Eat, Nap, Play by Robyn Spizman

Author:Robyn Spizman
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: ebook, book
ISBN: 9780757395154
Publisher: Health Communications, Inc.
Published: 2010-08-29T00:00:00+00:00

6

The Party Circuit—

Simpler, Sweeter, Cheaper

NOD IF YOU SPEND HOURS planning and preparing for your child’s birthday parties. Nod if you’ve found yourself swept up in birthday party madness. All that nodding tells us that you could use some fresh ideas to make your parties long on fun and meaning, even if you’re short on funds.

You can stop nodding. But don’t stop reading because this chapter is a celebration of parties, with sweet, fun ideas that are less about keeping up with the Joneses and more about keeping your head and heart in the right place.

As your kids’ Chief Memory Officer, it’s useful to stop and think about what makes a party great. Think back on a party you attended as a child—yours or somebody else’s. What do you remember? If it was your party, you probably best remember the gifts. But what about other kids’ celebrations?

We pooled our memories and came up with a pretty predictable list. Evie remembers playing outdoor games like Red Rover, and Robyn remembers the colorful decorations. They both recall favorite cakes their moms made. Robyn’s was a choo-choo circus train with animals in every car, and Evie’s was a gorgeous ballerina. We both remember the excitement of bringing home a little goody bag with some candy “for later.” Sweet memories, indeed.

The point is, it’s just not about elaborate activities or choreographed entertainment. Too much planned stuff can actually make kids anxious. They want to run around, play some games, and eat yummy treats without being over-programmed. And, of course, politely deliver their “thank-yous” when it’s all over. Even if it’s simple, a party should be well-planned to cover all the things that matter most to you, including keeping kids safe and engaged.

The biggest thing to keep in mind in planning a party that’s memorable and affordable is whose party it is (your child’s or her friends’), and whose party it isn’t (yours). In Robyn’s book Make It Memorable: An A-to-Z Guide to Making Any Event, Gift or Occasion . . . Dazzling she stresses the importance of thinking about the birthday child’s interests and an age-appropriate activity kids can actually do and enjoy.

Trust us, you don’t need to truck in snow for sledding or hire a Disney character to hand-deliver invitations to your guests. We’ve got super creative ideas that are excessively fun, without the excess. These ideas will have your little guests (and their parents) wondering what’s next and how you came up with so many touches they’ve never seen before. Keep things real with kid-made invites, hilarious new games, and easy, no-fail treats.

Rules of the Party-Planning Game

• SHORT AND SWEET. How long should you party? An hour and a half max for kids under three (any younger, and you might just stick with cake and ice cream with the family and grandparents) and no more than two hours for those under six.

• NUMBERS COUNT. In a perfect world, an eight-year-old gets to have nine guests (one for each year plus herself ). But

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