Sure, parents get dibs on throwing birthday parties. But there are plenty more perfectly good reasons for you to put on a paper hat, bake a cake, and invite your grandchild and friends over for a shindig.
Losing The First Tooth
This major occasion simply isn't celebrated enough. The good news? You can remedy this! Decorate your home with smiley faces and pop wind-up chattering teeth at each guest’s place at the table. As your grandchild’s friends arrive, hand each of them plastic vampire teeth. Later, stage a "Best Gap-toothed Smile" contest. The winner gets… a toothbrush, of course. The children will also enjoy playing "Pin the Wings on the Tooth Fairy." Just make sure you set the chairs for the games in semicircles –– just like rows of teeth.
Baseball's Opening Day
Strew your house with banners sporting the colors of your grandchild's favorite team. Stock up on tablecloths, paper plates, and cups in team colors. Bubble-gum-blowing and spitting contests will be heaps of fun (of course, you may want to take those games outside). The food? Easy: hot dogs, Cracker Jack, and pretzels –– all washed down with icy root beer. Pause for a seventh-inning stretch before dessert when you all sing along to "Take Me Out to the Ballgame." For the entertainment portion of the party, invite your grandchild and friends to use a baseball bat to whack a piñata stuffed with –– what else? –– baseball gum, packs of baseball cards, and novelty items for the team your grandchild and friends are rooting for.
Double Digits
Yes, your grandchild has hit the double digits. Wasn't she a baby just yesterday? Make the rite of passage official by hosting a party for the ages. Make "old" the theme so that everyone gets to wear gray beards and dark glasses, and walk with canes. Play music from the '20s for this party's soundtrack. Celebrate the number ten itself –– by hanging ten balloons, allowing your grandchild to invite ten guests, and serving ten different types of dessert. Find banners and party hats proclaiming the magic age.
April Fool's Day
When they arrive at your door, pretend the party guests have shown up on the wrong day. You'll get all the children in a silly mood right away. Invite your grandchild and friends to wear funny costumes. Hold a mini-parade and give prizes to the winners. (Note: Before judging the winners, make sure to have enough categories such as silliest hat and wackiest makeup, so that everyone has something fun to take home). Jester hats, whoopee cushions, hand buzzers –– they all add to the hilarity and make ideal prizes! If you can afford the extra expense, hire a clown for the afternoon. Otherwise, line up plenty of silly games.
Calling All Heroes & Heroines
"Find what toys, books, and activities your grandchild loves, and build a party theme around those," says Lisa Kothari, the Seattle-based party planner who wrote Dear Peppers and Pollywogs... What Parents Want to Know About Planning Their Kids' Parties
(Peppers and Pollywogs Press, 2007). Kothari has planned parties based on Charlotte's Web and the CandyLand board game, even a Mad Hatter tea party. "Or take something simple such as colors, bubbles, balls, boxes, or the game hide-and-seek and build a creative, inexpensive, and fun party," she adds.
Trendy Teen Parties
Think entertaining your older grandchildren is a challenge? Not so, says Kothari. In fact, today's trendiest parties work best for children ages 6 to 13. "Throw a Hannah Montana or High School Musical party. Both are easy to pull together," says Kothari. Another hot new trend for teen parties, she adds, is to spoof one of your grandchild's favorite reality-TV shows, whether it be Survivor, The Amazing Race, or Fear Factor. Your grandchild may even enjoy planning this one with you! If you prefer that your home not become party central for a gaggle of teenagers, Kothari suggests inviting your 13- to 15-year-old grandchild and friends to a mall scavenger hunt.
Keep It on-the-Cheap
Whatever idea you settle on, tailor it to fit your budget. There's no need to go overboard with these parties, then obsess about the bottom line, says Kothari. "Unlike parents, who may feel pressure to invite the entire class to a child's party, you can decide how many invitees your grandchild can host and the amount of money you can reasonably afford to spend," she says. "After you set the number of guests, tell your grandchild the parameters and let him or her decide which theme to have. Most party ideas can come to life with very little money!"
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