My birthday is at the end of August. Growing up I always considered it a curse to have a summer birthday. For many years I didn’t have a party with friends because they were either out of town on vacation or they were too busy getting ready to head back to school.
Some twenty-plus years later, I’ve learned that having a summer birthday doesn’t have to be a bummer. Rather, there are plenty of ways you can infuse fun into an outdoor bash that makes the most of the season’s beautiful weather:
Cupcake War: This year, my daughter is insisting that I have a “Cupcake War”-themed birthday party inspired by the Food Network show of the same name. She suggested that we purchase plain cupcakes and set-up decorating stations in our garage featuring a slew of tasty cupcake toppers, such as frosting, chocolate chips, lollipops, mints, Skittles, mini marshmallows, licorice, and gumdrops. Each guest is responsible for embellishing a cupcake that will be sent off to the judge’s table and evaluated based on creativity and looks. After a winner is declared all the guests can head out into the yard, sit under our large Maple tree, and nosh on the decorated cupcakes and sip lemonade.
Under the Sea: If you can’t make it to the beach for your birthday, then bring the sand and sea to your backyard. Set-up a “fishing” area by hanging a plastic shower curtain or sheet over a tree branch and have kids cast lines for prizes. Use a paper cut-out fish with magnetic tape on the back, and a fishing pole made with a dowel, string and large paper clip attached to the end. On the other side of the curtain or sheet, have adults attach little toys or treats to the paper clip, and then have kids retrieve their lines to reveal their prizes. For lunch, serve fish sticks and potato chips for a kid-friendly version of fish ‘n chips. You could also have a castle-making contest in your sand box and send home live goldfish as party favors.
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