Going to be
at Wild Adventures 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 Wild Adventures Adventure Challenge -
Watch the video below for details!
If you'd like
to give them a gift for them to open AT Wild Adventures, consider putting
it in a locker first and then wrapping up the key to the locker
in a little gift bag. This way you won't have to carry around the
gift all day and it's always fun and mysterious to get a 'secret
key' as a gift! This also works especially well if you're planning
a treasure hunt or scavenger hunt inside Wild Adventures.
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 Wild Adventures.
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.
Plan
a fun scavenger hunt throughout the day at Wild Adventures.
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 Wild Adventures - a package for them
to open once there filled with all kinds of puzzles and things
to do! CLICK
HERE to learn more!
This is a great
game to play for a larger group (4+). Ahead of time, prepare a list
of fun tasks to do at Wild Adventures 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 Wild Adventures) 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.
Surprise the
birthday boy/girl with special 'guests.' Do not tell them about
your plans to invite one or more of their friends to join you/him/her
at Wild Adventures. Make it seem like a family trip. Arrange to meet his/her
friend(s) AT Wild Adventures. It will feel like an added gift to see their
friend(s) there when he/she wasn't expecting it!
Have the birthday
boy/girl wear a funny hat/shirt/outfit so that as they walk around
Wild Adventures everyone will know it's their birthday. In this way, other
visitors at Wild Adventures will be able to with them a happy birthday!
This activity
is typically best with family (or friends they've known for a very,
very long time) and although it might take some coordinating, it
can have a great impact on the birthday boy/girl. Divide up the
years among everyone going to Wild Adventures with the birthday boy/girl.
For example, if he/she is turning 14, then divide up the years 1-14
among everyone. The goal is to have a unique story to share about
each year in his/her life that can be shared with everyone throughout
the day. For those that are older, it's ok to skip every few years
for the sake of capturing their whole life span. Make sure the stories
are told in order. This also works especially well when you focus
on their achievements throughout his/her life!
At one point,
buy a helium balloon at Wild Adventures. 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'!
Have a stack
of cards already made out by the birthday boy/girl's friends and
family. Throughout the day at Wild Adventures (preferably while they are in
line for a ride/show/attraction) hand them a different card. They
will be reminded of how much they are liked and loved throughout
the day by those that weren't able to join them inside the park!
Wrap a single
gift many times, preferably with different colors/types of wrapping
paper and containers (though not necessary.) Give the birthday boy/girl
the gift at the beginning of the day and tell them that they can
unwrap ONE layer in each line that they wait in. Don't tell them
how many layers there are - let them wonder if each layer will be
their last! If you don't plan on going on many rides/attractions,
you can also have them unwrap one layer every hour.