A Mum’s Guide to Hosting a Child’s Birthday Party in the Garden

A Mum’s Guide to Hosting a Child’s Birthday Party in the Garden

Hosting children’s birthday parties in your home can be intense. Suddenly your house is filled with lots of excited children on a sugar rush. They’re running around and are not aware of your family’s usual rules about looking after your home – rubbing sticky hands on walls, climbing on furniture, entering rooms that are supposed to be off-limits and so on. It can be a stressful job being the hostess mum for these occasions! There’s one way to make hosting a party for kids at home much easier and less taxing and that is to simply move the party outside. In this guide we will look at why hosting a child’s birthday party in the garden is a great idea, along with some tips for a successful garden party. 

Why Opt for a Garden Party for your Child’s Birthday

If your child’s birthday is during a part of the year when the weather is more likely to be nice – spring, summer, early autumn – then a garden party for their birthday is a great idea. Children love being outdoors and everything party related is just easier outside – you don’t need to worry about mess as much, tidying up is easier, kids can move more freely, and entertainment options are plenty too. 

Setting up your Garden for a Kids’ Party

The first job is to prepare the garden and remove anything that might cause danger (tools, trip hazards etc.). Next, create safe, themed zones, including spaces for different activities and areas for dining and serving food. Ensure there is plenty of seating for parents of your child’s friends if they are staying too. 

Garden Party Activities

Suitable party activities will depend on the age of your child. Generally, it’s great to have a mix of active games, craft activities, and some calm and quiet areas for children to use when they want a little break from the chaos. Teepee tents are perfect for this. 

Ideas for Garden Party Games and Activities:

• Lawn Games such as ring ross or Kubb!
• Oversized Games such as Giant Jenga or Giant Connect 4.
• Team Games such as sack races or egg-and-spoon races. 
• Obstacle Course/Floor is Lava using outdoor cushions or stepping stones.
• Music Games such as musical statues or Musical Chairs.
• Scavenger Hunt looking for themed items or hidden treats in the garden.
• Simple Crafts such as pot decorating, flower crown making, or rock painting.
• Classic Party games such as pass the parcel.
• Outdoor Toys that kids can entertain themselves with such as hula hoops, trampoline, and bubble wands. 

If you child is into gaming, another fun idea is to have a gaming party theme. For ease, you can rent a Gaming Party Package that includes everything you need. For a garden version, you can select a tent option to transform any outdoor space into a gaming paradise.

Seating for Kids & Adults

Seating can be a garden table with chairs or benches for the children to sit on. Or you could do picnic style eating with blankets on the lawn. Add some floor cushions or outdoor beanbags for additional comfy and relaxed seating. For the grown-ups, a few garden chairs are ideal.

Shelter and Shade for All Weathers

A really important aspect of garden hosting is to be prepared for the weather, come rain or shine. Always check the weather forecast but also be ready for any quick changes in the weather – especially here in the UK. Setting up sheltered and shaded areas by using gazebos or marquees hired from Casablanca Hire will provide protection from the elements as required – whether this is shade from the sun on a scorching day or protection from showers on a rainy day! They can also help with creating zones for different activities. 

Garden Party Decorations

When it comes to decorations for a garden party, you can keep it simple as you have your garden as a beautiful backdrop. Some affordable fabric bunting, some balloons, and hanging lanterns are perfect for adding a party feel to the space. A table cloth (secured to the table) and some battery-operated lanterns and flowers make a great addition to the table set up for eating. Reusable plates and cups are best for garden parties as paper or disposable plastic options might blow away. 

Party Food for Kids Garden Party

Keep the food simple for a relaxed kids’ garden party. Opt for picnic-style foods and finger foods that are easy to grab:

• Sausage Rolls (vegan options available)
• Pizza Slices or Mini Pizzas
• Sandwiches with different fillings (jam, cheese, ham)
• Nuggets (chicken or Quorn)
• Hot Dogs (can be vegetarian/vegan)
• Vegetable sticks (carrot, cucumber, peppers)
• Crisps in small individual serving bags for ease

For dessert or sweet treats:

• Birthday cake or cupcakes themed to the child’s interests
• Small Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Mini Doughnuts 
• Small bags of sweets
• Ice cream cones or ice lollies for hot days!

Also set up a hydration station so that children can stay hydrated. This can be a table with jugs of iced drinks such as juice and water and beakers or you can fill large tubs with ice and pop individual bottles of child-friendly drinks such as ready-to-drink squash, juice, or flavoured water. Pop a bin and/or a recycling box nearby so that children know where to put empties. 

Other Things to Consider When Hosting a Garden Party

Next, let’s look at some other things you should consider when hosting a garden party. 

Toilet Access: If you’re lucky enough to have a toilet available on the lower floor of your house and near the garden then this is easy. If there’s only a toilet upstairs, that’s fine too of course – it just needs a bit more preparation. Clear a path to the bathroom and perhaps hang up a sign too. If you have delicate flooring such as carpet, ensure that there’s a space where guests can take their shoes off or put down some kind of cover.

Guest List: When deciding who to invite or how many kids to invite to a birthday party in the garden the main thing to consider is how much space you have available. Your child’s age matters too. For very young children – toddlers and preschoolers – a party with family members makes the most sense. School-age children often want to invite their friends to their birthday parties. I think it’s best to do a separate celebration for friends and for family as it can be difficult for the birthday child to spend time with everyone at the same time. Tell your child how many kids would safely fit in your garden and ask them which friends they’d like to invite. 

Sending Out Invitations: It’s a good idea to send out invites to your child’s party 3-4 weeks before. You can do this digitally via Whatsapp or email if you have contact details for the parents. Or you can do this via school for school-age children. Some schools will only do this if the whole class is invited so for smaller parties you might need to find the parents in the school playground and hand them the invites directly. Make sure to include all the essential details on the invites such as whose birthday party it is, date, time, location, your phone number, and RSVP date. Also include whether parents should stay or simply drop the kids off. For garden parties, also include a reminder that children might need sun cream, sun hats and clothing suitable for outdoor play.

Hosting a child’s birthday party in the garden is a great choice for spring and summer birthdays. The kids are sure to love it and it is a lot less stressful for the hosting parents too. 

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