
While most children's birthday parties are held at home, you may want to consider an offsite location.
For starters, you won't have to be concerned about the current state of order and tidiness of your house. Plus using the cultural and recreational resources of the community will broaden your child's horizons and introduce him or her to some wonderful experiences.
Ask your child what she would like. Usually the party theme will reflect her interests, hobbies or sports.
Here are some ideas to jumpstart your creativity.
If your child loves sharks, what better place to be than the local aquarium where he can see sharks up close and personal.
Then, there's the zoo, if he or she loves elephants and wants a jungle theme. Or maybe the local museum of natural history.
Local history museums can make history real.
The local art museum is a great place for the budding artist, a concert for the budding musician, the planetarium for the budding astronomer... you get the idea.
The best part is that many such institutions have activities designed especially for children. Ask.
There are entire institutions, like the Please Touch Museum in Philadelphia, designed for children.
Other cool ideas:
Have a Pottery party:
Facilities have opened up that allow you to paint on pottery. When you are finished, the staff will put it into a kiln for you. Most will host parties and many have special children's birthday party packages.
A Day of Beauty:
Recently, our local newspaper had an article about the popularity of makeovers as a party idea for preteens. Mom arranges with a local beauty school or beauty salon to have the group come in for an afternoon, where they have the run of the place.
Roller skating rinks have packages where you can rent the use of a private room for an hour to enjoy light refreshments and cake. Then they are free to enjoy the facility. Keep in mind that rinks are very strict about scheduling.
Ice skaters might enjoy a trip to the ice rink.
Facilities like Chuck E. Cheese cater to birthday parties for young children.
A group of girls may enjoy a luncheon in a neighborhood Chinese restaurant.
Little Ladies' Tea Party:
Many hotels will host teas. And they are happy to accommodate children. The kids can dress up and be princesses for the day. Many invite their favorite stuffed animals to the festivities and they can get important lessons in etiquette.
In the summer, you may want to use your back yard for your children's birthday party. But if you don't have a large yard or you don't wish the event to be held there, check out neighborhood parks and playgrounds. Many will allow you to reserve a pavilion.
Where else can you go for ideas?
Try your city or town's local visitor or welcome center. Another source is the local library ? especially the children's department. These days, the internet is an invaluable resource. Local newspapers and magazines often have sections that feature local events and activities. Last, but not least, there is always word of mouth.
Enjoy.
About the Author:
Ellen M. Zucker owns http://www.faces-and-fortunes-partytips.com a site where you can find advice on party and event planning from Party Pros. It includes tips, interviews, and advice on putting your event together from professionals who make parties and special events happen.
For more information about planning your kid's party, go to http://www.faces-an d-fortunes-partytips.com/childrensbirthdayparties.html
AP - A key panel unanimously recommended impeachment for Gov. Rod Blagojevich on Thursday, setting up a vote that could make him the first governor to face such fate in Illinois' sordid political history. Blagojevich should lose his job for abusing power, mismanaging government and committing possible criminal acts, including federal allegations he tried to sell off a U.S. Senate seat, the special committee concluded.
AP - Vice President Dick Cheney said Thursday that he sees no reason for President George W. Bush to pre-emptively pardon anyone at the CIA involved in harsh interrogations of suspected terrorists. "I don't have any reason to believe that anybody in the agency did anything illegal," he said.
AP - President-elect Barack Obama's proposed tax cuts ran into opposition Thursday from senators in his own party who said they wouldn't do much to stimulate the economy or create jobs. Senators from both parties agreed that Congress should do something to stimulate the economy. But Democratic senators emerging from a private meeting of the Senate Finance Committee criticized business and individual tax cuts in Obama's stimulus plan.
AP - President-elect Barack Obama implored Congress on Thursday to "act boldly and act now" to fix an economy growing perilously weaker. Leading lawmakers set an informal goal of mid-February for enacting tax cuts and government spending that could cost as much as $1 trillion.
AP - The many Bernard Madoff investors who withdrew money from their accounts over the years are now wrestling with an ethical and legal quandary.
AP - In grainy cell-phone videos played over and over on the Internet, police officers force an unarmed black man to the ground and hold him face-down on a crowded train platform. Suddenly one of the officers draws his gun and fatally shoots the man in the back then looks up.
AP - The Oklahoma Sooners and the Florida Gators meet tonight for the BCS championship. It's a matchup that includes a pair of Heisman Trophy winners, an SEC vs. Big 12 debate and more than its share of trash talk.
AP - Key Arab nations and Western powers reached agreement Thursday on a U.N. resolution calling for an immediate and durable cease-fire between Hamas militants and Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip and moved for an immediate vote in the Security Council.
Reuters - Recovery teams ventured into battlegrounds of the Gaza Strip on Thursday to gather bodies from the rubble, and Hamas officials said the Palestinian death toll in Israel's 13-day-old offensive had risen to 765.
Reuters - President-elect Barack Obama warned on Thursday the U.S. economy could stay mired in recession for years without bold action and he urged lawmakers to work day and night to pass a massive stimulus plan.
Reuters - Financial giant Citigroup Inc will support a proposal in Congress to rewrite U.S. bankruptcy law to help troubled mortgage borrowers avoid foreclosure, Chief Executive Vikram Pandit said on Thursday.
Reuters - The United States and its allies share some interests with Iran when it comes to stabilizing Afghanistan, Army Gen. David Petraeus, head of the U.S. military's Central Command, said on Thursday.
Reuters - A legislative committee on Thursday recommended the impeachment of Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, citing widespread abuse of power including allegations he tried to sell the U.S. Senate seat vacated by President-elect Barack Obama.
Reuters - Accused swindler Bernard Madoff had signed checks totaling more than $173 million in his office desk ready to be sent out before his arrest, U.S. prosecutors said in court papers on Thursday asking a judge to jail him.
Reuters - President-elect Barack Obama named Tim Kaine as head of the Democratic Party on Thursday, rewarding an early supporter with a high-profile political post even as he continues to serve as Virginia governor.
Reuters - Wal-Mart Stores Inc and other top U.S. retailers delivered disappointing December same-store sales and profit warnings on Thursday, sparking fresh recession concerns that hit stock and currency markets.
AFP - Diplomatic efforts to end the Gaza conflict intensified Friday with Western and Arab diplomats agreeing to call for an immediate ceasefire as the death toll from the two-week-old war rose past 760.
AFP - Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin agreed Thursday on the terms for the deployment of gas monitors in Ukraine, paving the way for an end to a Europe-wide energy crisis, the EU presidency said.
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