Hellobee

I’ve always wanted to have an outdoor birthday party for my kids, but both of them have cold weather birthdays. Luckily we’re having a very temperate fall this year, and the weather is warm enough to have Olive’s 3rd birthday in the park! I love park birthdays because kids have fun running around even if you don’t have many activities planned, and it gives the adults a chance to hang out as well. Plus Olive loves the great outdoors!

Covered in dirt from head to toe at the very spot we’re going to have her birthday party

I plan on keeping it very simple because cars are not allowed inside the park and we have to carry everything in ourselves on carts and strollers. That means balloons for decorations, small favors (a paperback Berenstain Bears Halloween book), and some easy outdoor games. I tend to go overboard with food, but I tried to stick with classic kids’ party fare – pizza delivered to the park, fruit/veggies, cheese, chips/dip, and of course cake.

I’m sure the kids will have fun running around and playing with toys most of the time, but I’d like to have a couple of activities planned. Here are 25 of my favorite children’s game ideas for a park birthday party!

1)  Piñata – They’re always a blast and though the 3-year olds are probably not strong enough to break it, we do have some 5 and 6 year olds that will might be able to. Otherwise adults love getting in on the fun too! For a twist you can try a water balloon piñata, a balloon piñata board, or a simple poke board which is best for the youngest kids.

2) Arts and Crafts – I have a huge roll of kraft paper that I use for everything. I plan on bringing crayons, glue sticks and stickers and letting the kids go to town. We could even trace each child and let them decorate themselves!

3) Twist Balloons – I never met a kid that didn’t like a balloon and with the help of a balloon pump from an adult, they could try their hand at their own balloon animals and twisty creations.

4) Rocket Balloons – Our kids love these and they’re a perfect toy for a park. Great for kids of all ages!

5) Balloon Stomp – I think Olive might be a little young for this one, but this is another classic outdoor game. Tie a balloon to each child’s ankle and have them stomp each other’s balloons. The last person standing with a balloon is the winner! At almost 5 I think Charlie would love this.

6) Water Balloon Toss – This was always a favorite park activity when I was growing up. It’s a little too chilly for us to do a water balloon toss, and 3-year olds aren’t the best at catching, but water balloons are always a great idea for summer birthdays.

7) Temporary tattoos – Easy, cheap, fun, and the kids love it.

8) Balls and outdoor toys – We’re having friends bring some of their outdoor toys so that we have a good variety. Some great park toys include foam pogo stick, t-ball, foam frisbees, stomp rockets, shovels, and of course tons of balls! I’ve found kids are too young for hula hoops and jump ropes at this age.

9) Scavenger hunt – There isn’t too much to scavenge where we’ll be other than rocks, twigs, acorns, and leaves. It will have to be a picture scavenger hunt since no one can read, but I think the kids will still have fun with a simple scavenger hunt where they receive a little prize for finding everything on their list.

10) Treasure hunt – This is probably easier for the younger set than a scavenger hunt. We could hide little treats (maybe in easter eggs to make them a little easier to find), inside balloons and the kids would have to pop them to claim their prize, or even scatter pennies throughout the area. Charlie and Olive love finding money and I think the kids would have a blast with this.

11) Races – We do this all the time when we go to the park. It is the simplest and possibly the most fun game for kids! There is a wide range in skill level at this age (Olive is super duper slow), so relay races are probably best for kids that are a little bit older.

12) Obstacle course – You can take races up a notch by building an obstacle course! The older the kids the more complex you can make them. We have some cones, and I love the idea of this spider web made with yarn or crepe paper.

13) Egg and spoon race – A simple twist on the race appropriate for kids 3+, racers carry an egg on a spoon and try to make it to the finish line or to their relay partner without dropping the egg.

14) Potato sack race – Olive is pretty poorly coordinated so we won’t give this a try this year, but this is another classic park game that’s sure to be a hit with older kids. I’m sure Charlie would love it!

15) Simple group games – Duck duck goose, Red Light Green Light, Ring Around the Rosie, Hide and Seek, and Simon Says are perfect for kids Olive’s age.

16) Parachute – Bring an old sheet to play parachute.

17) Tent – Kids love hiding inside things. The last time we had a barbecue at the park we brought our pop-up beach tent and it was a huge hit.

18) Bubbles – Bubbles never gets old, especially if they’re huge. Make DIY bubbles bigger than the kids with a mini pool and hula hoop, or get some big wands. I’ve had luck with great bubbles from the dollar store!

19) Bean bag Toss – You can make your own targets out of cardboard and customize it to your theme, or simply set up different containers that the bean bags can be tossed into. Bean bags can be made with old socks and beans. Another variation is to stack up some cans or plastic cups and toss bean bags at them to knock them down. I also love this version where you roll the balls, which might be easier for younger kids.

20) Ring/ball toss – All you need are soda bottles and a ring large enough to land over the bottle neck, or throw ping pong balls into cups! To keep it thematic with October, we could use pumpkins with long stems.

21) Bowling – You can easily make your own set with empty soda or water bottles.

22) Water Gun Shoot-out – Put ping pong balls on top of bottles or on top of golf tees pressed into foam core and have kids shoot the balls off.

23) Spray Bottle Water Fight – Instead of water guns, give the kids spray bottles which are easier for little hands to use, and hold more water too!

24) Seasonal Craft – Keeping with the October theme and Charlie and Olive’s love of pumpkins, having the kids paint mini pumpkins and add glitter, googly eyes, stickers, etc. would be another easy and fun activity that gives the guests a little something to take home.

25) Dance Party – Charlie and Olive are super into dance parties where we just turn on music and they start dancing like crazy. Sometimes the simplest ideas are the most fun.

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What are some of your favorite outdoor activities for kids’ birthday parties?