Whatever happened to the old fashioned Birthday parties for children?

Many young parents are spending $300-$500 for their children's birthday parties! I have been to parties where the parent's spent thousands of dollars. I just can't fathom spending so much money for a child's party.

Here are some old fashioned tips for parties:

Baking a cake with money in it! My Mom used to wrap up dimes and nickels in tin-foil and put them in the cake. Not everyone was lucky enough to find money in their cake and that was half the fun!

Playing games: Ok, so pin the tail on the donkey isn't so much fun but there is a mountain of party ideas available on the internet. The one game I thought was lots of fun was

a "Survivors Island" game. The children would run through various obstacle courses, eat nasty things like anchovies and lemons, eyeballs(peeled grapes!), cold worms (cooked spaghetti), toss pennies into a jar and other various activities geared to the age group! The party could be divided into teams and prizes for all at the end of the game.

Old fashioned grilled cheese sandwiches or home made mini pizzas suit nearly every child's taste. Let's face it, when children get together, food really isn't the main attraction. Have lots of healthy snacks like fruits and veggies, jugs of juice and a big home-made cake decorated with a box of Smarties! Magic.

Not only are these old fashioned parties fun but they can also be 'green'. The next time you want to host a party, use your imagination and think about some of the things that made you happy when you were little!