Birthday Parties 2.0

Remember when there were only two kinds of birthday parties? The first was a two-hour frenzy of birthday cake-fuelled yelling, screaming and pinning-the-tail-on-anything-but-the-donkey. In the second, for some inexplicable reason, Mom and Dad decided to extend the chaos and let your friends sleep over (with “sleep” being a very loose term).

Well, we’re happy to report that along with the enlightened development of items like stylish maternity clothing, safety-tested car seats and organic baby food, the children’s birthday party has also evolved.

In a giant leap for parentkind, many birthday parties now take place off-site, meaning you will never have to figure out how to get sat-upon pink icing off your new couch. Here are some to consider:

• Have a birthday party in your second home—the grocery store. Upstairs at Loblaws (or the Real Canadian Superstore) offers a two-hour party where the kids make their meal and eat it too. Messy? You bet—the food prep is completely hands-on but that’s not your problem. Loblaws does everything for you, including providing the invitations and cake. For an extra fee, they’ll even put together loot bags.
• Get outside. Al fresco parties are not only for those born in the sunny summer months. Here are some seasonal ideas:
  • Winter. Left it to the last minute? There’s still time to book a snow tubing party at Mount Pakenham. Enjoy the snow then head inside for pizza and soft drinks in the cafeteria.
  • Spring. Try a sugarbush party at Proulx Farm in Cumberland. Enjoy the petting zoo, slides, a romp in the hay and, of course all things maple.
  • Summer. Make a splash with a Mont Cascades Waterpark party. Gather at least six paying guests and cool off in the hot summer months.
  • Fall. For a ghoulishly good time celebrate Haunting Season together with your child’s birthday at Saunders Farm.

Feeling confident? Want to stick close to home? We have three golden rules for entertaining at home:

• Get Help - Pay a neighbourhood teen to paint faces, fingernails or deliver that much-needed final whack to the piňata (big kids are way cooler than parents). Consider hiring someone to clean your house after the party.
• KISS - Keep It Short for everyone’s Sake. Better to end on a high note after an hour and a half than to be dragging crying kids out the door after a party has gone on too long.
• Embrace DIY - Let the kids dress their own pizza and decorate their own dessert (cupcakes, sundaes, etc.). If you’re having a piňata let them fill their own loot bags with the spoils—more fun for them and less prep for you.

There is so much more (we haven’t even dealt with the cake, and you know we want to have it and eat it too)—so stay tuned for the next Savvy birthday edition this summer.

And remember, if you can, take a moment to celebrate yourself too since you put the “birth” in birthday.

P.S. We’re sure you have a savvy birthday bash idea. Let’s hear it.

Loblaws/Real Canadian Superstore
www.loblaw.ca

Mount Pakenham
Ski Hill Road
Pakenham, ON
(613) 624-5290
www.mountpakenham.com

Proulx Farm
1865 CH O’Toole Road
Cumberland, ON
(613) 833-2417
www.proulxberryfarm.com

Mont Cascades
448 Mont Cascades Road
Cantley, QC
(819) 827-0301 x240
www.montcascades.ca

Saunders Farm
7893 Bleeks Road
Munster, ON
(613) 838-5440
www.saundersfarm.com

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