9 Essentials for the Easiest Kids’ Theme Party You’ll Throw Yet
Easton turned 7 in December. That means:
A) I’m getting really old because I swear I was just planning his 1st birthday, and
B) He has already had a lot of elaborate birthday parties in his 7 short years.
Construction, firefighters, super heroes, LEGO, zombies … it’s a blur of Pinterest boards and brightly colored frosting.
Each year, I get a little better at simplifying my kids’ birthday parties. Maybe 5% less extra. But hey, progress is progress, right?
This year I totally #nailedit on the low-stress, low-impact Pokémon party — and you can too.
Here’s what you need for success:
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The Lazy Mom’s Pokémon Party
1. Book a venue, any venue. Arcade, trampoline park, inflatables, bowling, laser tag — just pick a location outside of your house where someone else is responsible for pre-party prep, in-party entertainment, and post-party cleanup. I promise you it’s worth every penny, even though you might have sticker shock on what it’s going to cost.
We chose Fun Zone in Downers Grove for a few key reasons: It has the Walking Dead video game (Easton’s requirement). It has a bar (my requirement). We also like Fun Zone because there’s lots to do but the setting isn’t so big that you are concerned you’re going to lose your kids forever. Plus, there are a variety of activities available for a variety of ages. The VR Hologate gaming experience and XD Theater Movie ride were new to us and big hits; you also can’t go wrong with classics like laser tag and bumper cars.
2. Bonus points if the venue serves alcohol. This isn’t a requirement, just a suggestion. If the venue serves booze, parents are willing to stay at the party with you. You get moral support, parental reinforcements, and drinking buddies while avoiding the added stress of a drop-off party. Totally worth the cost of a couple of pitchers of beer for the parents.
3. The simplest food – whatever is included in your party package. Don’t start adding on fruit trays or appetizers or tons of extra pizzas. The fact is, kids don’t eat at birthday parties. They’re too hyped up and whacked out to actually sit and eat so don’t spend the money. (Put it toward another pitcher of beer instead.)
4. Store-bought cupcakes. Seven-year-olds don’t need gourmet cupcakes. They need brightly frosted, assorted vanilla and chocolate options from any local grocery store. Plan in advance and order a dozen to be frosted in gold and white (6 of each), or gold, white, and black (4 of each) — Pikachu inspired, of course. Black frosting is the devil’s work but it did make some cute cupcakes.
5. $15 worth of plastic Pokemon figures that pull double duty as cupcake toppers and party favors. Place one figure on each cupcake and embellish with confetti dot sprinkles. Done and DONE.
6. A dozen vanilla frosted Dunkin Donuts transformed into Pokéball donuts with the help of some red cookie icing, white chocolate melting wafers or black candy melts, a tube of black frosting and some red sugar sprinkles. (Check out the step-by-step pictorial here.) Kids love the choice of cupcake, donut, or both, and both desserts are portable and require no knife or forks for cutting, serving, or eating. #momwin
7. Wet wipes for cleanup. With red and black frosting featuring prominently into dessert, bring a pack of wipes so kids can clean their hands, face, and those darn frosting-covered Pokémon figures they’re going to take home with them.
8. If your venue will let you bring your own paper products and decorations, Amazon Prime to the rescue! This set or this set are cute and affordable. If your venue supplies these items, request white or red tablecloths if possible. (The tablecloths at E’s party ended up being shades of green and I promise you I’m the only one who lost sleep over it. Roll with it and realize that 7-year-olds care about party decorations even less than they care about party food.)
9. A pack of Pokémon cards for each guest as a party favor. Walmart has the best selection and prices, at $4.18 a pack. Or check Amazon for bulk packs depending on how many you need – this set is a great deal! If you’re feeling fancy, place in red cellophane bags, add fruit snacks and candy (.e., whatever you have in the house in bulk), and tie some ribbons around it.
That’s everything! Even #DoneWithFun Daddy was impressed that I walked in to this birthday party with just ONE bag of stuff (cupcakes, donuts, and party favors). Like I said — 5% less extra on the party effort every year. But even if I just keep it to the same level as this year in the future, I’ll be calling it a win.
What’s your favorite theme for a party? Either one you’ve thrown or one you’ve attended!
Keep following on Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook for more ideas and inspiration for finding creativity amid chaos. Gotta catch ‘em all — don’t miss out!
