Hello Mamas,
I am needing help on a theme for my little girl's 4th birthday coming up soon. When I ask her what she wants for her birthday she just says that she wants to have her friends over to our house. So then I ask what kind of things does she want at her party and she says cake. We have had themed parties but only because she had one favorite thing at the time of her party so I knew what to choose. Now she likes many different things. So when I start to mention things like, what about Toy Story, she says yes and Cars too and Curious George. Then she'll mention Sponge Bob and Dora. We had a Dora party last year. I don't think she quite gets that we can only have one theme. I did mention that we should have an ice cream/candy party, and she really liked that idea. So does anyone out there have any good ideas?? She isn't into princess things, but she loves to dress up. Although many of her friends are boys. Any ideas would be helpful and appreciated. Thanks for you help!!
Why don't you take her to a party store and let her look at the different themes? Maybe she will see one she likes.
You can always do a Circus theme - works well for boys and girls and it's easy to come up with fun food and games.
How about a "birthday party" theme? You know....the old fashioned way. Balloons, streamers, confetti. My boys love that!
If she's not into anything in particular, why worry about a theme? We did my girls' fourth birthday party without one since they didn't seem to care... and it worked out fine. I bought pink and green plates/napkins/utensils and we hung colored streamers and balloons all over. The activities were mostly arts and crafts to keep the kids entertained, so it wouldn't have mattered what the theme was anyway. I don't think anyone missed a theme.
I think too many moms get caught up in the "theme" of a party! How about the "theme" of balloons, cake and ice cream? Theme-y stuff is junky anyway--use big tissue paper flowers, balloons and crepe paper streamers--you know, like we did before Themeville happened!
Maybe include a game where the girls race to a pile of clothes and have to put on a hat, gloves, high heels and a dress first to win.
What's important to her is playing with her friends and having fun. She obviously doesn't care about a 'theme' so why should you?
:) Have fun.
Why not do a costume party and let everyone come as their favorite character? Keep it simple and just have "plain" plates and stuff and then have a bunch of fun games to play. Let kids come in costumes, pajamas, or whatever they like.
You can say in the invitation that your daughter LOVES dress up, so any gifts to add to her collection would be most appreciated.
This is funny...my kids are the same. I figured out that they react this way when I give them too many choices. I think if you decided on a theme, she'd surely love it!
You can even go with themes that aren't necessarily characters...ladybugs or butterflies.
My DD usually picks out her next birthday party theme oh...the day after her birthday party. Lol.
Yes, I would take her to the party supply store and let her look.
Oooh. A candy themed party WOULD be fun! You could do a ice cream sundae bar (friends did that once) w/ lots of different candy toppings.
We had a Sing-a-ma-jig party for DS recently...since there are no matching party things I just picked out an array of different colored paper goods at the party place. Looked really cute and was way cheaper than the themed stuff.
Have fun!
Beth read my mind - LOL! If you need a theme, make it a "traditional" birthday party and each kid gets to wear a costume and play pin the tail on the donkey, three legged races and a pinata and costume contest (make sure they all get a prize - most creative, scariest, silliest, etc. - prizes can be their favor bags).
Have fun.
I agree with Everly. dont worry about a theme. Just decorate in pretty colors, and make a nice cake, and have fun! Play a few games, let them have fun. A birthday is special enough. Doesnt have to center around some comercial character.
DD just turned 4 and she wanted Disney Princess theme. Others she liked were Barbie, Rapunzel, Hello Kitty & Tinkerbell. We get a catalog from Birthday Express and I had her go through it and pick some favorite themes. Then I surprised her at her party with the one I chose.
how about don't do a theme. Just do a party. Make it a costume party.
I went to a party last week that was blue and green theme. It was coordinated- so why have a theme? Or do the candy/ icecream theme.
I made a Candyland life sized game board (got the idea from Parents magazine) for my son's preschool class by painting colored squares on a roll of butcher paper, then they played with the regular cards from the game, walking down the path. They loved it! you could do that at a candy party.
no theme! Just do a festive party....that's all that's needed. Have some fun games, have lots of eye candy (streamers, balloons, etc).....& let the kids have fun!
You got an easy one mom. Have a cupcake party! Have all her little friends over and decorate cupcakes. Put several different colors of icing in piping bags and let them decorate their cupcakes. Cups with sprinkles and chopped up candy bars to go on top and they will be in little kid heaven. No cartoon characters required! But if you still feel the need, buy a variety of themed cupcake toppers and let each kid choose their favorite. Buy some individual cupcake boxes and let them make one to take home with them as well. Find some little kid aprons and let them take them home as a party favor. I would suggest an outlet for all the sugar rush - games or general bouncing around, and send home a bunch of happy tired kidlets to their mommies with a cupcake. Done.
It doesn't have to be a theme. If she wants ice cream/candy bar, then do that. Make ice cream cone invites, buy mason jars for the kids to create their own candy jars from the candy you provide, and then maybe just let them play outside.
we don't do huge blowouts every year. we did one for his first, and we will do one for his fifth birthday. so we are making it easier on ourselves. the huge blowout is NOT mandatory. why couldn't she just have a few girls over for a sleepover? also, if you insist on having a huge party, a cutsey theme is NOT mandatory. just have fun. it's HER birthday, so do what SHE wants. if she can't pin down a theme, then don't do a theme. ask her what kind of cake she wants and go with that. i really think parents put way too much emphasis on every single birthday being a huge "hit" anyway. she might be "over" the huge parties! lol.
Pinkalicious Party...it's all about pink and cupcakes! My daughter loves, loves, loves this book, and we used this theme for her latest birthday party. We read the book, ate all kinds of pink foods, played pink cupcake musical chairs, and pin the cherry on the cupcake. She even dressed up like Pinkalicious.
my daughters fourth birthday was fancy nancy! i addressed all the girls to wear their fancy dress up clothes and the boys to look sharp (nice shirts but not dress shirts). we ordered the supplies from the birthday express online. the girls got tiaras, clips, necklaces etc. and i got the boys their own goody bags. i got candies that put it all over the tables and a pull string pinata. :)
What about a Fancy Nancy Birthday Teaparty? Have small finger foods and desserts (cupcakes or mini-cupcakes that they can decorate), they can dress up, and have a teaparty.
We did the easiest theme ever this year. Water! We had a slip-n-slide, water balloons, water gun fight and my kids wanted cupcakes and brownie pops. It was so much fun, boys and girls a like had a blast. Our "goodie bag" was a water bottle with a freeze stick in the middle. It was so easy and so fun. Keep it Simple :)
My daughter is also turning 4 this year and I am planning on going very low key. She loves so many different themes that I was thinking about getting her a balloon from each of the themes (toy story, dora, etc). She loves balloons - then just doing cake and ice cream. I am planning on inviting only a very few children over (like maybe 3 or 4).
good luck,
L.
Dino's or airplanes, my kids are pretty easy going, they like the newest and coolest action figure, I did a princess cake for my daughter and she loved it! the first year I did a barbie:) you may want to take her to the store with you and let her start her theme by picking the first item out herself. Have fun and don't stress!
I am sorry if I am repeating anything, but I'm in that camp that says you don't have to have a theme. My daughter just turned 4 and we had her first real birthday party, with friends her own age from school and our neighborhood (not just cake at home with immediate family). We held it at an indoor playground place that she had been to a million times before so we knew she would love it and all the kids could run around and play like crazy. She was thrilled just to have fun in a place with a bunch of her friends, plus balloons, pizza, cake and pointy cone-shaped party hats. It was your basic non-themed kids' birthday party and it was good enough for her!
