December is a wonderful time for parties
- for grownups! A little eggnog and a plate of cookies and your grownup party
is swinging.
For the little ones, a little more planning and forethought is required,
but you can still create a happy holiday party.
If you are celebrating a December birthday, you may want to make the party
as "un-Christmassy" as possible. To do this, hold the party in a room that
is not festooned with Christmas decorations, and use only birthday-themed
plates, napkins, etc. Don't worry about not being able to find birthday items.
My local
Walmart
has an aisle full of birthday products, and those mega-party outlets are
popping up everywhere. You can do all the usual birthday things (see my previous
columns) and pretend not to notice that a major holiday is around the corner.
Or you can capitalize on the proximity of birthday and holiday, and have
a winter-themed party.
If the children are old enough, an ice skating party is great fun, and many
rinks have party packages that will do all the work for you. For the younger
set, here's a party plan I call "Winter Wonderland."
Invitations
Cut white paper plates or coffee filters into snowflake shapes and pen your
invite.
Decorations Go crazy with the fake snow! Drape your furniture in white sheets, blankets,
or that cotton draping they use for tree skirts. Spray snow-in-a-can on every
glass or mirrored surface. You can make snowflakes to hang from the ceiling,
too (a fun pre-party project for the birthday child).
For the really ambitious
Create an igloo or snowman out of polystyrene bricks (you can buy them at
any craft shop). I happen to own an inflatable penguin (don't ask why) so
my igloo looked really cool!
Cake
A snowball of course! Make any flavor round or bundt cake and frost with
white frosting. Cover liberally with coconut flakes.
Other Foods
Hot chocolate with a candy cane in it is a yummy treat. Warm gingerbread,
popcorn, and lots and lots of cookies will round out the snack menu. If you
want to serve a real meal, offer a thick soup or stew (yes, even if you live
in California and it's a balmy 78 outside. This is a theme.)
Activities Tell the kids they are polar explorers or that they are visiting a Winter
Wonderland. Encourage them to look for polar bears or build pretend snowmen
or have pretend snowball fights.
Other Game to Play
The Winter-Wear Relay Race
Fill two suitcases with a set of winter clothing: mittens, hat, scarf, earmuffs,
coat, boots. Set up a raceway with two lanes (use masking tape on the floor).
Place the suitcases at one end of the raceway, and mark an imaginary door
on the floor with masking tape. Divide the children into two teams. Each
child must run to the end of the raceway, don all the winter clothing, open
their imaginary door to check the weather, take off all the clothing and
put it back in the suitcase, then run back and tag the next team member.
Because of the number of steps involved, I recommend this game for four years
and up.
Marshmallow-Mania
Provide the children with miniature marshmallows and lots of toothpicks.
Show them how to create structures with the items. Let them eat their materials
if they want.
Pin-The Carrot-Nose-On-The-Snowman
You knew it was coming! Hey, they call it a classic for a reason, and kids
love to play any variety of this game.
The Feel-Around Game Show the children a variety of objects. A small toy, a small stuffed
animal, a plastic lid, a key, a sponge - anything palm-sized. Put the objects
into a stocking or a stocking cap. Have the children close their eyes and
pick out an object to identify by touch.
Arts and Crafts The possibilities are endless. Make snowmen from paper plates. Cut out
snowflakes from tissue paper or coffee filters. Give the children black
construction paper and white paint to sponge or finger paint a snow scene.
Sculpt with play dough or modeling clay. Ask the children to make a winter
scene.
Have lots of empty baby food jars? The kids can make mini snow-globes. Give
the children modeling clay or salt-dough to sculpt. Glue the sculpture to
the lid of the baby food jar. Fill the jar with water and your snowflakes
(coconut flakes or plastic shavings). Screw the lid back on the jar and seal
it with a commercial sealant. It's a time-consuming project, and the globes
may not be dry by the time the party is finished. Consider this only if you
are having a small party and have lots of time and attention to give to the
project.
My Personal Favorite
I've done this with every preschool class and children's party I've ever
held. Before the party, bake several dozen sugar cookies in basic shapes;
tree, ornament ball, wreath, bell. Set out bowls of frosting in many colors
and bowls of sprinkles, jimmies, and other decorations. Give the kids some
plastic knives, and let them have at it. Play holiday music in the background
and enjoy the children's laughing and chatter. It puts even the biggest Scrooge
in the holiday mood.
About the Author:
Barbara Thomas is a work-at-home-mom
to Natalie, age 2. She is a freelance writer and owner of
The Professional Pen Business Writing
Services. Her website provides writing tips and small business advice
to small and home-based businesses. Some items in this article were adapted
by FamilyCorner.com Magazine.
Fourth of July!
July 4th is almost here. Celebrate Independence Day this year with crafts, recipes and plenty of other ideas. Here are a few examples to get you started...
Did you know that FamilyCorner has its own photo gallery? Did you know that YOU can upload your own photos to it? That's right, and it's completely free!
Here are some of the fun benefits of sharing your photos in our FC Gallery:
Send your own photos as an e-card
Watch slide shows
See beautiful sunsets and other great scenic shots
Brag about and share pictures of your loving pets
Share photos of your children and grandchildren
Create your own individual album and post in category albums
Keep your favorite pictures organized online
Rate images of other members
...more!
Join us in the FC Photo Gallery. It's completely free to use, just another fabulous reason to be a FamilyCorner subscriber.
Family Matters Radio
FMR is a nationally syndicated radio program developed to help you live your best life, hosted by Caroline & Jacquie. No rants and raves - you get enough of that from your kids. Choose a segment below to begin listening!
December is a wonderful time for parties
- for grownups! A little eggnog and a plate of cookies and your grownup party
is swinging. 
Missed the last couple of newsletters? Haven't visited for a while? This section highlights articles and crafts that have recently been added to FC...
Start your own album by 
