• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • Products / Baby Gear
    • Best Mom & Baby Products
    • Ultimate Baby Registry Guide
  • Pregnancy
    • Prenatal
    • Breastfeeding
  • Baby
    • Month 1-3
    • Month 4-6
    • Month 7-9
    • Month 10-12
    • Second Year
    • Toddler
  • #MomLife
  • About Rookie Moms
  • Nav Widget Area

Rookie Moms

Pregnancy > Parenthood

You are here: Home / Birthday Party / Second birthday party ideas

Second birthday party ideas

38535 shares
  • Facebook53
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn

Best easy ideas for a second birthday party

Two-year old birthday parties are an exercise in herding cats. You can hire an entertainer, serve an aesthetically pleasing and/or well-balanced meal, and provide hands-on activities for your little guests, but it doesn’t mean they will appreciate it. In fact, some may cry or scream “MINE!” for the better part of your event. That’s why we encourage you to take it easy. We also put together a list of our favorite toys our two year old boys loved so you can, just let your kiddo gets toys they are excited about and mom approves of. Easy tips for 2nd birthday parties

These are some sanity-saving suggestions for planning a second birthday party.

Skip the meal. If you can get away with it, host your party when neither lunch nor dinner is expected. Serve fruit, crackers, pretzels, and finally cake or cupcakes. (I always feel compelled to serve a meal because we usually have out-of-town grandparents at our parties and I have to feed them anyhow, so if our party is at home, I order from a taqueria: everything you need for guests to make their own burritos, from tortillas, beans, and meat to cheese, salsa and guacamole.)

I like the snack line up below where the pretzels have been poured into a toy truck.

Two-year old birthday party ideas: Construction-themed party

The rest of this construction-themed party is way too adorable, so proceed with caution.

Two-year old birthday party ideas: fun snacks

Cupcake papers can hold individual snack portions and make them feel special. (This idea is from an amazing LEGO party.)

Simplify the theme or just don’t have one. If buying everything Dora is easy for you and makes you happy, go for it. If one key element will satisfy your toddler, such as Dora on the cake, do that, and free yourself from weeks of curating Nick Jr. merchandise. Other themes that offer flexibility, especially for the licensed character-adverse, are stripes, animals, or transportation. I usually have no theme at all, other than a color scheme — red and white for Scarlett who was born on the 4th of July; orange and black for Julian, born October 29th. I don’t think my kids have ever demanded a theme. This is not a Bar Mitzvah, guys.

Searching “rainbow party” on Pinterest may leave you feeling inadequate, but picking one simple point of focus for the rainbows could just be a 20-minute project.

Two-year old birthday party ideas: rainbow-veggie tray

Crepe paper is a cheap and easy way to decorate with big impact. Two-year olds will enjoy running through the “curtain” (and tearing it down.)
Two-year old birthday party ideas: rainbow-crepe paper decor

Let them swing, bounce, dig or splash. Outdoors is ideal for two-year old parties. If at all possible, set up a sand table, water table, or trampoline. A playground party will do the trick as well. Winter birthday parents might consider children’s gyms or children’s museums where kids can roll up their sleeves and get involved. Remember when we hid plastic animals in the sand table at Scarlett’s fourth birthday party? Two-year olds are too young to socialize, share, or play cooperatively. Empower them to have a good time on their own terms and the party will be a success.

Fun 2nd Birthday Party Activity: Sand Table

Two-year old birthday party ideas

photo sources: truck, puffs, rainbow veggies, crepe paper, sand table

Two-year olds are too young to socialize, share, or play cooperatively. Empower them to have a good time on their own terms and the party will be a success. So here are some helpful tips on how to have a kiddie pary for your 2 year old kiddo! #birthday #birthdayparty #kidsparty #momtips


  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Whitney
Whitney
RookieMoms.com co-founder Whitney lives with her husband, son, and daughter in the San Francisco Bay Area where she writes about parenting, crafts, and activities that moms can do with babies in tow. She and Heather also publish 510Families.com, a site for East Bay parents.
Whitney
Latest posts by Whitney (see all)
  • 5 Mistakes I Made When Booking My Disney VIP Tour (So You Don’t Have To) - June 9, 2024
  • 15 Super Fun 100 Day Project Ideas for Kindergarten - January 11, 2024
  • Best Baby Tracking App of 2023 [The Feeding & Diaper Trackers You Need] - August 2, 2023

March 3, 2015 1:52 pm Whitney Filed Under: Birthday Party, How to, Lists and numbers, Toddler

Don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter

Primary Sidebar

Search our site

The Best 20 Stay at Home Mom Jobs in 2024!

The Best 20 Stay at Home Mom Jobs in 2024!

19 Best Nursery Gliders of 2024! [Tested by Parents for Parents]

19 Best Nursery Gliders of 2024! [Tested by Parents for Parents]

The 50 Best Toys for 2 Year Old Boys in 2023! [+ Toys of the Year]

The 50 Best Toys for 2 Year Old Boys in 2023! [+ Toys of the Year]

6 Fool-Proof Strategies for When Your Toddler Won’t Stay in Bed

6 Fool-Proof Strategies for When Your Toddler Won’t Stay in Bed

The Best Gender Reveal Gifts (30+ Unique Ideas!)

The Best Gender Reveal Gifts (30+ Unique Ideas!)

10 Best Strollers In 2023 – For Every Mom’s Needs!

10 Best Strollers In 2023 – For Every Mom’s Needs!

Join our Rookie Moms Facebook Page

Rookie Moms

Disclosure

Review Policy
Privacy Policy

This site is an Amazon affiliate.

Popular Articles

150 Unique Middle Names for Girls

Footer

Browse By Age

  • Pregnancy
  • Month 1-3
  • Month 4-6
  • Month 7-9
  • Month 10-12
  • Toddler
  • Preschooler

Problem Solving

  • Sleepy
  • Eating
  • Breastfeeding
  • Home
  • Baby Registry
  • Pregnancy
  • Baby
  • Toddler
  • Preschooler
  • Baby Gear
  • #MomLife
  • Holidays
    • Holiday Gift Guide
    • Holiday Entertaining

© Copyright 2016 · Pretty Lifestyle WordPress Theme by: PDCD