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Basketball Birthday Party Ideas
Throwing a basketball birthday party for active and athletic kids is a way to go. Here I have included several basketball party ideas to help you with planning your child's birthday party.
Resources:
Party Supplies Free Printable Invitations
Invitations
Make your own basketball party invitations to look like basketball tickets: copy some authentic tickets and then add your party details. Write 'Admit One' on both sides of the tickets.
The wording of your basketball party invitations can say "Are you ready to come have a ball with us? Please join us at the center court as we celebrate (your child's name) _th season in what proves to be an exciting home opener!
"Arena: (your address) Tip-Off: (time). Post game reception to follow. RSVP to coaches (parents' names). Please dribble up court for what we hope to be a Slam-Dunking good time!"
For a different basketball birthday party invitation idea, draw and cut out basketball shapes from a construction paper. Color them, and write all the party details on the backs.
Encourage your party guests to wear their favorite team jerseys.
Decorations
The best colors for your basketball party decorations are orange, purple, red and blue. You can also decorate your party in colors of your child's favorite team.
It's ideal that you have a basketball hoop outside. If not, try to borrow one for a day or two. Hang a sign "Welcome to Staples Center" (or use the arena name of your favorite team) outside your front door.
If you have any basketball memorabilia, display it in the party room to set up the mood. Hang basketball posters, jerseys, hats and other basketball-related items. Make bold banners (e.g. "Go Bulls!", "Shaq for MVP", etc.), spread out pompons, trophies, and pennants around the area.
Place basketballs all over the party room to use for later games. Play "Jock Jams" or other sports-themed music during the basketball birthday party to add excitement and basketball game atmosphere. Fill the ceiling with helium balloons.
Cover your basketball birthday party table with a paper tablecloth made to look like a basketball court (or simply in basketball colors). Write each guest's name on a place mat, and assign each guest a number. Place toy basketballs in a bowl on the party table as a centerpiece.
You can also make your basketball party decorations more personalized. For example, you can blow up pictures of the kids into posters and hang them up. Or you can create teams and write the teams' names on a white paper tablecloth and cover the table with it. Then have the guests sign their names on the tablecloth.
Guest Arrival and Introductory Activities
Greet your basketball birthday party guests with your child.
*Basketball Coloring Pages: Here's a fun activity to occupy youngsters in the group. Separate the pages of a sports activity book. Provide your party guests with pencils, crayons, etc. Then get them to color in basketball coloring pages.
*Autograph Station: You can blow up guests' pictures into group posters. Get everyone to sign their names on all the poster copies - both their real ones and their sports nicknames of choice.
Make enough posters so every child can take one home as a party memento. This basketball birthday party idea will be a definite hit!
*Design Your Own Basketball: You can get this basketball birthday party craft kit from a party store. Get the kids design their own basketballs with paint.
Favors
For your basketball party favors, have such items as balls, whistles, basketball key chains, sticker sheets, hats, sports cards, removable tattoos, mesh bags, pencils, pins, etc.
Basketball Birthday Party Games
*Coach's Playbook Tic-Tac-Toe: Draw a large tic-tac-toe grid on a poster board. Divide the basketball birthday party guests into 2 teams: X's and O's. Do a coin toss before the game to see who starts first.
Have teams discuss in a huddle their each move. The first team with three X's or O's in a row wins. Try best-of-seven tournament.
*Loony Locker Room: Before the party, fill a large box with clothing items you can find in lost-and-found (the funnier the better, big clothing items too).
At the basketball birthday party, explain to the group that somebody got into the locker room and stole all the players' street clothes. Since the players can't wear their jerseys on the street, they have to find suitable clothes in a lost-and-found box.
Have the kids stand in a circle. Play the party music and get the kids pass the box. When the music stops, the person holding the box must take an item from a box and put it on as fast as possible. Play continues in the same manner until all the items are gone. Take a group picture at the end of this basketball party game.
*Training Camp: Everyone needs to get in shape before the season - this basketball birthday party activity allows the kids to do just that. Start the game with doing jumping jacks, pushups, crunches and some sprinting drills. Then move to passing the ball around, dribbling it around the cones, and shooting it in the net. Be sure to have some stopwatches and whistles handy.
*Personalized Team Pennants: Before the basketball birthday party cut the poster board or construction paper into long triangular pennant shapes.
At party time, provide kids with colored paper, stickers, scissors, glitter, glue, etc., and let them design their own pennants. Once the masterpieces are complete, cover them with clear contact paper (available at most hardware stores).
*O-U-T: One player starts this game by shooting the ball from anywhere on the court. If the ball goes in, the other players have to score from the same place (have a draw to determine shooting order). Kids that make the shot are safe. Those players who miss - get an O, if they get O, U and T - they are out of the game.
If the first player doesn't make his or her first shot, the second player takes over the lead position. The last player remaining - wins the game.
*Hoops & Scoops: Play basketball set to dance music. The kids have to dribble and shoot the ball in time to the beats.
*Chase the Dog: For this basketball birthday party game, you'll need bandanas and basketballs for all the players.
Each player has to tuck in a bandana into his or her back pocket (to resemble a tail). On the command "Go!" the players must start dribbling the ball. While staying in the designated area and continuing the dribble the kids must try to grab the other players' bandanas. Whoever looses his or her "tail" is out of the game. The last person left standing (top dog) is the winner.
*Nothing But Net: You can play this basketball party game using regular or kid-size hoop, a bucket or basket (depending on your guests' ages). Mark the free throw line with a masking tape. The purpose of the game is to make as many free throws as possible in 30 seconds. Whoever makes the most baskets, wins the game.
*Blindfold Basketball: Play a game of stunt basketball, such as "Horse" or "Around the World." The twist is that each time the players shoot the ball, they must close their eyes.
*Space Jam: Let your basketball birthday party guests watch Space Jam (or other basketball show) to unwind at the end of the party. They can do this while waiting for their rides.
Food and Drink Basketball Birthday Cake:
*Basketball Cake: Prepare and mix batter according to package directions. Grease a 2- or 3-quart oven proof bowl and pour in batter.
Bake a little longer than the recommended baking time. Flip the cake onto a large platter - now you have a basketball cake. Sprinkle platter with yellow-tinted coconut to form the basketball court.
Prepare orange food coloring (or combination of red and yellow coloring) to white frosting to achieve the desired color. Frost the basketball cake. Add black frosting or licorice for "basketball lines". You can write "Happy Birthday" message if you choose to. Basketball Birthday Party Food Ideas:
*Pizza Tortillas: Layer whole-wheat tortillas with refried beans. Spread salsa on top. Add grated cheese and other pizza topping (e.g. olives, onions, tomatoes, etc.) Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Cut into slices and serve.
*Meatballs
*Crackers and Cheese
*Hotdogs
*Nachos
*Pretzels
*Popcorn
*Veggie Trays (with celery, cherry tomatoes, bell peppers, etc.) and Dip
*Power Bars
*Ice Cream Basketball Birthday Party Drink Ideas:
*Sideline Smoothies: Put 1 1/2 cups orange juice, 1/2 banana, 1/2 cup vanilla yogurt, 1 cup ice in a blender. Blend well and serve.
You might need to blend the ingredients in portions to prevent overflow.
*Power Drinks like Gatorade, Powerade, etc.
*Sodas in various flavors.
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