How to Plan a 2nd Birthday Party

Celebrate your 2-year-old's birthday in style.

While the first birthday often gets all of the attention, the second birthday marks the first time that the child can actually understand the event and participate fully in the celebration. There is an array of exciting yet inexpensive things that you can do to celebrate the second birthday of your little one. By allowing the youngster to have a hand in planning and preparing lots of events in which he and his friends can partake, you can ensure that your child will have a wonderful time on his special day.

Things You'll Need

• Themed party decorations
• Invitations
• Ball pit or moon bounce
• Professional entertainer
• Party games
• Finger food
• Cupcakes

Instructions

1. Allow the birthday boy to select the colors and themes. While your soon-to-be 2-year-old is obviously too young to plan the party himself, you can allow him to have input in the party design. Take your child to a party supply store, and let him peruse the party theme and color options. Pick a theme and color based on his preferences.

2. Invite friends and family. Send invitations at least three weeks in advance to ensure that guests have time to plan for the party. If your child attends a play group or daycare, you can simply post an invitation on an announcement board to ensure that no one feels left out.

3. Rent a ball pit or moon bounce. After an abundance of cake and punch, your youthful party guests will need to burn off some energy. Contact a party-rental company, and procure a moon bounce or ball pit so that the birthday child and his guests can pass some time hopping around.

4. Hire an entertainer. If you don't want the responsibility of entertaining a group of children with notoriously low attention spans yourself, enlist the help of a professional. Clowns, costumed characters and magicians can all make a wonderful addition to your 2-year-old's party.

5. Plan games. Games keep kids busy and give them the opportunity to earn a coveted prize. Buy standards such as "Pin the Tail on the Donkey," or create games that involve activity, noise-making and fun.

6. Prepare finger food. Your young party guests will likely not sit down long enough to eat a meal. Allow them to grab their food on the go by planning a menu rich in finger foods. Pigs in a blanket, finger sandwiches and cheese and crackers are all good choices.

7. Consider cupcakes instead of a large cake. Cupcakes allow each party guest to enjoy his own personalized cake. Get already decorated cupcakes, make them yourself or allow the party guests to decorate their own cupcakes to get them involved in the fun.

References

• Birthday Party Ideas: Kid Birthday Parties
• Amazing Moms: Birthday Party Ideas for Kids