Kickball Party Ideas

For the kid who talks non-stop about the kickball games he plays with friends during recess or in gym class, a kickball birthday party would be right up his alley. Once you've determined where you want to have the party, whether in a spacious backyard or a public park, have the kids come in their sports gear best, ready to play a friendly kickball game and other kickball-related activities 1.

Invitations

Get creative with the party invitations for your child's kickball party. Instead of regular square invitation cards, you can send cards in the shape of a circle to represent a kickball. If you prefer the classic invitations, include a group of kickballs somewhere on the invitation. Include in the details that parents should dress their kids in comfortable sports gear.

Decorations and Food

Because you will be outside, decorations may have to be simple, especially if you are at a public park. Cover picnic tables with a decorative table cover and tie balloons with long strings to the legs of the table. If you are having the party in your backyard, you could drape streamers between trees. Offer healthy snacks that will keep up their energy such as trail mix, peanut butter balls rolled in crushed nuts, and fruits and vegetables. Include fruits with a high water content, such as honeydew and watermelon to help keep the kids hydrated as they play. You also should have plenty of water available. Consider providing each child with their own water bottle that they can continue to refill from a large water jug. Plan for birthday cake or cupcakes after the game.

The Kickball Game

As the kids arrive, you can have them pick an arm band or bandanna out of a hat that will determine which team they are on. The game is essentially played like baseball or softball, with four bases and the same or similar positions, such as:

• pitcher
  
• catcher,
  
• other field positions

The pitcher rolls the ball on the ground towards home plate, where a kicker for the opposing team kicks the ball and runs toward first base. The goal is to get back to home base to score a run before being tagged "out." The kicker gets three tries to kick the ball. For a kicker to be "out," the ball must hit a base before the kicker gets there, or they must be physically touched with the ball when not on a base, or the opposing team catches the ball he kicked. After three outs, the teams switch positions. The team with the most runs after a certain amount of innings wins. Make sure to emphasize ground rules to keep the kids safe, such as no throwing balls at heads.

Other Games and Activities

You can get the kids warmed up for the main kickball game with running drills using the kickballs. For instance, you could give each child a kickball and have them race to the other end of the field while kicking it. Pair the kids up and have them try to run to the other side of the field while holding a kickball between their bodies. Set up a relay race, where the teams have to run backwards, step through hula hoops and climb over an object to collect a certain number of kickballs for their team. You could even play musical kickballs, with the kids hovering around kickballs spread around the field. When the music stops, the kids must race for a ball and whoever doesn't have one is out for that round.