Peter Pan Birthday Party

photo credit- broadwayword.com

I originally set out to write a post about kids birthday party ideas....but the truth is you probably have more ideas then me!  I'm working on planning my boys birthdays as we speak, and have decided to literally do a repeat of last year's party...not creative I know,...but it was a lot of fun and worked well...so why not.. and to top it off, my boys
(with birthdays 9 days apart) are getting a joint party :-)  They'll each get a special dinner on the actually day etc.. but I figured why not celebrate all at once...is that
bad?

One thing we've done in the past and we're going to do again is a Peter Pan Birthday Party...  Yes, I know you're probably thinking a Neverland theme, but I'm talking about something totally different. I'm talking about a part that that gives back.. I'm pretty sure the term was coined because giving isn't just for grown ups... There is something really magical about teaching kids to give to others at a young age.  Last year we raised money for our impending March for Babies walk (a cause that is important to us), and this year were are collecting books, coloring books, & crayons for our local children's hospital.  I love that my soon to be 4 year old knows that his party is going to help other kids. In Maine, the Barbara Bush Children's Hospital has a great program for these Birthdays and actually sends the kids certificates to recognize their giving which is really fun. But there are so many organizations that could benefit from this... you could food pantry donations, blankets and hats for the NICU, pet food for
shelters, or a dime driving bringing all the dimes in your piggy bank for the March of Dimes, there are so many possibilities.

I really love the message of giving and sharing while still having a great time with your
fiends.  But, I know this may not be for everyone, and please note I am not pushing this on anyone or judging... there is nothing wrong with a child getting gifts at their birthday party (its fun to give to friends), there are certainly other ways to instill giving, this is simply one idea I love. 

Thanks as always for stopping by,

Rebecca