While most of us are running
around getting ready for Christmas, some of us are trying to find time to plan
our kid’s epic birthday party. It can be stressful trying to create birthday
magic while planning all the festivities of the holiday season. My kids’
birthday falls between Thanksgiving and Christmas, so birthday planning isn’t
as easy as taking cake and ice cream to a park, or having some backyard fun.
This time of the year people are
already strapped for cash due to the holidays; the stomach bugs are popping up
EVERYWHERE so the day of your party people are dropping like flies. And you
obsess about cold fronts and storm warnings. It’s too cold outside to send the
kids out to play in the backyard, so you have to search for a space to rent.
You pay $200 for two hours of kids running and crying and you barely get a
chance to even say hello to the guests. It’s all so stressful to me!
Over the years we have had to get
creative with how we celebrate our winter babies. We have bucked convention and
either partied at home, or taken a vacation. This year we caved and hosted our
first party at a gym. While we were treated to wonderful service and a helpful
staff, we still prefer to have all day experiences vs. a time limited party.
Experiences are more memorable than rushing to clean up and get out of the
space before the next crowd hits.
Here are some fun and unique ways to celebrate your cold weather
birthday child.
Limit the number of guests and
celebrate at home. Invite only a handful of children. Some parents limit one
guest per child’s age (example, age 5 = invite 5 kids). If you have a large
family that requires renting a space, you can save money by booking a church
hall, or community center. These spaces are usually big enough for a crowd,
offer tables and chairs and kitchen space. And it is usually cheaper than
renting an over booked party place. Plus, you’ll have the whole space to
yourself.
Focus on activities - if you can’t
find an indoor space big enough you can still move the party outdoors! Host
your guests at a popular sledding hill, a snowshoe trail or ice skating rink.
You can end your time with hot cocoa and cupcakes. Older kids might enjoy
taking a night walk outside with lanterns and end with a fire pit to roast
marshmallows. Preschool kids are happy with just playing in the snow. If your
little ones are at the age they hate being outside, you can always bring in
bowls of snow to make snow ice cream.
Go old school and just have
friends over for cake and ice cream. Or if you want to change it up go with a
cookie and cocoa bar, s’mores bar or even build small gingerbread houses
together. Host a Christmas movie night and pull out some classic seasonal
favorites.
Brunch is popular with any age
group, so invite a handful of your child’s friends over for a pajamas and
pancake brunch. You can buy packages of already made pancakes, toss some
premade frozen sausage into the oven and line up the toppings on the kitchen
counter. Pile the pancakes up high and add a candle. Everyone can sing happy
birthday when pancakes are served. Skip the favors and the take-aways. Kids are
about to get so much stuff under the tree anyway!
Take advantage of the season and
make a day trip to NYC to see the tree in Rockefeller Center, or visit Santa
and his reindeer in North Pole NY. Stay local and visit Frosty Fest with a
group of friends and stop at the diner on the way home for dessert and cocoa.
If you are willing to travel, the Yankee Candle Flagship store in Deerfield MA
has Santa on hand for a meet and greet and they have a room that snows every 15
minutes. You can make an entire day of fun and create lasting memories for the
same amount you’d spend for two hours of fun.
Take a mini vacation. Spend the
weekend at an indoor water park, or a fancy hotel and order room service. We
love visiting the Berkshires for a short getaway. We visit museums and explore
aquariums and eat the local fare before returning home. Again, those memories
last longer than an expensive party.
Celebrating winter birthdays can
be a challenge around the holidays, but
it allows for creativity and the chance to do something different or new. Less
is more when you focus on the fun and ditch the trendy party places. The bottom
line is forming lasting memories with your kids. And cake. Let there be
cake.
The Whatever Mom is a full-time wife and twin mama living on coffee and wine. She enjoys the pure rush of cleaning the BIG potty between loads of laundry. It is her dream that moms everywhere accept and embrace the Whatever Mom philosophy which can be found here. You can also find her musings and popular shares on Facebook and Twitter. Stay up to date with her creative ideas and outings on Pinterest.
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