If you are looking for a fun, inexpensive party to organize for your two to three-year-old child, you can take the simple game of Hide & Seek and build a complete set of party activities around the idea. This will be loads of fun and low-key. Parties really can be so simple for kids this age. Take a look at the Hide & Seek fun to be had:

1. Play Hide & Go Seek ~ the classic game, of course.
2. If adults will be attending the party, reverse it and have the kids look for their parents.
3. Provide toddler-sized boxes that are either pre-decorated by you or that the toddlers can decorate themselves.

What a great craft activity! Have them use markers, crayons, etc. to make their own “Jack In the Box.” (This can also be the take home goody from the party!)

4. Play Jack In The Box. Have the kids climb into the box, and duck down so as not to be seen. Play music, and let the kids pop up just as a Jack In The Box would do.
5. Hide a Piñata that the kids must find in order to enjoy the fun.
6. Organize a treasure hunt for chocolate gold coins.
7. Make a mock tent using a large cardboard box and a sheet. Let each child hide in the tent and pop out surprising the others. You can ask them to pop out using their imagination and become a lion, a dog, a cat, etc.
8. Give them boxes of Cracker Jacks to enjoy finding their prizes.
9. Hide candy treats in a batch of cupcakes. The kids will discover the surprise as they enjoy their cakes.
10. Play “I Spy.”
11. Read books that have flaps to reveal hidden pictures.
12. Have the kids make creations using Play Dough. Hide some small prizes in each little Play Dough jar for the kids to discover.

There will be plenty of surprises and prizes for the kids to find and take home at this party. This is very low-cost, high fun party for the toddlers. Amazing how a classic game can give a party full of kids a great afternoon.

Family story time often creates special memories. To add a unique twist that is sure to create plenty of memorable moments, try doing something unique with story time. Here's a fun way to add a good dose of drama to your family's routine.

Materials Needed
Your Family
A Good Book or Two
Imagination

How to Play
Once you've picked out a good book for active family story time, examine the book for characters. Each family member can choose characters from the story to act out. If there aren't enough characters in the book, members can take turns with characters or choose scenery from the book as their "character." Family members also must take turns being the narrator.

After each parent or child reads aloud each page, the family acts out that scene. There is no need to practice acting out the story beforehand. The improvisational method of doing this adds to the fun. The point of active family story time is not to get the scenes right, but to have fun while enjoying a good book together. Even if there are enough characters for family members, adding scenery and props for the family adds to the fun. For instance, a story could read "Jimmy proudly finished all of his chicken soup while mom and dad looked at him with a smile." If that portion is the contents of one page, the narrator would read that aloud. Two family members could acts as parents smiling at another who is acting like they're eating up a bowl of soup with a big smile on his face.

Another page of the story could read, "Jimmy then went outside to play fetch with his dog, Rover. Rover likes to jump over logs while he chases his ball." One family member could be Jimmy and another could be Rover. For a variation with family members as props, one or more family member could be the log that Rover jumps over to fetch the ball.

It is recommended to try this outdoors or in an open room for the most flexibility in active movement and theatrical stunts.