When your ten-year-old requests a "survival" birthday party for his upcoming eleventh birthday, you make it happen. You might stress out a bit when the first idea you had does not work, you might have too much fun coming up with party favor ideas (hatchet, axe, torch...), and you might second guess your decision when the day of the party it is rainy and cold, but you still make it happen. |
First things first, after stopping for a quick beer and snack with my husband (because my introverted self needs a little liquid courage for things like this), balloons were purchased for scavenger hunt markers. The boys would need to follow a map to their lunch supplies. Each supply drop was marked with a blue balloon. |
It was cold, it was wet, and it was windy. The adults were nice and warm in the shop, and I was a bit worried that the kids were not going to have fun, but I was wrong. Even though the youngest of the crew came back with cold hands, he was a trouper and as soon as he warmed up went back to the fort.
We had two extra kids, the younger brother of one friend (his little heart would have been broken if he was not included, so, of course, he was allowed to join in the fun) and the older brother of another friend (he was in charge of flipping the hot dogs), and I can honestly say that all of the kids enjoyed themselves. Age does not matter when kids are outside, active, working together, and having fun.
One day soon parties like this will not be requested, but until that day comes I will do my best to make this type of fun happen.