Thursday, September 13, 2007

Ladies - help please!


Bugger!!! JUST DELETED A WHOLE POST - ESSENCE OF WHICH WAS - HELP!!!
Twins birthday party fast approaching ... Blah, Blah, Blah ... particularly - it is likely to be outside in our small garden - with patch of lawn and two paved areas. What can I do to amuse children - up to 18 aged 10 - 4 months but mostly 3 year olds? I have one little fellow who like Hannah may find too much stuff overwhelming yet I really want him if he can come to have fun - and for his parents to be able to relax. And yes it will be our first untested mix of special needs kids, family and friend feral kids and children from childcare.

I am thinking of filling the brats' shell with sand. I think I can manage a wheelbarrow race or two (good therapy for a few attendees) - what prizes? There are heaps of balls including a couple of larger bouncing balls. Any other ideas of low supervision activities that I can have available - I don't want to hire any clowns, facepainters etc as yet - I think the brats are too young. I want homegrown free play.

Also the cake - should I persuade Kit to go for the number 3 (Hannah just wants 'cake') or should I let him have a second cake - I sort of prefer leaving separate cakes until they are a year or so older and the gender as well as other differences between them are more apparent - what do other twin mums do?

Food should be ok and a minor concern is invitations - something simple will do I think. And take home party bags - what goes in them?

Any ideas - absolutely welcome!! Thanks.

7 comments:

Cate said...

I am on the very, very low-key end of party planning. I think if you get a bunch of kids together you'll have plenty of homegrown free play, even with no organized activities. For outside activities, you could have bubbles, and sidewalk chalk for the paved areas. William likes water balloons, I know balloons are a big hazardous no-no but they're fun!

Take home party bags, I like things that get used up. Candy, bubble stuff, crayons/art supplies...no tiny toys that will be clutter until they get lost.

I am not much fun, huh? Kids are easy to please. Don't get too stressed.

Oh, and for cake, I'd get two, but that's just because I love cake. Can never have too much cake.

Camille said...

3 YEARS OLD!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KIT AND HANNAH!!!

No matter what mom does, it will be a great party....

Your mom is a DOER, a GO GETTER, with a huge heart!!!

HAVE A GREAT PARTy!!!!!!!

Michelle said...

I agree with what Cate was saying - for a party w/mostly 3 yr olds it'll probably be better w/no organized games that have prizes. All those short attention spans and maybe some getting upset because they didn't get a prize...just my opinion but I still think that age is kind of young to have those type of activities. And it makes it less stressful if you just let them out in the backyard to play, have at it and do their own thing. Less planning on your part!

The sand toys sounds like a good bet, and again, my suggestions were going to be the same as Cate's - bubbles and sidewalk chalk LOL

With our party bags this year we just did a beach type theme (since it is summer here) with little shovel/pail set etc. In the past I've done the little bubbles, sidewalk chalk, playdough, a little snack (cookies etc).

I don't have twins so I'm not much help there, but since you're having so many in attendance you might want to let them each pick their own cake just to make sure you have enough?

Good luck! can't wait to see the pics!

Happy 3rd birthday Hannah and Kit!

Shelley said...

Thanks for your help Ladies - I knew you'd have some good ideas for me! I definitley want low key so am absolutley thrilled to see everyone is in agreement re organising an activity. I hadn't though of hte sidewalk chalk - a BRILLIANT idea - thanks! and I might splash out on a bubble machine while we are at it.

Thanks for the party bag ideas - I will have to go to one of hte big toy shops and check out what they have that is nice, and reasonably priced. The twins are very excited about it already!! It isn't for another month but I have to get the invites out next week before the holiday break.

Thanks again

Jen said...

Damn. Cate took all my ideas. I guess I'm not much fun either. Hope the kids have a great birthday though!

jotcr2 said...

Can't help you there. I am inexperienced in the kiddy party world. Sheena did have a mix at her 1st b'day party of some of her friends that have DS, but it was not an issue in the slightest. Possibly more of a big deal to the parents of regular kids, because a couple still ask after the other kids with DS now which I find very surprising.

homealonemom said...

We did cupcakes for the twins birthday-one for each year. We'd use different frosting or decorations, or cupcake papers (Colleen preferred Scooby-doo, Patrick sports). We've also have used different cakes and let them decorate their own. Lately we've been doing one large cake, and they take turns blowing out the candles(lighting them twice). We used to have their birthday parties together, but each with their own little group of friends. We don't really has parties anymore-just bonfires with friends or sleep overs. This is challenging since Colleen doesn't really have friends now that she's a teen. But she gets to do some things with kids at church. And she now has some friends that have special needs at school.