Crowd Pleasing, Budget Friendly, Summer Birthday Party Idea (Part One)

This is the first installment of 3 Summer Birthday Party Ideas! Check back this week for more ideas.

I love me some over the top Pinterest Party Birthdays. We owned a Children's Event & Party Planning Business for many years. I can whip up a party worthy of Instagram but in my experience, personally and professionally you simply cannot and should not go ALL OUT for every single party.

And it's not just because it will explode the budget - which it will. We had clients who spent upwards of $2000-$3000 on a child's birthday party. But it also wears a little thin on the parents and the children who attend. Having to continually top the last party can be exhausting. Most children's parents can't afford to give their kids a huge extravagant party, even once every few years, so to do it every year relentlessly, it can wear on the other parents and leaves children feeling as if they are missing out.

Birthday parties really just have to be about the fun. Children just want to come, have fun with their friends, eat cake and run around. We made a conscious decision to save the over-the-top parties for the big birthday milestones and keep the rest focused on fun and friendship. And, since it's just us talking here let's be honest. All the beautiful tablescapes, food signage and decor is for us moms. The kids, they rarely even notice, let alone remember all the details. It's ok. I love making things beautiful too.

Kids today are immersed in a world of selfies and snapshots of life where everything is staged to perfection. They live in a technology world where they have video and internet in the palm of their hand, in the minivan and at home. Their video games look like feature films the graphics are so incredible.

With all this hi-tech living you might be surprised by how much fun children have when you really take an afternoon birthday party as low tech as you can possibly get it.

Bubbles

Kids love bubbles, especially young children under about the age of 7. Take your summer party outdoors and create a Brilliantly Bubbly Birthday!

Use vessels from around the house to hold your bubble solutions - cookie sheets, baby pools, bowls, under the bed plastic bins, whatever. The more you have and the more interesting they look the better! Place them at varying heights in the yard or on the patio.

Next find some crazy fun things to experiment with - whisks, measuring cups, cut the end off off water bottles or 2 liters, tennis rackets, hula hoops! Anything! Load them into bins and baskets all around.

Create a station where they just make balloons using their hands. Immersing their hands in the bubble solution and putting them together, then slowly opening their fingers or hands to make the bubbles.

Hit up your local Dollar Store and pick up some bubble wands and small bubble bottles too!

Lastly you can purchase bubble solution or you can make your own!

Bubble Solution Ingredients:

• Liquid Dish Soap (Dawn is my personal preference)

• Distilled Water (or tap water but distilled actually works a little better)

• Glycerin or Light Corn Syrup

• Large Container with a Lid

Next:

You are going to use a 6:1 ratio. So use 6 cups of water to 1 cup of dish soap. Gently stir it together. You don't want it to foam or make suds if possible.

Add 1 Tablespoon of Glycerin or 1/4 Cup Corn Syrup to the mixture and stir gently.

The Solution is ready for immediate use but it works best if you leave it over night!

After the children have played for awhile you can introduce some bubble games

• Try Not To Pop the Bubble (yeah it's simple, and they love it)

• Biggest Bubble

• How Far Can the Bubbles Go?

• Bubble Show - let each child perform making hand bubbles

Additional Activities:

• Use pipe cleaners to create their own bubble wand making station

• Cups and straws to create a Bubble Machine

• Add food coloring and make bubble art on craft paper

Round out your Party with some bubble themed accents - Bubble Gum Dispensers, or Bubble Gum Party Favors. Things that are round like bouncy balls and hula hoops or things that pop like bubbles - Popcorn and Pop Rocks. You might even check your local children's entertainers. For about $50 - $75 you can even hire a Professional Bubble Artist who can come and do amazing things with bubbles!

General Party Tips

Always have background music. Appropriate, themed music for their age. Balloons are always fun, I need balloons at all my parties (but don't release helium ones - pop them)

Always be safe, having towels and fresh water on hand to rinse eyes and faces.

Always have food and drinks, healthy snacks to offset the cake or cupcakes.

A Bubble Party is a huge crowd pleaser and it's pretty easy on the pocketbook!