A Motor Bike Party…

I wasn’t planning to write about parties, thinking I had surely written enough – but one of you asked… and I love hearing from readers, so here you are:

You are the party guru – any good ideas for me for a motorbike themed 2-year old birthday party? I’ve forgotten what 2-year olds can handle – especially mostly boys! So far I have the kids bringing their own little black plastic bikes for an “obstacle” course in our front drive, but that’s it! I need cheap and easy and no shopping required!

No problem. I have never had a bike party, and I don’t know if you get these the world over but here in South Africa little black bikies are endemic to all small children – it is as if they come supplied!!!

It is the one toy they all fight like crazy over and unless little friends bring it to a play date lock it away.

That being said: What do you need in Se7en Steps… These are my ideas off the top of my head… and you can’t really beat Family Fun, with their cool bike party ideas.

Step 1: Invitations: Either stick to a circular wheel theme or print a picture of a formula one bike, stick it on card and add his photo or the recipients to it and you are done.

Step 2: Party Starters: Draw goggles with face paints round their eyes.

Make mini bike licenses on filing cards – tell every kid to bring a passport size photo, take their thumb print (very easy, just use marker on their thumb and then print it)… and give it some official looking jargon… you know “Issued by the “kids name” traffic department.” You could even get one of the visiting adults to cover them in contact to make them look official. Now everyone is set for action and you move onto party games…

Step 3: Party Games: I would choose relays so everyone gets a turn but don’t think winners or losers here – at age 2 you just want a little participation so keep it really really simple! You could also do a mini street drive by: print street signs here. Little driveway races are easy… make an obstacle course, round the cones (bean bags) , through the sprinklers, over pool noodles, to a landmark and back… whatever just simple. You could also do mass races and have a checkered flag ending.

Step 4: Party Craft: This is easy… cut out cardboard license plates, write their names on them poster/plastic putty them onto the bike… let them decorate as they like.

Have some short colorful streamers to tie onto the handle bars, I just used ribbon and strips of fabric and a couple of stickers to decorate their bikes. Let them have a mini parade to the snack table, unless you are doing a pinata…

Step 5: Pinata: If you have time for the full scale pinata, with a ballon and paper mache, then I would decorate it as a helmet and be done. Otherwise a gift bag strung up works just as well… cover it in motorbike stickers or circles for wheels and you are finished… Fillers: whistles would work for this, and all the moms will hate you! Anything circular – wheelish, like streamers. Stickers of course. Energy sweeties for the racing drivers.

 
Step 6: Party Food and Cake: I would be very tempted to make a winners flag cake, or a wheel or venture to a racing track on top of a rectangular cake. Actually, laziness aside: two round cakes would make wheels and construct the seat and handle bars with wafers. For snacks – anything circular, fruit wheels, round biscuits and then there is of course the ultimate… marshmallow surprise! If you are looking for something savory then what about wheel pizza’s, let your little guys sprinkle their own toppings on them. Kids totally love being involved in their own food.

Step 7: Treasure Hunt and Go Home: You are in the home straight here… Send them hunting for trophies and when they bring you one give them a “best biker badge” that you have made a couple of in advance, make these yourself or get a friend to do it for you the kids are too small and too tired at the end of a party to do anything too creative and will just get frustrated…

That’s it you are done, they have had fun and it is over till next year!