It's not that I ignore the expenses associated with children, it's just that I don't
think about it because I don't have children unless you count the 4-legged furry
kind that go "meow". But I got to thinking about birthday parties and how they
have changed over the last 40 years. Most people now plan a huge excursion to Chucky Cheese or some other horrendously expensive place or have an
organized theme party at home in a perfectly landscaped yard with a petting
zoo, magician or clown. They also feel they have to invite everyone in the
school class, the Sunday school, neighbors and cousins. You just know the
sky will fall if you forget someone that invited your child 2 years ago to his party.
think about it because I don't have children unless you count the 4-legged furry
kind that go "meow". But I got to thinking about birthday parties and how they
have changed over the last 40 years. Most people now plan a huge excursion to Chucky Cheese or some other horrendously expensive place or have an
organized theme party at home in a perfectly landscaped yard with a petting
zoo, magician or clown. They also feel they have to invite everyone in the
school class, the Sunday school, neighbors and cousins. You just know the
sky will fall if you forget someone that invited your child 2 years ago to his party.
All kidding aside, huge organized parties like that may be fun and memorable
but are way over the top. The top of your budget. I suggest a change in plans
that you may find just as fun and memorable, less stressful and definitely easier
on the wallet.
First of all, have your party at home or a friend's or relative's home if yours is too small. I would suggest the backyard if it is warm weather or the largest indoor room you have, perhaps even the garage. You could also utilize a neighborhood park.
Tables and chairs. Children are not that picky, gather all you have, use pillows if need be, covered with extra pillow cases for easy clean up. Or how about blankets or sheets on the floor or ground like for a picnic? Be creative and think outside the box. Of course, if it is a small party maybe your dining room table will be just fine.
Decorations. Why spend all that money for decorations you will use once and throw away? You can still have a theme party if that's what your child wants,
but look to your creative self again. What can you and your children make instead of buy? How about flag and pennant buntings? Use paper or fabric scraps, cut and glue or tape to a string. One lady used old wrapping paper she had and made paper fans and hung them the same way upside down for her daughter's party. Cut out shields and have your kids draw designs on them with crayons or markers. You could use cardboard or cut up cereal boxes even. How about coloring book images? Balloons are fairly cheap and lots of places will fill them with helium cheap. Of course there is the old fashioned crepe paper that's also inexpensive.
Make your decorations part of the food. For a medieval feast I
helped organize many years ago, we made Viking boats out of
watermelons cut in half and filled them with melon balls complete with a
paper sail on a skewer. We made bread in simple animal shapes
like turtles and bears. We also used pita bread as plates.
Food. Make easy, no mess, make ahead snack foods instead of
the usual chips and dip. Add carrot and celery sticks. I ate my
weight in carrot sticks at a birthday party I went to as a child
because they were novel, I had never had them before. Cut
cheese into cubes and maybe have some goldfish crackers for a
pirate party. Check some recipe sites online for appetizers and
go with non messy finger food. The cake and ice cream can
both be homemade. Maybe Grandma
wants to bake the cake for you? Instead of sodas, how about
lemonade or Kool-aid or a fruit juice punch? There's lots of
recipes out there.
Entertainment. Kids need to be involved, not just sit back and be
entertained. How about old fashioned games like one that used
to be called party line or telephone. The 1st child whispers a
sentence to the next person and so on around the room. The last
person repeats it aloud and it is usually very different from what
it started as. Hot potato played with a ball is fun, we even played
that with a hacky sack in a recent training I went through for
work. The old pin the tail on the donkey, pictionary, charades
and many more are all great fun and pretty much free.
Presents. Presents are for the birthday child, not the guests. I am
not sure when guest presents or favors started being used but they
seem silly to me. If you insist on them try to come up with some
thing that won't just get thrown away and added to the landfill.
Perhaps some cookie treats to take home or pictures of the group
quickly printed off your computer if you have a digital camera. Or
how about autograph books made from whatever paper you have,
cut to the same size like 3" x 5" with 2 holes punched and a ribbon
or yarn or string tying them together. Maybe the guests would
enjoy making their own as a group project. Add some drawings
to the front and let everyone sign each other's book. Now that's
memorable!
If you truly feel you are not creative and just can't make your
own stuff for the party, try freecycle.com in your local area, thrift stores
and dollar stores as they will be cheaper than the party
stores.
Most of all, have fun and enjoy the day. No one will care if your
yard or house is not perfect, the kids just want to have fun and
so should the grownups.
First of all, have your party at home or a friend's or relative's home if yours is too small. I would suggest the backyard if it is warm weather or the largest indoor room you have, perhaps even the garage. You could also utilize a neighborhood park.
Tables and chairs. Children are not that picky, gather all you have, use pillows if need be, covered with extra pillow cases for easy clean up. Or how about blankets or sheets on the floor or ground like for a picnic? Be creative and think outside the box. Of course, if it is a small party maybe your dining room table will be just fine.
Decorations. Why spend all that money for decorations you will use once and throw away? You can still have a theme party if that's what your child wants,
but look to your creative self again. What can you and your children make instead of buy? How about flag and pennant buntings? Use paper or fabric scraps, cut and glue or tape to a string. One lady used old wrapping paper she had and made paper fans and hung them the same way upside down for her daughter's party. Cut out shields and have your kids draw designs on them with crayons or markers. You could use cardboard or cut up cereal boxes even. How about coloring book images? Balloons are fairly cheap and lots of places will fill them with helium cheap. Of course there is the old fashioned crepe paper that's also inexpensive.
but look to your creative self again. What can you and your children make instead of buy? How about flag and pennant buntings? Use paper or fabric scraps, cut and glue or tape to a string. One lady used old wrapping paper she had and made paper fans and hung them the same way upside down for her daughter's party. Cut out shields and have your kids draw designs on them with crayons or markers. You could use cardboard or cut up cereal boxes even. How about coloring book images? Balloons are fairly cheap and lots of places will fill them with helium cheap. Of course there is the old fashioned crepe paper that's also inexpensive.
Make your decorations part of the food. For a medieval feast I
helped organize many years ago, we made Viking boats out of
watermelons cut in half and filled them with melon balls complete with a
paper sail on a skewer. We made bread in simple animal shapes
like turtles and bears. We also used pita bread as plates.
Food. Make easy, no mess, make ahead snack foods instead of
the usual chips and dip. Add carrot and celery sticks. I ate my
weight in carrot sticks at a birthday party I went to as a child
because they were novel, I had never had them before. Cut
cheese into cubes and maybe have some goldfish crackers for a
pirate party. Check some recipe sites online for appetizers and
go with non messy finger food. The cake and ice cream can
both be homemade. Maybe Grandma
wants to bake the cake for you? Instead of sodas, how about
lemonade or Kool-aid or a fruit juice punch? There's lots of
recipes out there.
Entertainment. Kids need to be involved, not just sit back and be
entertained. How about old fashioned games like one that used
to be called party line or telephone. The 1st child whispers a
sentence to the next person and so on around the room. The last
person repeats it aloud and it is usually very different from what
it started as. Hot potato played with a ball is fun, we even played
that with a hacky sack in a recent training I went through for
work. The old pin the tail on the donkey, pictionary, charades
and many more are all great fun and pretty much free.
Presents. Presents are for the birthday child, not the guests. I am
not sure when guest presents or favors started being used but they
seem silly to me. If you insist on them try to come up with some
thing that won't just get thrown away and added to the landfill.
Perhaps some cookie treats to take home or pictures of the group
quickly printed off your computer if you have a digital camera. Or
how about autograph books made from whatever paper you have,
cut to the same size like 3" x 5" with 2 holes punched and a ribbon
or yarn or string tying them together. Maybe the guests would
enjoy making their own as a group project. Add some drawings
to the front and let everyone sign each other's book. Now that's
memorable!
If you truly feel you are not creative and just can't make your
own stuff for the party, try freecycle.com in your local area, thrift stores
and dollar stores as they will be cheaper than the party
stores.
Most of all, have fun and enjoy the day. No one will care if your
yard or house is not perfect, the kids just want to have fun and
so should the grownups.
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