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Do you cringe just a little when
you get an invitation for your child to attend a birthday party? I am always
afraid they are going to load op on cake, candy, sodas and pizza, play
videogames and come home with a bag of plastic toys that will inevitably end up
in the trash. There are healthy alternatives to these children’s birthday party
norms, and hopefully you’ll be able to set an example for other parents to
follow with these suggestions.
Skip the pizza, soda, cake and
try option that are better for the children’s blood sugar and won’t cause them
to spike and crash. Setting up a taco bar is a good way to offer grilled or
sautéed veggies and chicken or beef. Baked ziti made with whole wheat pasta,
homemade marinara, all natural cheese and any veggies you think you can sneak
in. for dessert try baking an all natural carrot cake with homemade icing.
Serve water and juice instead of soda and you should have a group of relatively
calm kiddos.
Kids are very inquisitive; if the
weather permits the party to be outside, try scheduling a nature hike with a
guide or a trip to the zoo. Take butterfly nest, insect jars and a book lined
with pieces of tissue paper for pressing flowers. After the hike, take all of
the nature the kids collected back to the house. The flowers can be pressed and
dried, then pinned to linen covered cardboard for party favor craft. The
butterflies and bugs can be looked at and talked about then released all at
once in the backyard at the end of the party.
Science museums will often
welcome birthday groups and organize a tour for your party if you set it up in
advance. See if the wouldn’t mind demonstrating a science experiment to show
the kids. Planetariums also offer fascinating, educational experiences and the
dramatic experience is exciting. Check is your town to see if there is an
exotic pert party person. You can hire them to come to your house with frogs
and iguanas and snakes and other animals to show off to take the kids and get
them interested in zoology. A petting zoo party is also another option to get
the kids excited. There is no need to worry about throwing your child birthday
party because with a little bit of planning you can teach them healthy and
inquisitive ways to celebrate their birthdays from now on.