Six DIY kids party ideas for winter

Posted on 9 June, 2015

If your kids’ party falls in the winter months don’t despair.

It might be too cold to have an outdoor party but winter is the perfect time to organise an event that will keep your kids happy and warm indoors!

Embrace the winter season and instead try these DIY kids party ideas that will see your little man or lady enjoy the winter warming party they deserve!

Winter Wonderland

Over a year since the hit movie Frozen premiered in Australia and with the ‘Frozen’ theme still popular amongst the littlies why don’t you give it a bit of a twist and throw a Winter Wonderland themed party instead. This is easily achievable with a cool colour palette — think blue, white and silver — which is easily adjustable to suit both boys and girls of all ages. Fake snow anyone?

Home baked goodies like cupcakes and cookies will look twice as nice when blue! Frosting can be used to create winter snowscapes on top of their cake! Blue tinsel wrapped around the house and glittery party accessories will set the scene with blue, white and silver face paint a good option for party activities. Fill a piñata with confetti, cut up paper or pom poms and hang outside for when the kids want to ‘make it snow’. For those who really want to commit to the theme, set up a fire brazier in the backyard, gather up some sticks and roast up some marshmallows.

[So You Think You Can] Dance Party

With shows like So You Think You Can Dance popular with younger generations why not create a dance party at home. This is a great theme for larger groups or if you’re looking for an easy, active option.

Clear a large space in your house for the dancefloor, black out the windows and rent or buy coloured lights or bulbs to create a disco effect. On the day, set up a table next to the dancefloor with a laptop, or iPod and speakers, and decide who will be the DJ: the birthday boy or girl or a willing family member. You can have dance competitions like limbo or even partner dancing, with other family members serving as the ‘judges’ and handing out prizes accordingly.

Bake your cake and eat it too!

For the little Masterchef in your life why not organise a cooking party at home? This is a great option for smaller parties with around six to eight kids. Decide on a two-course menu and buy enough ingredients for everyone. Set out mixing bowls, ingredients, wooden spoons etc. for each child on a benchtop or table. Good options for the menu might be pizzas made with tortillas as the base or nachos with ice cream sundaes, cupcakes or cookies for dessert. While your mini chefs’ creations are cooking, they can work up an appetite with some party games.

If you really want to invest in the theme you can take it to the next level by creating a restaurant in your dining room. Print menus for each table and create place settings for each child with napkins, glassware and place cards.

Picasso Party

If you and your child fancy a quieter style of party, an Art Party might suit well. Canvases, paint, brushes and smocks can be purchased cheaply and set out in the comfort of your warmed up garage (Studio) for the little artists. To put a junior twist on still life you might like to arrange a display of lollies or cupcakes for them to paint or sketch or even the birthday cake itself. This option would suit smaller or larger birthday parties alike as larger group activities can include hand painting or even face painting. This is a slightly messy option but great for doing inside on a cold day. If you want to extend the theme further you can get the kids to decorate cookies or cupcakes too.

Costumes galore

Throw your kids a fabulous dress-up party with the theme of their choice. When the weather is cold outside dressing up can add great warmth and fun to an indoor space. There are a variety of popular themes to choose from be it outer space, superheroes, cowboy, princess or pirates – the hard party is choosing a theme that interests your little one.

You can advise your child’s guests to come in that theme or purchase some low-cost children’s costumes from dollar stores for guests to select on arrival. Fun party games for this theme might include musical statues or games where you swap an item of dress up clothing – see who can have the most mixed up costume by the end of the game! Food, music and decorations can be themed accordingly.

A twist on this theme is a High Tea themed birthday with guests advised to wear their finest clothes and the table set with porcelain cups, fragrant fruit teas (or cordial) and delicate cakes. Your child will adore playing adult for the day and the adults of the house can even dress up as the dapper wait staff to attend to their important guests.

Get active

Parties for active kids are slightly challenging in winter, as they require outdoor space that Canberra weather doesn’t allow. If your house doesn’t have space for a DIY jungle gym, jumping up and down on trampolines is a sure way to warm up. Or take a backseat to organising the party and instead head to SkyZone in Belconnen for their great packages for kids of all ages.