The Best Birthday Party Ever

Remember the days when birthday parties were held in your homes or at a local fast food restaurant with a play area? Remember when it was just one party with the immediate family at home or in a restaurant? Nowadays, and less homey. Even if the party is at home, you'll likely want to hire an entertainer or rent a bouncy house or something fun. We've had good experiences with , a face painter from the Enchanted Garden, and the Magic Genie. The destination parties we've thrown were at the Beardsley Zoo, the Dinosaur State Park, and recently at Studio 2 of the Enchanted Garden.

The party at the Enchanted Garden earlier this month was hip-hop themed, and guests were asked to dress the part. The kids played freeze-dance and other old-fashioned games involving bean sacks and chairs. Then they were taught some dance moves to a popular song with disco lights. There was a lot of giggling and laughter. This party alone reminded me of several things about birthday parties:

• It doesn't matter what time your party runs (ours was 1-2:30 pm), the kids will eat the pizza, especially after running around for an hour.
• Kids do enjoy simple games; just make sure there is good music and that they can scream as loud as they can.
• When offered soda, kids will say "yes" (it was meant for adults).
• Cupcakes and juiceboxes are so much easier to serve. 
• We don't have to clean up after the party.

Overall, everyone had fun and for one of the girls, it was "the best party ever!" It got me thinking, though, about last year's party at our house. We had a "Barbie and the Three Musketeers" theme and I heard the same four words from a guest. Unlike the previous years, this was a girls-only party and we did not have an entertainer. The girls sang and danced to the Barbie soundtrack with their wands as one of the activities after crafts and a role-playing game. We had about 20 girls. You know what? The clean up was not that bad, but I was exhausted afterwards. So, yes, destination parties do have that advantage. I did like that the party was not rushed, nor did it feel like we were in a factory. For us, the next party's location will all depend on the theme that the birthday girl/boy desires.

If you're looking for a venue in Fairfield County, check out Moms in Weston, CT for some ideas, including the for a winter pool party and services like Sound Directions and CT Face Art.

Whether it's the best birthday party or not, it's not my day. So long as (s)he is happy, I'm happy. Involving your child in the planning process (unless it's a surprise) is a special activity in itself. My two cents?

• Keep the party as simple as possible and just have fun with the kids. 
• Book early. popular entertainers and establishments fill their calendars quickly.
• Have plenty of food and drink. 
• Just ask. If you see a take-out deal from your favorite restaurant, ask if you can order multiples. 
• Have the restaurants deliver.
• Don't forget the .