Party themes for 3rd birthday - non-TV/movie based?

[franch]

DD2 says she wants a princess party but I want to offer her some alternatives before she decides - I think princess is the only theme she's come across!

DD1 had a jungle party for her 3rd, and a summer theme for her 4th (hers is a January birthday) ... I'm running out of ideas a bit - can only think of pirates ... What else can I suggest?

It's early Sept so we're hoping to use the garden, if that makes any difference

Space is always fun.

My friends DD had a Peter Pan Party,girls mostly chose Tinkerbell costumes,boys chose Captain Hook/Peter Pan.I spent ages doing my "Blue Peter" bit with a cereal box and some paint,and we made a Crocodile head for my DS,with a clock around his neck.Everyone loved it,and he felt special as he was the only one!

Cowboys and Indians/Wild West then you can have bbq type food.
Traditional tea party - pretty dresses, hats, picnic/tea and cake

Thanks for suggestions! A 2yo's experience is so limited, it's difficult to explain most themes to her - but she does want one! Familiarity seems to dictate most things!

Will try these out on her ...

Argh - wrote once and Mn went down!

Sports
Farm fun
Beach party
Pirates and Princesses
Fairies
Under the sea
Space
Cowboys and Indians
Fairy tale/story books

love the traditional tea party idea. so cute!

Ooh lovely hula thank you

I love it too ja9 - trouble is selling it to DD2 who has no concept of 'traditional'!

If I had a little girl, I would ABSOLUTELY do a girly tea party and get them to ice their own fairy cakes.

We had a pizza party for my son's 3rd. They got to make their own pizzas, decorate the pizza boxes while the pizzas were cooking, decorated a fairy cake for pud, and got to take home an apron and mini rolling pin as a gift.

That sounds lovely J&J! Maybe it's just the 3yo's we know tho, but I'd be more inclined to do that for 4yo's ... Or maybe I'm a coward!! Will give it some thought

Franch, i thought they were going to destroy the house, but I limited it to 7 kids and they had so much fun. They really concentrated on doing it perfectly so really very little mess!

DS2 is having a joint party with a nursery friend and they're having a dinosaurs theme. You can get all the plates/cups/party bags etc online.

They'll be 4,btw.

I think I'm more of a free-play kind of hostess J&J - next door have a bouncy castle we can borrow so I'm just planning to let them do their thing ...

Thanks lyra dinosaurs is good

Teddy Bears' picnic is sort of traditional tea party idea or dollies' tea party.
I also thought you could go along lines of traditional birthday party - little sandwiches, sausages, jelly/arctic roll, birthday cake. Activities could be make a party hat/place mat, action songs, pass the parcel as well as free play. Like birthday parties that Alfie & Annie Rose, Kipper etc all have in their books.

Sorry, bit of a x-post there.

I never do activities and always do the traditional food, but teddy bears' picnic is excellent idea and DD2 would understand that concept!

Rainbow - good for jelly and buns and decor

Teddy bears picnic sounds good to me. You could buy some plain white hats that they could decorate with paints/glitter etc.

Ooh rainbow lovely too

oh i love this thread!! am going to 'watch' it and use it for every party from now on