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| | Gathering Party Resources |
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By Shelly Radic
 Planning a birthday party challenges the time, money, and people resources of many young families. To meet the challenge, take a lesson from the honeybee. These hard-working insects achieve sweet results by making use of a variety of resources both within and without the hive.
Just as honeybees need each other to produce enough honey to survive the winter, parents need each other to survive a birthday party. Ask your spouse to hang decorations and organize game supplies, a grandparent to bake the cupcakes, and a friend to snap pictures of the festivities. Consider your child as a people resource as well. Preschoolers love to flit around making invitations, sorting craft supplies, or spreading icing on the cake.
A variety of resources are available to assist parents in finding the right blend of activities to keep the party buzzing along. Ask neighbors and friends for craft ideas, explore party planning and activity books at the library, bookstore, or online. Entering a party theme, such as “Bug Party Ideas” into your favorite Internet search engine usually yields a myriad of ideas. These same sources may also provide shopping lists, planning sheets, and game instructions that will keep the party running smoothly.
Online Birthday Resources
| Purchasing party supplies can be a costly and time-consuming task. Be aware of the resources for decorating and crafts you might already have at home. Children’s toys and books are good sources for decorations, old shoes, clothes and hats make interesting costumes, and recyclable containers may become musical instruments, toys, or a maze of tunnels to explore. The local thrift store or dollar store may help take the sting out of purchasing party favors or game prizes.
Complete party supply packages are becoming increasingly popular. Sometimes referred to as a "birthday in a box", these packages contain invitations, thank you notes, decorations, cake decorating supplies, paper goods, and party favors. A wide variety of themed packages are available online at reasonable prices.
Think like a honeybee and utilize resources in your home, community and online to create birthday party memories that will stick with your child for a lifetime.
PLUS, invite preschoolers to "bee" your guest and "crawl" on over for a bug-themed birthday party. Check out Shelly Radic’s Buggy Birthday party ideas.
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Shelly Radic is the Director of Group Life at MOPS International and also the author of The Birthday Book: Creative Ways to Celebrate Your Child’s Special Day. Having hosted more than forty children's birthday celebrations, and attended countless others, Shelly is delighted to provide parents with a wealth of birthday planning ideas.
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