Magic Fix #19: Party with a Difference!

It is usually quite uncommon to find parents of city kids opting for an outdoor birthday party for their children. Last year, out of all the parties our kids attended, there were  dress up parties, bowling parties,  movies, sports or gymnastic parties, skating parties, all indoors...

 but nothing in the outdoors!

Yes, I do understand that the uncertainty of weather  can make outdoor parties prohibitive but that cannot be the only reason for not having them. Aside from organized sports activities and the obligatory trip to the local park, city kids tend to prefer not to spend their time climbing trees or digging in the dirt but expect instantly gratifying activities, wanting fast paced, action packed and highly stimulating experiences not unlike the video games and TV shows that are so popular these days. Of course, the other benefit of an indoor party obviously is that they are so darn convenient! Most busy parents prefer that the activities are run for them and goodie bags are supplied, even the food and birthday cakes are catered rather than homemade.  For my second daughters sixth birthday, for convenience, I chose the option of such a party. 

I had a stand in mom and dad, a.k.a. recreation leader or party co-ordinator:

She cheered for the birthday girl.

He kept the kids in check and organized.

and she even lit the birthday candles!

All I had to do was send out the invites and make the goodie bags. Although the day was completely stress free, I must say I felt a little dispensed with, not part of creating her special day; I felt like just another spectator from the outside looking in on a haze of activity, fun filled but not very personal. For our most recent party, we opted to slow down the pace a lot more and spend some quality time interacting with our little friends, enjoying just being with each other instead of being distracted by a lot of activity.

About a month ago, we made DIY invitations for our outdoor pixie party here. We pushed the birthday party out by a month to ensure good weather and had a combined party for both our daughters. With fifteen or more kids expected at our home, the magic fix was to utilize the awesome woodland reserve at the back of our house for an outdoor party.

We had a lovely time hunting for treasure, having a picnic, eating our goodies at a slow pace, enjoying the sun and in a grand finale sharing the eight layer rainbow cake that was made at home, with much love, by me. All the kids agreed that this party was a party with a difference! My kids would say that they enjoyed both the parties but I suspect that when they are adults, they will be better positioned to let me know which of the two parties bring back the best memories. What do you think they will say?