Birthday Parties for Kids :: Simple Can Still Be Special

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My daughter’s 5th birthday is fast approaching (September 2nd!). I kid you not when I tell you she has been talking about it since January. She has concocted in her mind a party of epic proportions: A “Fairy Princess Rock Star Party,” to be exact. You might be wondering what a Fairy Princess Rock Star Party entails. Oh, let me tell you, because I’ve been hearing all about it for months. There will be a huge fairy princess castle bouncy house. I am (apparently?) baking a sparkly rainbow unicorn cake. All those in attendance will don fairy wings and glimmering crowns. And my very favorite part: There will be a stage (daddy will build it – duh) where the birthday girl will sing her favorite Taylor Swift songs. Her admiring audience will swoon at the sight of her pink and purple jewel-encrusted microphone.

birthday | Albuquerque Moms BlogIt would be an understatement to say that my daughter has a healthy imagination. It would also be an understatement to simply state that NO, a Fairy Princess Rock Star birthday party is probably not happening.

I LOVE doing things for my kids. Seeing them having fun and seeing them happy brings me more joy than I could have ever thought possible. Fun birthday parties are no exception. I just really don’t think that birthdays need to be over-the-top to be special!

I have fond memories of my own childhood birthday parties. They typically consisted of some good friends invited to the house to play for a few hours. We’d do cake, ice cream, and presents, and just PLAY. And I loved my birthday parties! They were always fun, and I always felt special.

My family typically celebrates birthday parties for my kids at home or at a playground. We have simple snacks, and no one complains about the fact that the veggie tray wasn’t meticulously arranged to look like a butterfly or an owl. There is boxed cake or cupcake mix with store-bought frosting, and it is always delicious. There might be a simple craft or activity. It probably didn’t come from Pinterest. The kids play outside and enjoy the fresh air.

My daughter’s 4th birthday was at a playground. We had snacks, did a simple craft, and let the kids run, play and have fun!

We laugh, and smile, and our hearts are full.

Five years old feels like a milestone to me. I absolutely want to celebrate that. But I don’t think we need to drop hundreds or invite Taylor Swift to make special memories. Maybe there will be a bouncy house this year. We’ve never done one before. But hey, there’s a first for everything! Don’t tell my daughter, but it probably won’t be a fairy princess castle. And who knows? With my husband’s music equipment and some YouTube music videos, we might even let that rock star thing pan out.

I love that my daughter is so excited for the party itself. But I know that more than anything, it’s the people and the ritual of it all that will make it a special day. You know what I’m talking about. Giggling with good friends. Hugs and kisses from grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins. Singing happy birthday. Blowing out candles. THAT is what makes a birthday special. When it’s all said and done, it’s a day she’ll spend with a whole lot of people who love her. I doubt that the sparkly rainbow unicorn cake she DIDN’T get will even cross her mind.