Have a Party!
Great family fun ideas for holidays or everyday!
By: Amanda Formaro
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Why wait for a special occasion to have a party at home? You can celebrate your family any day that you choose by getting creative and encouraging the kids to join in. Some things to think about when planning your family party are what to eat, what to do, and where to do it. We’ve put together a few ideas to get your started.
This makes a wonderful party for your immediate family to celebrate once a month. Taking turns each month, choose a family member to be the Guest of Honor for dinner. You can cook their favorite dinner, get dressed up (if the Guest wants to), light candles and serve his/her favorite dessert. During the meal, focus some of the conversation around your Guest of Honor, talk about her day, her accomplishments at school, new friends, anything she want to discuss. If Susan is the Guest of Honor, after dinner let her choose whether you turn up the stereo and dance, play her favorite board game, or watch a movie she picks out. This is a great way to celebrate each member of your family individually and make them feel special.
Around the World: Have a Themed Party
Do your kids really love Mexican food? Maybe they beg for spaghetti on a regular basis. Whatever the region, turn their love for food into a fun learning experience! Have a fiesta! Make tacos for dinner, and serve tortilla chips with several different types of fresh salsa. Decorate the room with red, yellow and green balloons and streamers, and play Mexican music in the background. Talk about Mexican traditions, look up some common words and find the Spanish translation to play a guessing game after dinner. Be sure to check out our Cinco De Mayo games and activities for more creative ideas. No matter what region you choose, look up recipes, country colors, and traditions to help plan your party. You can find more themes on Holidays page.
Who doesn’t enjoy a barbecue? Celebrate a warm summer day by grilling chicken, steak, ribs or pork, and don’t forget the corn on the cob! Teach your children how to make fruit salad, potato salad, and coleslaw. Be sure you have music for your party, but if you have a pool keep it far away from the water to avoid electric shock. Play outdoor games like Frisbee or baseball, or even a water balloon toss! Check out our summer section for tons of recipes, crafts and backyard games.
Similar to Guest of Honor Night, you may opt to allow one family member to choose the movie each month. Make it a family affair by going to the rental store together. Be sure to make plenty of popcorn and don’t forget the snacks. If you have both older and younger children, watch a G rated movie first, then after the young ones have gone to bed the older kids can enjoy another movie with you. If you like, talk about the movie afterward. Pretend to be movie critics and debate the pros and cons of the movie with your family members. For help, visit our Entertainment section for reviews, including age suitability suggestions, for new releases and films on DVD!
Plan an appetizer party! Instead of a regular sit down meal, plan several different appetizers for dinner one night. Kids of all ages can get involved with putting the menu together and preparing the food. Older kids can slice and dice and younger children can help with assembly. Pick a colorful plastic tablecloth, set out your appetizers and munch away. Don’t stop at the food, continue this fun with drinks. Make several different juices or set out sodas to be tried by all. Check out our Food section for more ideas.
Families are special and deserve a celebration once in a while. You can make any day a party day by focusing on a few things: food you will serve, games you might play, things to talk about, and roles to be played. Be sure to get the kids involved as these parties are truly a family affair!
Amanda Formaro is the crafty, entrepreneurial mother of four children. She and her husband live in sunny Nevada with a houseful of kids, dogs and cats. They enjoy traveling in the RV, swimming, and riding their four wheelers.
