When I was seven I went to quite a few birthday parties. I am not quite sure why my diary was so full back then, and it certainly has not been since, but for some reason 1977 was my year. Because of this, my mum always felt duty bound to make my life a living misery. She would personally deliver me to the door, even though I only lived nearby.
I think she was afraid I would embarrass her. Maybe she thought, as I raced off in search of sausage rolls, jam sandwiches and fizzy pop, that I would stand in a puddle and ruin my freshly ironed beige trousers.
Actually it is true, I probably would have. I was very accident prone and she was acutely aware of this. She would even carry the present until I was safely inside the house.
She didn't even let me help wrap it, which meant that most of the time I was completely unaware of its contents, until it was vigorously ripped open by my friend.
I do remember the anticipation of one particular party though. We were going to be shown a cinefilm version of Doctor Who and the Daleks, but this excitement turned to disappointment when the film crunched to a halt halfway through. Apparently my friend's father didn't realise the film came in two reels.
Having carried this disappointment around with me for the last 30 years, I think it is important that this doesn't happen to any other children.
For that reason, I present my guide to children's parties with a difference. Unlike 1977, the 21st century offers a plethora of unusual party ideas for your children, but where do you start? It really is a jungle out there! So, as Maria Von Trapp once said, "let's start at the very beginning."
Once upon a time, the only folk important enough to have birthday parties were Kings and Queens. The reason for these parties was for friends and family to visit the birthday person and bring good thoughts, wishes and gifts to help ward off evil spirits. Much later, children were allowed to have their own parties. These started in Germany and were known as Kinderfeste.
Moving on ...
Are you struggling for an idea for a party? Bored with bouncy castles, tired of cinema outings and fed up with clowns? Then why not consider a pirate treasure hunt party. Children are very fond of the swash-buckling antics of Captain Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Caribbean. So, by recreating these fantastic pirate adventures at home, you are certain to please the little ones.
Don't worry though; you don't have to spend too much money. Black trousers, a long white shirt, striped T-Shirt, colourful scarf and big belt will instantly transform your child into Long John Silver or Captain Hook; and why not accessorize with a toy parrot, moustache or earrings. Make sure you create an easy-to-follow map of your house or garden, with suitable clues, then stand back and watch the fun unfold; your children will do the rest.
Perhaps your children are not particularly fond of pirates. Don't worry! All you need is a sprinkling of imagination and any subject can be turned into a great party idea. Take dinosaurs, for example. If your child is absolutely fascinated with the mighty creatures, then why not hold a dinosaur party. Appoint your child as head paleontologist and spend the afternoon at your local natural history museum, followed by a Flintstones party back at base. Yabadabadooooo!
Perhaps your children prefer living animals to extinct ones. Then why not invite a menagerie of creepy crawlies and reptiles into your house. Search the Internet and you will find an experienced handler who will let your children cuddle a snake or tickle a spider. You should, of course, check that the handler is properly certified before you book them.
Always select a theme of a party according to the personality, interests and age of your child. Accordingly, if your child is shy never force them into a situation where they become the centre of attention. Many children's parties are planned with extroverts in mind. Clowns, dressing-up and bouncy castles can often bewilder an introverted child. If you are considering engaging an entertainer, ask to see references or a video. It is also advisable to inform your entertainer of your theme, as they may want to incorporate this within their act.
Dave Id, one half of the successful Cardiff-based duo, The Splott Brothers, feels that it is important for the entertainer to be involved in the planning process. "Involving the entertainer can really make a difference to the success of the party," says Dave. "If we have all the information, we can totally engage with the children." Dave believes that parents should also join in with the fun. "We always like to involve adults in our shows. Some would rather stay in the kitchen, as they see our time with the children as their hour off, but we do always try to win these parents round. In our shows we like to play to different levels - the children love all the knockabout stuff, and the parents can join in with the jokes that go over the kid's heads."
Of course, your party will not always go to plan, but as long you remember not to panic, and deal with the situation appropriately, then you should be able to carry on relatively unscathed.
"In our show we like to invite a child to the stage and ask them to ring a bell," recounts Dave. "On one occasion we had a rush of children that all wanted to ring the bell at the same time. This, as you could imagine, would have been chaos. In order to defuse this situation I made a promise that each child could ring the bell after the show. Sure enough at the end of the show they each took it in turns to ring the bell, which we all thought was rather sweet."
So, what have we learnt about hosting a party with a difference? Nothing is impossible! A fire-fighters party, laser party, train party or salon party is totally within your grasp. All you need is bags of imagination, persistence and good organisational skills.
Make sure that the invitations are given out well in advance. If no one shows up for your child's special day, your child's heart will be broken. And that is not a fun way to spend your birthday. If your child is shy never force them into a situation where they become the centre of attention. If you are considering engaging an entertainer, ask to see references. And finally, double-check that someone is taking lots of pictures. Photographs can be a wonderful way to enjoy your child's special day for many years to come. Or at least, until next year...
Labels: Children's parties, copywriting, rainy days, Splott Bros
The Hubbub Media team recently visited the Toy Fair at the Olympia Exhibition Centre in London.
