Birthday Parties for Children: How to Give Them, How to Survive Them

By Jean Marzollo

Book Overview

Everyone knows the basic ingredients of a traditional birthday party: a cake with candles, presents, and games. However, successfully pulling it all together for a roomful of toddlers or young children takes thoughtful preparation. Jean Marzollo's ultimate party planner provides every detail parents need, including lists of age-appropriate foods and activities, ideas for kid-made party invitations and placemats, suggested read-aloud books for quiet time, advice on handling crises such as hurt feelings or sudden chaos, indoor and outdoor party tips, and directions for making wonderful parties on a budget. Discover how to create exciting theme parties such as a zoo, circus, Valentine's Day, Halloween, baseball, cartoon, or country fair party, and how to organize a child's first deep-over party. Packed with helpful illustrations, easy-to-follow instructions for dozens of games, and special recipes, this is the perfect guide to birthday party planning for anxious parents and their children.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0060910143
• ISBN13: 9780060910143
• Release Date: January 1983
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
• Length: 176 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 8.0" x 5.1"

Customer Reviews

Great ideas!

I bought this book in 1988 when my oldest son was three. I had no idea what to do at a birthday party other than to serve cake! It contains "themed" parties but also has sections on recipes, games, and activities to do for each appropriate age group. For instance, it says that 5-year-olds generally do not like to play "win or lose" games, so this book has many suggestions for games that do not leave anyone crying because he has lost a game. EXCELLENT -- the games are great, and the kids have fun and are happy. I now have three children, and the best suggestion that I've found that is a hit is the scavenger hunt. However many children attend the party determines the number of "notes." Each child reads a note that will lead him to the next note and eventually the treasure. Kids absolutely go wild over this! This book makes planning a home birthday party not only simple but fun. My kids' friends always leave saying that this [particular] birthday party was one of the most fun they've ever attended! The games spark the imagination yet more importantly, are FUN for kids. This book has made my life as parent of a birthday child much, much easier. I sincerely highly recommend it!