8 Fun Activities for a 5 year olds birthday party.

At 5 years old, children like to arrive and get stuck straight in to an activity that they instantly recognise how to do. They are high energy at that age but can also understand instructions, so you can get in to a little more detail once that initial party excitement dies down.

1. Bubble Station: Set up a bubble station with bubble wands, bubble machines, and bubble solution. Let the kids have a blast chasing and popping bubbles. Only attempt this if you have outdoor space or the floor will get very slippy!
2. DIY Musical Instruments: Have a craft station where kids can make their own musical instruments, such as shakers using rice or beans in plastic bottles, or tambourines using paper plates and jingle bells.
3. Obstacle Course: Create a simple obstacle course using cones, hula hoops, tunnels, and small hurdles. Kids can run, crawl, jump, and have fun navigating through the course.
4. Sensory Play Station: Set up a sensory play area with tubs or trays filled with items like colored rice, kinetic sand, water beads, or play dough. Provide various tools and toys for them to explore and manipulate the materials.
5. Musical statues: Play music and have the kids dance around. When the music stops, they must freeze in their positions. Encourage silly poses and watch them try to hold them until the music starts again.
6. Bean Bag Toss: Set up targets with different point values using buckets or boxes, and have the kids toss bean bags to score points. You can even create a simple scoreboard to keep track of their scores.
7. DIY ice cream decorating: Set up a mini ice cream station where kids can customise their own ice creams. Provide vanilla ice cream in a bowl, then have a variety of toppings that you can name to fit your theme e.g. Gruffalo theme = green jelly beans for the Gruffalo's wart and purple sprinkles for his prickles as well as jelly snakes. Then, let the kids enjoy their creations!
8. Nature Scavenger Hunt: Organise a scavenger hunt in the garden or your venue. Create a list of items for the kids to find, such as leaves, pinecones, flowers, or specific colours if outdoors or things that you have hidden if indoors. Give them baskets or bags to collect their treasures.

Remember to plan ahead but on the day just go with the flow! These activities will keep the kids engaged, entertained, and provide them with a memorable party experience.