Parents birthday party ideas?!

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My DD is turning 10 next month, and we haven't had a "real" birthday party for her in a few years (since Easter is always near her B-day we always have to deal with spring break and such) anyway, she really wants a party this year and I am stumped.

She wants to invite all the level 5's (age range 7-10) and she wants a gymnastics theme. We live way out of town, so I'm afraid a lot of people might not come if we have it at our house. there are 12 of them, and I was thinking maybe at Michael's, but they don't allow more than 10 kids. Our gym does parties, but they all pretty much live there already (LOL) so I don't know if that would be any fun.

If we have it at our house, I have some fun ideas, but I'm a little nervous about having that many people over. Anyone have any good ideas? I am going to call around and see if maybe I could rent a meeting room at the YMCA or something closer to the gym, but any ideas at all would be appreciated!

A mom was telling me about having their team girls over, and they had pizza with olympic rings made out of veggies, and a balance beam pinata full of hair scrunchies and things. Are there any gymnastics movies out there besides "stick it"?

Snowbound
 
Gymnastic theme parties

There is a company, birthday express, that had a gymnastic theme for paper plates, etc. We have used them before. Two years ago, when my dd turned 10, she also had a gymnastic theme. We went to the park. The girls were challenged to do bars and balance beam, and then we went on the grass for floor (handstands, cartwheels, etc.). Bear in mind that most of the girls were not in gymnastics, but some were. It was low key, no competition, but just fun challenges. Good luck with your birthday party.

MamaofEnS
 

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I second the park idea. Do you have a park nearby with one of those "exercise trails"? You know, with sets of chin-up bars, sometimes even a low beam, etc?

You could have relays doing the trail or parts of it (some of them are huge). Maybe silly "competitions" for best handstand or goofiest yoga pose. Twister outdoors is always fun. Bring a boombox or iPod with speakers and let your gymie make a (parent approved of course) playlist.

Break up the schedule with ice breaking game and music, an active period, food, maybe a bit more activity, cake and gifts (if you are doing that), then a bit of a cool-down time of maybe just dancing or free play.

A gymnastics themed cake would probably be easy. The pizza idea is awesome! And maybe a food the kids can do "themselves"--a popcorn or ice cream bar, make a funny face with fruits and veggies, cheese and cracker tower building ala Jenga, etc.

If you have time to make your own invites it might be cool to do silhouettes of your gymie (or just clip art) in motion. I picture a half-fold card horizontal, the front flap cut about and 1" shorter than the back to turn the lower section into a "beam" of drawn on lines in the birthday kiddo's favorite color.

I'm a big fan of games where everyone wins. Prizes might be faux gold medals (inexpensive ribbon with a gold chocolate coin attached), hair scrunchies, those teeny nail polishes.

If you are thinking about doing a craft, ask each girl to bring a wallet sized pic of herself. You provide blank notecards (the kind with no lines) and paints, markers, stickers, scrapbooking supplies for the girls to make their own personalized trading cards.

Good luck! My girls were born on Halloween so their b-day is always our family spook-tacular.
 
Daughter just turned 10 last week, she has not had a party in 2 years. Her birthday is always in the middle of meet season, last week we arrived home from the pink invitational just in time to have the family over for birthday cake. Is their any place near you that has rock climbing, I bet the gymnasts would like that. Another idea is there any place that has like trampolines and bouncing pits. The last party my daughter had 3 years ago she had a sleepover and all the girls did a talent show, the girls loved coming up with routines. I did have my daughter's party at her gym when she was 5(pre-team) I ordered plates and decorations from a company birthday express.
 
The park idea sounds good if it is warm enough. Go and have a look at a few and find a nice one. Instead of individual challenges put the girls in team of 3 or 4. Get them to make up group routines using balances and dance as well as simple gym. That would be abit different. They could even have apparatus like balls, hoops, hats, balloons or other props (perhaps they could pick their teams and props from a lucky dip) If kids have a 'task' they tend to be better occupied. Maybe you could video each groups 'show' and send a party disc/ video access to each child afterwards as their 'thank you' card. And you could bring pizza and cake to a park. Have fun it sounds brilliant. My girls are both born in cold months and we can never do outdoor stuff for their birthdays. Im soooo jealous!
 
We have had snow on her birthday before, so even if we picked a park we would need a plan "B" I love the rock climbing idea...will have to look and see if there's anyplace around here that you can do that indoors. (DD did that one time at the fair and the gal running it was shocked when DD pulled herself up on one by her fingers...gotta love that gymnast upper body strength)

great ideas so far! keep the coming!
Snowbound
 
So funny, just last week we finally had my DD's 9th B-Day party too. She also has not had one in a couple years because she has a 2/8 B-Day that always was right around L4 states. This year L5 states was a little earlier, but being in the Winter alot of indoor place were booked way in advance. She loves this little painting place between home & gym so it worked out perfectly for all. Of course she had to invite all the L5's from the team as well as former team friends from old gym. Just one girl from school who was NOT a gymnast, but she knew other girls there so it was OK.
20 invited altogether but I think final count was about 16.

I tried like heck to talk DD into roller skating party but she really had her heart set on the painting. The skating party was cheaper, more physical for the girls (these girls always have so much energy!) and included pizza/drinks. Painting party I had to supply the food/drinks but to my surprise the girls liked the low key event, maybe down time was good, LOL

Another place I was trying to talk DD into was a "movie" party. Check your local theater, they may do partys for larger groups that incude hot dog or pizza, popcorn & drink plus movie! That is a nice way to include everyone too. There are also "beading" parties where girls make bracelets or necklaces, but it was a little too far away and too much $$

Oh, for favors I search online for inexpensive gymnasts themed T-shirts and found a great deal at Gymtreasure (I think) and got 4$ t-shirts! I rolled them up and attached a picture (as a thank you) of my DD on beam that I wrote on and printed off my computer using the Picnik site that said "great friends like you help keep me balanced, thanks for coming to my party" and gave those out with some candy I bought on sale at Valentine's day. Non gym friends got a Target T-shirt (5$) if I didn't find the t-shirts I was going to get in expensive water bottles and fill them up with candy to give out. I've done that for my boys' and what kid couldn't use a new water bottle? Good favor for all!

Good luck!
 
I had another idea for you.

My dd had a sleepover one year for her birthday. I bought cami tops in several sizes, and iron on paper for the computer. Each girl designed the iron-on, and I printed it out on the computer. At the time, it was for "Monster House", which was the theme for her birthday. Anyway, each girl then got to wear her cami (as pj's) to the theatre where we saw the movie Monster House. We also had glow in the dark bracelets for the girls to wear in the theatre. That party was a big hit!

MamaofEnS
 

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last night my friend said there son went to a party where the elementary school gym was rented! I know to use our lunchroom is not to costly!
so just a thought!!

My oldest dd is turning 10 at the end of March (30th) we usually have it in APril after everyone gets out of school plus its usually warmer then too!
this year tho she is having a American girl mystery party

We also have done tie dye parties! that is usually a big hit
last year we had taken jump ropes and hula hoops and such and did obstacle (cant spell today sorry) courses! they loved it
 
I love all of these ideas. DD's birthday is also coming up and we've never had a "friend" party for her, but we are this year. We debated about having it at the gym, but our gym party policy does not let the girls use any of the equipment and I can't imagine putting 7 little gymnasts in a gym and telling them they can't touch the equipment! haha So, then we looked into the Y Center and they have a program where you can rent two athletics courts with two sports (dd chose tennis and soccer) for two hours, plus a climbing wall and then one hour in the party room. I think that's what we're going to do. I'd love to do the painting party or something "artsy" like that, but we don't have anything like that in our area. But, I think I am going to steal some of the theme ideas and favor ideas.
 
DD has a 2/9 birthday here and for her birthday I took her and 3 teammates to paint pottery, then to the Olive Garden for supper. We did this on a school night as we too were in the heart of meet season.
 
Something I have been kinda toying with in my head--My youngest child was attening a party at the local "young kid" birthday partyplace (the kind with the kid habit-trail).

This birthday party showed up and it looked like they rented a limo to pick up all the party goers. My DD (my 8yr old gymmie) thought that was so cool to be treated like a rockstar.

So I was kinda thinking of doing some sort of spin on this idea for her birthday party. Of course, I haven't inquired on the cost yet. But to be picked up in a limo and driven somewhere...maybe to the movies OR the salon for a hair/nail party.
 
My younger sister once had a "celebrity party." The girls were picked up in a limo, which we got for a good deal because it was a friend of the family. Older cousins and Aunts were all waiting when they arrived and we painted their nails and did their hair, rather than go to a salon which would have been costly. We had a dress up fashion show and took each girls picture on the runway. In the thank you notes we sent a copy of the picture.
 
thank you sooooooo much! you guys have the greatest ideas! I'm thinking we may have to do something during the week (or after practice on Saturday) but I think we can probably come up with something fun now. I appreciate all the suggestions. I will let you know how it goes next month!
Snowbound
 
I know I might be late on this post but do you have any indoor pools near you? We have a place that gives lessons (not a YMCA) and they have a party room. They even provide the lifeguards. A couple of dd's teammates have done this and as gifts they all got personalized bags to use when they travel to meets. One year she got a cool beach towel. Just another idea!
 

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