Entertaining your children’s friends is never an easy task and coming up with an idea for a birthday party is often harder. Recently, Fresh Baby creator Cheryl Tallman’s son Spencer turned five and the event was celebrated with a cooking school extravaganza. For 2 1/2 hours Cheryl and her husband transformed their home into “The Cooking School for Brilliant Kids.” Here she shares just how she did it!

We started out doing a little research on the Internet and found a neat web site called www.kidsaprons.com. We ordered disposable chef hats and aprons, and picked up a few kidsized cooking utensils to use in the take home gift bags. We also planned the menu and developed a schedule for the party.

Before the children arrived, we covered a ping pong table with white paper, did some prep on the foods, and decorated the dining room table for the birthday luncheon with balloons and the Star Wars tablecloth and plates that Spencer picked out.

When each kid arrived, they were fitted with their chef hat and apron, and we took a digital photo. We printed out their names (i.e “Chef Spencer”) on plain paper, cut it out, and used clear packaging tape to stick their name on their apron and hat. While we were waiting for all the guests to arrive, the children were given stickers to decorate their chef hats. This gave them something to do and also gave them some time to get comfortable.

The party menu included French bread pizza, pigs in a blanket, carrots sticks and green beans, and for dessert, ice cream and cupcakes. Our school started with a “group” experience of making ice cream. Each child took a turn pouring, measuring, or whisking, while the others watched attentively. We poured our ice cream in the machine and moved on to making lunch.

We spread the kids out around the table and started with the French bread pizza, each child took a piece of bread and “painted” it with pizza sauce, sprinkled cheese, added pepperoni, and placed their creation on a cookie sheet. The pigs in a blanket were next. Each child took a piece of crescent roll dough that were already separated onto a piece of wax paper. They picked up a hot dog with tongs and then rolled the dough around the hot dog, and they were placed on another sheet pan.

After the main course was prepared, we took a class photo, and it was time for a break while the master chef (me!) put everything in the oven. The kids all went into the living room for a game of “Pin The Mustache On The Chef”, and a magic show put on by my husband Roger, who picked up some magic books at the library the week before. By the time entertainment was done, the kid’s masterpieces were ready to be served. In the dining room each child’s plate had a piece of pizza, a pig in the blanket, some carrot sticks and green beans. The kids were so excited about their accomplishments. They all happily and proudly ate their lunch.

After lunch, it was back to cooking school for cupcake decorating. We had colored icing bags (tied at the top) and an assortment of sprinkles. This was the BEST event of all, the kids had great time. The creativity of a five year old is absolutely precious. After about 20 minutes, it was back to the dining room, were we sang “Happy Birthday”, and gobbled up our cupcakes and homemade ice cream. After that, we opened gifts and gave out the take home gift bags. Two and half hours seemed to fly by.

Spencer’s thank you notes were sent with a certificate (printed on our home computer) from “The Cooking School for Brilliant Kids”, and it included the child’s picture and the class photo.

If you are thinking of having your own cooking extravaganza, here are few tips that you might find useful:

Age 1: Invite only family members and close friends only because this birthday is more for the parents than for the child. At age 1, a child doesn’t understand the concept of “Birthday Party.” He or she is getting a lot of attention—which is all a 1-year-old wants or understands anyway. You should not go overboard on presents because too much could scare or confuse a child. You should consider getting specialty items such as a plate that says “First Birthday,” a 1-year-old candle, and possible a table cover that everyone could sign with fabric paint to have as keepsakes that can someday be shown (or given to) to your grown child.

Age 2: 2-years-olds should have one or two playmates over for a small Birthday Play Day. Again I suggest you keep a birthday plate and other keepsakes for your 2-year-old.

Age 3: 3-year-olds should have three to four playmates over, and at this age you might have try a birthday game such as “Who can stack the blocks the highest?” I do not recommend having a clown or playing any games that require a blindfold over a child’s eyes such key due to the fact either can scare children at this age. Remember your child has just turned 3, and the playmates are around that age. They are still not able to understand fully structured games very well. They only know if they do something good or better than other children, everyone will give them attention. Again I suggest you collect keepsakes.

Age 4: At 4, children should now be ready for a “real” party. I suggest four or five playmates. 4-year-olds are ready now for party decorations, but I suggest you do less and save your money for the big number “5” birthday (or buy decorations that you can put away and use again). Games such as Musical Chairs, and carrying a hard boiled egg on a spoon to the finish line without dropping it relay race can be appropriate, but remember that games will be played and finished much sooner than you think. Consider having a few of your child’s favorite videos on hand. Even if the kids have seen them 100 times, they will enjoy them. After an hour or so, you will probably need a break and the children might be cranky. A movie they are all spellbound by will be a great way to relax the kids and you. You might want to consider spreading a couple of blankets on the floor and have some pillows handy for sleepyheads!

Age 5: 5-year-olds should have a big party, but remind them that this is because they are the big “5,” and either starting school or just in school, and having a “big” party will not happen every year. Explain to them that big parties are only for special birthdays such as 5 because they have started or are starting school, 10 because that is the first double-digit number, and of course 16 (“Sweet 16” for girls and “Driving Age” for boys). This will save you money in the long run. On the fifth birthday, I suggest you first decide if you want to do it yourself, rent a building or park area but still do it yourself, or call local businesses (like McDonalds) to see what party-planning packages they offer. I personally suggest renting a park area if weather permits because the kids will be just as happy playing on park equipment as they would if you spent a ton of money on a professionally planned party. Have several inexpensive disposable cameras on hand and let your Birthday Boy or Girl take pictures of his or her first “big” party!

Great games for 5-year-olds whether inside or outside are:

Choosing A Theme
How do you go about choosing a theme for your baby’s birthday? Even a one year old probably has something he enjoys whether that is a toy, a TV show, balloons or some other inanimate object. Pick one of your baby’s favorite things and create a birthday around that theme. Your baby probably won’t understand it at the time, but it is a great way to look back in 18 years and see what your baby was “into” at that particular age. Themes vary widely, but some might include:

• Sesame Street
• Elmo
• Balloons
• Clowns
• Animals (dogs, cats, etc.)
• Barbie
• Disney
• Princess
• Trucks
• Cars
• Movie theme

Decorating
Picking one theme and using it for decorating makes decorating very easy. You can normally find all your party decorations together making it simple to buy plates, napkins and cups of the same theme at the same time. Whether or not your theme is “balloons”, your baby probably loves them and sometimes you can find balloons that can be blown up in your theme as part of your decorations. You may be able to find inexpensive pictures or posters in your theme to hang on walls, or buy them at a party store. You can hang streamers from your ceiling in colors that coordinate with your theme, and if it is age appropriate for your child, a piñata would be fun!

Don’t Over Do It
While a birthday party is fun, and picking a theme is a great idea, you want to make sure you do not over do it and overwhelm your baby. While one years olds can easily be over stimulated, three year olds can often be as well. Too much excitement, cake, candy and punch for a three year old can bring on a total meltdown making it hard for you to get your baby to calm down and rest. Watch for cues from your child to when they have had enough. If you are putting up decorations and it seems to be too much, pull some down. You can stick to a theme with a few decorations and still make it a great party!

PLANNING

Keep it simple
At all ages, simple events tend to be successful and more fun. Complicated parties usually require extensive planning with little additional fun-value. What’s most important to the kids? Friends, goodies and gifts!

Watch your numbers
To keep things under control, the number of guests should be equal to one to one-and-a-half times your child’s age. (A four-year-old would have 4 to 6 guests, an eight-year-old can handle 8 to 12 guests.) For a sleepover party, divide that number in half. (Multiply the number of guests times three to determine the number of vacation days you’ll need to recover from the event!)

Involve the guest of honor
Involve your child in the planning and set up. Your child will be happier with the results and you’ll be forced to delegate some of the responsibility! Keep in mind that in case of a disagreement, YOU are the ultimate decision maker for the event.

Create a schedule of events
Things will go more smoothly if you have a planned schedule. If you know that cake-eating should be done by 2:00 you can move things along if the kids are dawdling. The schedule will keep you more calm.

YOUR KID

Plan ahead
Discuss the details of the event with your child a day or two before the party. Talk about what behavior you expect from your child. Review appropriate manners regarding arrival of guests, games and activities and opening of gifts. When you clearly describe your expectations, you can avoid the behavior problems that arise when a child is brimming with the excitement of the party environment.

Handle misbehavior wisely
Despite the best preparation, many kids become overly stimulated at their own party. You may find your usually well-behaved child jumping on your new sofa. If this happens, calmly take your child to a private corner. Acknowledge that you understand today’s excitement. Then, clearly identify two things: what you don’t want your child to do, and more importantly, what you DO want done instead.

Pick your battles
Relax your regular rules a bit. This isn’t a good time to insist that your child clean his plate before dessert.

OTHER KIDS

Know WHY they misbehave
If you understand why some of your little guests are acting “goofy” you can keep the proper perspective. First, the excitement of the event can wind kids up. Second, some kids get jealous of the guest of honor. Third, some are just acting normally, but it doesn’t match up to your idea of proper behavior.

Calmly correct bad behavior
If you see something you don’t like, take the child aside and make a specific request for change. Be polite, but clear and firm. “We don’t climb on our furniture. Please stay off the table.”

Re-direct their energy
Distract a misbehaving child by giving him a task to do, such as passing out the cake or assembling parts of a game. A busy child is less likely to be disruptive.

End on a good note
Lots of parties fall apart at the very end, when the planned activities are complete, but parents have not yet arrived. Have a quiet fill-in ready, such as coloring, bead-art, or even a video movie.

Copyright Elizabeth Pantley. (McGraw-Hill, 2003)

About the author:
Elizabeth Pantley is the author of several books, including Gentle Baby Care : No-cry, No-fuss, No-worry — Essential Tips for Raising Your Baby, The No-Cry Sleep Solution: Gentle Ways to Help Your Baby Sleep Through the Night, Kid Cooperation (with an introduction by William Sears, MD), Perfect Parenting, as well as her latest The No-Cry Sleep Solution for Toddlers and Preschoolers and is also president of Better Beginnings, Inc. She is a popular speaker on family issues, and her newsletter, Parent Tips, is seen in schools nationwide. She appears as a regular radio show guest, and has been quoted in Parents, Parenting, Redbook, Good Housekeeping, American Baby, Working Mother, and Woman’s Day magazines. Visit Elizabeth’s web site http://www.pantley.com/elizabeth.