What to do about those boy / girl parties?

You are having a party and you are having both boys and girls at the party. The usual thing is to do Barbie for the girls, and Spiderman for the boys. This messes with your colour scheme and  theme, and can be a nightmare!  Why not choose a theme that works for boys and girls, and make it fun for all.

Here are some useful themes:

• Bath Time Bubbles (1 - 2 year olds)
• Toyland Fun (2 - 4 year olds)
• Teddy's picnic (2 - 4 year olds)
• Mermaids and Pirates (6 - 10 year olds)
• Witches and Wizards (6 - 12 year olds)
• Princes and Princesses (6 - 10 year olds)
• Ten pin bowling (10 - 12 year olds)

Bath time Bubbles

Suitable theme for 1 - 2 year olds. Choose colours such as pink, lilac, blue, yellow and green to avoid the issue of gender. Use pastel shades to create a soft baby feel. Your cake can be a bath tub, with a baby in the bubbles! Use marshmallows in pinks, whites, pale green and blue for the table. Milk bottle sweets also come in pastel shades. Zoo biscuits will be a treat, and they are so colourful! Remember to have wipes ready for the sticky hands and faces. Put them in an attractive container on the table to make it easy for the Mums to tend to the kiddies. Use bath time toys from discount toy shops to decorate the table, as well as gifts for the treat bags.

You could use no. 1 or 2, depending on the birthday child's age, to add to the decorations. A big one on the gate, glittered and painted, with a bunch of balloons attached to the gate as well, will be a perfect indication of the party venue. The numbers can also be used in the party ro om on the walls to add colour and décor. Balloons should be kept out of the way, and  removed immediately on popping, because of the danger of the latex being put into their mouths. Drape wide streamers in the colours of your party from the centre of the ceiling to the edges. Twist for added effect. From the centre hang mobiles with each guest's name on one. Hang at different lengths. You can use stars, or the age of the birthday child. Use colourful cardboard - paint and use glitter. Write the guest's name in glitter glue on the end of the mobile, and give it to the guests as a gift on leaving. String the mobile together with fish line. It will be very attractive and intriguing for the babies too.

Free play is indicated for this age group. The party should not last longer than one-and-a-half  to two hours. Favourite toys would be a ball pond, riding toys such as tricycles and push bikes, building blocks, pulling toys such as wagons, pushing toys such as prams, activity  toys with dials, knobs, push buttons and music. You might even ask the mums to bring their child's favourite toy with them! Remember to cater for the Mums as well.

Party food may include:

Cup cakes with a marshmallow duck on it. simple biscuits, with icing to match your party colours vanilla ice cream - let the ice cream soften enough to mix, add powdered food colouring to the ice cream (in the colour of your choice) and mix in. Scoop into a small clear plastic container and  top with a toy duck which the guests may take home as a treat!

 

Invitation wording might be something like:

• ___________ is turning one!
• Toddle over to:_____________
• Playtime starts at:___________
• Playtime ends at:____________
• RSVP  (your name)___________ ph:__________
• On or before:________

Don't forget the R.S.V.P by date. People will answer on the day of the party if you do not stipulate a date!

Invitations may be given out in toy baby's bottles with a name tag and ribbon

Treat bags may be colourful gift bags to which a plastic pacifier is added.

These are just some ideas to get you going. Above all, have fun!

More next month.

(resource "Party Fun!" by Jenny Dodd)

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