kids birthday party ideas?

Question

Have a bithday party to arrange for a 6yo. Like home parties with traditional games etc; but have done that in past years, would have liked an entertainer but it costs nearly £200 for 2 hours - anyone got any good, tried and tested ideas to entertain about 20-25 kids?

Answer 1

If the genders are mixed, I'd advise staying away from anything that is based in competition. The reason I say this is that this is supposed to be a happy event, and inevitably, if you have two teams, one team is going to end up "the losers". You want all of the kids to leave having had a good time, so your choices for events come down to three basic categories:
1) chaotic fun: either as one big whole group or by breaking them up into smaller groups. As a big group, think something that's fun and messy and without much structure. Getting that many 6 yo's to focus on "the rules" is going to be nigh impossible. Something fun, messy, and chaotic is always good. The suggestion of water balloon fights is always fun, just so long as the children don't gang up against any other kid they perceive to be "weaker".
2) creative collaboration: If you have a fence in the backyard or off to the side that you don't mind having "colored", you can give each of the kids a section and have them paint whatever they want on their own little area. It encourages them to share paints, be creative, and leaves a memory of the celebration.
3) individual expression: Alternately, you can pick up fairly cheap canvases from you local art store or even old sheets from your local used clothing store. Pin these up to the fence in sections (one for each child) or as one big long mural (for them all to contribute to). If you make them individual segments, it gives the children something that they can take home as a souvenir of the fun time they had at your place. If it's one big mural, it can be hung in your son's/daughter's bedroom for a while or just stored as a lasting memento of his/her birthday.

Another really cheap/fun "theme" that can be carried through the day is the idea of a "Photo Journal". Have them decorate a sheet of construction paper on one side. Fold the paper in half. On one side, you're going to stick a list with all of their creative projects and the "Passport" gets filled up during the day.

For example, have the children make up a superhero or an imaginary friend or animal or any sort of alter-ego that they can pretend to be. Use face paints to make it more fun and help them feel more like a tiger, or superhero, or rosey-cheeked doll, or whatever. Snap a Polaroid of each child and have them glue their secret identity into their Journal on the non-list page. Have them decorate the other side of the paper.
It's simple, cheap, yet allows the children to be creative. Children, especially at that age, are highly creative when given the opportunity to let their imaginations run wild. They may need a little coaxing, but give them the opportunity to sit around and lead a story, and you'll see what I mean.

Also, as you're thinking of these activities, think of cheaper alternatives. These things don't have to be expensive; you're not trying to impress a bunch of adults with a swank cocktail party catered by some chi-chi French restaurant. These are children, and the thing to remember about children ISN'T that they're easily amused, but they appreciate the simpler things because they haven't become jaded...yet. Apply this when it comes to food and the kids will be much happier. For example...

Children love being tactile, so keep that in mind and let them have at it as much as possible... after washing their hands, of course. Get some or make your own cookie dough. Have the kids design and color their own cookies with icing, or chocolate chips, or even non-traditional cookie-things like gummy worms, licorice, or even marshmallows. Have them think up a name for their one-of-a-kind-cookie and write that in their Journal. Take a Polaroid of the cookie and stick it into their journal.
NOTE: Make sure to do the cookies towards the start of the party to make sure that all of the cookies are baked and done for when it's time for them to leave.

Pizza can be expensive, and not everyone's going to be happy with what's ordered - especially considering there are some REALLY finicky children out there. Instead, give them an English Muffin half or two, let them coat the top with sauce, and them have a bunch of different pizza toppings out on the table for them to design their own mini-pizzas. It's cheaper than Dominoes and again, they get to be creative. To make it different from the Polaroid of the cookie (and to help you keep each child's pizza separate!), have stamps (or stickers) that represent each topping. As they bring you their creation to put in the over, you stamp their journal according to what's on their pizza. Bam - easy to match up the pizza with the child and another activity done.

Finally, I don't know if it's customary where you live to send the children home with goodie-bags of treats and toys like it is here in the U.S. These bags can get expensive really quickly if you buy everything that you put in there. A really simple solution is to fill it up with stuff that the children have created or stuff that they can share with their parents when they go home. The Journal concept gives you a star with the sorts of things you can fill it with (cookies, photos, canvas paintings, etc.). It also gives the parents something to relate to visually - especially considering many children are highly susceptible to severe outbreaks of narrative tangents.

Just remember to watch the pacing of your activities: too much activity can burn them out too soon; too little can make them bored and restless.

Good luck!

EDIT: Bobbiegreen had a really good idea about the video-birthday-card for the birthday boy/girl. Those sorts of things are the best to lean towards. Not to slight shafermeyer, but unless your son/daughter is really into sports/dressing up, there is no need to have any aspect focused on gender roles. Playing "dress up" is one thing as it encourages creativity and imagination. The danger with the fashion show idea is it can inadvertently yet easily send and establish an archetype to your daughter that to be feminine or to be a woman, you are to be like these on the runway. Women in today's society have enough outside sources bombarding them with "what it means to be a woman". Do we really need it coming from within the home too?
Now, if the focus was re-directed on the designing of the clothes (perhaps you buy white t-shirts for everyone and everyone designs their own shirt with glitter, puff-paints, etc...), then the message can become a celebration of the creativity. There's no need for these little 6 yo girls trying to look sexy, sexual, or adult. Not unless you want your daughter to end up in a GirlsGoneWild video because her perspective on female sexuality wasn't allowed to grow into it on her own because it was thrust upon her at such an early age.
Paris Hilton is not, can not, will now, nor should ever be someone for young girls to aspire towards.
(If you watch South Park, they perfectly summed up what I'm trying to say here in their "Stupid Spoiled Wh*re" episode.)

Answer 2

Pinatas are always fun, not sure if you can get one in England, but I guess you could make them--get two or three for that many kids.

Ideas I haven't tested--pre-plan for a water balloon or whipped cream balloon fight. (Change of clothes or bathing suit would need to be on the invitiation). If you have a room you could basically hose down--change that to a sanctioned food fight--they'll love it.
Do you know anyone with wierd pets, like a big snake?
How about a treasure hunt (like an easter egg hunt).
Also, look for goofy team or partner activities from gym class--like a wheelbarrow race or crab walking race--make it a relay to include everyone.

Answer 3

Hide treats in the yard and give plastic sand pails w/shovels for favors. Let them scavenge for the treats and put them in their pails.

Also good is to have them decorate cup cakes or cookies. They may stand around the table or sit on the floor. You provide colored frosting and other edible items to decorate the cookie or cupcake. Then they eat their creation.

If you have a video camera, set up a Happy Birthday backdrop with the date on it, let each child sit in front of the camera and say what he or she would like to the birthday boy or girl. They can sing a song, or tell a joke. Whatever they want. Then play it back for all to watch. Hilarious! It makes a great keepsake for the birthday child.

Answer 4

DJ is a good idea kids like to dance if he has experience he should know a few things to do with the kids try get one that does karaoke kids love to sing however bad they are lol You could hide some prizes round the church hall get the kids to try and find them or a treasure hunt with clues and things

Answer 5

My son had a skating party for his 6th birthday.
You could always have your husband, friend or neighbor dress up as a clown and let the kids throw water balloons at them.

Answer 6

Boy or girl?

For a boy a football party would be fun. Set up goal posts, get flag football equipement - or use bandanas as flags...use football as the whole theme.

For girls you could have a dfashion show party - little trinkets for party favors - have the girls wear their dress clothes and have a fashion show.

Answer 7

Try Stuff a friend. Go to http://www.stuffafriend.biz/members/ctdtcsmith/