Planning A Two Years Old Birthday Party: Games, Food & Decor

Turning two is a big milestone for any toddler and their parents.

It also means that the stress of planning a birthday party for your special toddler is on the horizon. The good news is that the perfect birthday party for your two-year-old doesn't have to be extravagant at all.

In fact, the simpler your party, the better it is for you and your kids. If you're looking for the best two-year-old birthday party ideas, then we've got you covered with kids birthday party ideas your two-year-old will love, from cake, munchies, and decor to simple party themes and great gifts.

If you like these two-years-old birthday party ideas for kids, make sure to check out our articles on [tween birthday party ideas] and [preschool January themes] too.

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The Invite List

If it's possible, you can invite close family, friends, and toddlers your child is friends with (plus their parents) to your child's second birthday party. It's a good idea not to have too many guests so your toddler doesn't get overwhelmed. At this age, your baby is still learning to socialize properly with other kids, so be prepared for a few tantrums.

If your desire guests can't make it, perhaps they live too far away, then you can still celebrate a two-year-olds birthday without a party. Video calling is a great option if you can't see your family and friends in person, and enables everyone, everywhere to wish your toddler a happy birthday!

Timing

The best time to hold a birthday party with toddlers is in the morning or early afternoon so you're not interrupting their nap time and so that they have enough energy to enjoy all the party games to come. You also want to make sure your party doesn't go for too long so that kids aren't too zonked out by the end of it. Between an hour and an hour and a half is a good amount of time for all the children to get their play in and have a good time.

Finding A Location

Having your birthday party at home is the best option as it doesn't cost any extra money and means no long car trips for your little one to get restless. However, there is nothing stopping you from looking at other venues should you wish to try something new!

You don't have to have a themed party for your child's second birthday, but it can add an extra spark to the day and even adults can join in on the dress-up fun! It's a good idea to work with what your child loves. So, if they have a favorite princess, animal, superhero, or book, use that as the basis for your party. Even if you can't have visitors, you and your little ones can still have a lot of fun with these birthday themes.

Fairytale

What little girl or boy doesn't love a fairytale? You can dress your little one up as a princess, a prince or their favorite Disney character with this magical party theme.

Teddy Bear Picnic

A teddy bear themed party is one of the cutest themes and is a great alternative if you can't have any visitors. You can set it up in your backyard, a park, or even in your lounge room. Gather all of your child's favorite teddy bears and soft toys ready for the picnic. Teddy bear ear headbands are also a fun way to dress up.

Superhero

A superhero party theme means your kids will have a super fun time. You can decorate the house with your child's favorite Marvel and DC superheroes in comic-style posters and wall hangings. Hiring a costumed character to entertain the children is also a great idea so your little one can meet their favorite superhero and have an extra special birthday party!

Jungle

If your child loves all things animal and nature, a jungle party is perfect for them. You could even hire a balloon artist to make fun balloon animals for your little birthday boy or girl.

These are some of our favorite games that toddlers will love playing at your little one's birthday party. These simple birthday ideas are great fun to play with friends and family, and the best part is, you can still do most of these fun activities with your child even if you don't have a party.

Bubbles

Who doesn't love bubbles? Whether you're a kid or an adult, bubbles are always a ton of fun to play with. Having bubbles at your party is a simple yet fun way to keep kids entertained as they can make their own bubbles and spend the afternoon chasing and popping them. You can pick from small bubble wands that little ones can blow into, to giant bubble wands, and even bubble machines! Make sure to supervise your children so they don't drink any of the liquid.

Face Painting

You can't go wrong getting the face paints out or hiring a professional face painter for your two-year-old birthday party. From butterflies and unicorns to tigers and clowns, kids will love having these cute little designs on their faces.

Duck Duck Goose

Duck duck goose is a timeless and fun game for both kids and adults. Start by sitting everyone in a circle. One player starts walking around the circle and tapping the other players on the head while saying "duck". The player chooses someone to be the 'goose'. The goose then has to stand up and chase the other player around the circle to tag them. The other player has to finish a lap of the circle and sit in the goose's seat before they tag them. The game then restarts.

Kiddy Pool

If your child's birthday is in the summer, you can whip out a blow-up kiddy pool for the little ones to splash around in. Make sure not to leave them unattended.

Here are the best food options for two-year-old birthday parties. It's a good idea to check for allergies with the parents of other children attending your child's birthday party. This way, everyone can enjoy the yummy food on offer.

If you are planning on having a themed party, you can make your dishes to match. For example, for a fairytale party, you can make tiara shaped cookies, or little pumpkins out of peeled oranges. For a superhero party theme, you can make cupcakes with Batman's symbol or a fruit platter in the shape of Captain America's shield. If your party is jungle-themed, you can have carrot and dip in the shape of a lion (make sure to cut the carrots into thin slices to avoid a choking hazard).

Finger Food

Finger food is a good idea for little two-year-olds that love to snack. It also saves you the hassle of preparing mass amounts of food as you can easily buy a lot of these from the store. Nuggets, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (remember to check for allergies first!), and fruit slices are yummy treats that little ones will enjoy. You can also make separate food for the adults to nibble on, like little quiches, bruschetta and carrot and celery sticks with hummus.

Dessert

There are so many cool birthday cake designs for two-year-olds, from unicorns to animals and trucks, you're sure to find something that matches your party theme and that your little one will love. A smash cake is also an option, but they are usually for one-year-olds as most two-year-olds know how to eat with a fork. That being said, you can still have a smash cake for your two-year-old if you want to. You can also serve up ice cream, fruit, cupcakes, and cookies for dessert. Yum!

Party Favors

Parties aren't complete without party favors for kids to take home. You can put fun activities like stickers, crayons, and coloring books inside these bags. Lots of sugar will be had at the party so you don't need to put sweets in the party favor bags, which also helps avoid any sugar crashes.

The decorations for your birthday party will depend on what your theme is (if you have one). You can find party supplies for just about any birthday theme. Balloons, streamers, flowers, pom poms, and bunting are easy and classic options to make your home party ready. Simple birthday decor is also an option if you don't have the time to make or buy decorations or you want to have a more eco-friendly party.

If you have a fairytale or princess theme, you can decorate with hanging flowers, tiara bunting, and you can even make your own castle to stick up on your wall with different colored paper. You can also hang streamers to look like a chandelier.

For a superhero themed party, a cardboard cutout of your little one's favorite superhero is a fun idea. You can also hang little comic sound effects on the walls like 'pow', 'bang' and 'pop'.

For a jungle-themed party, you can put soft toys of lions, tigers, gorillas, monkeys and your child's favorite animals around the house. Hanging up green, gold, and white balloons and large green leaves work great for this theme. You could even set up a tent in your lounge room for your little adventurers to sit in.

If your child has any figurines of superheroes, princesses, or wild animals you can even use them as napkin holders.

Thinking of the best presents to get your two-year-old can be hard, but we've got some cute ideas we think your child will love. It's best not to open any of the presents from other parents until the guests have left to avoid toddler tantrums over toys.

Building blocks are a great way for toddlers to play and develop their fine motor skills and there are plenty on the market to choose from. A new book for bedtime stories is also a great idea for a present that helps your little one learn to read. Musical instruments are a fun way for your child to learn new skills. There are plenty of musical instruments suitable for a toddler, from xylophones and egg shakers to bells and little drums built for toddlers. You could even get them a toy train set to play with. You also can't go wrong with a new, cuddly best friend for your two year old to play with. Soft toys are a great way to build your child's imagination.

If you found this article helpful, then why not take a look at these [butterfly songs for preschool] or [how to celebrate national superhero day]?

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