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Happy Second Birthday!
Birthday Party Ideas for Your
2-Year-Old
2-Year-Old
By Keath Castelloe Low
Your baby is 2! What is a fun way to celebrate this special day? Birthday parties can range from a quiet celebration at home to an all-out bash. Whatever route you choose, be sure to plan the party with your child in mind.
"It is so, so easy to get carried away with planning a birthday party ... these events seem to take a life of their own!" says Vicki Iovine, author of several parenting books including The Girlfriends' Guide to Parties and Playdates (Perigee Trade, 2003).
In the case of a child under 3, truly consider his temperament, Iovine says. "If he cowers around crowds and cries uncontrollably every time an unfamiliar adult enters the house, why torture him and everyone else by drumming up a big bash and blurting out every five minutes to your guests that 'Nikki never cries like this. I think she must be teething!" she says.
Iovine remembers one child whose first birthday was such a negative experience that "for the next several years the little one screamed hysterically anytime anyone sang the birthday song!" she says.
Two-year-old parties are really "a combination big playdate/mommy get-together," Iovine says. "The key is keeping the gig short and setting up different areas of interest where the children can play at will. This is still too young for the kids to be dropped off, unless they're your nephew or next door neighbor."
Michelle Dabek from Oogles-n-Googles, a children's entertainment company that offers unique "all-inclusive" themed birthday parties, recommends that parents keep it simple. "Two-year-olds don't have a long attention span, so don't plan too many structured activities," she says.
Dancing, music and physical activities are always fun for this age group. The children may also enjoy sand or water play. Keep the party theme simple. "Choose something fairly common so you don't stress out trying to find paper goods," Dabek says.
