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Posts Tagged ‘birthday parties’

by Rachel Paxton

As a mom of three small boys, we have gone through a lot of toys in the past five years. Because we have a large extended family who buys our kids presents for birthdays and Christmas, our boys have had the opportunity to try out a lot of neat toys. Of course they have played with some toys more than others, and some toys cost enough that you would like to know if your child would like them before you buy them so they don’t end up stuck in a box in a corner somewhere.

Our youngest son just celebrated his first birthday. He received a really neat toy that I thought I would share with you. According to Amazon customer reviews, he is not the only child that has really enjoyed this toy, so I thought I would share it with you here. There are several other toys that our older boys had first that they have passed down to their 1-yr-old brother. These toys have so far stood the test of time, and have been loved by all.

Fisher-Price Laugh and Learning Letters Mailbox

The toy that my son just received for his first birthday is the Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Learning Letters Mailbox. This toy is appropriate for both boys and girls, and is recommended for ages 6 months to 3 years. My 1 yr old just loves this toy. It is a mailbox that opens and closes. It comes with several “letters” and a small package that your child can place in the mailbox. There is a slot in the top of the mailbox to put letters in, and a flag on the side that can go up and down. The mailbox plays music when you open and close the box and there are also several buttons that play music when your child presses on them. My son absolutely loves this toy. He opens and closes the door over and over again, and likes taking the mail in and out, in and out. This toy is definitely a winner in our book!

Little Tikes Discover Sounds Toolbox

The next toy I’d like to share is the Little Tikes Discover Sounds Toolbox. This is the only toy that is more aimed at boys than girls. It is also for ages 6 months to 3 years. This is a toy we purchased for our twin boys when they were about a year old, and they have passed it down to their 1-yr-old brother. This toy is one of the most played with toys we own. We have tried several different shape sorters, but this one is by far their favorite. It is a toolbox that opens and closes. When you open it there is a tray in the middle that has different shaped holes to put the plastic shapes through. What’s neat about it is that the tray flips back and forth so you put the shapes through the holes on one side, then flip the tray to the other side and do it again. All of our boys have played and played with this, pushing the shapes through and flipping it back and forth. They love it! The toolbox plays music and lights up when you push the shapes through. The toolbox closes up so that your child can carry it around with him.

Fisher-Price Little People Animal Sounds Farm

Another favorite toy is the Fisher-Price Little People Animal Sounds Farm. This was a Christmas present that has also survived the past five years. All of our children have played with it. It is for ages 1 year to 4 years, but I think 1 to 2 year old children will play with it the most. There are a bunch of doors that open and shut that make animal sounds when open and closed. My 1 year old really enjoys opening and closing the doors and putting the animals in the barn. We have collected a variety of other animals and tractors, etc., during the past couple of years, and the older boys like playing with the barn along with the tractors and other farm accessories. This toy was well worth the money.

Fisher-Price Laugh and Learn Counting Friends Phone

We have tried out several toy phones during the past couple of years, but the Fisher-Price Laugh and Learn Counting Friends Phone is by far our boys’ favorite. This phone, like many others, makes lots of different noises when you push the buttons. The difference in this one is that there is a “phone book” at the top of the phone that your child can use to change the sounds the phone makes. This is their favorite part of the phone. The recommended age for this toy is 1 to 3 years, but it’s more for 1 to 2 year old’s. Our son was able to change the pages of the phone book when he was 9 or 10 months old. When they are old enough to push the buttons, they will enjoy listening to the different animal sounds.

There are so many different toys for 1 year old’s on the market today that it is hard to decide which one to buy for your child’s birthday. If you are buying for someone else’s child it is even harder! Hopefully these ideas will help you make a child’s first birthday a special day.

by Susie Cortright

One day, a friend of mine saw me in line at the grocery store. I was balancing boxes of Capri Suns, cheap plastic goodie bag paraphernalia, and a super tall cake with a Barbie thrust through the middle. I was running late, and I was fearing my child’s guests would arrive before I did, so I was probably sweating and out of breath. I was tired of the birthday party already, and it hadn’t started yet.

Figuring she could commiserate, I said, “Birthday parties wear me out.” And she said, “But they are so joyous.”

Ah, spoken like someone who has a really good nanny.

Preschool birthday parties are joyous, but, the truth is, when my kids were younger, I tended to lose sight of what a successful birthday party is: a memorable event that makes your child feel treasured. I invested way too much into the vision of what I wanted the birthday party experience to be, without thinking enough about the experience from the point of view of my child. I stressed about not leaving out siblings, of having age-appropriate goodie bags for a range of children that was way, way too wide. Somewhere along the line, the magic of the experience was lost.

Now that my kids are a little older, and I have a few more parties under my belt, I do it differently.

Here are some tips for throwing a birthday party for children ages 5 and under.

Start early. It’s much easier to get everything done when you plan ahead.

Keep it short. A two-hour party is plenty long for children age 3 and under. Children ages 4 and 5 can generally handle an hour or two longer, but you don’t need to go nuts. Birthday parties are tremendously stimulating for a small child. Throw in some sugar, and tantrums are inevitable.

Keep it small. The rule of thumb is to keep the number of guests equal to the age of the child. Too many guests take the attention away from the child who is being honored. If you have a large extended family (especially if your family includes cousins with a great variation in ages) you may want to consider having a family celebration separate from the celebration with friends. We have started having our family over for pizza the night before or the night after the children’s party.

Keep it simple. Ask your child for ideas on activities, games, crafts, or food to have at your party. Kids are surprisingly imaginative and often know exactly how they would like their birthday party to be. Plus, their ideas are often surprisingly simple. Asking your children to describe the type of party they would like to have is a good starting point. If it’s over the top, you can simplify from there. For example, if your child longs for a grand princess tea party, ask everyone to come in their favorite dress up outfit and decorate paper or plastic mugs as your activity. The birthday girl can be responsible for pouring apple juice and handing out the finger sandwiches.

Ask for help. Ask family members, older siblings, and friends to stick around. If there is a child who you worry about how to handle behaviorally, invite the parent to stay for the party.

Make each guest feel special as they arrive. Young children can feel tentative at first in a festive, noisy atmosphere, so make sure to make them feel welcome. One really popular idea that we have done in the past: Enlist an older sibling or a parent to do simple face painting for each guest as they arrive.

Give the wee ones something to do. You don’t need to go overboard, but having a plan is important, and will help the party go more smoothly. This age will engage in free play for quite some time. And then you can have a simple craft station, followed by a simple game, if you are feeling ambitious. Simple crafts can include making photo frames (Orientaltrading.com is great for simple ideas such as these.) All you need is some stickers and squares of cardstock with a 4×6 square cut into the center. Then you can take a photo of the child with the birthday boy or girl and print it immediately (if you have a digital camera kit equipped to do so) or send the photo in the thank you note. If there’s time, you might play some games. Kids love simple party games, such as Duck, Duck, Goose and Ring Around The Rosy. But beware that once a group of children gets riled up, it can be hard to bring them back down.

Use music to help with crowd control. Fun, lively kids’ tunes can get the party started. When everyone starts to get a little wild and crazy, switch the music to soft classical. The kids probably won’t consciously notice a difference, but you are bound to see a change in their behavior.

Maintain order at gift giving time. Too often, the children are feeling wild and a bit out of control by the time it’s time to open gifts, and it’s hard to regain control once the gift wrap starts flying. Start in an orderly fashion by placing two chairs side by side. (Kid sized chairs are best.) The child who is opening gifts sits in one chair and the giver sits in the other while their present is opened. This way, the giver feels singled out and special as she watches her present being opened. This also sets up a perfect photo opportunity, when you are guaranteed to have just the guest and the giver in the photo.

Make the birthday girl or boy feel special. One tradition that we’ve been doing for our children once they turn four is to give the birthday child an inexpensive single use disposable camera (if you look for these on sale, you can get them for under $5.) Tell them that the camera is theirs to document their birthday and birthday party in whatever way they like. When the photos are developed, they can put the prints in an inexpensive plastic mini photo book. Kids take such pride in photos they take themselves.

Goodie Bags. Go for quality rather than quantity. Young kids love anything with their name on it. Here’s a popular idea that we’ve used: Find inexpensive little sketchbooks and use rubber stamps to spell each guest’s name on the front. Tie a ribbon around the front so it looks extra fancy to young eyes, pair it with a couple of crayons or markers and a lollipop, and you’re all set. Kids also love to unwrap things, so instead of filling a goodie bag with small items, you might gift wrap a more meaningful item and send it home with them.

Some more ideas: My 5-year-old recently came home from a party with a full-size Hershey’s bar, and she was the envy of the entire neighborhood. Another big hit: My sister-in-law once had a spring garden party for her 5-year-old with mini terra cotta pots tied with ribbons and a tiny silk flower. Each child got to plant a seed during the party and take the pot home as a party favor.

Quick and Easy Thank You Notes. An easy way to do thank you notes is to save up all of the artwork your child creates on any given day, cut the page down the middle, and fold each half into a card. Ask your child what he or she would like to say to each of the guests, in turn. Write them up and ask your child to sign their name, if they are able. If not, they can draw a little picture (or not, depending on the time you want to spend and the patience level of you and your child). Insert a photo of the birthday child and the guest enjoying themselves, and you’re done till next year.

Susie Cortright is the founder of http://www.Momscape.com and http://www.Susies-Coupons.com, where she hand picks only the very best online coupons and products, including coupons for simple kids’ party crafts, games, and activities.

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