Every new year starts the beginning of birthday season in our house with the first one being my daughter Jamie’s in the second week of January. When organizing her birthday party, I have to take into account that the winter weather is too unreliable to plan outdoor activities. So getting creative with indoor parties is a must.
For her 10th birthday, we hosted a bowling tournament at the local alley. She invited three of her friends and they competed against myself, her dad, brother and sister.
In lieu of guest party bags, I made up fun bowling league art for each team and printed the designs and player’s names on t-shirts ordered online for around $12 each. This can also be done with graphics printed from a desktop printer onto t-shirt transfer paper and ironed on plain white shirts. Providing the team shirts became fun and practical mementos.
With the purchase of a party package, the bowling alley provided lunch, drinks, cake and clean-up!
The year Jamie turned six; we hosted an overnight birthday camp-in using several items straight from our camping gear. By moving a few pieces of furniture around we made space for two 3-man tents in the living room and decorated the rest of the area with houseplants and indoor trees and a “campfire" in the fireplace. Table decorations included camping lanterns and leaves from the yard. Guests were asked to bring their warm pajamas and sleeping bags. The campers crafted everything from yarn and stick dream-catchers to beaded friendship necklaces. They were each given glow sticks and simple felt vests I patterned after a basic scout vest, each with the camper’s name on it. For every fun thing they completed, they received an activity badge to pin on their vest. The badges were circles cut from foam sheets and decorated with a picture of an activity or craft. Activities included name games, microwave s’more eating and sleeping bag movie watching. Then, before heading home in the morning, all campers completed a fill-in-the-blank “letter home” to their parents that read:
A LETTER FROM CAMP BIRTHDAY
Dear_________________,
Greetings from Jamie’s Birthday Camp-out.
It’s been _________________. The campers here are _________________. Jamie turned _____ years old and she was so glad I came to her camping party. I think Jamie is _________________. Although I am having fun here, the thing I miss the most is _________________. I can’t wait to tell you all about_________________. My favorite thing about camping indoors at Jamie’s house was_________________.
See you soon!
Love, _________________