Reviews for Child Magazine's Book of Children's Parties

The average rating for Child Magazine's Book of Children's Parties based on 2 reviews is 4.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2017-07-10 00:00:00 Clayton Collins What a pity that this book won't be able to help me this year ... it's a book for your child's third, fourth and fifth birthday ... and when she turns six? Leonie's third birthday party was :( We'd just moved and although we managed to get her into a new school here, I couldn't get a soul to come to the party. I was ready to stop any child I met in the park or supermarket and ask them to celebrate with Leonie. In the end, we had four grandparents here. The one set jolly and willing to make it a happy day for the little girl. The other set angry with her parents and gently sending acid vibes all day. It was when Leonie turned four that I discovered this book. Besides suggestions on what food to prepare, it has a few medical aid tips at the back. The main thing is what party activities to organize. Her daddy only wants four children here (because she turns four), ah! And because this book says so (!) It was all Winnie the Pooh. The cake was a beehive all abuzz. There were Pooh Bear pictures for the children to colour and Eeyore needed his tail to be pinned before we played pass the parcel. Last year I got the book out of the library again, hoping to find a few more age appropriate activities. By now I'd learnt how it's done around here: You buy your way through the child's party. In this town you do it with party organizers, you get make-up (or hair) artists to sit with the children all day, clowns creating balloon characters and every child in the class gets invited. Failing that, you take the whole thing to a place that caters for children. Leonie's been to Ushaka Marine World for a party, the Durban Country Club and Jump for Joy (a hall filled with trampolines) - in every case, all mom needs to do is invite (preferably via WhatsApp), get someone to make a super fancy cake and arrive. The child chooses a theme and every possible made-in-China goodie on the market is available on the day. Once everyone's ready to go home, they get a party pack - it's an education! At Leonie's fourth birthday party I had a little girl come to me, not thanking me for the invite or that she had fun, "Where's my party pack?" she wanted to know. My thought bubble had the little presents from the parcel game and little prizes I'd passed around. I gave her an empty packet and she could pick her choose from the food table. When Leonie turned five we had five children (and their siblings - that's more than five, dear hubby!) and it was all fairies. The theme went as far as the serviettes, table cloth and plates. I baked a cake with a hole in the middle into which I put a snow globe with a little fairy and turned the key before we sang "Happy Birthday" - Leonie's eyes large and twinkling with pleasure. She thought she was merely getting a silly old cake with a hole in the middle. The evening before, Leonie was the one icing her cupcakes, while Granny and Grandpa blew up as many balloons as their lungs could manage. Pass the parcel was the order of the day, followed by musical statues (thanks Ms.Wilkes!) and a balloon game the book suggested. The parents laughed more than the children. I had one little girl cry because she didn't get what she wanted during pass the parcel. Another girl burst into tears when her balloon popped in the middle of this odd game ... and by the end of the day there wasn't someone who hadn't had a melt-down at some or other point. I blame myself (too strained to really keep a smile on my dial and ready to cry at any point because i was so depressed). At least the children had by now learnt that this mama does not give a party pack. You get what you get and you don't get upset! And now, Dear Angela Wilkes. What on earth am I to do for Leonie's sixth?

Review # 2 was written on 2009-01-31 00:00:00 Christopher Kelsey Over a decade since I got this book, the clear-headed advice in it stays with me every time I pack a bag for any sort of adventure.