3rd birthday party ideas

[tennisfan147]

Looking for game, craft, activity ideas for a 3rd birthday party that don't involve a lot of materials and that a child turning 3 can be successful at without worry!

Some things I was thinking (let me know if they're too hard) include simon says, keeping balloons in the air, dancing, coloring or gluing construction paper shapes onto a whole sheet of construction paper to create a picture, reading a fun story, hide and seek, playing musical instruments...

Is hot potato too hard? Maybe have no kids get out - just give each kid that ends with the "potato" a sticker...

Also - any music suggestions?

Make puppets out of wooden spoons? Decorate masks? Sleeping bunnies, musical bumps, jamming together with whatever random instruments you have, decorating gingerbread men, dancing, paper and loads of stickers. Or just free play, they will enjoy that too. You don't want too much structured activity when they are so young - it can only go wrong.

treasure hunt, race games combined with obstacle course activities eg running with bean bags, kicking balls, crawling under/over things.
you can also hire birthday party entertainers for themed birthday parties.

Keep it simple, on their 4/5th bday when they start school, they expect the earth!

3 year olds in your home - no to glue!! I wld do pass the parcel, musical statues/bumps, maybe the hokey cokey or conga. If you are feeling adventurous, buy some cheap 'value' lining paper from homebase/b and q and draw around the kids, or make your own 'pin the tail on...' with your own variation (pin the nose on Peppa etc).

Keep it Simple!! Many of the suggestions here are too complex.

For 3 year-olds, a free-play based party with relatively few organised games is better because some will feel very overwhelmed and many will not obey instructions.

3 freeplay activities is enough - things like sandpit digging, a colouring corner etc (chosen to group around the "theme" of the party if there is one. Let them do that for an hour, then give them their party tea, then have half an hour with no more than 3 group games, then cake, party bags and get them gone!