13 Fun, Interactive Ideas for Kid-Friendly Parties

The Julius Jr. toy line launched in June in Los Angeles with an afternoon party filled with fun, customized activities including a D.I.Y. craft area, a cupcake-decorating station with Sweet E's and Dylan's Candy Bar, a photo booth, a kids’ DJ, and a play area featuring new Fisher-Price toys. Melissa Rycroft, Kyle Richards, James Van Der Beek, and Samantha Harris were among the celebs who attended with their children.

The Cracker Jack brand hosted an event last month in New York's Herald Square to kick off its "Surprise Inside Project.” The event featured two larger-than-life Cracker Jack boxes, one standing 15 feet tall and a second filled with oversize popcorn kernels and small surprises for kids to discover.

At last year’s debut Adrienne Arsht Center for Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County Imagination Ball in Miami, the table centerpieces anticipated any potential boredom from underage guests: Doing triple duty as decor, desserts, and entertainment, the tabletop arrangements included not only sweets but also crayons and markers. The event also offered amusement park mascots and a table where guests could play games on iPads.

Mattel celebrated the 55th anniversary of Barbie as well as the release of the doll's 28th DVD, Barbie: The Pearl Princess, with an event series filled with fun details for fans of all ages. The toy brand partnered with blogger and stylist Kim Stoegbauer of TomKat to stage two colorful on-theme parties for Stoegbauer's own daughter and friends, meant inspire families to host their own Barbie parties at home. The birthday party featured a fashion show that encouraged young attendees to get decked out along with their dolls.

In 2012, Mott’s Fruitsations hosted a group of 40 mom bloggers, reporters, and their children for a family-friendly party at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto. Among the games for the little ones was a size-appropriate beanbag toss.

At the 2009 Little Sweetheart Ball event in Toronto, 200 children under the age of 7 were among the 400 guests. To keep them happy, milk and cookies made for a classic, crowd-pleasing snack.

John Varvatos annually hosts a kid-friendly benefit for Stuart House in Los Angeles. At the event in 2007, activities for children included story time with celebrity readers Angie Harmon and Melina Kanakaredes and magic performances by Justin Kredible. Balloon animals from Wild About Balloons made for decidedly low-tech but popular giveaways.

Easter Seals of Southern Nevada's third annual Walk With Me fund-raiser in 2011 featured kid-friendly activities like a classic bounce house.

Close to 300 employees of Sg2 Health Care Intelligence celebrated the holidays with their families at a Chicago party in 2008. There, kids stayed entertained with crafts like pinecone and cookie decorating.

To educate guests of all ages about the Toyota Prius V, the carmaker’s "Creation Station" tour visited the Bass Pro Shops in Orlando in 2011, bringing many lively activities meant to help people understand the brand. Among them was a game patterned after the famous Plinko board on The Price Is Right, awarding prizes depending on where the chip landed.

Relativity Media’s 2012 premiere for Mirror Mirror in Los Angeles invited guests of all ages for the screening and after-party, where costumed characters interacted with the younger set—and provided for fun photo ops.

Chicago's Joffrey Ballet hosted its annual Nutcracker Family Dinner last year, welcoming ballet fans of all ages. The Allegro Dance Boutique provided ballet slippers for kids to decorate at the "Candy Cane Creativity Station,” using objects like stick-on stars, pom-poms, ribbons, and feathers.

In 2010, the Dumbo Arts Festival changed its format and debuted a new slate of family-minded activities and entertainment. To encourage the participation of all-ages guests, the festival programming included a painting station where folks could express themselves freely.