MENU

Hot dogs or sandwiches

Popcorn

Carrot sticks

Ice cream cones

Cupcakes

Lemonade

DECORATIONS

Use the sports pages from a newspaper as a tablecloth.

For an outdoor picnic, sit on the sidelines of a real baseball field where you can go to play or watch a game.

FAVORS, PRIZES AND TREAT BAGS

Baseball cards, baseballs, baseball caps, baseball patches, baseball iron-on decals

INSIDE GAMES AND ACTIVITIES, NONCOMPETITIVE

1. Draw-Your-Own Baseball Cards. Give each child index cards and markers. Have the children draw themselves and the others at the party as baseball players. Afterward, give each child the baseball cards drawn of him or her.

2. Trade baseball cards.

3. Miss, Miss, Hit. Play like Duck, Duck, Goose.

Note: A fine birthday party for older children is to take them to a ball park and watch a real game. Children should be nine or older. Younger children get fidgety.

INSIDE GAMES, COMPETITIVE

1. Who Am I? Use names of baseball players.

2. Baseball Card Hunt. Play like a Candy Hunt. At the end, determine who found the most cards. Everyone can keep the cards he or she has found, or turn the cards in for candies.

3. Hot Baseball. Play like Hot Potato.

4. Baseball Beanbag Toss. Play like a Bull's-Eye Toss, but in this version, set a box at first, second, and third base positions. Use beanbags or whiffle balls. Give 1, 2, or 3 points for each hit, depending on which base is hit (first base gets 1 point, and so on).

OUTSIDE GAME AND ACTIVITY

Play a real baseball game in the backyard or at a local field. For children under eight, invite other grownups or older children to help the game move along. A grownup can be the umpire. Invite enough children to field two teams. Have their parents leave them off and pick them up at the site of the game. Tee Ball, a game in which players hit the ball off a stand, is good for children eight or younger. You can buy a Tee Ball stand at sports equipment stores. Game instructions come with the stand.