Going to be
at Frontier City for someone's birthday? Celebrate throughout the
day with these fun ways to keep the birthday fun going!
These ideas
are sponsored by the Great Frontier City Adventure Challenge - Watch
the video below for details!
If the birthday
boy/girl is going with a larger group (3+ people) have each person
take a different time slot to give a small gift or card. In this
way you won't have to plan everything - just the making sure that
each person has their small gift/card with them ready for the special
day at Frontier City. For the sake of remembering, it's suggested that each
person take an hour on the hour time slot (I.e. one person has 1:00,
the next person has 2:00, etc.)
Plan
a fun scavenger hunt throughout the day at Frontier City. There
are all different types of scavenger hunts to go on, each with
a different format. Although for some parties having different
teams compete with each other can be a lot of fun, for someone's
birthday when there is one person to honor, it's typically best
to have everyone on the same team - everyone gets to help the
birthday boy/girl be successful when one person wins, they
all win! These can be a lot of fun to create, but can take some
extra work to make creative (sometimes you'll need more than
just a list to excite some teens, for example.) Consider our
GREAT
ADVENTURE CHALLENGE AT Frontier City - a package for them
to open once there filled with all kinds of puzzles and things
to do! CLICK
HERE to learn more!
Head of times,
write down on small pieces of paper different topics for memories
to share about the birthday boy/girl while standing in line or throughout
the day. For example, you may choose that every 30 minutes a different
person (NOT the birthday boy/girl) will draw a piece of paper out
of a hat - perhaps the first one says "FUNNY." That person
will then share a funny story about the birthday boy to share with
everyone. This is a great way to encourage the birthday boy/girl
throughout the day!
At one point,
buy a helium balloon at Frontier City. Each person there uses a Sharpie
marker (that you brought with you) to write down something positive
they'd like to wish for the birthday boy/girl for that coming year
(or later in life.) Once everyone has had a chance to write them
all down on the balloon, allow either each person to share what
they wrote or allow the birthday boy/girl to read them all. Finally,
let the birthday boy/girl RELEASE the helium balloon in the air
and watch their dreams sail up and up - where the birthday boy/girl
will 'catch up with them later'!
Pick different
events that happened in the birthday boy/girl's life - events that
happened somewhat close to each other. For example, different sets
might include: (first tooth, crawled, sat up) or (learned ABC's,
ride a bike, poured his/her own milk). This will work for adult
events as well including (first girlfriend, first job, broke leg.)
Everyone else there will have to guess the ORDER that the events
happened. Award points as you go and determine a winner at the end
of the day. This is a great activity to play while there are lulls
in the fun (I.e. while standing in lines)
Make up shirts
for all those going to Frontier City with the birthday boy/girl that say
something fun like "It's Tim's Birthday today!" or "Point
and smile at Tim - he's 18 today!"
Gather a bunch
of trivia to create questions about the actual year the birthday
boy/girl was born. This could be about everything from movies, music,
political leaders/current events and even the price of gas! Ask
a few questions each time there is a lull in the fun (I.e. waiting
in line, etc.) and keep track of who gets the most correct answers
throughout the day. Give a prize at the end for the winner. The
prize could be something special that they get to do WITH the birthday
boy/girl!
This is a great
game to play for a larger group (4+). Ahead of time, prepare a list
of fun tasks to do at Frontier City at write the out separately on small
pieces of paper - at least enough for each person going. It's best
to have someone else (who is NOT going with you to Frontier City) write
them out - someone you can trust. Throughout the day, the birthday
boy/girl periodically pulls one task out and reads it out loud.
He/she then CHOOSES who in the group must complete the task right
then. The rules are that EVERY person completes one task. The birthday
boy/girl cannot look ahead at the different pieces of paper to see
which ones he/she wants to assign or do for himself/herself. This
can also be a great thing to do in the different lines you might
wait in.
Although this
can get a little pricey, it can be a lot of fun. Set out at the
beginning of the day to collect a certain number of items at Frontier City.
For example, if the birthday boy/girl is turning 14, then have them
collect 14 buttons throughout the park. They could also collect
different pressed pennies, pieces of candy (the wrappers), signatures
from workers, etc.
Sing Happy Birthday
in EVERY line that you wait in. You'll be surprised how often other
folks don't mind joining in the song especially in those longer
lines when there's not a lot else for folks to do.