made and store bought balloons - she thought it was the best thing! Save your money for when they get older (in my opinion) and they want trips to Disney. If you're bent on a larger party, musical chairs is an old favorite or pass the present (of course everyone gets one) or fly with the balloon in the backyard. The larger the number of kids, the more you'll have a few gripes with this group.... just too stimulating for some kids this age. I wish you luck! What parents don't seem to get is that it's not about the money you spend. You might even consider having the kids decorate the yard themselves!