2 Year Old Birthday Party Ideas

 

 

 

Fun ideas to celebrate the 2nd birthday!

We've collected our favorite party planning ideas for second birthdays and listed them for you to mix and match what will fit with your child, budget and guest limit.  

You'll find:
Party tips
Birthday ideas
Party games
Party activities
Birthday themes

Fun birthday themes and puns for the 2nd birthday theme and invitations
Party food ideas
and other birthday party ideas to make the number 2 birthday easy and fun for all the guests!  

 

 

 

2nd Birthday Party Ideas for Boys and Girls

 

Party Tips and Party Planning advice for 2nd birthdays

Ask friends, family and parents to take over these responsibilities during the party.  Having someone in charge of these areas will free up the hosts and allow them to enjoy the party along with the other guests.   Have a sign up sheet or ask specific guests on their invitation.

Ice Cream
someone to dip ice cream into dishes while the cake is being cut.

Game director
one or two adults or older children that can lead the games you have planned for the boys and girls.

Art director
one or two adults that can supervise any activity or art tables you have planned.

Gift recorder
someone to write down the names of the gift givers for thank you cards.

Melt Down Supervisor
someone to deal with any cranky children or melt downs during the party.  This person can gently take them out of the party area and calm them down until they can return to the party.   Most parents will do this for their own child at the party .... but be prepared if a parent doesn't take on this responsibility for their child.  This added touch make the second birthday better for all the guests.

 

 

2nd Birthday party supplies from Amazon

2nd Party Timeline

Change this party time line to suit your schedule.  
This is based on a party from 2 - 3:30 p.m.

2:00 - Guests start to arrive.  Have an activity table set up with some coloring pages for the kids to color while they wait for everyone to arrive.

2:15 - Game time.   Have 3 or 4 games ready to play (see list below) and have a few adults walk the kids through the rules and demonstrate.   Always have a few extra games prepared then you think you will need just in case the children get bored with a game and you need to fill time. 

2:40 - Activity time.   Let the children play with blocks, draw, play with play dough, etc.  You could also make decorating a cupcake or cookie an activity.

3:00 - Presents - Let the birthday child open their presents.   You can pass around a small toy to each child during this time so everyone has something to play with (and they can take it home as a party favor after the party).

3:10 - Cake and ice cream.

3:30 Give guests a goody bag filled with party favors and thank them for coming!

Add 30 minutes to the party if you will be serving brunch, lunch or dinner.   With an afternoon party you can set out snacks that the kids can get a snack from when they are hungry or need a little break from a game or activity. 

 

 

       

 

Party Games for 2 year olds

 

Freeze or Statue Dancing
 Play some fast music and have everyone dance.   Then when they hear the music stop they must freeze.  Then when you start the music again they can start dancing.  Variation:  Make a CD of different types of music (about 20 seconds for each type) and let the kids change how they dance to the different styles of music.   Have an adult dance with them so they can grasp the concept of changing with the music. 

Treasure Hunt
The children will search the party room, park or backyard for items you've hidden before the party.   Have a small sack or paper bag with handles that the guests can use to collect their treasures.   You can use an item to hide that goes with the theme of your party or wooden blocks, plastic eggs, etc.  

Hide the items before the party begins and then during game time show the kids an example of what you have hidden.   Let adults help the children as they search for the "treasure".   Lots of fun for 2 year olds and older guests too.

Duck Pond
Fill a small plastic kiddie pool with water or if inside you can use beans or foam peanuts) and let party guests choose a duck to win a prize.  Before the party buy small prizes and assign them a number.   Write the numbers on the bottom of plastic ducks (one on each duck) that correspond with the prize numbers.   Children choose a duck and get the prize that matches the number on the bottom.   Buy several toys so children can play 3 or 4 rounds.  

Party games for 2, 3 and 4 year olds - we also have a page full of games for ages 2, 3 and 4 to give you more ideas to choose from for your party. 

 Party games ages 2, 3 and 4

Party Activities for 2 year olds

Activity Tables
Set up several Activity tables or spaces that the kids can play with play dough, coloring pages or blocks.   Great idea for the beginning of the party when you are waiting for everyone to arrive.  Cover the tables with newspaper or butcher paper for easy cleanup.  You can also cover them with black butcher paper let them draw with sidewalk chalk. 


Sidewalk Chalk
Set out several buckets of sidewalk chalk and let the party guests draw whatever they want.  Or give them some direction using our Sidewalk chalk guide with over 30 things to do with sidewalk chalk. 


Bubbles
Let the kids try to blow bubbles or have an adult blow bubbles for them to try and pop and run through.   See our easy and inexpensive homemade recipes for bubble solution and our guide to bubble games for more fun ideas for a second birthday! 


Splash Tables
For summer and outdoor parties set up splash tables that the 2 year olds can play in.  Kiddie pools work well.   Add something different to each pool - plastic cups, rubber ducks, balls, sponges, boats, etc. 


Decorate Cookies or Cupcakes
Give each guest a frosted cupcake or cookie and a small bowl filled with an assortment of decorations like colored sugar, chocolate chips, small marshmallows, etc. and let them decorate it.   You can wait for them to eat their cupcake while everyone is having cake or wrap them up and let them take them home with them as a party favor. Fun Ideas for a 2 year olds party for girls and boys

 

For the two year old party let your decorations be paired in twos.   Place 2 helium balloons together and tie the sets around the room.    Use wooden blocks to spell out "second birthday" on the mantle or party food table. 

Set up a table with different colored permanent markers and an 8 x 10 picture matte.   Ask adult guests to write a birthday wish and sign their name.   Parents can help the smaller children write their names or make a mark on the picture matte.  After the party use the matte to frame an 8 x 10 birthday photo. 

Birthday Party Themes for a 2 year old

• 
  
  Art Birthday Theme
  
  
  Big Bird
  
  
  Bumblebee 
  
  
  Candy Land Birthday Theme
  
  
  Cat in the Hat
  
  
  Curious George
  
  
  Elmo Birthday 
  
  
  Frog Ideas
  
  
  Noah's Ark Birthday Ideas
  
  
  Sesame Street Birthday Ideas
  
  
  
  All of our theme pages are filled with free ideas for second birthday theme games, activities, decorations, invitations, party favors, goody bags, food and much more!   We have over 200  birthday  themes to choose from - all filled with great ideas for your second party. 
  
  Funny and Punny ideas for Birthday # Two
  
  
• Two Sweet - Doughnut, cupcake or candy theme
  
  
• Chugga Chugga Two Two
  - Train party
  
• Choo Choo look who's turning Two
  
  
• Two Two
  make tutu's for party guests or as a fun party favor
  
  
• Two-tti Frutti, come party with our cutie!
  
  
• Two Cool
  
  
• Two The Moon
  
  
• Baby Shark ... two two two two two two
  - Baby Shark party
  
  
• Two Wild
  - Jungle, Safari, or Zoo themed party
  
  
• Taco Two-sday
  - serve a fun make your own taco bar
  
  
• Tea for Two
  
  
• In Two the Wild
  
  
• It's Time Two Party
  
  
• Two Infinity and Beyond
  
  
• Two at the Zoo
  
  
• 2 Legit 2 Quit
   
  
  
  Party Food ideas for the 2nd birthday
  
  Cut out shapes (with a cookie cutter in the shape of something from your birthday theme) from bread, cheese, sandwich meats, hamburger patties, cookies, brownies, etc.  
  
  Make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on bread cut into shapes.
  
  Snack foods such as goldfish crackers, animal crackers or pretzels.
  
  Cut fruits and veggies into small pieces and serve with a fruit and yogurt dip.
  
  Individual ice cream cups, cotton candy, cookies.
  
  Macaroni and cheese in individual cups.
  
  Juice boxes or put drinks into Sippy cups with the 2 year olds name on it (then they can
  take it home as a party favor after the party. 
  
  
  Party Favor Ideas for 2 year olds
  
  Bottles of bubbles
  Individual packages of goldfish crackers
  Sippy cup
  Small stuffed animal
  Coloring book and crayons
  ABC board book
  
  
  2 year old birthday places
  Great places and venues to have a birthday party away from home. 
  
  If you have some advice or a lesson you learned during the planning of a second birthday that would help other parents when they are planning a 2nd birthday please email us!  We would love to share your second 2nd Birthday Ideas for Boys and Girls advice and tips!
  
  
  Birthday Party Ideas for Kids:
  
  1st
  
  3rd
  
  4th
  
  5th
  
  6th
  
  
  
  Toddler Birthday Ideas