Parenting : Parties That Take the Cake : * Customized celebrations require a bit of imagination, but they can be memorable and inexpensive.
For many parents, the idea of staging a child’s party at a place that mass-produces celebrations has grown stale. Such merry-making can be exhausting and even a bit disappointing, and it may leave the whole family wondering about the purpose and meaning of kids’ celebrations.
With a little imagination, far more memorable events can be planned--anything from a kidnap breakfast to a tour of a wild-animal park, an hour of cheerleading lessons or a nature hike. While such parties may be less expensive than the prefabricated celebrations, they can require more creativity and planning. But the pay-off is a one-of-a-kind event that won’t soon be forgotten.
Liz Elledge of Sherman Oaks had a “dress-up” party at home for her daughter Rachel’s second birthday. Elledge filled an old trunk full of silky, lacy old clothes, and provided lots of glittery jewelry, hats, high-heeled shoes and gloves for the little girls to try on. “It was great fun,” she said.
Since that party Elledge has tried the full range of possibilities--renting two ponies for her son Zachary’s first birthday, hiring a clown to come to the house for a circus-themed event and taking about 20 6-year-old girls to a beauty shop for individual make-overs, at $20 a guest.
Elledge has found that what kids want most has nothing to do with high-cost party trimmings. “Children want to be with their friends, and that’s all they care about,” she said.
But a little ingenuity can go a long way. K. T. Appleby, 8, recently invited her friends to a party at the Wildlife Waystation in Lake View Terrace, a facility otherwise open only twice a month to those with advance reservations. The children were taken on a docent-lead, 45-minute tour of the grounds, seeing animals like lions, bears, wolves and peacocks. They then had cake and punch in a park-like area on the grounds. (The Waystation requests a donation for the tour; the suggested fee, including decorations and paper goods, is $175 for up to 48 children.)
“The important thing is having fun and enjoying yourself,” said K. T. “I think we all had a good time.”
Kappy Appleby, K. T.’s mother, thought of the tour because it was something she also had long wanted to do. “I think families should consider how much the parents are going to enjoy the activity too. You’re going to be there, and it’s going to reflect back to the children if the adults aren’t having a good time,” she said.
Robin Charin, of Robin the Clown in Studio City, reports that the new party philosophy among both parents and children is that less is more. For 10 years, Charin has helped choreograph and perform at children’s parties, from simple neighborhood events to extravaganzas for the children of the rich and famous.
“Huge, expensive parties crested in the early ‘90s,” Charin said. “There was a period of mass consumption when you had to outdo yourself. Now the idea is to have something simple and fun.”
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Charin has found that as children grow older, the task of finding a perfect party idea can become even more challenging. Not only have parents run through the typical themes, but the children are also less excited at seeing a Barbie or Power Ranger look-alike show up at the front door.
Charin recommends having someone come to teach the guests something new. She has done makeup parties, with the girls parading to Madonna’s “Material Girl,” and was recently hired by a family in Toluca Lake to teach a group of 11-year-old girls to be-bop (each runs about $150, whatever the group’s size). Sports, dance and makeup seem to be successful themes for older elementary school-age children, she said.
Parents who find new party paradigms intriguing may have some trouble convincing their children that an untested idea will be appreciated by their friends. One mother spent weeks talking her almost 8-year-old son into having a nature-hike birthday party. He favored the idea of a tried-and-true, socially safe bowling party, but ended up thoroughly enjoying the more adventurous alternative.
The less scripted parties can also pose problems for parents. A father who was picking up 7- and 8-year-old girls for a surprise kidnap breakfast in the wee hours of the morning was nonplussed when one invitee’s parents had forgotten the party altogether--and had an uninvited member of the class sleeping over.
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Clearly, the more creativity parents use in their party designs, the less charted the territory. But even if there are problems--glue that won’t stick in the middle of a craft-centered party, or kids who find running self-designed relay races more exciting than learning a dance routine from a hired cheerleader--the event can still be successful.
“The bottom line with parties is that no matter what happens, the kids have fun,” Elledge said.
10 Fresh Ideas for Fun
1. Surprise kidnap breakfast: Pick up the kids before they have a chance to wake up--or change out of their pajamas--and take them out to breakfast at a nearby restaurant. If you like, take guests back home afterward for casual party games. Good for kids age 6 and up.
2. Dress-up party (especially fun for girls 3 to 6): Prepare a roomful of fun clothes, hats, shoes and jewelry, and take plenty of pictures.
3. Cheerleading: Hire a local cheerleader to teach crowd-pleasing routines to girls 6 and up. All you need is a tape deck, plastic pompons, and an open area.
4. Nature hike: Take a hike on the wild side, at a nearby park, or to a place a reasonable car ride away. Try to pretest the excursion to make sure it’s the right length and level of difficulty for the group, which might range from age 6 to 12. Bring individual water bottles and plenty of snacks.
5. Craft party: Select something to make at a local craft store, and buy all the fixings needed for the guests. Children from 4 to 12 enjoy making things--from painted ceramics to T-shirts, jewelry boxes to lanyards.
6. Take a trip: Pick a fun place to explore, and make sure you have enough drivers, seat belts, food and drink. Ideas include whale watching or a harbor tour, a visit to a nearby museum, zoo or historical site, pedal boating on a lake, or even a concert. Works for kids 5 to 13.
7. Old-fashioned picnic with games and sports: This perennial favorite can include everything from gunnysack races to water-balloon catch, egg rolls and relay races. Fun for any age.
8. A Teddy bear tea party: Invite the guests to bring along their favorite bear, and serve high tea/juice with little sandwiches. Party games and cake can round out the occasion. Good for children 3 to 6.
9. Book-character party: Ask youngsters age 3 and up to come as their favorite storybook or children’s-novel character. Activities can include charades, make-your-own sundaes, pass-the-orange, spoon races and relay races.
10. Learn-a-dance party: Teach boys and girls age 8 and older a new (or old) dance routine, and turn up the music. Food can include munchies, pizza and ‘50s-style milkshakes.
For More Ideas:
These books offer resources and tips on party invitations, menus, decorations, games and favors:
* Birthday Parties: Best Party Tips & Ideas, by Vicki Lansky (The Book Peddlers, $6.95).
* Kids’ Party Games and Activities: Hundreds of Exciting Things to Do at Parties for Kids 2-12, by Penny Warner (Meadowbrook Press, $10).
* The Children’s Party Handbook: Fantasy, Food and Fun, by Alison Boteler (Barron’s, $9.95).
* The Penny Whistle Birthday Party Book, by Meredith Brokaw and Annie Gilbar (Fireside, $14).
