I just wanted to share that my son’s birthday party was an absolute blast! He had SO much fun, and declared it the “BEST BIRTHDAY EVER!”
Our menu consisted of (at his request):
- Cheese Enchiladas
- Chicken Quesadillas
- Refried Beans
- Chips, Salsa, and Homemade Guacamole
- Butter Cake with Homemade Chocolate Icing
- Vanilla Ice Cream
He wanted planets to adorn his cake, and despite my numerous hours of scouring every single shop in town, I came up with only stars. Couldn’t even find any aliens! What is that?! Do not EVER just assume that your local party shop will have exactly what you need…you will be sorely mistaken!
On to the entertainment…
I began the fun by presenting my boy with an envelope that said, “Are you ready to have some fun?” Contained within the envelope was the first clue which would kick off his scavenger hunt. The clue read, “It has 4 legs, but does not run. What is it?” It took a few minutes of searching under every chair and table in the house before he actually looked under the table he had been eating at. I had strapped a gift under the table with a TON of tape. I couldn’t risk it “accidentally” falling prematurely! On the front of the package (Flamin’ Hot Cheetos) was his second clue. “What loses it’s head in the morning and gets it back at night?” This would be my poor pillow; I never give her enough attention. Propped against it was a GIANT (1 Gallon) jar of pickles. Kids request the strangest things, don’t they?! Nah, I love em too! Slapped on the front of this fancy package was the next clue…”What has a net but can’t catch?” Thank goodness the rain let up long enough for our game because his next gift/clue was hidden out by our basketball hoop. I had pulled out the jumbo umbrella just in case. This particular gift was a jar of glow in the dark neon green slime (which was one of his favorite gifts by the way) and the clue attached read, “Rub a dub dub, there’s a clue in the…” Well, who in their right mind couldn’t guess that one, right?! He takes off running to the tub and returns holding a cylinder shaped package that’s covered on both ends with silver curling ribbon. His eyes light up when he pulls 16 candy sticks from the Cracker Barrel out of the wrapping paper. This next clue had everyone stumped for a few minutes. The clue read, “I start with an “E,” I end with an “E,” but I usually contain only one letter. What am I?” The consensus was EYE until I told them they were putting too much emphasis on the phrase “letter.” They finally concluded that it was an envelope. So my boy takes off to discover his newest package, only to holler back, “I can’t find it!” He was looking for a wrapped gift rather than an actual envelope. Who would’ve thought?! I go and save the day, and he returns to the group with his envelope in hand. On the front of the card is a dirty sock puppet with google eyes, and the card’s sentiment read “Son, no one else could fill your shoes…and no one would even go NEAR your socks! Anyway, Happy Birthday.” Inside the card I wrote..”Birthday boy, Make sure to wear fresh socks on Tuesday. We have a special birthday surprise for you!!!”
His big birthday surprise was a trip to our local Family Fun Center. A co-worker of mine gave me a Groupon Coupon that equaled $40 of fun and games for FREE. You CANNOT pass up an opportunity like that! The catch was, you had to use it ONLY Monday-Thursday. Well, Mondays and Wednesday’s I work around 10 ½ hour days, and Thursday my little guy has a dentist appointment, so therefore we were left with Tuesday. He was SO excited when we pulled up, and I can’t tell you how many “Thank You’s!” I received before the night ended. A moment that will always stand out in time!
So, back to the hunt…
Inside the card was a slip of neon green paper which contained the clue, “I grow up big and tall, but lose my clothes in the fall. What am I?” Without a second thought, he took off outdoors. I had originally planned to drag out the ladder and tuck this next package in among the branches so he could get his wish and climb a tree for the clue, but there had been a consistent rain earlier that morning, and that was the last thing I needed was an emergency trip to the hospital because I had created a slippery situation for my kid. I wedged it into the base of one of our smaller trees, and he knew right where to go. Great minds think alike I suppose! The tree revealed another long cylinder shaped package. This one contained about 100 pieces of interconnecting glow sticks. What kid doesn’t adore glow sticks? Plus, it KINDA goes along with the space theme. This gift held the clue, “What has a tongue that can’t taste, eyes that can’t see, and a sole that will never die?” They figured that one out immediately. He just had to figure out WHICH shoe I had his gift/clue hidden in. He finally decided it was most likely the shoe rack in his closet, which of course was correct. There he had a box of tasty runts, and the clue which read, “Alive without breath, as cold as death. What is it?” He was obsessed with the answer being the freezer, so he searched them both inside, outside, up, down, and all around. Mama threw out possible solutions, but she was unaware that we had recently adopted a few small fish. Sitting beside our little fish tank was the new Avenger movie, Civil War, and the next clue. It read, “Take a walk and step outside, this is where you go for a ride.” He swore up and down it was in my car and proceeded to search each crease and crevice of it. I thought he was just pretending to be confused because he had been outside beside his bike when he was waiting for his party guests to arrive. I had another card for him, tucked in the spokes of his bike tire. Apparently he hadn’t been paying attention after all.
Once we were back together as a group, he opened up this latest card. He caught a glimpse of the monkey with pooched lips on the front and said, “Really Mom?!” The sentiment read “It’s your Birthday…so close your eyes, pucker up, and kiss another year good-bye!” I added this little bit…”We have super exciting news for you!!! Your name has been added to the EXCLUSIVE Lego Club. With your membership you will receive the club magazines. and you will be the first to know of upcoming events. There are TONS of other perks! (Username/Password were included) Your first magazine will arrive in a few weeks. Love You!” Tucked inside this card was the handwritten clue, “What is long and skinny, but soft on it’s tip?” A few guesses were thrown out, but Q-tip was finally mentioned. Hiding behind the Q-tips was a box of berry flavored Sour Patch Kids, and the final clue…
“Roses are red, violets are blue. If you put me in this, I’ll look like new!”
“Washing Machine!!!” he screams, and takes off running. When he looks in, sees his package and starts pulling it out, he repeatedly comments on how BIG it is. He knows that he has finally reached the grand finale. On the front of the alien gift wrap is a piece of bright blue paper folded in half that says, “Happy Birthday Kolin!” and inside it says, “We love you SO much!” He rips into the package, sees that his HAD TO HAVE birthday present was inside, and starts ripping the paper faster. Inside was the new Lego Dimensions set for the PlayStation. Oh what a glorious day!
Later in the evening, before picking up my oldest from work, we stopped by the store so he could spend his birthday money. He loaded down his buggy with a TON of Lego Dimensions characters, so I asked him how he was intending on paying for all of these sets? He said, “with my birthday money Mama.” What he failed to realize was that he had almost $1,000 worth of product in the cart, and only about $200 to spend. He widdled down his choices, and then we made sure that he would have enough money to cover everything. Before we headed to the front I asked him one single question (just like I ALWAYS have before the children make a large purchase), “Are you sure THESE are the ones you want?” He looked at me and said, “Mama, why do you always have to give me a guilt trip?”
WHOA!!! Didn’t see that one coming!
Apparently that was how my younger 2 had always interpreted that question. I simply wanted to make sure that they wouldn’t regret their purchase decisions, because a lot of the things that they have bought over the years are not returnable. How in the world they had twisted that absolutely baffles me?!
So, needless to say, the party and all of the birthday celebrations were a complete success! I hope that you have enjoyed the overview, and hope that it has sparked some creative ideas for YOUR next party.
Gotta ask…Have YOU ever planned a scavenger hunt before?
Disclaimer: The clues used in this scavenger hunt were found in various locations online. I DO NOT claim credit for them.
From Food Stamps To A Future 