Best Birthday Bashes

What does everyone have once a year? A birthday! For some, they’d rather just chalk it up as just another day but for others, it’s grounds for mega celebration. But with time and money being less then available these days, it can be tough to pull off an extravagant affair.  However, there are plenty of ways to get creative while also catering to your healthy & green lifestyle.  I’ve pulled together some fun ideas for every age group that will not only dazzle your guests but will save you money as well as your conscience ; )

Toddlers

Ok, let’s get this straight, toddler birthdays are really for the adults. So while we celebrate these bouncing bundles of joy, we need to be sure we’re keeping our adult guests entertained as well! The next few ideas take care of both types of party goers ; )

• Fashion Forward – Have all guests bring used and unwanted child garments and throw them in a bin. While the little ones are playing with toys in a sandbox or ball pin, artsy parents jazz up the onesies, tops and pants for their little ones with glitter, appliques and other fun decor so everyone goes home with a little memento that costs little to zero bucks! Any parents who happen to be shutterbugs can do “portraits” of the birthday baby & their guests as a fun way to show off the newly created  threads and leaving the birthday parents with a nice memory to hang on the wall.
• Team spirit – Get each family invited to choose a team name & uniform for an Olympic style party. Host fun toddler games like a crawling race or baby sac race for older kids. Parents can cheer their kiddie team mates on while also partaking in some fun contests as well. Plus everyone gets a turn to stand on the winner’s podium for a fun photo op they can take home.
• Non-Slumber Party – Nix the sleeping part and invite everyone over for a healthy breakfast buffet and movies. The only rule, all guests come in their Pj’s!

Kids

This is where they get fun. Themes are hugely popular (as are easily distracted attendees). What to do to keep kids happy and entertained without breaking the bank? Check it out:

• Drama Queen – Have the birthday child of honor pick a play or musical they love. At the party, have them cast & staff the production. Be sure to have a bin of clothes for costumes as well as materials for sets (cardboard, markers, etc). The parents get treated to a fabulous show when they pop in to pick up their kiddies at the end of the night. This model works well as a talent show too!
• Party Parade – Not to far from the play production theme, the kids make costumes and floats. Before cake and presents, the kids put on the parade around the block that just happens to be lined with parents and other party attendants.
• Rough it – Your backyard becomes Yosemite or Yellowstone. Invite guests to bring tents and camping gear for a night filled with ghost stories by the fire, smores and imagination galore.
• Art Gallery – For creative kids, this is quite a bit of fun.  Have different stations for all sorts of artsy projects from finger painting, drawing, photography, sculpting, etc. Kids can make as many art creations as possible and then put them on display for their folks to check out in the “gallery” before it’s time to go home. Parents can sip on wine and finger foods to complete the mood.
• How Does Your Garden Grow – Teach kids about where food comes from while letting get dirty! Make little planters out of cardboard boxes so that each child can take their garden home to look after when the festivities are over.

Teens

Ah the teen years.  This is about the time that having your parents around isn’t cool but it’s their tough luck as who else is going to pay for it? In addition, the teen years are full of milestones such as Bar/Bat Mitzvahs, Sweet 16’s and turning 18! Check out a few of these teen approved ideas:

• Scavenger Hunt – This is the ultimate way for teens to “get away” from the “old people”! Put together an innovative list of tasks as well as hard to find items that the party goers must complete within a set time. Depending on age,this can be done at a park or in your neighborhood. For older kids, teams can drive to locations to make it more competitive & exciting. Be sure to get fun prizes for the top 3 teams to give them an incentive to play hard.
• Mystery Party –  Put together a “Who Dunnit” party disguised by a dance or dinner party.  Parents can be in on the ruse giving everyone a chance to be a part of the action.
• Spahhh – For teen gals, pampering is a way of life. Get a bunch of nail files, polishes, face scrubs, makeup, etc and set up beauty stations around the house. Party goers can play the “pamerer” & the “pamperee” and leave the party looking snazzy!
• Culinary Creations – Young adults are foodies too! And what a great way to give them tools they will need in a few short years! Host a cooking class at your place or look for a cooking school that throws parties.  Show them the basics they will need to know while allowing them to create a few yummy dishes they can enjoy.

Decades/Milestones

Once you hit your 20s, your birthday is what you make it. 21 is a biggie and from then on, the decades mark the milestone celebrations. Every 10 years we look back at the last and try to out do the celebration from the one before. These are the birthdays that really define you, where you are in life and when you get to take inventory on your relationships. From lavish to low key, see if any of these sound fun for your next shindig:

• Masquerade Ball – Don’t let Halloween be the only time you play dress up! You and your guests will have a blast getting all gussied up in crazy costumes. Especially if it’s a specific theme like Renaissance, Greek, etc.
  
• Amazing Race  – Set up a weekend of competitive craziness! Start on Saturday morning and complete it by Sunday night, either in town or somewhere nearby that is neat or mysterious. Put together a race full of fun tasks and brain teasers that will keep your party guests talking about it for many years to come.
• Roast the Birthday Boy/Girl – Set up a podium and have a fabulous meal. Seat the birthday guy/gal next to the podium and have guests prepare stories and jokes about him/her for a fun filled roast.
• Casino Night  – Most everyone owns a deck of cards so have attendees bring cards, chips or any gambling stuff they may have and set up stations (black jack, poker, etc). Play Rat Pack movies & music in the background while sipping on cosmos and G& T’s.
• Decade party – Turning 40? 1940’s! Born in the 70’s? Get an event lighting hire and have a disco party!! Serve fun food from the era, have guests dress up in period attire, play popular music and movies from the decade & live it up!
  

Be sure to use green party favors and decor whenever you can and get creative with it too!! No matter what you like or want to do, make your birthday your own because after all, you only get to be your age for a year before moving to the next!