My Top 3 Kid Birthday Parties
With four kids ranging from age 5 to 17, I have thrown my share of birthday parties. If you count one party a year for each of my kids, I have currently thrown 47 birthday parties. Can I say that again? 47 Parties!!
Here are my top 3 most memorable
Around the World Party We packed a dozen 1st graders into our basement laundry room in Minneapolis. Rows of folding chairs transformed the space into an airplane.
I was the stewardess who helped the guests board the plane and gave them a boxed snack to eat mid-flight. Mark was the pilot that guided us through the take off and landing, complete with sound effects.
Who Wants to be a Millionaire Party
when Ellie turned 9, one of our favorite TV shows to watch as a family was Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. Mark set up speakers in the basement and played host of the popular game show. All the prepared questions had to do with American Girl dolls. The volume of the theme song pouring out of the speakers seemed to shake the whole house. The kids each soaked up their moment of fame as a contestant in the hot seat.
Paint Fight Party
When Tabby turned 15, she asked for a paint fight party. I bought 12 large bottles of washable tempera paint and the kids all wore white. We walked to a grassy field near our house and the teenagers ran around and threw paint on each other for about 10 wild minutes. That’s as long as the paint lasted.
After the paint attack, back at the house, everyone attempted to wash off using the garden hose. It was SUCH a mess. An insane mess. The kids went home and told their parents that it was the best birthday party EVER! I still cannot believe that I allowed it.
Most of the other parties have been fairly tame compared to those three. We have went bowling, ate frozen yogurt, had a doll tea party, decorated cookies, solved secret codes, watched a movie, and smashed lots of piñatas.
The thing that makes parties worth giving is the excitement leading up to the big day. There’s nothing like hearing my kids’ squeals of delight as each guest walks from their car up to our front door with present in hand.
The kids talk about it for weeks beforehand and count the days and hours and minutes until the first friend arrives. It brings me great joy to see them grow with each year. I wonder how many more birthday parties there will be? I think I’ll just enjoy a few months off until the next one.
