Play Ball! #3 in a Series
Oct 24 '00
My daughter is a softball fanatic. (Actually she prefers basketball, but softball comes in a close 2nd). For her 10th birthday party, I was on a lower budget than I normally allow for birthdays, and I really had to get creative. My house is rather small, and accommodating the girls and boys she wanted to invite was going to be difficult. I put on my proverbial thinking cap, and came up with a terrific idea!
A Softball Game as a Party!
Here is what I did. First of all, I had to determine a location. We have a county park nearby, that has several ball fields. I called the park offices, and asked about obtaining a permit to use one of the fields on a specific day. I explained to the woman that I was planning a party for my daughter, and that I required several picnic tables near the field. She assigned me to such a field, that not only had nearby tables, and a barbecue grill, but was adjacent to the playground. She gave me a date, and also a rain date, and I mailed off my $20 check. A few days later, I got my confirmation letter. Step one, complete.
Step two, creating an invitation. My brother in law is an artist, and he drew a great picture of a girl playing softball, which I used for the front cover. I captioned it, “Play Ball!” Within the invitation, I wrote, the following:
Let’s Have a Ball for Kiki’s 10th Birthday!
Sunday, April 30, 2000, at 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM.
County Park, Section B, Field #6
Lunch Will be Served
Please come prepared to play 5 innings of softball
If you have equipment; i.e., glove, bat, helmet, cleats- Please Bring!
RSVP 555-5000, by April 20
Parents and siblings Welcome!
Rain Date, Sunday, May 7, 2000
I gave myself enough time for the RSVP’s, and invited a few more kids than needed, because generally in Spring, it seems kids are always very busy. On Saturdays, kids usually have either soccer, little league or softball, therefore I chose Sunday, a family day, and gave the option to the family to come along, with the younger siblings, as the playground was nearby. I wanted some moms and dads to stay and help, and ‘coach’ as well. Of course, I asked parents I knew very well, ahead of time. I also chose 1PM, as many families attend church on Sunday.
When I had the confirmed guest list, my daughter and I made up the teams, fairly. We then printed out a formal ‘program’ which we made on the computer, and named the two teams; The Angels and The Yankees. We added some pictures we had of her friends, (class pictures, team pictures, etc.) and other graphics. On the back of the ‘program’, we put, “Thank You for Coming to Celebrate Kiki’s Birthday!” On the inside, it listed the batting orders (to avoid arguments and tantrums), and the procession of the party. Play ball from 1PM to 2:30 PM, lunch at 2:30 to 3PM, playground time from 3PM to 3:30, and dessert from 3:30 to 4PM.
Then, we made the shirts. I bought 20 white T-shirts at a local discount shop, for about $1.25 each. I then purchased an iron-on transfer program by Epson, and went about making team T-shirts. I put “Angels” on ten of them, and “Yankees” on the other ten. And of course, numbers on the backs. 1-10, and 11-20.
If you are overly ambitious, you may purchase baseball hats, in two colors, however, I just wasn’t up to it!!
Next is was time to plan the menu. Typical baseball fare was in order, and having the barbecue grill at the site, Hot Dogs seemed the logical choice. I purchased them on sale, and kept them in the freezer until party day! I bought ketchup, mustard, buns, and accompanying potato chips, in several varieties. Voila! Lunch! (A husband, brother-in-law, or father-in-law, etc., is a great choice to employ as your cook)
Appropos for an outdoor party, are dirt cups. I prepared them the night before the party. Recipe, as follows:
Prepared Chocolate Pudding (instant is fine)
Crushed Oreos (crush ‘em yourself in the food processor)
Gummy Worms, Bugs, etc.
plastic cups.
I bought plastic party cups, the kind you use for fruit, or pudding, and layered crushed oreo’s (the dirt) at the bottom, then pudding, then oreo’s, etc. On top, garnish with gummy worms, or bugs. Buy a bag of plastic spoons. Kids love this! And it’s no more work than baking cupcakes!
Of course, I also prepared a cake for the adults and the rest of the guests. You can buy one, bake one, whatever. Don’t forget forks, plates, and napkins. I bought a case of juice boxes for the party, for the ease of cleaning up, and to reduce spilling!
As a party favor, I purchased ‘sport water bottles’ from the Oriental Trading Company. (This is a GREAT company for purchasing party favors, gifts, etc. Also known as OTC.) And with several colors of paint pens, went to work personalizing them. I wrote the team name, the child’s name, and their # on the bottle. I also drew a baseball, which is SO easy; a white circle, and red stitching.
I also prepared peanuts in the shell, in little cellophane bags, tied with ribbon, for each child.
As I said, I had asked a few parents to help out with the game, and they were more than willing. The game was great, and the party was a Homerun! It was original, and hadn’t been done before!
If you have a sports fan in your house, this is a great idea! Of course, I am sure you can think of many other special touches to personalize this party for you and your child! But remember, Have a Ball!
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
BadtzGirl
|
|
Member: Jennifer
Location: New Joisey
Reviews written: 70
Trusted by: 27 members
|
|
|
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.