more birthday ettiquete questions

On Wed, 05 Apr 2006 03:46:41 GMT, "toypup"
wrote:

What exactly does ds want to do? After all, it's his birthday, not
yours and not the other adult's.

I told him about the Power Ranger and he is gungho. He would be just OTT
dreamland, since he is so into Power Rangers ATM. He is inviting all the
friends he wants and he is very excited about it. We can both have the
party we want.

That's cool. Power rangers can work as a theme, though you have to be
careful that the kids don't get too crazy with it.

How about they make a wrist band with *special powers* for a craft?
You could get some plain bands, cut them to size and staple them and
have the kids decorate with power rangers stickers or with markers.

You can get plastic wristbands here in colors.
http://www.admitoneproducts.com/Wris...ic+Wristbands/

Or you can use these:
http://snipurl.com/or6d
(you could print Power Ranger on them) You would have to get
100, but they are pretty cheap.

Or you could do masking tape wristbands (with the sticky side out
they could stick anything to that side and then you could tape it
together in the right side.

Or even beads if the kids are into stringing beads for bracelets.


--
Dorothy

There is no sound, no cry in all the world
that can be heard unless someone listens ..

The Outer Limits

"cjra" wrote in message
ps.com...

Jeanne wrote:
toypup wrote:
"cjra" wrote in message
oups.com...

ouch. Back to back games? I'd think that'd be exhausting for everyone!
I'm a big fan of free play time mixed in, but I realise that's not a
popular concept for kids these days.



I am a fan of free play. One party does not make me a non-fan of
free-play.
All our parties until now have been free-play. How does having one
controlled party make everyone here so upset?



I think cjra is misconstruing your message and thinks that having a
program precludes free-play and of course it doesn't. The parties here
tend to follow a format of 1. free play or small crafts while guests
arrive; 2. special birthday activity/program; 3. cake and ice cream; 4.
(optional) gift opening; 5. free play until parents arrive or guests
leave.

There's always lots of time so kids can just play.


Thanks for the clarification. I assumed that 'back to back' meant,
well, 'back to back' as in one game after another.

My only real experience with *that* sort of program was a few attempts
my mom made back in the day, which didn't go over well with anyone.
Perhaps why none of my siblings plan more than a couple of games at
their kids' parties, we all remember being forced to play yet another
game no one wanted to play ;-)

But that's the opposite I remember from parties. We would usually have back
to back games as a child. The only time I remember "free play" as you're
talking about, in one case we ended up watching a video, waiting for the
next game. If anything I can remember the disappointment that there weren't
more games!
Each to their own. You'll probably find your nephews/nieces go for back to
back games because they remember not having as many games as they like, then
their children will go for only a couple of games... ;-P
Debbie

Welches wrote:

But that's the opposite I remember from parties. We would usually have back
to back games as a child. The only time I remember "free play" as you're
talking about, in one case we ended up watching a video, waiting for the
next game. If anything I can remember the disappointment that there weren't
more games!
Each to their own. You'll probably find your nephews/nieces go for back to
back games because they remember not having as many games as they like, then
their children will go for only a couple of games... ;-P
Debbie

I can't predict the future, but I can say, they always have a blast at
their parties and are asking for the next one. I don't think they're
suffering for lack of organized games at a party. They like playing
with their cousins and friends. Video watching is *not* something done
at a kids party, IME. The TV would never get turned on.

So yeah, to each their own.

Welches wrote:

But that's the opposite I remember from parties. We would usually have back
to back games as a child. The only time I remember "free play" as you're
talking about, in one case we ended up watching a video, waiting for the
next game. If anything I can remember the disappointment that there weren't
more games!

Actually, you just reminded me of *why* I don't like overly structured
kids play. Kids left to their own devices don't know what to do and end
up with the TV as their entertainment.

I am not at all against some structured games. *Some* are fine, but I
prefer to let kids use their creative minds to come up with their own
ideas of fun stuff to do. If they never have the opportunity to do
that, they end up as you describe, watching a video waiting to be told
what to play next.

I also don't think TV is evil, I just don't encourage it as a regular
source of entertainment, esp for kids. There's nothing more exciting
than watching kids come up with their own games, their minds are
amazing, when given the opportunity.

"cjra" wrote in message
oups.com...

Welches wrote:

But that's the opposite I remember from parties. We would usually have
back
to back games as a child. The only time I remember "free play" as you're
talking about, in one case we ended up watching a video, waiting for the
next game. If anything I can remember the disappointment that there
weren't
more games!

Actually, you just reminded me of *why* I don't like overly structured
kids play. Kids left to their own devices don't know what to do and end
up with the TV as their entertainment.

No, there just wasn't the space for us to play run around games, and we
couldn't agree on which craft/sitting down games we wanted to use, and there
wasn't the space to have more than one out. The room we had (and there was a
very good reason which I'm not sharing why we could only be there, and there
wasn't a garden) was small for 10 8 yos to do much.



I am not at all against some structured games. *Some* are fine, but I
prefer to let kids use their creative minds to come up with their own
ideas of fun stuff to do.
Yes, well sometimes they come up with "creative" ideas which you wish you'd
been creative enough to imagine and say weren't allowed!!!

If they never have the opportunity to do
that, they end up as you describe, watching a video waiting to be told
what to play next.
I certainly wouldn't say that the goup I was in never had the opportunity to
do "free play". We had plenty of opportunities. Parties aren't really in my
books the time for free play, you have friends over for tea/for the day for
that.
My memory of the video was being amazed because it was colour. Rarely
watched TV myself and we now don't have one.
Debbie


I also don't think TV is evil, I just don't encourage it as a regular
source of entertainment, esp for kids. There's nothing more exciting
than watching kids come up with their own games, their minds are
amazing, when given the opportunity.

"Welches" wrote in message
...

"cjra" wrote in message
My only real experience with *that* sort of program was a few attempts
my mom made back in the day, which didn't go over well with anyone.
Perhaps why none of my siblings plan more than a couple of games at
their kids' parties, we all remember being forced to play yet another
game no one wanted to play ;-)

But that's the opposite I remember from parties. We would usually have
back to back games as a child. The only time I remember "free play" as
you're talking about, in one case we ended up watching a video, waiting
for the next game. If anything I can remember the disappointment that
there weren't more games!
Each to their own. You'll probably find your nephews/nieces go for back to
back games because they remember not having as many games as they like,
then their children will go for only a couple of games... ;-P
Debbie

I agree. The party I remember with back to back games from my childhood was
the best party I had ever gone to. At any rate, it's not the end of the
world if everything doesn't go as planned. There's always next year.

"cjra" wrote in message
oups.com...

Welches wrote:

But that's the opposite I remember from parties. We would usually have
back
to back games as a child. The only time I remember "free play" as you're
talking about, in one case we ended up watching a video, waiting for the
next game. If anything I can remember the disappointment that there
weren't
more games!

Actually, you just reminded me of *why* I don't like overly structured
kids play. Kids left to their own devices don't know what to do and end
up with the TV as their entertainment.

But why do you assume that because one party is structured that the parents
structure every moment of their child's time? Maybe they do, but you can't
just assume that.

"toypup" wrote in message
. com...

"Welches" wrote in message
...

"cjra" wrote in message
My only real experience with *that* sort of program was a few
attempts
my mom made back in the day, which didn't go over well with
anyone.
Perhaps why none of my siblings plan more than a couple of games
at
their kids' parties, we all remember being forced to play yet
another
game no one wanted to play ;-)

But that's the opposite I remember from parties. We would usually
have back to back games as a child. The only time I remember "free
play" as you're talking about, in one case we ended up watching a
video, waiting for the next game. If anything I can remember the
disappointment that there weren't more games!
Each to their own. You'll probably find your nephews/nieces go for
back to back games because they remember not having as many games
as they like, then their children will go for only a couple of
games... ;-P
Debbie

I agree. The party I remember with back to back games from my
childhood was the best party I had ever gone to. At any rate, it's
not the end of the world if everything doesn't go as planned.
There's always next year.

I'm just laughing at the thought that I'm on here talking to people
who watched videos as children! Oh, now I feel so old....

Bizby

"bizby40" wrote in message
...

"toypup" wrote in message
. com...

"Welches" wrote in message
...

"cjra" wrote in message
My only real experience with *that* sort of program was a few attempts
my mom made back in the day, which didn't go over well with anyone.
Perhaps why none of my siblings plan more than a couple of games at
their kids' parties, we all remember being forced to play yet another
game no one wanted to play ;-)

But that's the opposite I remember from parties. We would usually have
back to back games as a child. The only time I remember "free play" as
you're talking about, in one case we ended up watching a video, waiting
for the next game. If anything I can remember the disappointment that
there weren't more games!
Each to their own. You'll probably find your nephews/nieces go for back
to back games because they remember not having as many games as they
like, then their children will go for only a couple of games... ;-P
Debbie

I agree. The party I remember with back to back games from my childhood
was the best party I had ever gone to. At any rate, it's not the end of
the world if everything doesn't go as planned. There's always next year.

I'm just laughing at the thought that I'm on here talking to people who
watched videos as children! Oh, now I feel so old....

It was the first home video recorder I'd come across, although the school
had them. At home we had a black and white TV that you had to tune in by
moving the dial, and had three volume controls: off, very loud and
intermittant. I think that's why I never got into watching TV as a child.
(and you had to thump the side of the TV from time to time)
Debbie

On Thu, 06 Apr 2006 21:56:08 GMT, "Welches"
wrote:

I'm just laughing at the thought that I'm on here talking to people who
watched videos as children! Oh, now I feel so old....

It was the first home video recorder I'd come across, although the school
had them. At home we had a black and white TV that you had to tune in by
moving the dial, and had three volume controls: off, very loud and
intermittant. I think that's why I never got into watching TV as a child.
(and you had to thump the side of the TV from time to time)
Debbie

hehe. We were just reading "The Berenstain Bears and Too Much TV" to
my 3.5 year old granddaughter. It mentioned getting rid of the black
and white tv and getting a color tv. My dgd had no idea what it meant
to say black and white tv. She thought it meant the outside color of
the tv itself. g


--
Dorothy

There is no sound, no cry in all the world
that can be heard unless someone listens ..

The Outer Limits