I bet you thought I was DONE sharing party posts from my son’s second birthday party… hahah, I’m NEVER done. Actually, we just had so many different photos that I wanted to split this up into posts about the decor, food, favors, and activities. Of course, I’ll be back again later today with free set of printables from this party AND a giveaway. Too much fun going on right now. (No such thing.)
Town Themed Birthday Activities
The activities for this party were fairly simple. I don’t know about you, but trying to wrangle a bunch of 1-5 year olds does not sound like a fun activity to me. So, I set out items for a couple of activities, focused on making the whole party area a fun place to play, and let the kids and adults play and chat throughout the event. If the group had been a bit older I might have made the whole thing just a little more structured. But, for this age group I think the party turned out well.
Make the whole party area a fun play space.
Creating the cardboard buildings for the town was my first real project in creating a fun space for the kids. What kid doesn’t like a cardboard box? We made some of the buildings with doors and windows the kids could play in. The only one that was totally off-limits for playing was the ice cream truck due to some construction issues, and because it didn’t have a door the kids automatically stayed away from it. I added in toy vehicles and a toy kitchen to help give the “town” feel while giving the kids more hands-on activities. The toys were nearly as big of a hit as the cardboard buildings and they were just items we already had on hand!
Coloring Sheets
Coloring is great for older toddlers and young children. We put out coloring sheet “Identifications” and let the kids draw their own IDs. Most of the kids just did squiggly lines, but all of the kids above the age of two wanted to color. No crayons were eaten either. So, that’s a plus.
Temporary Tattoos
I have no idea why kids find these thing so amazing… but, they do. My son and every other kid at the party wanted a fake tattoo. He went around the rest of the day showing off his football that he chose and patiently sat through getting it applied. So much cleaner and easier than face painting, comes off easily in the bath, and makes the kiddos smile. Why not?
Want even more ideas for town themed party activities? Click on the above tabs for ideas for toddlers, young children, and older children. Have ideas? Leave them in the comments so I can add them to the lists! If I use your idea I’ll link your site (if you have one!) Want more Twosville posts? Click here to check out all of the twosville posts. Want free printables? Click here for Second Birthday Party Free Printables!
Toddler Town Party Activity Ideas
I seriously had a whole list of activities we could have used to fit the theme. But, I didn’t want to overload the kids with activities or take too much time/money prepping the party. The below activity ideas would be great for toddlers:
- Library & Story Time— Create a library cardboard building, put out some books, have a story time with the kids.
- Market— Create a market area with real or fake fruits and vegetables. Allow the kids to “shop” and play.
- Toy Store— Create a toy store and fill it with small toys that the kids can shop for and play with.
- Pet Store or Pound— Put out stuffed animals that kiddos can adopt!
Do you have more toddler friendly ideas? Leave them in the comments and I’ll post them along with a link to your site (if you have one!)
Town Party Activity Ideas for Younger Children:
Any of the toddler activities or activities used in the original party work work for children above the toddler age, but still not old enough to really be able to handle a lot of structure. The below activity ideas would be great for a town-themed party that has children from ages of 3-5:
- Drive In— Make cardboard cars and put up a sheet to project a favorite kid’s movie on as soon as it gets dark outside. After playing in town all day the kiddos can relax and watch a movie at the town’s drive in! It would also work well in front of the TV for an indoor party.
- Clothing Store or Job Center—Kids love playing dress up! Stock a clothing store with fun outfits or create a job center with uniforms for the kids to try on.
Do you have more young children town activity ideas? Leave a message in the comments and I’ll add it to the list along with a link to your site. (if you have one!)
Town Party Activity Ideas for Older Children:
Many of the other activities listed on these pages would work for older children. But, once they get older you can also have fun incorporating more activities. Check out my ideas for activities for a town-themed party that has children from the ages of 5+:
- Jobs & a Bank— Create jobs for the kids, have them dress up and play at their job, and then give them paychecks! This may seem silly or contrite to some who find work a not-fun experience or want kids to be kids for as long as possible… but, I think it is fun for kids to play as adults. I remember loving that when I was a child.
- Photo Studio—Create a photo backdrop and put up props for the kids to take pictures in the photo studio
- Theater or Stage— Does your kid love to sing or act? Create a stage with props or a microphone and let them practice being the start that they are.
Do you have more ideas for town-themed party activities for older children? Leave them below in the comments and I’ll add them to the list along with a link to your site (if you have one!)
All photos by Macey Snelson of (formerly) Motormouth Studios, now Moments by Macey. She is an amazing family photographer in Portland, Oregon!
