Cheerleading Party

Football season (both Pee Wee and High School) is well and truly under way, and, of course, that means cheerleading is also in full swing.  Perhaps your kid is or aspires to be a cheerleader someday and would love to have a cheery, cheerful, cheerleading type of party.

You may be able to host this party at the local football stadium … this would give you plenty of space and an authentic feel.  You may want to call your local schools and see what’s involved with securing such a venue.

Send out “Pennant ” invitations. Using the birthday kid’s favorite colors, make small felt penants with the party information on the penant itself.  Either stick them into oversized envelopes and mail, or hand-deliver to your guests.  Ask the guests to dress in cheerleading attire!

For more decorations, use lots of balloons and streamers in the favorite colors, and also penants and sport shirts hung everywhere in the party area.  You may also  have footballs and other types of sports balls placed all over the party room and play football stadium music.

Upon the guests’ arrival, provide them with pom poms, and invite them to make their own penants while they wait for everyone to arrive.  Another activity is to make large cheerleading cones to shout their cheers into when “practice” gets underway! So much of cheerleading is gymnastics.  Make sure you have enough space and mats laid down, and have the kids do some cartwheels, somersaults, etc. as a warm up to the cheering!

Depending on your kid’s age, it may be a lot of fun to hire a professional cheerleader, i.e. a high school cheerleader, to attend the party and teach the party crew some cheers and moves! Have them practice the cheers together using their pom poms and cones (if appropriate).  This can be the main event of the party.

If this party is for older kids, who may already be cheerleaders, have them come up with new cheers and practice them together. Once everyone has had some practice cheering, divide the group into two teams and have a cheering contest.  Have each team put together their own unique cheers and moves and get up and perform for the other team and everyone else! For food, you can serve typical stadium fare: hot dogs, pizza, nachos, french fries, soda pop, fresh lemonade.  You can either do this at an actual party table or serve food from a concession stand you have made using a large appliance box.

Don’t forget your Megaphone Cake (Familyfun.com)!  As a goody, send home with the cheerleaders the penant they made, the pom poms, sports drink (such as Gatorade), sports candy, perhaps a recording of their cheers, etc.

Make sure to take a picture of the guests all together cheering to stick on the thank you notes!