The Old Fashioned Birthday Party
By Brenda Hyde
Birthday parties are always a challenge for the frugal Mom each
year. It gets harder and harder to compete with the latest kid's
restaurant
of choice. I believe that despite what children may think they
want, a party at home with good food, games and door prizes
will be the one that is remembered throughout their lives. I have
several old fashioned games that have been updated for the
contemporary kid. These games are great for any age group.
After all, let's not allow our kids to grow up too fast!
Brownie Eating Contest
You will need:
One homemade frosted brownie for each kid
Paper plates
The kids kneel on the floor in a circle, with their hand behind
their backs. A paper plate with a brownie is placed on the
floor in front of them. On signal, they lean forward and eat the
pie as quickly as possible. The first one to finish their
brownie and pick the plate up with their teeth is the winner.
You can also have a special prize for the kid with the
messiest face. Be sure to take pictures!
Gummy Bear Hide and Seek
You will need:
Paper plates
One Gummy Bear for each kid
Corn flakes
Hide one gummy bear in a mound of corn flakes. Have the
kids stand in front of table with their arms tied behind them
and the plate in front of them with the cereal. On the signal
each player tries to dig the gummy bear out with their teeth.
The first player to lift their head with the candy between
their teeth is the winner.
Gather the Candy
You will need:
wrapped small candy such as sour balls, Tootsie Rolls,
Jolly Rancher type candies or butterscotch pieces.
toothpicks
Spread the candy around in a large circle marked out on
the floor, or a clean plastic tablecloth. Each player is given
two toothpicks and a small paper bag. On signal, the players
try to lift, chopstick style, as many pieces of candy into their bag
as they can. When all the candy is gathered, the one
with the most wins. The kids keep their candy, but the
winner receives a small prize.
Biggest Smile Contest
The kids line up, and each one smiles as wide
as they can. The birthday person measures
the width of each smile with a ruler or tape
measure! The kid with the biggest smile is
the winner. An extra touch would be to take a
picture of each child with an instant camera
and post it on a bulletin board for the day, then
send it home with them later.
The following two games didn't need updating!
They are from 1940's, and still bring fun and giggles.
Battle of the Oranges
Divide the kids into pairs. They will battle one pair at
a time. Each warrior is armed with a tablespoon on
which an orange is placed. At the "go" signal, they
will try to knock the opponent's orange off the spoon,
using only the one hand which hold the spoon and
orange. The winner is the one left with their orange
on the spoon!
Clothes Pins in the Bottle
Place a milk bottle (or other jar with a small opening)
on the ground or floor. Let each kid try dropping ten
clothespins into the bottle. See who can make the
best score. Note: Yes, you can still buy clothespins
in the supply section of most grocery stores!
Door Prizes
Finding wonderful door prizes is easy! All kids
love bean bag animals (even if they aren't the
collectible ones), which can be found everywhere.
Bags of plastic bugs and animals are a good choice,
as well as inexpensive story books. Bandannas are a
fun choice too. Red ones for boys so they can pretend
to be cowboys or pirates. Pastel ones are great for
girls because they become a fashion accessory. In
the housewares department you will find many fun
smaller boxes and containers that could be used
as treasure boxes for nature finds or other collectibles.
Visiting an educational or nature store will give you even more
ideas, such as a bag of gemstones. They are
beautiful and boys or girls would love them!
Birthday parties are special events which create
memories that will last forever, both for the birthday
child and the guests. I can assure you that a
creative unique party with old fashioned games
and door prizes will be remembered longer than
an annual trek to the pizza restaurant. Plus, it
will possibly elevate you to the status of The
Coolest Mom in the World.
About the Author
Brenda Hyde is a Mom of three, a freelance writer and editor
of Old Fashioned Living. For more family ideas and recipes subscribe
to one of our free newsletters; descriptions here.
Birthday Party Resources
Birthday Express
BirthdayinaBox
Shindigz.com
Party Pinatas!
Party Basics
Idea Books!
