How To Throw Your Kids A Sports Day Birthday Party

If your little one(s) were born during the summer months; the great thing is that you’ll have the opportunity to throw them a birthday party that's located outside the house (so no cleaning Ribena off the carpet). A sports day themed event is a great way for the kids to run off all the birthday cake and sandwiches, so they won’t be bouncing off the walls by the time the party ends, and they’re on the way home (the other parents will love you forever). The following are some things to consider when it comes to planning the big day.

Image from PEXELS

Setting Up Your Garden

Alongside the traditional bunting and balloons; you’ll need the centre of your lawn to become a racing track (it’s less complicated than it sounds). You could use neon tape along the grass to mark out two to four lanes (or more, depending on the size of your garden), or coloured chalks work perfectly on patio areas. You could also use string or ribbon, however, bear in mind that there might be a few trips and falls, so consider the age of your party guests.

Set up a “FINISH” sign at the end of the track, and gather together a box full of activities for the competitions. Skipping ropes, hard-boiled eggs (or ping pong balls) and spoons, books for balancing, and a whistle to start each race should set you up for a fun-filled day of exercise. You could also involve throwing competitions with coloured tennis balls and frisbees; the more colour you involve, the better the party atmosphere will be. For even more sports day games to try, take a look here.

Organising Prizes And Rewards

Your mini party goers will want to be rewarded when they win the race, so it’s a smart idea to organise some treats and rewards for the winners. Ensure that everyone goes home with a little token, even if they didn’t win; it’s the only way to avoid and tears and tantrums.

Aside from the party bags, which you can fill with cake and trinkets, you might want to give out something a little more sport related. You could source some 2017 medals to hand out in a prize ceremony, or after each race; who knows, your child’s sports day party could become an annual summer event!

Feeding The Hungry Athletes

Why not continue the athletics theme and provide a themed cake, cupcakes, or decorated biscuits; you could create a three-levelled Olympic-style podium to display the food on, depending how much time you have before the party. Traditional bunting colours are always a classic choice for a garden party theme; however, you can incorporate whatever your child is hooked on at the time, whether it’s Peppa Pig or X-Men.

You don’t need to over-think the food too much; sandwiches, crisps, carrot sticks and squash will please even the pickiest of athletes, so keep it simple. It’s always a wise idea to have some bowls of snacks out for the kids to nibble on as they watch the others race, before bringing out the sandwiches and cake. Remember to take plenty of pictures, and enjoy the fact you don’t have to spend a couple of hours cleaning the house up; gardens are much quicker to blitz after a party!