Parties away from home
As
much as I love traditional at-home parties (which is how we normally
celebrate birthdays), there have been times when we’ve chosen different
options. When we were living in the inner city, we had a courtyard the
size of a car-parking space and our house was quite small. When my
eldest son turned four it was no longer possible to have a party at home
— there just wasn’t enough room for all the kids we wanted to invite.
When he turned four we had his dinosaur party at a local park, which was
ideal for his age group.
On
his sixth birthday we were in the process of looking for a new house.
We’d sold our house and were running out of time to buy a new one. Most
of my time was spent house hunting and there wasn’t time for me to think
about — let alone organise — a party at home, or even in a park. That
year we completely outsourced his birthday party. We went to a local
pool that catered for parties and it was the first time we too only had
to turn up for our own child’s party.
The
outsourced pool party was the most expensive party we’ve ever had, but
it was the best option for us at the time. For me, parties are supposed
to be fun. If putting the party together is a stressful undertaking,
then I reconsider my options. If, even after you’ve read the 10-point
birthday plan, you still think the home-party idea is not for you — you
may not have the space, or have too much going on — here are some
middle-ground options between a home party and an outsourced party you
could consider.
Picnic in the park
If
the kids are under four, find a park with an enclosed play area and
toilets close by — it makes the party less stressful. Use picnic
blankets for the children to sit on when it’s time to eat. Take along a
stash of nappy wipes, your own rubbish bags and sunscreen — you’ll
almost always need them.
The movie theatre
Movies can be pretty
expensive, so if you choose a movie party, invite fewer kids. Take along
your own party-style food as the food at the movies is always
overpriced.
A local activity
One
year when we had a newborn, my husband and one of his friends took the
kids rock climbing for two hours. Then they came home for party food and
birthday cake.
Combined party in a local hall
I
have friends whose kids’ birthdays are close together and who have many
mutual friends, so they host combined birthday parties. They split the
hire of a local hall and share the catering. They bring along toys (or
hire a party pack from a toy library) and let the kids play. This works
well for winter parties, when the weather can be unreliable.
Birthday presents
I’m
one of those people who frequently buy books as birthday presents. I
think they make great gifts. However, it doesn’t seem appropriate to
give the same child a book for a present year after year. I prefer to
stay away from commercially oriented gifts, but I do like to keep the
price under $20. We keep a list of ideas for inspiration, which is
helpful when the younger children who want to have a say in the gift
have to choose something but can’t actually think of anything! Table 1 (overleaf) lists some presents we’ve given or received over the
years.
Table 1: birthday presents
