Anonymous wrote:We want to have a birthday party in our house for our four year old son and maybe 5 of his friends. We have a very small house with an unfinished basement and a small backyard with some space but not much shade or seating for grownups. Does anyone have any tips for pulling off a birthday party in a small house? The boys are quite active. We'd like to save the expense of renting out a place and a playground setting doesn't seem ideal given this summer's terrible heat. Please share your tips, party game suggestions, and words of wisdom!

Can you afford to rent an outdoor bouncy house?

I love the idea of asking a friend with a bigger home to loan it to you for the party.

totally agree with the other PP's about keeping them busy with no free time, other easy games are musical chairs and musical statues. One that involves sitting down and being calm is pass the parcel ( Its and English game) sit in a circle with music on, the kids pass a package around and when the music stops the kids holding the package takes one wrapper off. Then you carry on until the last wrapper is taken off and theres a prize inside, you can also do v small toys in each layer if you want. We usually do about 5 layers of wrapping paper.

Can you put a baby gate up where you dont want kids to go? Or have large signs that say " no kid zone" on doors you dont want them opening.

If you do some inside stuff, then food, you could have sprinkler time outside, have all the kids bring or wear bathing suits, you could get water balloons too.

I do most of our parties at home. Key is organized activities. Suggestions: relay races (so many variations - tie two kids legs together, pass a baton, carry an egg on a spoon, use those large bouncy balls that you sit on); mock archery/darts (get a felt target and some ping pong balls with Velcro); basketball (milk bottle with clothes pin, kids' basketball hoop); an art activity (decorate bags for all of the prizes, which becomes the goody bag); make your own pizza.

As soon as you allow free time, it's chaos. So, just in case it happens, put away any toys your son will not want others to play with and those that are fragile.

One other thing I do that kids love is that I take photos and make them into magnets during the party. I print the photos and run them through a Xyron machine (with Michaels coupons, the Xyrons are pricey, but we use ours so often that it was well worth the cost).

Have fun. Everyone always loves our home parties.

Unless the invites have gone out maybe cut back to 3 friends. And I agree with doing an activity

Lego party. Buy legos by the pound on ebay or head to the lego store and see if they have those awesome grab bags which usually happens when they are taking down displays. This will give the boys something to focus on and cut down on the running around. Allow the kids to take home their creations and save on goodie bags. Lego store also has the free Lego magazine if you wanted to grab a couple and give to each kid.

Tip 1: Keep it small. We had 5 friends for my son's and 3 of them had younger siblings, and for 2 families the both parents came.
BUT - also reach out to his closest friend or 2 and see if they will be in town so that if people are gone you can have plan "B"

Tip 2: Have it early in the day (10-12?). By the end of the day kids are melting down.

Tip 3: Keep them outside with activities as long as possible

Tip 4: When they do come inside, be ready for them to go all over the house (can you do something crazy in the unfinshed basement - or is it unsafe?)

I've had to deal with this. My workaround is getting a friend to "lend" their house to me. I arrive about an hour beforehand, set up while friend entertains her and my kids, then "run" the party for 2-3 hours, then another friend takes my kids to my house and watches them while I clean up friend's house. I empty garbages, clean kitchen and bathroom, etc. Have done this four times now, for birthdays 2, 3, 4 and 5 with no problems.

The day after the party I always drop off flowers with a thank you note, or leave a bottle of wine with a thank you note before I leave the party house, etc. Works great.

We want to have a birthday party in our house for our four year old son and maybe 5 of his friends. We have a very small house with an unfinished basement and a small backyard with some space but not much shade or seating for grownups. Does anyone have any tips for pulling off a birthday party in a small house? The boys are quite active. We'd like to save the expense of renting out a place and a playground setting doesn't seem ideal given this summer's terrible heat. Please share your tips, party game suggestions, and words of wisdom!