Right after James' 7th birthday, we started our pursuit to learn more about organic farming, so this post took a little less than a year of delay. But as they say, it's better late than never! This time, I really think it is, because it is worth sharing. This was a Ninjago Party we (my husband, mom, and siblings) lovingly prepared for our special celebrant, James.
Traditionally, 7th birthdays in the Philippines mark a significant milestone for a child. I think because it's the school-age for most children and it's a time to say goodbye to being a little girl or boy. Typically, parents who can afford elaborate parties would celebrate this stage in the life of a child with catered food, magic shows, and around a hundred guests in expensive party places. Some would avail party packages in fast food restaurants instead, to avoid a stressful and time-consuming preparations.
But as whole life unschoolers, we tend to go against the grain even in celebrations. My husband and I took time to answer the following questions when it comes to celebrating our children's birthdays and here are the answers that guided us through the process:
1. Who is the celebrant and what is the occasion? James, our son, he's turning 7!
2. What is the essence of the celebration? To celebrate his life and to make him feel how special he is.
3. How can we make him feel special? We will prepare a party according to his request, with the theme, food, and games/activities that he likes and will invite his close friends.
So...
1. Does it have to be expensive and elaborate? No
2. Do we have to invite 100 people? No
3. Does it really mean saying goodbye to our son's childhood? Definitely, no. Actually, we believe that it's just a celebration of another year of a magical, sometimes challenging, childhood and a day to make wishes for more years of adventures, explorations, and fun experiences! Or it's just a special day to eat a cake and be thankful for having a great kid or an excuse to smash a pinata, so there's no need to break a piggy bank! As much as we like to provide learning opportunities for our children to realize that birthdays and Christmases are not about gifts and sparkles, we also like to remind ourselves as parents that what we can give our kids is time. Time to be together, especially during special days like this.
We had a simple dinner at home with our extended family afterwards and enjoyed the company of more people who love James. Also, thanks to Pinterest for some of the ideas!
Traditionally, 7th birthdays in the Philippines mark a significant milestone for a child. I think because it's the school-age for most children and it's a time to say goodbye to being a little girl or boy. Typically, parents who can afford elaborate parties would celebrate this stage in the life of a child with catered food, magic shows, and around a hundred guests in expensive party places. Some would avail party packages in fast food restaurants instead, to avoid a stressful and time-consuming preparations.
But as whole life unschoolers, we tend to go against the grain even in celebrations. My husband and I took time to answer the following questions when it comes to celebrating our children's birthdays and here are the answers that guided us through the process:
1. Who is the celebrant and what is the occasion? James, our son, he's turning 7!
2. What is the essence of the celebration? To celebrate his life and to make him feel how special he is.
3. How can we make him feel special? We will prepare a party according to his request, with the theme, food, and games/activities that he likes and will invite his close friends.
So...
1. Does it have to be expensive and elaborate? No
2. Do we have to invite 100 people? No
3. Does it really mean saying goodbye to our son's childhood? Definitely, no. Actually, we believe that it's just a celebration of another year of a magical, sometimes challenging, childhood and a day to make wishes for more years of adventures, explorations, and fun experiences! Or it's just a special day to eat a cake and be thankful for having a great kid or an excuse to smash a pinata, so there's no need to break a piggy bank! As much as we like to provide learning opportunities for our children to realize that birthdays and Christmases are not about gifts and sparkles, we also like to remind ourselves as parents that what we can give our kids is time. Time to be together, especially during special days like this.
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| Almost everything is home-made(invitations, cupcake topper, loot bags, pinata, and mini coloring books) and we used materials that we already have. My sister baked the cupcakes, I made sushi and chicken teriyaki, and my husband made pork Tonkatsu. James loves Japanese food and enjoys using chopsticks. |
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| We were able to find cheap cloth for the Ninjago costumes and James' request for costumes was possible because he only had a party of four! The kids also directed the activities, which included role playing, dancing, practicing Ninjitsu with a pinata, building Ninjagos, coloring, and just having fun together. Unstructured birthday parties really work well for us! |
We had a simple dinner at home with our extended family afterwards and enjoyed the company of more people who love James. Also, thanks to Pinterest for some of the ideas!
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