make the next birthday party easy on yourself

MAKE THE NEXT BIRTHDAY PARTY

EASY ON YOURSELF

That special day is rolling around again – your

youngster’s birthday – along with all the planning and

anticipation that surround this momentous occasion.

Don’t let preparing for what should be a fun and happy

event get you mired in stress and tiresome details.

Here are a few pointers for crafting a memorable

day without causing yourself undue headaches.

HEAD OUTDOORS

At-home parties can be a super and

economical way to celebrate your child’s

special day.

However, planning indoor games and

crafts can be a bit time-consuming, and

games of Simon Says, musical chairs or

follow-the-leader don’t ever take as

much time as you may think.

Holding your event at an outdoor playground or beach (think a lot of supervision) gives you a nice big block of easy entertainment.

Keep an eye on everyone,

pause for food, cake and

present-opening, and

before you know it, a

successful birthday event

is at a happy end.

If your youngster is a

sports enthusiast,

consider an ice rink,

soccer field or swimming

pool for the event.

Another fun way to keep guests

entertained in nice weather is to have a

scavenger hunt, hire a moon walk or set

up a back yard obstacle course.

STAGE A SUPER

SLEEPOVER

Once your child and his friends are old enough, consider having a sleepover party. But don’t expect to get a lot of sleep.

It may sound a bit wild

having a bunch of kids

bunking at your house for

the whole night …

… but if you stick to a

reasonable number, a

sleepover is a pretty easy

shindig to stage.

Most youngsters are just

excited to be spending a

whole night giggling and

watching movies with

their pals …

… so you won’t have

to worry about

extensive game, craft

and activity planning.

Keep the food simple;

pizza and cake are

always big hits.

You can have a lights-out

time, but be prepared for

some residual whispering

and giggling for a while.

A key component to a

successful sleepover is to

specify a pick-up time for

the next morning.

Whip up some pancakes or

just take the easy route

with donuts and hot

chocolate and then have

them packed up and ready

for their parents’ arrival.

A sleepover birthday

party with a small group

of close friends can truly

be a treasured memory

for your child.

KEEP THE

CHOW SIMPLE

Remember, this is a

kids’ party, so food

doesn’t have to be

particularly fancy.

It is, however, fun to tie

in the menu with the

party’s theme.

A few pizzas are fine for

the main course and you

can make the food

presentation fun by serving

it up on colorful dishes.

Older kids can have fun

preparing the food, whether

it’s building their own tacos

or sandwiches …

… going wild with an

ice cream sundae bar

or decorating their

own cupcakes.

Serve finger foods and bite-

sized pieces to minimize

clean-up afterward.

DON’T HAVE IT

AT HOME

Although it may be

slightly more expensive

to hold the festivities at

an alternate venue …

… the savings in time,

game planning and food

preparation are well worth

the extra few dollars.

Not all birthday party

venues are created equal

and not all are

prohibitively expensive.

Consider your youngster’s

interests and solicit her

input as to where she and

her friends would have the

most fun …

… and then see where this

falls within your budget.

Day camp facilities like

Maplewood Day Camp

are great because they

provide a wide variety of

both indoor …

… and outdoor

activities from rock

climbing to bumper

boats and moon walks.

Whatever party route you choose, try to

just relax and enjoy this special day with

your child.

Let your kids enjoy the birthday party

experience at Maplewood Summer Day Camp.

Experienced staff will keep your child both safe

and busy with arts and crafts, games, water

sports, gymnastics and more.

Visit the site at

http://www.maplewoodyearround.com

MAPLEWOOD COUNTRY DAY CAMP

AND ENRICHMENT CENTER

150 Foundry St. (Route 106)

PO Box 88 (Mailing)

South Easton, MA 02375

Email: info@maplewoodyearround.com

Telephone: (508) 238-2387

FAX: (508) 238-1154