New Health Guide
Birthdays play a very important role in building bonds and strengthening family ties. The celebration of birthdays have a more special meaning for children and definitely for parents who strives to make birthdays more special and meaningful for children. But, it is very important to know what efforts can make the moments count. For example, second birthday of your child is more about making the day memorable for your family since babies understand little about the meaning of celebration at this age, so throwing a fancy birthday party for toddler makes little sense.
Inviting other kids over and throwing a party for other kids would appear more at the third birthday of your child. You can definitely add games and activities for the young toddlers to keep them happy and busy (though it is hard to keep toddlers attentive for a longer period of time). Below are helpful party ideas for your 2 year old.
Important notes: you should note that babies have poor social skills at the age of 2, so it is pretty understandable to expect your kid snatching or grabbing toys from other kids or may be biting or hitting other toddlers in aggression.
It is important to know that toddlers at the age of two are less concerned with public interactions and are more focused at what they want to do. Don't feel embarrassed that your kid is stubborn or disrespectful. Kids learn more about personal and social interactions growing up.
The essentials of organizing an event at home are:
Obviously you may want to celebrate the birthday of your little one with your close family and friends. Besides family, you may want to invite some other toddlers of your kid’s age (with parents or guardians of course). A simple tip would be to call the toddlers according to the chronological age of your child (invite 2 toddlers on the second birthday, 3 on third birthday and 4 on fourth birthday)
Choosing the right time for your party can play a very important role in the success of your event. Most toddlers take naps at noon time so most recommended party times are morning or early evening when kids are fresh and in good mood.
Home is one of the most recommended places for throwing a party for toddlers (mainly because kids are more comfortable in their home setting and considering different guests and party atmosphere is already a lot of stimulation for their little heads, home is definitely a safe place. However, if you are calling a lot of guests or you think arrangements at home are going to be challenging, you can definitely throw party at an outdoor location (like a park, restaurant, hotel, grandma’s lawn, local gymnasium, club house or any place you think is easier to manage.
Themed parties are not necessary at the age of two since your child may not understand it fully but it is always fun to choose your child's favorite cartoon character or animal as the theme of his birthday party. For example choosing Dora's shaped cake, large stickers as gift, paper- plates, paper cups and other items with Dora’s image on them can definitely add amusement in the day of your little princess. Same goes for boys. Using a lot of balloons, toys and small gifts for guest toddlers is always a plus that can add more colors to your party.
Choice of food depends on the timing of your party. If you are throwing a party at lunch time or dinner time, try to choose small portions and snacks (like sandwiches cut by cookie cutter, fries, crackers, cupcakes, English muffin pizzas and fruit pieces.)
It is fine to have small tables and chairs to entertain little children or if that seems a difficult task, you can definitely arrange for gathering on the floor.
You must avoid giving the babies foods that they could get choked, such as hard candies, cherries with pits, and marshmallows.
Having kids engaged by activities like making bubbles with soap water or playing some music so kids can dance. You can also make arrangements for playing cartoons to keep kids engaged or may be someone in costume can also entertain the kids.
Children love making a lot of noise so if you can make arrangements for horns or blowers, it can definitely get them excited. Needless to say that such an arrangement requires a lot of space and adult supervision to prevent any inconvenience. In summer season, you can arrange an inflatable lawn pool with lots of toys (but since it is very risky too, make sure you have enough adult supervision and not many toddlers to prevent any accident from occurring).
Most guests appreciate if you open the gifts at the end of the party and it is a great idea too; however, it can increase the risk of added disturbance if other children flare-up and want the presents too. On other grounds, you can open the gifts after the guests leave but make sure to send a personalized thank you card or note for attendance and gift. You can also send a picture of your child opening their gift or using the gift for a more personalized touch.
To learn more, here is a video link that may help a great deal.
