Preschool and kindergarten birthday parties where every child in the class is invited soon give way to parties where only good friends or kids in the clique are invited. For children with few friends, creating a guest list for a large party can be a stressful event that highlights the child’s lack of popularity. Parents of children with few friends can relieve stress while creating special memories by choosing birthday party ideas that are best for a select group of friends instead of a large group.
Kids’ Birthday Parties at Home
Sleepovers and backyard campouts are a great way to celebrate a birthday at home with one or two close friends. The number of guests who can fit in the tent or on the living room floor limits the guest list. For outdoor campouts, parents can grill a birthday dinner, roast marshmallows or make s’mores and give kids a late-night brownie snack. Sleepovers can be a pizza and movie theme.
Each party can include a take-home craft. Given the smaller number of guests and overnight time period, parents can choose more elaborate crafts than the usual birthday party fare. Making a birdhouse, clay sculpture or jewelry project can occupy hours and send participants home with a treasured keepsake.
Kids’ Birthday Party Places for One or Two Friends
Scaling back the number of guests does not have to mean scaling back the fun. With a smaller guest list parents can invest more in each guest and open up the possibility of ideas that would be cost prohibitive for a larger party. Two examples are theme-park parties and trips to an indoor water park. In both of these cases, parents can emphasize that the child must pick on his or her best friend (or two) due to the cost.
Birthday Party Locations for Small Groups
Children who are friends usually share similar interests and these interests can be a jumping off point for kids’ birthday party locations. Kids who share a love of baseball or football may enjoy bringing a friend to a football game or minor league baseball game. Other options include trips to the ballet, musicals or a hands-on museum. Create a memorable birthday by making a day of the event and celebrating with dinner or dessert.
In all cases where only one or two guests are invited, the birthday child’s parents should call guests’ parents directly prior to sending invitations. This is to ensure that the date is workable for the guests. Large parties can go on with half the group as no-shows, but small gatherings cannot do so.
Parents of children with few friends can be at a loss for birthday party ideas. Instead of focusing on a child’s lack of popularity, parents can emphasize the special nature of the day and encourage the child or tween to pick one or two close friends to share the day. Sleepovers, theme-park visits and sporting events are some birthday ideas for small groups.
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Genna Cockerham - Genna Cockerham has been writing online since November 2008. She served as Marriage Feature Writer from December 2008 to February ...
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