How to Throw a Healthy Birthday Party for Kids

As I have said before, the key word that brings the most people to my blog is 'birthday.' People are always looking for ideas, products, events, cake makers etc... to help plan their children's' birthday parties. Last week I put out a call for birthday ideas and businesses on the blog and on Facebook. Not too long after that I received a timely email from a woman named Lisa. Lisa is a mom and she writes posts about birthday planning and ideas and she also is part of a business called The Party Works. She has written a guest post about birthday party planning and provided a link to The Party Works which offers a lot of fun themed party supplies and don't worry, I already asked: They ship to Canada :)

How to Throw a Healthy Birthday Party for Kids
Candy, cake, and indoor activities are all common facets of kids’ birthday parties. If you’re a health-conscious parent, however, you may want to throw a healthier party for your birthday boy or girl. Fortunately, it is possible to do so without sacrificing any of the fun. Here are a few tips to help you out as you plan and implement a fun, wholesome, and healthy birthday party for your child:

1. Try to keep the party outside as much as possible.
It can be tempting to hook up the Wii and let the kids take turns playing video games inside or to take the kids to the movies. But a party that’s full of fun, outdoor activities will be better for the kids. They spend all day, five days a week inside, having to sit still. It’s good for them to be able to let some of their energy out at the birthday party. So, plan some activities like capture the flag, a potatoes sack race, and ring toss. The point is to get the kids outside, moving, and happy. If it’s too cold or hot outside, you may want to consider throwing the party at a laser tag venue or someplace similar, where the kids can still run around.

2. Keep sweets to a minimum.
It wouldn’t be a birthday party without birthday cake, but the cake should probably be the only sweet treat at the party. Healthy snacks like carrots, apples, and whole-wheat crackers and cheese cubes will keep the kids’ hunger at bay without giving them a sugar rush and subsequent crash. It’s also a good idea to bake the birthday cake from scratch, so you can have control over the ingredients and keep the trans fat out and the amount of sugar to a minimum. If you want to make the cake extra healthy, you could consider baking a healthy carrot cake or angel food cake. Ask the birthday girl or boy what kind of cake he or she wants at the party, and use that to help you decide what to bake.

3. Let the kids get creative with party favors.
There’s no need to fill up party bags with candy and plastic toys the kids probably won’t play with for more than a day. The party guests can make their own party favors instead. They can draw, paint, and make things out of clay, and then they can take their creations home. After the kids have tired themselves out playing outside, they can come inside, relax, and make their own favors as the party winds down.
Keeping your child’s birthday party healthy just requires some planning and preparation. So, let the kids run around outside, keep sugar to a minimum, and let the kids get creative!

Author’s Bio: Lisa is a mom and guest post writer on the subjects of party preparation, family bonding, and Super Mario party supplies.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad