Extra touches to make 6 year olds party fun

[Dramateacher1]

Hi,

Large church hall and giant bouncy castle booked for my sons 6th birthday. Party bags sorted, individual lunch boxes sorted, cake sorted. Party bags include a craft kit (Poundland!) punch ballon, mini sweets, mini chocolate and cake. Lunch is sandwich, crisps, biscuits, jelly and an apple. Any little things that I can buy/include/do to add to the day and make it really fun for the 20 kids attending?
First party like this due to covid last year! All other parties we’ve attended have been at a soft play. Not sure that I should be doing! Thanks

Maybe a couple of games like Pass the Parcel and Musical statues? Always popular at my kids' parties.

Thank you Lizzie

Musical spots!

We have a pack of sport spots markers and play musical spots like musical chairs, taking away a spot and stopping the music. Last one without a spot is out.

We give a small spot to each child as they’re out, and a party medal plus sweet for the winner. There’s no moaning about getting ‘out’ this way.

Small sweet as they’re out, they’re not allowed to take the spots

Have you got an entertainer? If not, games always go down well as good a good playlist.
Musical chairs
Musical statues

Lots of games.
Big craft together ie. colouring, making something, decorating biscuits.
Other toys to play with during “down time”

Some great ideas, thank you.

The first party of Year R for DD had an ice cream van arrive and each child was given the ice cream of their choice. The children all thought it was the best thing ever!

The ice cream van is a brilliant idea!

Lots of balloons. Mine spend ages playing with them.

And if you can ask around for spare bubble wrap (maybe people have some left over from Christmas packaging), jumping up and down on it is the best game ever.

Oh, and the other thing we've had quite a lot of success with is providing masses of cardboard boxes to decorate. Various online party suppliers also do cardboard castles etc to colour in which we did one year too. Only downside to that was that we ended up with a large cardboard castle for a number of years.

Pinata with sweets in

Balloons we have! Piñata is a good idea

Piñata, but maybe a pull string style if you aren’t brave enough to give six year olds a weapon .

Random, but if you can find some not too Christmassy crackers in the sale you could put them on the table when they eat. I bought fill your own crackers for DS’s 5th birthday and the kids loved them.

Teach them the balloon game (in a line -pass over head-through legs-last person runs to the front) winning team gets a prize

Okey kockey

Kid friendly songs for a dance- all the ones with actions

A tea/coffee/bicc station for any parents staying.

Various games that they can do individually or in pairs when not on the bouncy castle:

Paper aeroplanes to fold and throw.

Balloons with table tennis bats to bash around.

Stick the tail on the donkey.

String-and-can stilts

Etc

We got some craft kits from Baker Ross for several of DD's parties, and they've been really popular. Tip: if you do this, choose ones which don't need glue, and check that everything you need is included in the kit (many of them don't need scissors).