3 - 2 - 1 BLASTOFF !
May 24 '00 (Updated Jan 22 '08)
The Bottom Line Parties can be a lot of fun but they don't have to cost an arm and a leg!
Birthdays in my house don’t mean a cake, some invitations, boring games and a bunch of hyper, overactive, sugar filled kids. Birthday parties are not just gatherings, they are events. Here are some of my most recent plans for my son Simon’s upcoming birthday bash.
But first, a little information. Simon, my oldest, will be turning 8. He is extremely intelligent, excels in science and has a reputation for being the geek. I say that with all the love a mother can have. He prefers to spend time in the basement constructing things I dare not even ask about. If he goes outside it is to catch bugs or send rockets into space. Hey, he is 8, leave him alone. Simon has six friends he wants to have at his party. Since most of our relatives live in England I was hoping he would have a few more friends over but six isn’t a bad number. The tough part with this party is that all, and I mean all of these kids are smart. They play chess, watch PBS and (gasp) enjoy homework. Sounds like a fun bunch right? Simon has been tagged "Dexter" (after Dexter's Laboratory) by his fellow mini geek friends. I'm still not sure if this is a good thing or bad.
I attacked this situation the only way I knew, give them what they want. Since they are all “egg-heads” I came up with activities that they would enjoy and find “educationally stimulating”.
The Cake
Instead of buying a cake with some silly design on it I decided to let the boys make the cake themselves. I bought some really cool plastic solar system toys that they can arrange on the cake. Now, this might not sound like fun to you or I but these kids thrive on space, NASA launches and anything to do with the planets. They’ll get some hands on experience measuring out the water and oil for the cake as will as how and what makes a cake rise.
Games
It seems unfair to call them games since games are fun. I took an old Twister mat, turned it over and spray painted it black. I bought some poster board and made planets from it. They can see who can arrange all the planets the fastest and with the most accuracy.
Sea Monkey’s
Who hasn’t lusted over the hermetically sealed box of frozen shrimp brine? I bought two large sets of Sea Monkey’s that the boys can assemble. Once the Sea Monkey’s hatch they will each have their own Sea Monkey Kingdom to take home with them. They are harmless pet’s that don’t make noise, bite or cost much to feed. They live about a week and aren’t missed when they die.
101 Lab Creations
This is one of the most comprehensive and complete collection of easy and safe “at home” experiments I have seen. From creating a clock from a potato to learning Morse code and how to make a portable Morse code “thingy” (I honestly don’t know what they are called). My mother’s intuition tells me that after they break this baby open I am going to have 7 little McGuyver’s on my hands. I can only hope they won’t try to turn the microwave into a communication port with the help of a stick of gum, a rubber band and some string.
The History of NASA
I bought this for Simon after he saw it at Suncoast Video. His jaw dropped and his eyes glassed over. It is over six hours long, on three video tapes and I know this will be watched from beginning to end buy all the boys. After I bought this I called all the parents and asked them if a sleep-over would be better. So now I have 6 egg-heads spending the night.
Outdoor Adventures
I rented a tent that can sleep eight people from a local camping supply store. Weather permitting the boys all wanted to sleep under the stars. The tent is fully equipped with a roll back flap so the top is pretty much open. This tent will also serve as home base for the Bug Hunt. I just can’t wait for that game to start (can you hear the extreme sarcasm in that statement?). Bug Hunt is where you try to find the most disgusting bug you can. You get extra points if you know what it is or can find out the information before anyone else.
Creepy Critters
What party would be complete without junk food and candy? Rather than spend an outrageous amount of money on the store bought kits why not make your own? The store bought kits allow you to make spiders and a variety of bugs but imagination is the key here. Using Jell-O, pudding, a wide variety of candy (M & M’s, Skittles, Sno Caps, licorice and Whoppers), whipped cream and jellybeans you can create a plethora or creepy little things. The kids really like to do this around Halloween si I figured these bug loving kids would love it.
Setting
I have already started hanging the glow in the dark solar system from the den. Even though they will be “camping out” in the back yard you never know how the weather is going to turn out. Since there will be only six children and Simon I went a little more out in the decoration department. I found some nice NASA items at a party store (in the clearance bin nonetheless) and spent an hour or so at Kinko’s making copies of some space calendars to decorate the walls. Since the cake will be made at the party that’s one less thing for me to have to pick up at the store.
I plan on using Ian’s View Master / Flashlight and the outer space View Master reels to put on a small light show on one of the walls. I am also planning a two-hour “field trip” to the Fleet Center for an early evening planetarium tour. Since I am a member I can buy tickets for $6.00 each.
As you can see these aren’t normal kids who would be more content with a few hours of Playstation, running around outside and watching wrestling. While they are eggheads and brains they are still kids. I try my hardest to give each of my kids a birthday to remember. Each year it gets harder and harder to top the year before but that doesn’t keep me from trying. I so love a good challenge.
Most importantly I let my kids decide on what theme the party will have. I have seen too many moms plan the party more for themselves rather than for the child. Granted I would rather have them flinging Pokeman toys around the house rather than catching bugs, but what I want isn’t important.
I’ve stocked up on Raid, first aid supplies and Tylenol and I think I am pretty prepared for this event. I will update this after the party and add any items that were thrown in at the last minute.
Thanks for the read! ^V^ Freak ^V^
End Note: When I call my son a geek it is not meant to belittle him or make fun of him. I consider the word geek to mean someone of higher intelligence and use it with much respect.
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