Phillip will be six on Dec. 5. We aren't the kind to go all out for birthdays, but we do have a party for our kids when they turn 6, and again at 12 (though Rachael has decided that she'd rather skip the 12, and have one at 13 instead). I'm not into going to all those expensive places you can go for parties; I'd much rather do it myself. With the girls, that was easy. Their birthdays were in May and June, so we played all kinds of games outside. But that ain't gonna fly in December in Ohio!!! Does anyone have ideas of what I could do inside with about 6 or 7 rambunctious boys who will be flying high on ice cream and cake? Thanks!
I will try to think of some ideas for you, I was in the winter too and always had an indoor birthday as a kid. Right now I am up in a tither because my twins will be having their 8th birthday this Sunday the 30th. I don't have the $ to give them the party (or even get presents) we gave the other 2 kids this year due to having to get a new stove and pay for washingmachine repair. We make a big deal of birthdays here! Im so upset over this right now.
December birthdays are tough because you never what the weather is going to be like (so you can't count on letting them go outside). One year I talked the "50 Cent Movies" into letting us have a birthday party there before they opened for the public on Saturday. We had it at 10am, it cost $0.50/each, and we didn't have to use their concession. So, I had the theater put up a table for us in the very front of the theater and I loaded the table with popcorn (before the party I popped TONS of popcorn and bagged it up), candy (after Halloween candy sales), and I took juice and water and put it in a cooler. Everyone could get up during the movie as they wanted and get snacks, etc. and since it was just our friends and family the smaller kids who couldn't normally sit through a whole movie were welcome to roam around inside the theater (we kept adults by both the doors). The movie wasn't a new release, but the kids didn't care. We ended up with 35 guests total and I spent a total of $17.50. It was perfect! One year I went to the the store and bought a huge cookie cutter for the year of his birthday (you can find a big "6" at any craft store) and we made sugar cookies before everyone got there. Then we let everyone decorate their own cookies to eat. I gave everyone a plastic spoon filled with icing (they chose what flavor) and they used it to spread the icing. Then they covered it with anything the wanted. I had cupcake papers out filled with different toppings: chocolate chips, colored sugars, M&Ms, jelly beans,.....you name it). Then they got to eat their treat. It was a lot of fun! It wouldn't fill all the party time, but it would be a fun thing to do. One year my sister planned a party for my niece (December birthday) at the local YMCA. She had a swimming party -- a real treat in December! They had to have it after regular hours, but I believe she just had to pay for the lifeguard. They had plenty of room and parking and you didn't have to worry about the weather.
We do something special every year, but only parties at 5 yrs, 10, 13, 16, 18. We call them the milestone birthdays. All my boys have their birthdays in Dec. and Jan. so we fall into the same problem. I am looking forward to hearing more ideas. One yr we did indoor swimming. All my girls have summer birthdays and always seem to do pool parties. It was nice for the boys to have that one yr.
I don't want to GO anywhere. All ideas must be able to be done at our house. We will probably have the boys make pizza buns. I had considered decorating cookies. Or maybe we could do a Christmas craft of some kind. I'd like to figure out some kind of games that can be done indoors.
Jackie~ Gracie had a kids' party in June for her 5th birthday. I waited 'til the last minute to start planning it (which is so NOT me, if you know me at all!) Anyway, I ended up calling McDonald's and we did the party there. For the cost of a Happy Meal for each kid, we got a WONDERFUL party~ each kid got their meal, as well as cake and ice cream (there was a nice birthday cake for Gracie complete with Ronald McDonald Candle). In addition to the food and Happy Meal toy, each kid got a party hat and several more little gifts (they played really nice games with them) and goodie bags. I didn't have to do ANYTHING- including run interference! It was SO worth it. If your McDonald's has an indoor playplace (ours doesn't) that would be fun too. The kids all loved it!
I know you don't like those expensive places, but we had Tanner's 3rd birthday at Chuck E Cheese this last year. It was well worth it. $10 a kid, including food, cake, decorations, a song and dance with Chuck E, and lots of tokens for them all. For 8 kids, it was just as much as I would have spent anywhere else.
We played some really cool games at my bestest friend's party. She only had one and I think it was when she turned 8??? Anyway, one was being blindfolded and walking through a room full of pots and pans (prize for winner)...next we did another blindfoled game where you have the person climb up on a wood plank (sat on top of 2 buckets). You tell a story about lifting it up as two people lift the board in the air (you need a spotter)...you talk about getting higher and higher and the person can't tell that it really isn't and then you tell them that they are about to hit the ceiling and they need to jump!!!!!! Of course it is only a foot off the ground, but it's fun with older kids to see them freak out!!! Sorry, I know that didn't have a thing to do with what you are looking for...but it brought back some great memories for me :lol:. Cookies or cupcakes are fun and easy to make and let them decorate. Pinatas are always fun, too.
Play bingo. Give away little prizes: gum, pencils, small toys, etc. crafts are good ideas. How about bag puppets and let them put on a play. ABCteach has some good ones Santa, Mrs. S, reindeer, elfs, etc.
Oh do pin the nose on a turkey or Santa or whatever. Or use a picture from a magazine of some kind. How about unwrap the gift. Where you wrap a small item in loads of paper and let each child unwrap one layer until it is opened. The last child gets the prize. Pack of gum works well with this. Use cheap wrap too. How about drop the clothes pin in the jar. Use a mayo jar and make them drop from their waist height into the jar. Buy a piece of candy for prize. Another draw a tic-tac-toe board on the carpet/floor with tape and make small bean bags with cloth and beans. Let two take turns playing buy throwing them and trying to block the other person. Just like you would on paper. Play go fishing too. Hang a sheet between a doorway and have husband or older child get behind and when the kid puts over the pole (string tied on stick with a clothes pin on end) put a small piece of candy on it.
You could do a thing like an easter egg hunt, but hide small little boxes wrapped up with little prizes in them. have some little gifts you will give your son securely enclosed in the boxes, give each child a sheet of wrapping paper, tape and a ribbon, and tag who ever wins the wrap the present game gets a treat, but all the presents get opened by your son!
I have been here before. I know what it is not to have money when you want the very best for your well deserving kids. Keep your chin up girl.Kids understand theese things.Society makes it a crime to be poor. My twins have a december 6th birthday. I am sure you have love for them and that is more important than anything. One year we baked a cake and I made sock dolls with bright colored yarn curls. You would have thought I handed them a million dollars. Oh I wrapped them up in comic news paper.Oh I now own a buisness worth half a mil. It won't last forever. With a positive mental attitude and faith in God you can achieve anything. I will pray that God blesses you.
If you know anyone who can do the balloon animals and shapes, that's usually a hit with that age group. We are blessed to have a guy who calls himself Mr. Friendly. His son had cancer and was in a childrens' hospital. One time he went in there dressed like a clown and did the balloon thing with the kids. The kids and parents loved it, and started asking him if he did B-day parties and stuff. After his son died, he decided to donate his time and does parties of many different kinds now. He doesn't charge or accept any money, he just hands you a pre-addressed donation envelope for the childrens' hospital where his son was, and you choose what to send in. What a blessing he has been to many people who couldn't afford something right away. You can keep that envelope and when you get enough you can send the money then. He was voted a community hero a few years ago. Anyway, that's an idea. There may be someone in your church or community that you know that could do that. This guy also had cheap little toys and candy and would do games with the kids. My B-day is in October, so we often had to do things inside. We usually did a treasure hunt. We'd make up clues on two different colors of paper and divide the kids up into two groups. Then you send them off and have them running up and down stairs and all over until they find the "Treasure", which was usually their "goody bag". THere was a lot of laughing and a lot of energy used up during those hunts.
We always make a huge deal of birthdays, but I never have money so we go for creative and free/cheap more than easy and expensive. Sami just had a princess "Ball". 5 princesses came and danced at our ball. I find it helps to have a theme, makes it fun and helps me think up ideas for games etc. Get some cardboard boxes. kids for some reason find large cardboard boxes to be about the best thing in the world and they are free. You just have to call around and then go pick them up. the big refidgeratior boxes or stove boxes are best. You can use them for all sort so stuff and it come out looking cool, or you can just let them play in them. Use a knife and cut out a door and window in advance and then let them decorate it with crayons or markers. Depending on the boys and their favorite things, you can make a box into a castle, firetruck, fort, or just stick a few boxes together to make a tunnel. Of course Sami's had to be a castle and colored pink as well LOL. Check the Dollar store for what they have more than one for a dollar of for party favors and then do the treasure hunt for them. you could make a treasure map with directions like take ten steps and turn rt.. end in in a closet or something with a box decorated like a treasure chest and all the stuff they take home is in there. Tell me a theme the birthday kiddo likes and I'll give more ideas. I have lots.
A game of bean bag toss for candy is fun. Hide prizes in a given area and write out clues or riddles as to their where abouts.a treasure hunt of sorts.Trivia questions for prizes are fun too. Good Luck
How about a "Polar Express" party? You could rent/buy the movie and let the kids watch it. You could do train crafts. We even have a Polar Express game kids play. You could read the book and have hot chocolate and cookies (maybe a big birthday Cookie). They could decorate train shaped cookies as another option. Preston had a Thomas train b'day and we did an Oriental Trading train craft that year.
We are in the same boat financially so we alway do inexpensive things. For dd's last birthday, it was rainy so we couldn't play outside. Before the party I made a "pinata" using newspaper (from my MIL) and glue (made from flour, water, and a little salt) and balloons. Then I made a tiny "pinata" for each child. I let dd paint the big one however she wanted (she was turning 4 and it ended up being a grayish blueish greenish blob, but she loved it). As the children arrived at the party, I had them paint their own little "pinata" outside on the front porch (or you could set up an area inside with the floors covered, maybe in the kitchen). I warned all the parents ahead of time that we would be painting. Then as they finished, they went and played with the toys upstairs for a bit. Then I let them whack the "pinata" and they were able to fill up their little ones with the goodies from the big one. It was incredibly easy (but time consuming) and everyone was very impressed. I was happy because it didn't cost me an arm and a leg! I hope this helps, and let me know if you want the recipe for the glue
A pinata is an absolute. He's expecting one. I found a really cute Dinosaur Cake (or maybe it was a dragon, but I've got some parents that might object to dragons, so we'll call it a dinosaur) pattern that's real easy to make. Maybe I can find/make a dinosaur pinata. I'd like to try and avoid movies, though we COULD go with "Land Before Time" if I really had to. I want to do games...dropping pins in a bottle...What could we pin on a dinosaur? Rachael says to make one without spikes on its back, and each kid could pin a spike on its back. We could go with the dinosaur cookies to decorate. There's a neat cake store up the road, and they have cookie cutters in EVERY shape imaginable. If they don't have one, I'm sure they could get one for me. OK, Ladies! You've got me on a roll now.....! Green punch (or purple?) EW!!! I could combine green and purple and get a really nasty color!!! but it's just the thing boys like, huh?
LOL :-D That's cute! My ds is still a baby (well, 22mos), but I'm looking forward to all the boy stuff he'll get into. It just makes me laugh thinking about it. :mrgreen:
I have a Taste of home cookbook with a cake and appitizer to make in dinosaur shape I'll send a copy of it to you if you want. I think for green punch you could use pine apple juice, blue kool-aid mixed together and if you want if frothy add lime sherbert.
