I keep running across articles on how to plan a crazy all-out kiddo party. I recently read one about a very complicated and expensive birthday bash…for a one year old.
I look at the beautiful pictures and think how nice they are, and part of me longs to do that crazy stuff, too. Some of the food and decor looks like a lot of fun to make, and it would be fun to do something so cool that everyone would talk about!
But a bigger part of me likes the simple parties we have been having for years. I worry that parents do these things more so they will be perceived in a certain way, and I’m not interested in keeping up with the Cohens. Well, I try not to be – I’m still working on it, honestly.
And my 1 year old? She doesn’t care about the fancy anything as long as the people she loves are around. And we are!
When planning a party, consider:
- number of guests
- activities
- food/drink
- party favor?
Unless you’re doing a grand bash, inviting just a few good friends means everyone gets to play together, not too much money, noise, or mess – and you won’t have to invite the whole class so no one feels left out!
For activities, balloons are magical! We play all kinds of games with them, like “Don’t let it touch the ground.” (That’s the officially agreed upon name, you know.) Kids love doing crafts, and the craft doubles as a party favor sometimes. We’ve done suncatchers, sand art, scratch off bookmarks, sand buckets, and more. Oriental Trading is great for these kinds of things.
Just be sure you leave time for their art to dry–no clay or big gluey messes. Or you can be like me and deliver these to families a few days later when they dried because you didn’t realize the 5 year olds would glob on so much sun catcher paint. Ahem.
For food and drink, we usually spend a little more and get the kids a real treat: pizza from the local kosher pizza shop. But you can be frugal here, too: pasta (with a toppings bar for a real hit!), falafel bar, homemade pizza, make-your-own sandwiches, chicken nuggets and fries…something the honoree likes, of course! Drinks could be water, a bottle of juice, or even a pitcher of koolaid (“magic drinks“, too).
And for a party favor, first consider: do you need one? We don’t always give anything, and I’ve had kids ask, “Where’s the goodie bag?” But often we include a craft and make that a big part of the take-home fun. Add a few little other things and you have a party favor that the kids got to participate in.
I mostly let the kids plan their parties. They can choose a theme (within limits) – or not. Then we usually have a craft, regular play time or balloon games (e.g. don’t let it touch the ground), lunch or dinner, cake and ice cream, and a pinata we’ve made if the birthday child wants it. (We had one every party for a few years, but it seems to be falling off the request list now.)
Here’s a roll of paper I got a long time ago. I always cover the table with this for parties–it takes the crafts and food with no problem, and decorating it is always a backup activity in case of a lull. And clean up is SIMPLE!
Check out this write up of my oldest’s 8 year birthday party.
What are parties like in your family?
