There are new pinatas now where you don't try to whack it. Instead you just pull a string, and after string after string is pulled, the candy finally comes out.

http://www.princesspartiesbyheidi.com/index.php

I recently went to a party with one of these princesses. I'd say it was a success.

Anonymous wrote:I went to a 3 yo party with a pinata and it was very disappointing. None of the kids could even dent it and I was afraid my son was going to get whacked, because toddlers have such bad control. So my experience says no on pinata.

The other ideas sound cute. I could also picture saving up boxes and have kids build a castle in backyard? I could picture toddlers enjoying creating their own crowns (so not tiaras, which are very girly, but more like "burger king" styled crowns that they paint or glitter or attach sparkly foam stickers).

GL! hope it's a blast

Er..for younger kids, you need the Pinata junior = pull a bunch of strings to bust it open instead of whacking it to bits.

we're doing a 4 yr old princess party and or first activity is going to be decortaing your own cookie wand (i'm making star shaped sugar cookies and baking them with a popsicle stick inside) - decoarte with loads of colored frosting, sprinkles, etc.

we're also having a puppet show and a game where you toss the frog through the window of a castle (i'm planning on making the castle from a cardboard box - and i'm not at all crafty, so we'll see how this goes!!)

I went to a 3 yo party with a pinata and it was very disappointing. None of the kids could even dent it and I was afraid my son was going to get whacked, because toddlers have such bad control. So my experience says no on pinata.

The other ideas sound cute. I could also picture saving up boxes and have kids build a castle in backyard? I could picture toddlers enjoying creating their own crowns (so not tiaras, which are very girly, but more like "burger king" styled crowns that they paint or glitter or attach sparkly foam stickers).

GL! hope it's a blast

Awesome thanks! Any other ideas for things outside? i feel like a pinata may be too hard for the younger kids.

I would have a decorate your own tiara combined with design your own family crest/shield activity table. Each child can choose what they would prefer. I bet a lot of the girls will decorate the shield.

You can have cupcakes with alternating princess and dragon decorations on them.

You could also figure out a way to have the kids decorate their own puppets. There's probably a kit somewhere online.

Buy some paper flowers and fashion some coat hangers into circles so the girls can make flower crowns.

Get a dragon pinata for the 'joust'.

Create a royal tic tac toe game by finding little princess and knight figurines or crowns and dragons.

You can put pink princess or blue knight capes in the goody bags or some kind of fun iron on design.

We have done princess bingo - kids that young will need help with it - but I found clip art and just made the bingo cards myself. They loved putting pennies on the chart.

(you have to literally hold the picture up for each kid to see, and then they look on their chart to see if they have it. Takes awhile and they need help, but they think it's fun)

THANK YOU THANK YOU for the ideas and links. PLease keep them coming!! I was thinking of tiaras but def don't want the boys to be left out. Mainly girls but still. Was thinking of doing a "search for treasure" in a sandbox, but I hate the sandbox. And make your own candy necklaces?? Or decorate your own foam tiara? The web ideas overwhelm me so I appreciate hearing from real people. Well you are anonymous but still real.

Try this link. You can do a combo of the girl's princess party and boys knight and dragon party.

http://www.chasing-fireflies.com/girls-parties/departments/365/

I am the same poster of the 2 PP's above. Sorry I keep thinking of stuff. You could also get some black eye patches for the boys to go with the swords. How fun would that be??

Inside the goody bags, you could get some sparkly rings. At that age, they LOVE stuff like that. Pink, purple, and blue are the favorite colors...of course.

If it will just be girls, then definitely buy some Tiaras. I bought a bulk of them from Oriental Trading Company. These are the ones I bought, and the girls LOVED them.

http://www.orientaltrading.com/fuzzy-flirty-tiaras-a2-25_3915.fltr?prodCatId=388683&tabId=1

If you will also have some boys at the party, then you can do foam swords. Both genders actually liked the swords. I bought them from amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/Rhode-Island-Novelty-Prince-Swords/dp/B001TQSD3U/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1349884572&sr=8-2&keywords=foam+swords

Of course, I had all the girls dress in their favorite princess costumes, which they loved. Then we had activities like Sand Art out in the garage(do you have some long tables?), bracelet making using foam stickers and jewel sparkly stickers, and we did swimming. Since it's Fall, you coudl do a different outdoor activity.

Princess Jennifer

Looking for just a few ideas/activities to do at my daughter's 3rd bday party. She keeps saying she wants a princess party. Any thoughts? Will be boys and girls of different ages there. ANd yes I have googled this and checked pinterest, but have spent the last two hrs sorting through product-focused sites, etc.! Appreciate any ideas. THANK YOU!