Title: “A Piece of Cake”
Exhibitor: Laura Kordsiemon
Description: Young children are easily pleased and seem to create their own fun when they are together. Creative, yet simple ideas are all that are needed for a great birthday party. These ideas and tips will help overwhelmed parents feel like it’s okay to not “keep up with the Joneses.”
How-To’s: Planning and Organizing a Party
Planning
and Organizing a Party
1. Choose a theme: Something your child likes or is interested in, the season, a close holiday, or a big event such as the Olympics. Be sure to clear any ideas with your child.
2. Do your homework: Go to the library or get online and look up “parties/birthday”, “parties/children’s parties”, etc. Choose books with activities to support your theme, or that could be easily adapted to suit your theme.
3. Games: If you have a hard time finding enough games (always plan a couple more than you think you’ll need), adapt a game you already have. For example, for my son’s Halloween birthday party, we used an old sheet from the thrift store and made a twister game using pumpkins, witches, bats, and spiders. Use your imagination!
4. Invitations: Give them out about a week ahead of time. Earlier than that people tend to forget; later than that is hard for schedules to adjust, presents to be bought, etc. I tend to give homemade invitations just so I don’t run everywhere looking for cute ones that go with my theme (they are also less expensive). While you are thinking about invitations, plan on mailing them or delivering them to individual homes. School is not the place to deliver invitations – there are too many hurt feelings.
5. Food: The menu is fun to plan. It should also go with your chosen theme (sometimes it’s a stretch!). I sometimes make the cake (a soccer ball, cupcakes with plastic dinosaurs on them); and sometimes I buy the cake if one is readily found (Star Wars, Barbie). For our luau, we had fresh fruit, tropical drinks, and sherbet. For the soccer party, we fed the children hot dogs. However, unless you are doing hot dogs, pizza or something just as easy, I’d skip the dinner part.
6. Decorations: Don’t get too elaborate. For our soccer party, we didn’t have any. For the Luau, the food table was most of the décor, with a beach towel thrown down to hold the presents. If your child has anything to go along with the theme, throw that on the table. Anything the children can wear (hats, necklaces, bandanas, etc.) can be used for décor as well as part of the take-home bag.
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1. Don’t try to keep up with your neighbor’s parties! I probably spend less money than anyone on the parties, and children and parents alike always have great things to say.
2. My children get a birthday party every other year, with a family party in-between. This makes the parties really special and much anticipated (as well as appreciated!)
3. I always plan a small take-home bag for the guests--usually candy and some theme-related item, such as Hawaiian leis, pirate eye patches, or Harry Potter glasses. Nothing is cuter than a group of kids leaving the party wearing their Superman capes or waving their magic wands.
4. Limit the number of children invited (8-10 seems to work best, although I’m pretty flexible on this). Always ask for an RSVP.
5. Involve your children in the planning and helping. Older ones are great for decorating, making photo backgrounds (see pirate party pictures), putting together the invitations, serving, running games, etc.
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Luau (We had the girls dress as hula dancers, tropical beauties, or tacky tourists.)
Mystery (We gave clues that took the 10-year olds throughout the neighborhood. They finally ended up at the neighbor’s house and picked up the pizzas!)
Dinosaur (This was so fun we did it twice.)
Pirate
Sports Themes (Soccer, Baseball, Football, etc; easiest party ever!)
Wizard or Harry Potter
Holiday Themes (Halloween, Easter, Christmas, etc.)
Backwards (Everything backwards from the clothes to the relays)
Cowboy
Barbie
Water or Splash
Seasons Theme (Harvest, Winter)
Star Trek, Star Wars or Space
Movie or Theater Night
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