Make Your Own Pizza Party Activity

On Sunday we hosted my daughter’s 9th birthday party for her friends. The theme was make your own pizza and sundaes. While a birthday party on a budget was not the original plan, the whole thing ended up being pretty inexpensive AND fun. Luckily the weather was perfect and we had the entire party outdoors.

Before the Party

I made 2 batches of pizza dough and assembled the toppings for the pizzas. I set up an extra table outside for the girls to use as a work surface. We also made a list of games that the girls might want to play. Instead of goody bags, each girl got to decorate and take an apron, take home a rolling pin (found them at Target in the $1 area), and a small bag of candy from the Pass the Present game.

Arrive & Decorate Aprons

I purchased some inexpensive plain aprons and Crayola Fabric Markers. When the girls first arrived they picked out an apron and decorated it with fabric markers. They played in the yard until everyone had arrived and finished with their aprons.

Make Your Own Pizza

The girls all put on their aprons and gathered around the work table. I had them sprinkle flour all over the work surface – which they thought was fun.

Next I gave each girl a piece of pizza dough to work with.

The girls rolled out their pizzas, then brought them to another table to top them with their choice of sauces (marinara or alfredo) and toppings (pepperoni, ham, pineapple, black olives).

While the pizzas were baking, the girls played tag, had handstand and hula contests, and played on the swing set. I was able to quickly clean up the work area with the hose and dry it off. The pizzas were a hit!

Pass the Present

We also played Pass the Present. This is a simple game that involves some preparation. Wrap an item or items in multiple layers of wrapping paper. When you play the game, have the kids sit in a circle. Play some music and the kids pass the present from person to person. When the music stops, have the child holding the present unwrap one layer. Start the music again and repeat until the final package is opened. I always put lots of little items in the last package so everyone can get a prize. There is another way to play the game where you wrap a small item in each layer so that every time a layer comes off, that individual gets a prize.

Make Your Own Sundaes

My daughter isn’t one for cake so we set out plenty of toppings and let the girls top their own ice cream. It was definitely easier than cake and there was no waste!

Overall, it had to be one of the easiest birthday parties I have ever hosted – considering I had 15 tween girls at my house at one time!