How on earth are you going to entertain twelve kids in your house on a steamy summer day? What you need is a brilliant idea, some careful preparation and nerves of steel.
While the weather may be ideal, many kids aren't very excited about a summer birthday – perhaps because many of their friends from school, clubs and sports teams aren't around. But wait!
Smucker's® can help turn a summer birthday party into the event of the year.
Here are some brilliant summer birthday ideas to get you started. As for the nerves of steel, well, you're on your own.
Small Parties (5 kids or fewer)
- Check out what kinds of kids' classes are offered in your area. There may be art classes – such as ceramics workshops, sculpture, painting or printmaking. Or you might prefer activities such as sailing, rock-climbing or canoeing. A real, hands-on experience will be remembered long after loot bags have disappeared behind the couch cushions.
- Host an Ice Cream Parlour party. Create your own ice cream cone-shaped invitations. Decorate a picnic table or card table with a pink plastic tablecloth, pastel coloured balloons, lacy doilies, and, of course, a menu card. Lay out sundae dishes, ice cream cones, scoops, lots of ice cream, a full selection of Smucker's® Ice Cream Toppings, sprinkles and whipped cream.
- Take advantage of lower weeknight rates at a local hotel for a very special sleepover. During the afternoon, use the hotel swimming pool and gym (if the kids are old enough) and order pizza to your room in the evening. Watch a movie or two, use the hotel shampoo and munch on snacks you've brought from home. Don't expect to get much sleep.
- Treat your child and a friend or two to a special event. Is there a kids' concert in town? A country fair in the area? A professional baseball game? Who cares about birthday cake when you can eat sticky cotton candy or a ballpark hot dog? Bring wet wipes.
- Or yes, do a day at the water park, complete with picnic lunch. Or spend an afternoon exploring a new part of the city. Or visit a nearby go-cart track. Just make sure you have another adult along for moral (and physical) support.
Bigger Birthday Bashes (more than 5)
- Who needs a real beach to have a beach party? Not you! A kids' wading pool can be the ocean, the sprinkler can be the crashing surf and a bunch of beach toys – beach balls on the lawn or pails and shovels in the sand box can provide the entertainment. Hold pretend swimming races on the grass (form counts!) and a fishing derby in the wading pool (with small nets and plastic fish). Finish with a homemade banana split, complete with your favourite Smucker's® Ice Cream Toppings, whipped cream and cherries.
- The Big Fat Scavenger Hunt Party takes some planning. Make up a list ahead of time and be sure to include lots of weird and wacky things: an odd egg, an Egyptian mummy, and a mysterious shoe – that kind of thing. (Keep the list secret from your child so that she can participate too!) At the start of the party, you can divide the group into teams or just have them all work together to complete the list. Stay outside as much as possible and absolutely no hunting through bathroom cupboards or parental bedrooms. On completion of the list, an adult must examine each item and prizes are awarded. To everyone, of course.
- Let's have a Green Birthday Party! Throw an environmentally-friendly birthday party for your budding ecologist. Make your own invitations on recycled paper and be sure that all party trappings are reusable, recyclable or compostable. Play party games like pin the fish on the ocean and have each child build a simple wooden bird house (or just paint ones that are already built). Serve organic or natural treats.