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 by Tiffany Capuano
From pool parties to backyard luaus, having a theme
party can be a budget-friendly way to celebrate a
birthday. It just takes a little ingenuity, some
creativity and a few willing participants. And for some
area moms, planning parties for their youngsters is half
the fun.
When Kimberly Roberto, a mother of three, realized her
son’s eighth birthday was just a few weeks away and she
hadn’t booked a venue, it was time to get creative on
the home front.
“What can we do that’s quick and easy?” pondered
Roberto, who decided on a camping theme, taking the idea
from the many summer parties they had around their
backyard fire pit.
She dug the tent out of the attic, hit the grocery for
ingredients to make s’mores, and bought each of the
guests a flashlight, which they used to tell ghost
stories and do shadow puppets, and canteens – souvenirs
they later took home. Despite the night being too cloudy
for stargazing with the telescope, the small group of
boys still enjoyed their outdoor overnighter, she adds.
Camping parties aren’t just for boys, however. Roberto’s
sister-in-law planned one for her 10-year-old daughter.
Instead of ghost stories, they just brought out the
portable karaoke machine for entertainment.
When Vennassa Broderdorf, mother of an only son,
heard a friend’s daughter explain how much she wanted a
princess tea party, Broderdorf didn’t hesitate to host.
Her friend, whose house was rather small, was delighted
with the offer.
“We sent out handmade teacup invitations requesting
guests dress as their favorite princess,” Broderdorf
says. Five-year-old Marilyn had eight friends over to
sip “tea” from paper cups with handles and eat cupcakes
called teacakes. The guests were given tiaras when they
arrived, along with candy necklaces and bracelets and
other dollar-store jewels, Broderdorf adds. The guests
took home their jewels, tiaras and Polaroids of their
princess attire, complete with makeup and painted nails.
Angela Drury, a mother of three, hosted her
daughter’s fifth birthday as a glamour party. Using a
box full of dress-up clothes, including shoes, hats and
boas, the guests chose their attire and waited their
turn to walk down the “runway” – a strand of white
Christmas lights on the floor – while Drury, using a
microphone, introduced each of the guests and what they
had chosen to wear.
Boys can also have fun dressing as their favorite
superheroes, as Amy Beck’s son, Ethan, did for his
fourth birthday. With a Batman theme, the guests dressed
as their favorite superheroes and were sent on a mission
after hearing that the “Joker” had stolen the birthday
cake. The guests had to undergo superhero training and a
treasure hunt before a costumed Batman delivered the
birthday cake.
When Ethan turned 5 this year, he decided on his own
birthday theme, requesting a “working” birthday party.
His mom knew how much Ethan loved his toy workshop that
he received at Christmas, so Ethan and his friends
attended a real workshop at a local Home Depot store.
Home Depot and Lowe’s offer free kid workshops one
Saturday each month. The boys made a sports treasure
chest and received a Home Depot apron. Once finished,
they had pizza and ice cream at a nearby pizzeria. The
individual workshop kits can be purchased and made at
home too. Michaels’ and JoAnn Fabrics offer similar
craft-making workshops for birthday parties.
Parents agree it isn’t how much you spend on the
party, but how creative you are within the theme of the
party. Pairing your child’s interests with a little
imagination could make your child’s next birthday party
the talk of the town, without breaking the bank.
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