When I was a kid, from the second a birthday party invitation was given to you, the excitement started. There were usually 10 or so friends invited and you knew you were going to join in games such as Pin The Tail On The Donkey, Musical Bumps or Pass the Parcel. There would only be one prize for each game and maybe a few sweets for those that didn't win.
The birthday tea was a mixture of sandwiches, Cadbury's chocolate fingers, jelly and ice cream and then The Birthday Cake, complete with dimmed lights, the singing of Happy Birthday, the blowing out of candles and lots of wish-making.
I have fairly deep-set memories of my own birthday parties but have two that stand out the most. The first is my 8th birthday when mum laid out a tablecloth on the floor and we all sat round it for a birthday picnic. At one point she had to navigate across the room so stood on the cloth and hopped across. She said, "Don't tell you mummies and daddies that I stood on the table!" and we all dissolved into fits of laughter. When I turned 10, mum decided that now I was older I could invite four friends to the theatre to see Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat and have chicken-in-a-basket (at home) before we set off. This was way before the days of a KFC Drive-Through.
As the party came to a close you were presented with your party bag, the contents of which was a napkin-covered slice of the birthday cake. No extra little gifts to take home as the centre of attention was the Birthday Girl or Boy!
But now... after raising three children I have seen the rise of the Birthday Party Wars. It appears that the whole class is invited to the nearest soft play centre, fed overly processed chicken nuggets and cold fries then left to run free amid multi-coloured plastic until feeling slightly nauseous ready for their parents to collect them to take them home. They hold their hand out for the all-important party bag which contains more than a slice of cake.
So, this is where When I Was A Kid comes in. We've got a great range of party bag toys which are available to buy in varying degrees of 'bulk' and with or without accompanying cotton drawstring party bags. And sticking with our love of wooden toys, here are a few suggestions that cross the bridge between traditional and modern.
The birthday tea was a mixture of sandwiches, Cadbury's chocolate fingers, jelly and ice cream and then The Birthday Cake, complete with dimmed lights, the singing of Happy Birthday, the blowing out of candles and lots of wish-making.
I have fairly deep-set memories of my own birthday parties but have two that stand out the most. The first is my 8th birthday when mum laid out a tablecloth on the floor and we all sat round it for a birthday picnic. At one point she had to navigate across the room so stood on the cloth and hopped across. She said, "Don't tell you mummies and daddies that I stood on the table!" and we all dissolved into fits of laughter. When I turned 10, mum decided that now I was older I could invite four friends to the theatre to see Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat and have chicken-in-a-basket (at home) before we set off. This was way before the days of a KFC Drive-Through.
As the party came to a close you were presented with your party bag, the contents of which was a napkin-covered slice of the birthday cake. No extra little gifts to take home as the centre of attention was the Birthday Girl or Boy!
But now... after raising three children I have seen the rise of the Birthday Party Wars. It appears that the whole class is invited to the nearest soft play centre, fed overly processed chicken nuggets and cold fries then left to run free amid multi-coloured plastic until feeling slightly nauseous ready for their parents to collect them to take them home. They hold their hand out for the all-important party bag which contains more than a slice of cake.
So, this is where When I Was A Kid comes in. We've got a great range of party bag toys which are available to buy in varying degrees of 'bulk' and with or without accompanying cotton drawstring party bags. And sticking with our love of wooden toys, here are a few suggestions that cross the bridge between traditional and modern.
We've got wooden mini ball games, wooden Yo-Yo's and wooden animal brooches, each retailing at £5.00 for six. BARGAIN! If you click on each of the images you can find out more about them.
What are your memories of birthday parties? Do they affect the way you plan your children's parties now? Do you stick with the traditional at-home party or do you go out and let someone else deal with the mess? Or do you do something completely different? Let us know in the comments section.
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With one finger on the pulse and the other on the keyboard, she is not afraid to say it as she sees it. She is a true procrastinator, drinks wine, is occasionally published and is a Nana in her spare time.
Great post. Birthday parties have become ridiculous now. It seems to be all about who spends the most. I think it's important that we get the magic back. It's not all about the most expensive play parks, and junk food, it's about leaving lasting happy memories for our kids to keep forever. The party bag still seems to be the 'best bit' though, that doesn't seem to change - just the contents. I LOVE the Party bag toys from When I was a kid!
ReplyDeleteDS went to a party at the weekend with 65 other kids - it was only a 5th birthday too! I left it too late but really should get organised and make up little packages with some of the party bag ideas in to use as presents. We WILL NOT be doing big parties, ever. He will have to make do with a few friends over and parties at home...just like I did!
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