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The Neuroscience of Social Interactions

And now is the time when the panic sets in. This coming Saturday we will be hosting the little man’s seventh birthday party. It promises to be the biggest one since his first, when I was so excited I’d managed to keep him alive for a WHOLE YEAR, singlehandedly, that I invited just about every person I’d ever met to come celebrate with us. This year we’ve just invited every single first-grader in the little man’s class, and then some. And I’m not feeling at all prepared. Sure, we’ve got gifts and decorations and ideas for finger foods, but what will keep 20+ children occupied? We’ve never done party games before. Oh merciful zeus, please please give me your suggestions for diverting activities, but it keep it simple. It’s going to be chaotic enough as it is. Thanks! Sincerely, woman on the verge.

And now for all things twee:

Ok, those were some nice little diversions, but it’s going to take some deep breathing for me to properly calm down. Who am I kidding? I won’t calm down until after the party.

Waiting is the hardest part...

7 Comments

  1. Jody wrote:

    Oh! I can’t wait until mine gets old enough for games! Yeah! Anyway…do you have a theme? Here are some ideas (can be altered to match theme, etc.)
    –Fill a jar or some enclosed container with goldfish crackers, jellybeans, etc. and have them all write down how many they think are in there…person closest wins them all. (have fun counting them all ahead of time!)
    –Scavenger Hunt for door prize…hide pieces of paper with clues all around house/living room leading them to the box/prize…first person to find it wins (hide clues and prize BEFORE kids arrive!)
    –(if you have the room) Roll jellybean with nose down the livingroom floor…fastest wins
    –Carry jellybean down livingroom with chopsticks! could make it a relay!!!
    –Drop the clothespins into a glass jar…each kid stands (one at a time) on the chair and drops 10 pins into the jar. Person who gets the most in wins. You stand and hold the chair, count, etc. to eliminate chaos.
    –Sit on and pop balloon…whoever pops the first one wins.
    –The old memory game…load a tray with tons of toys/candy, etc. Give the kids 5 minutes to look at it. Take it away and give them 1 min. to write down all they can remember.

    Those are a few off the top of my head (I’ve done a lot of showers and some i remember from my own childhood!). Hope these help. Take lots of pics!
    Jody

    Tuesday, September 12, 2006 at 12:17 pm | Permalink
  2. Yay, thanks for the great suggestions! We went with a Star Wars theme this year, because it’s the kid’s current obsession. Tonight we ran up to the party store for Star Wars party plates and such, and pre-ordered some balloons. While we are getting closer to being ready, my nerves are still shot. Especially because many of the little man’s classmates also have special needs, and I worry that it’s going to be sensory overload central. We shall see…

    Oh, and there will be loads of pics, of course!

    Tuesday, September 12, 2006 at 7:36 pm | Permalink
  3. Maggie wrote:

    Pin the lightsaber on Darth Vader! Or just beat him with a stick until candy comes out of him.

    Wednesday, September 13, 2006 at 1:10 pm | Permalink
  4. huffifer wrote:

    happy almost birthday!

    Thursday, September 14, 2006 at 9:03 am | Permalink
  5. monica wrote:

    There are loads of recipies for making slime on the internet. Kids love slime.

    Thursday, September 14, 2006 at 11:50 am | Permalink
  6. Thanks! Brilliant ideas, all. I’ll let you know which ones actually happen :-)

    Thursday, September 14, 2006 at 6:24 pm | Permalink
  7. shokufeh wrote:

    No ideas, but I’m sure it will go swimmingly. Hmmm… it’s probably too cold for waterballoons, huh?
    Anyway, happy birthday to your little man!

    Thursday, September 14, 2006 at 10:11 pm | Permalink

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