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Ideas

Party guide

A Kids' Birthday Party

Two hours, lots of color, food kids actually eat, and one or two activities that keep everyone busy. Plan on more grown-ups than you think, and give them coffee.

Host tip: Bring out the cake around the 75-minute mark, before energy dips, and line the favor bags up by the door so pickup goes quickly.

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The menu

Main
Pizza bagelsRecipe from Spend With Pennies ↗
Baked chicken tendersRecipe from Spend With Pennies ↗
Side
Rainbow fruit kabobsRecipe from Spend With Pennies ↗
Dessert
Funfetti cupcakesRecipe from Tastes Better From Scratch ↗
Grown-ups
Coffee, plus a veggie tray and hummusYour own

Drinks and ice

  • Homemade pink lemonade: recipe
  • Water and juice boxes
  • Coffee for the parents

Berries frozen in star molds

Freeze blueberries and sliced strawberries in star- or heart-shaped silicone molds and float them in the lemonade dispenser. Kids love fishing them out.

Make ahead

  1. 1 week before: Order the decorations and favor bags. Plan two or three activities plus a rainy-day backup.
  2. 2 days before: Bake the cupcakes and freeze unfrosted. Freeze the berry stars.
  3. 1 day before: Frost the cupcakes. Make the lemonade base. Fill the favor bags. Set up activity stations.
  4. Morning of: Bread the chicken tenders and refrigerate. Thread the fruit kabobs.
  5. 30 minutes before: Tenders and pizza bagels in the oven. Lemonade in the dispenser.

The music

The 25 songs
  1. Happy, Pharrell Williams
  2. Try Everything, Shakira
  3. How Far I'll Go, Auli'i Cravalho
  4. You've Got a Friend in Me, Randy Newman
  5. I Just Can't Wait to Be King, Jason Weaver
  6. Hakuna Matata, Nathan Lane, Ernie Sabella & Jason Weaver
  7. We Don't Talk About Bruno, Encanto Cast
  8. Surface Pressure, Jessica Darrow
  9. Under the Sea, Samuel E. Wright
  10. Into the Unknown, Idina Menzel & AURORA
  11. Baby Shark, Pinkfong
  12. Cha Cha Slide, DJ Casper
  13. Cupid Shuffle, Cupid
  14. Macarena, Los Del Rio
  15. Y.M.C.A., Village People
  16. Roar, Katy Perry
  17. Count on Me, Bruno Mars
  18. What Makes You Beautiful, One Direction
  19. Dynamite, BTS
  20. Sugar, Sugar, The Archies
  21. Happy Together, The Turtles
  22. Life Is a Highway, Rascal Flatts
  23. Real Gone, Sheryl Crow
  24. Electric Boogie, Marcia Griffiths
  25. Happy Birthday, Stevie Wonder

Little touches

  • A gift for the host

    What guests can bring.

    Put it on the invite if you'd like "no gifts" or a book swap

  • To take home

    A little something at the door.

    One good thing instead of a bag of plastic: a book, bubbles, a craft they made

  • Something to do

    A craft table, a piñata or a dance party with freeze dance

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