The Best and Worst Activities to do at Kids Birthday Parties 2025

Kids birthday parties have come a long way from the over-programmed parties of the past. We’ve all been to one… at first you’re excited to walk into a backyard with a bounce house and a craft station. Then, you’re surprised to see the arrival of a face paint artist AND a balloon artist. By the time the pinata comes out you realize you still have to sing, do pizza and cake, and hustle your little ones into the car. A meltdown is surely in the near future. In recent months I’ve noticed a dramatic shift towards more simplified, play-centered parties and I LOVE it! Parents are choosing more and more to have parties in spaces that allow kids to explore and play with their friends. Think indoor playgrounds, children's museums, pools/splashpads, and playgrounds. These spaces present great opportunities for open-ended play which is not only great for kids' development, but also allows kids to play together and explore, rather than doing activities side by side. A great party does not require many (or any) activities, BUT, if you still want to throw in one or two great party activities for your little ones birthday, here are my top two favorite and my two least favorite activities for kids parties in 2025.

1. The Best Activities

Activity #1: Bubble dance party

• Explanation: This is as easy as it sounds - put on your little ones favorite dance song (think - Danny Go, Paw Patrol’s Pup Pup Boogie, Bluey’s Dance Mode) get out the bubbles and watch the kids squeal and jump with excitement.

• Why it works: Chances are, your child’s favorite song is probably a favorite of some of their friends too. As for bubbles - there is a certain magic to doing bubbles in a group setting. While kids can get bored of bubbles at home, they present a whole new magic while floating over a group of friends.

Activity #2: Pass the parcel

• Explanation: If your child is a Bluey fanatic, you’ve seen the episode with this game. But if not - don’t worry, it’s simple! You choose a present to wrap in many layers of wrapping paper prior to the party. At the party, have the kids sit in a circle and play music. When the music stops, the child holding the present takes off one layer of wrapping. Keep doing this process (playing and then pausing the music and unwrapping one layer) until a child unwraps the final layer revealing the prize! This child gets to keep the present. If you have young ones who don’t like “losing” or you’re worried about only one child getting a prize - DON'T WORRY. There are two ways to play! The second includes placing a small prize under each layer of wrapping. So as long as you stop the music on each child, everyone will get a small prize.

• Why it works: Bluey fans love this one! It’s simple, quick, easy to organize, and not very expensive. If you have really young ones (kids 3 and under) this might be more structured than they would enjoy in an activity. Stick to a bubble dance party instead!

  
  

2. The Worst Activities

Activity #1: Pinata

• Explanation: You know - whacking a super cute figure with a stick or bat to get the candy out.

• Why it doesn’t work: Most pinatas are surprisingly hard to break. More often than not when a family brings a pinata I see the adults breaking it open in the end. On top of this, it’s always an increased accident risk to have kids swinging sticks or bats (including for the unfortunate tall dad in the room who inevitably ends up holding the pinata because most facilities don't have a rig for pinatas). Finally - pinatas almost always have some form of confetti in them now. This poses a LOT of cleanup for staff at indoor party venues leaving parents feeling guilty, and it also poses an awkward dilemma for adults at outdoor party spaces like a park. Do you leave the litter on the ground? Do you get down on hands and knees and try to pick up a million pieces of confetti?

Activity #2: Opening gifts

• Explanation: Often the birthday child’s favorite part of the day - opening presents!

• Why it doesn’t work: Trust me on this one - save present opening for after the party. The party is fun enough! Extend the magic of the day by letting your child open presents later on. I know kids are excited to watch the birthday child open the present they picked out, but this leads to a lot of unneeded complications. First, it creates a lot of extra trash during the party. Plus, have you noticed how hard it is to open kids toys now? No exaggeration - I actually have to use tools to get some toys out of their packaging. Second, kids always want to play with the toys as they're opened. So if you’re opening gifts at the end of a party, be prepared for the party to go well over its time frame or be prepared to be strict about not playing with gifts as they’re opened (which isn’t fun for you to enforce or for the kids who are excited about the gifts). I promise, presents will be more fun at home, after the party ends.

  
  

I’m going to say this louder for the parents in the back - YOU DO NOT NEED ANY ACTIVITIES OR ADDITIONAL ENTERTAINMENT FOR A GREAT BIRTHDAY PARTY. Kids just want to be with their friends and play! Have your party in a fun spot - even if it’s a favorite playground, and let the kids have a blast. That being said, it’s also totally fine to do a simple, group game/activity that can add to the fun! My two favorites for 2025 are bubble dance parties and a game of pass the parcel. Bubble dance parties are truly good for all ages, from 1 year olds to kids well into elementary school. Pass the parcel is better for slightly older groups who can handle following along with a group game for 5 to 10 minutes. I personally do not recommend doing this game with kids under 4 years of age, although it definitely can be done if you have an enthusiastic, fast-paced game leader.My top two recommendations of popular birthday party activities to pass on are pinatas and opening presents at the party. While pinatas can be fun for older groups, they often end up being more of a headache than fun for younger groups of kids (and their adults). As present opening, just trust me and save this one for after the party. You and your little one will have a much more enjoyable party.Final tip: Keep it simple and play-focused. That’s really all your little one wants! If you’re in the party planning phase - let us know! The Playroom is currently booking parties into July 2025. We would love to help make your little one's day extra special! Let us do the work for you.

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