It doesn’t matter whether you’re turning six or sixty-six, everyone likes to feel special on their birthday! Below you will find a few simple but fun traditions you can start for your family to make certain each member feels cherished on his or her birthday. These traditions are really about helping your family create and helping your child retain fond memories. And below those traditions you will find a listof local businesses specializing in making parties festive and fun. There are options for parties at your home or outside your home. And there are wonderful party ideas for infants to adults—there is something for everyone!

Birthday Traditions: Save a local and/or national newspaper on your family member’s birthday every year. Start a Birthday Journal for each family member. Have the birthday celebrant write down what kind of party they had, who attended, their two or three favorite gifts, and a couple other lines about their special day. If your child is too young to write, you can write for them. Have the guests write a note to the birthday child. The journal can be as simple and inexpensive as a spiral notebook or you can get as fancy as you’d like. Measure and record your child’s height—either in their birthday journal or on a wall somewhere in their room—to show how much they’ve grown in the last year. Take a picture of your child (in the same location, if possible) each year on their birthday. Store these pictures in a special photo album or in their birthday journal. It’s fun to look back at the pictures and see how they’ve changed throughout the years. Write an annual letter to each family member on their birthday telling them all the reasons they are special to you. Include a few examples of things that have happened in the last year of their life that made you proud.

---

Birthday Party Specialists:

Capital Area Gymnastics. Topeka, Ks. Have your birthday party at Capital Area Gymnastics! Invite all your friends to the best gymnastics birthday party around! Enjoy 1 hour of fantastic gymnastics games and activities with a CAGE staff member and celebrate with refreshments and gift opening for the next 1/2 hour. CAGE provides: bowls, cups, spoons, drink boxes, and a treat bag with a helium balloon for each child. Parent provides: birthday cake, any other refreshments, serving utensils, and decorations. Bring the birthday candles and matches or a lighter to make the party complete. Cost: $95 for up to 8 children, $5 each additional child. A $20 non-refundable deposit is due at the time you book the party. Please book a minimum of 2 weeks in advance. Contact: 785-266-4151 / www.cagegymnastics.com

Family Memories Scrapbooks. Eudora, Ks. Family Memories Scrapbooks is offering a new kind of birthday party - Scrapbook Crop Private Parties. Choose from 2 packages. The Petite Scrapper is for ages 8–11. Enjoy their room with up to 10 guests for 3 hours. The young scrappers will create two 12 x 12 page layouts at $10 per guest. The second package is the Teen Scrapper for ages 12–17 and may have up to 12 guests with the use of the room for 5 hours at a charge of $6 per guest. These scrappers may do one or two 12 x 12 page layouts at $7 per layout. They offer cake, ice cream, and drink for both packages at $35, and pizza is available for the Teen Scrapper party. Contact Jamie at 785-542-1727 for more information.

Googols of Fun. Lawrence, Ks. Let Googols of Fun make your party the most memorable party ever! Themed parties are their specialties. The Great Party includes a private party room, admission for 6 for unlimited play, a party host, a game or activity, paper goods, cutlery, and decorations. The Googol Party offers everything the Great Party includes plus a small drink for each child, 12 tokens for each child, and a present for the birthday child. Cost: Specialty Parties $250; Googols of Fun Party $130; Great Party $95. Additional children and add-ons cost extra. Contact: 785-856-6002 / www.googolsoffun.com

Lawrence Gymnastics Academy. Lawrence, Ks. Let the staff at LGA help you celebrate your child’s next birthday. Enjoy a party in their facility—they’ll do the entertaining for you. They offer 1 hour of fun, active play in the gym with organized activities, obstacle courses, and pit and trampoline time. The last 30 minutes are for refreshments and gifts. Choose from two party options—both for 12 children ($5 for each additional). Package #1 - “Basic Party” includes 1 hour in the gym and 1/2 hour party time for refreshments and gifts. Cost:$100 for non-members or $90 for members. Package #2 - “No Stress Party” costs $145 non-members or $135 for members and offers the same as above PLUS they provide invitations, goodie bags, drinks, plates, napkins, forks, candles, and 1/4 sheet cake. To reserve your party, call 785-865-0856.

Lawrence Parks & Rec Indoor Aquatic Center. Lawrence, Ks. Make your child’s birthday a no-stress event by purchasing a Birthday Party Package from the Aquatic Center. Packages are available for groups of any size and include time in the party room, swimming admission, personalized invitations, balloons, cupcakes, drinks, and your choice of party theme! For an even bigger splash, add pizza or treat bags! Your party can be arranged over the phone. Call Monday – Friday, 8 a.m.–4 p.m. Basic packages: $75–$165; Basic plus pizza: $90–$195; Basic plus pizza/treat bags: $105-$240. Call 785-832-SWIM.

Lawrence Parks & Rec Gymnastics Parties. Lawrence, Ks. Join Lawrence Parks & Recreation qualified gymnastics staff for a fun-filled 1-1/2 hour birthday party for children ages 3 years and older! These gymnastic parties include one hour of supervised instruction in the gymnastics gym and 30 minutes in a private party room. Depending on age, activities include group warm ups, an obstacle course, uneven bars, balance beam, trampoline, and parachute games. Fee also includes a T-shirt for the birthday child. Participants provide their own decorations and refreshments. Gymnastics parties are offered on Saturday and Sundays from 1–2:30 p.m. or 3–4:30 p.m. Gymnastics packages include: Package A: Up to 10 kids for $75. Package B: Up to 20 kids for $95. For information, contact Jo Ellis at 785-832-7930.

Madame Hatter’s Tea Room. Eudora, Ks. Madame Hatter’s Tea Room is the place to hold your next birthday celebration. Located in a turn-of-the-century bank, your guests will have the time of their life. They offer a variety of birthday packages. Each package includes full use of the “Dress-Up Vault.” All ages will enjoy dressing up in vintage hats, boas, costume jewels, and more. A wonderful lunch is served along with tasty teas and desserts from 11 a.m.–3 p.m., Tuesday–Saturday. Reservations are suggested. As well as birthday packages, Madame Hatter’s hosts a variety of special events. They offer after hours meetings, celebrations, book clubs, parties, and more. Please call 785-542-1792.

Noah’s Ark Animal Workshop. They come to you! Best party for child and mom! You can have a truly unique birthday party with Noah’s Ark Animal Workshop. They supply all the materials needed to stuff, dress and name your own 17–18 inch stuffed animal. Bears to monkeys, and everything in between, they can fit any birthday theme! They provide a 45–60 minute hands-on, fun and fulfilling activity plus a wonderfully cuddly and memorable party favor for every guest! FREE outfit for the birthday child—$12 value! Contact: 913-768-9508

Prairie Park Nature Center. Lawrence, Ks. These exciting parties include a naturalist-led nature program and activity for 30–45 minutes. Children can choose from different themes including “Slithering Snakes,” “Talons of Terror,” “Wild and Wacky Wildlife of Kansas,” and “Slimy Frogs, Warty Toads, and the Truckin’ Turtle.” Parties also include two hours in the Nature Classroom. Packages cost $65. Participants supply their own food and decorations. Call 785-832-7980.

Royal Crest Lanes. Lawrence, Ks. Party Packages based on 8 bowlers. The #1 Split is a 1-1/2 hour party which includes 1 game of bowling, shoes, small soft drink, free bowling coupon, and balloons. Cost: $59.95. The #2 Spare is a 2 hour party which includes 1 hour in party room, 1 game of bowling, shoes, small soft drink, free bowling coupon, balloons, 4 game tokens, and birthday certificate. Cost: $79.95. The #3 Strike is a 3 hour party which includes 1 hour in party room, 2 games of bowling, shoes, small soft drink, free bowling coupon, balloons, 8 game tokens, birthday certificates, and 2 large pizzas. Cost: $119.95. Contact: www.royalcrestbowl.com / 785-842-1234

Sunfire Ceramics. Downtown Lawrence, Ks. Sunfire Ceramics Paint-n-Parties may be held at the location of your choice with the Portable Party Option—the pottery and supplies are packed up to be taken with you. Sunfire also offers the festive Garden Party Room in which to celebrate. Party guests choose from the Budget Birthday shelves where items are $10–$11 or less, INCLUDING the painting and the firing. Items include snack plates, ice cream bowls, cups, boxes, statues, vases, frames, switchplates, and more. Painted items are food, dishwasher, and microwave safe and are ready to pick up in 3–5 days. You will receive a FREE Birthday Plate with your party of 6 or more people. Parties last from 1-1/2 to 2 hours. Cake and presents are welcome. Sunfire takes care of all of the instructions and the cleanup, so you just get to have the Paint-n-Party Fun! Call 785-749-2828.

Topeka Zoo. Topeka, Ks. Celebrate your child’s birthday at the wildest place in town! Parties are offered year round. Choose from 2 packages. “Lone Wolf” includes: group roams Zoo on its own, 2 hour rental of half the covered Pavilion, personalized cake, juice, ice cream cups, paper products, admission for 12 people (any combo of kids/adults), setup and cleanup of party area, volunteer assistant for party. “Wolf Pack” includes: Educational staff leads group through zoo and educates about animals and plants, choose from 6 themes, party is held in educational room for 2 hours, Mini Zoo tour and special animal visitor, personalized cake, juice, ice cream cups, paper products, admission for 12 people (any combo of kids/adults), setup and cleanup, of party area. Call 785-368-9137 for prices or reservations.

Happy Parenting and Happy Birthday!

---

A Sweet (and Cheap) Birthday! By Lorie Calder Birthday parties can put even the most calm, self-assured, organized, and "with-it" mom into a tail-spin. You can feel the pressure mounting the minute you realize your child has a birthday arriving soon, especially when you start adding up the cost of this grand party. What will you do this year to top what you did last year? How will this party compare with what Bobby's mother did? Never fear! There are many low-cost and creative alternatives for the mom with a lot of love but not a lot of cash. Here are a few of some really exciting birthday alternatives: * Themed parties. Be creative and host a themed party. For a boy who loves baseball, host a baseball inspired party. Have kids come in uniform, serve hot dogs, and play a game or two at the local park or in your backyard. Other fun themes: trains, 1950s, farm, etc. You get the idea! * Bigger and Better party. Great fun with little cost. Give each group of 2-4 kids an item, such as a paper clip or toilet paper roll and have them go door to door in your neighborhood and ask for the home owner to trade with them something that is bigger and better (adult supervision suggested). The group then moves on to the next house. Give them a time limit, an hour or so, ending with a meeting back at your house. The winning team (find an impartial judge!) can donate its item to the birthday child or to a charitable organization in need. You will be surprised, as will the kids, at what they end up with in their hands at the end of the evening. * Pamper Me: a girl event. Get together some of your mom friends and organize some beauty stations in your home: facials, manicures, pedicures, hair styling, makeup. Invite your daughter's friends over for a few hours of pampering. Enjoy the gossip, relaxation, and fun. * Bon Appetit. Have the kids do the culinary work. Choose a food item (cupcakes, sundaes, pizza, etc.) and have the kids do the creating. Everyone will enjoy the process and end results. Relax afterwards by watching a good movie. Don't let the lack of funds make for a lacking party. Be creative and adventurous and design a party based on your child's interests. Your child will benefit from a wonderful experience with his friends and family without putting your family in debt!