Bright, Practical Birthday Party Ideas for Grandparent Hosts
By Arlene Bascom
In light of the sluggish economy, many of us look at the birthday parties thrown for some children and shake our heads. After all, if you hire clowns and limousines for a three-year old, how can you top it when she turns four? If you would like to help turn the trend for outrageous birthday parties for children around, how about setting the example yourself?
If a party at a grandparents’ house would appeal to one of your grandchildren, offer to host the party, and then talk with the parent of the birthday child. Make clear your intentions to make the party special without dedicating your life to it or breaking the bank. Have a plan, talk to the parents, and explain your strategy and your reasons. When it’s time to begin, adapt any of the following ideas to the party you may be planning.
Decorations, Invitations, and the Guest List
Recycle, Recycle, Recycle
Before you go out and buy brand-new invitations, decorations, ribbons, and bows for your party, think of how you can use things you already have around the house to make cute, inexpensive recycled invitations, cards, and other party supplies.
Blogger Laura Normandin[1] has made invitations and birthday cards using newspaper, wrapping paper, envelope liners, notebook, and grid paper. This idea could apply to almost any birthday theme. The possibilities are endless; all it takes is some creativity.
Laura made garlands for decorations, by cutting circles from any and all from junk mail. The garlands made from colored junk mail, etc. could also be wrapped around presents, strung across a room or placed on top of the food table. You could even intersperse tissue paper pom-pom flowers between the junk mail circles for a different look (using old tissue paper from a previous party's gifts, of course).
If you decide to buy party decorations, choose ones that can be used again and again, year after year. For example, you can hang a fabric pennant Happy Birthday banner with a neutral color scheme for every party you host.
Do It Yourself Invitations
Another idea is to make your own invitations from construction paper or cardstock.
Supplies Needed:
1. 8 1/2 x 11 inch cardstock or construction paper
2. Envelopes
3. Pencil
4. Pen or marker
5. Glue stick
6. Pair of scissors
Instructions:
1. Fold a piece of construction paper in half width-wise. Cut the paper in half. Fold each half sheet in half again to form a blank notecard. Repeat this step until you have the desired number of invitations.
2. Then, decide on a decoration to glue on the front of the invitation: balloons (paper, not blown up, of course), candy, flowers, or whatever fits your theme or speaks of a party. Glue the decorations on the front of the blank note card.
3. Fill out the inside of the invitation with colored pens or Sharpies. Include information your guests need to know about your party such as date, time, and address. Use your creativity and have fun making your cards.
4. Now just place your cards in an envelope, address each one, and mail. Your grandchild's mother will no doubt be able to supply you with addresses of her child's friends. If the guests are the grandchild's cousins, you will already have the addresses.
Electronic Invitations
If you don't have the time or inclination to make invitations and if you are familiar with e-mail, you could send electronic invitations. This saves time, energy, and paper and has become completely acceptable. Emily Post will never know. There are several websites which even send invitations for you, including www.evite.com.
Who’s Invited?
Reduce the size of the guest list. That's the quickest way to cut the budget. Some parents and grandparents follow this rule: a child can invite one friend for however many years old the birthday kid is turning (five guests for a fifth birthday, for example). Of course, if you are inviting cousins only, the number who are approximately the same age and live close enough will determine the number of guests.
Food and Party Favors
Serving Up a Main Course
Serve food that's inexpensive and easy. If that means ordering pizza, that's okay. Go for it. It could mean making a casserole or lasagna ahead of time that just needs to be reheated, or serving up sloppy Joes from a slow cooker. One easy idea is to make English muffin pizzas so each child has his or her own individual pizza.
Let Them Eat Cake
Bake and decorate your own simple birthday cake rather than ordering one from a bakery. Or, bake the cake, and then have the birthday kid and/or his or her siblings or cousins decorate the cake.
Better yet, bake cupcakes and make decorating dessert a party activity. Just get the guests around the table with a plastic tablecloth, set out plain cupcakes, frosting, and sprinkles, and let them use their creativity. One grandmother bakes her cupcakes in ice cream cones, making them even easier for the kids to decorate and eat.
Stuff We All Get
Skip goodie bags altogether, or have the birthday child make the party favors. If you oversee the process, you’ll have more time to spend with him or her. Another possibility is to let the party guests make something to take home—perhaps stringing together beads to make necklaces, assembling craft kits, or building light sabers out of empty wrapping-paper rolls.
Activities and Gifts
Where’s the Entertainment?
Play traditional party games instead of hiring outside entertainment. Or, teach the kids some of the games you used to play as a kid. That gives the party a heritage flavor. Host the party in a public park, which is free and offers built-in entertainment including play structures, swings, and basketball hoops. This is ideal for grandparents because it lets you rest and observe (to make sure they stay safe) while they play, and you don't have a mess to clean up at your home.
Planning a Party Theme
You might consider a clutter-free, practical gift theme, such as "experiences," in which guests would give a pass to the local children's museum, movie theater, miniature golf course, or other attraction. Another idea that guests love is a money-saving theme, such as "Make Your Own Gift" or ”Hand Me Down Gifts." Encourage guests to bring gifts they make themselves or secondhand gifts, such as gently-used books or toys.
Remember to simplify and spend less. Surround yourself and your grandchildren with people who feel the same way you do: that birthdays are about celebrating a year in the life of a child, not about seeing who can spend the most money. Don’t invite those who might look down on these ideas.
Whatever plan you adopt, two guidelines rule supreme:
1. ensure that you and your loved one enjoy the preparations and the party; and
2. ensure that the birthday child is made to feel special and loved.
Accomplish those two things, neither of which needs to involve lavish spending, and you’ve succeeded!
[1] See the How-To at http://www.designsponge.com/2009/07/more-recycling-paper-projects.html.