Parties for Children

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 68, Issue 5, 15 May 1944, Page 397

Parties for Children

SO you are giving a children’s party? Well, whether this is your initial effort in this direction or whether you are an old hand at running | such festivities, you ' may be glad of a few ideas to make your particular celebration a distinctive one. Are they all small folk you intend asking? Hardly worth while bothering to send out invitations when the telephone is so handy, yet for the sake of a stamp and a little trouble what a pity to deny a youngster the pleasure of receiving a letter of his very own through the post, specially if it reveals a pretty picture pasted at the top of the page when opened. If the weather is unsuitable for playing outdoors you will be wise to clear a room for this purpose—worrying about the safety of precious ornaments or scratches on polished furniture is no way to foster the party spirit. The old games like Poor Sally is a-weep-ing, Mulberry Bush, and Hunt the Thimble are still prime favourites, and if you can have someone at the piano it adds greatly to the verve of the occasion. Follow an energetic game such as Musical Bumps with a quiet one that does not call for much exertion. Do you know the old folk song “When I was a Lady”? This makes a splendid action game. “When I was a lady, a lady, a lady, When I was a lady, a lady was I. And this way, and that way, and this way, and that way, And when I was a lady, a lady was I.” On singing the words “this way” and “that way” everyone curtsies to the left and then to the right, with an extra deep curtsey for the last line, “a lady was I.” One can continue the verses with an endless repertoire of characterisations, all accompanied by appropriate gestures, of course —a gentleman bows, a dancer pirouettes, a soldier marches and salutes, an engine chuff-chuffs and whistles, a goldfish makes swimming movements, and so on. When it is getting near teatime a quieter mood can be induced by seating the children in a circle on the floor and telling them a story or else arranging for a grown-up with clever fingers to model tiny figures out of plasticine—perhaps there could be one for each child to keep. Tea is always the high light of a party and it is well

worth the extra effort to have the “sit-up-at-the-table” kind, for few small children are adept at managing a plate on their knees. Paper caps at each place make a gay note and if you are having raspberry drinks and fruit moulds choose scarlet streamers to match or if your decorations run to orange and lemon tones, then let the jellies and sweets and cordials be in the same colourings. Sandwich fillings should be suitable for young digestions; cakes of the sponge variety are best and biscuits of a basic wholesomeness such as wheatmeal, oatina, oatmeal and the like. Wonders can be achieved with the aid of different icings and the addition of chopped nuts, cherries, raisins, coconut and jubes. Jellies, both the fruit kind and those with a milk foundation, are a delight to the eye and conform to the diet rules which every sensible mother observes with her family. Instead of the usual birthday cake have you ever made ' a batch of small cakes in patty pans instead? Iced in pink and each one bearing a candle of a different hue, they look most effective and they have the advantage of being easily wrapped if the little guests prefer to take them home instead of eating them straight away. And talking of home-going, what child does not like to have some tiny souvenir of his outing to carry away with him? In pre-war days when there was a plenitude of toys and balloons this was an easy matter. Nowadays it takes more thought and effort to produce a gift. Toffee apples are always welcomed by the small folk or you may prefer: to offer them home-made fudge in pretty wallpaper baskets or wrapped in cellophane twisted in the form .of bon-bons.

If you are entertaining older children, have you considered holding . a fancy dress party—not the usual kind where mothers spend hours. of sewing and contriving beforehand and everybody comes in costume, but one where the dressing-up takes place after arrival? Collect all the old clothes and “props” you can find (enlist the aid of the other mothers —they will be certain to enjoy the fun of contributing) and arrange them in a suitable place and leave your guests to rummage for themselves. Be sure to have two or three mirrors handy! You may like to give a prize for the best results. It is rather fun to don some kind of disguise yourself before getting ready to preside over the refreshments. A novel form of placecard is to fashion each person’s initial from pastry or a plain biscuit mixture this can be frosted or decorated in whatever manner you desire. Cut the sandwiches into heart and leaf shapes with fancy cutters and don’t forget to include some savouries among all the sweet things. Should the masculine sex predominate why not have a Wild West party? Scrim or sacking can be used for pants, with fringed seams, realistic guns and holsters can be carved from odd pieces of wood and with a dark handkerchief tied scarfwise and a wide-brimmed hat, hey presto! your youngster is transformed into a cowboy. Let the whole posse whoop and climb and run and generally work off energy outside. Cater for their lusty young appetites with a ranch meal of bean and bacon stew or sausages and potatoes roasted in their jackets, finishing off with fruit and generous slices of chocolate cake and piping-hot milk drinks. And if you can get hold of a little musical talent in the form of a mouth-organ or a guitar and conclude with a singsong round a real campfire it will add an excellent touch of realism to the proceedings. You will find it a grand way of entertaining the lads!

A Child's Thoughts Who can tell a child’s long thoughts As he dreams among the cool, . Green shadows sunlight weaves about The trees beside a bushland pool? Does his fancy, shining-winged, Hover and take flight at will Like the dragon-flies that dart . Above the wat’r? How gently still The air, until the drowsy throb ‘ Of bees stirs echoes heard before— Is his a vision of dim seas Beating on some dream-hke shore? Perhaps the rata’s scent recalls Wind-breath of more exotic flow’rs. Who knows what strange, unwearied thoughts A child will ponder through the hours? —Enid B. V. Saunders.

Clothesline The wind to-day is having fun; For out there hanging in the sun Are little shirts for it to shake, And small girls’ bright and frilly clothes, And rainbow-coloured socks in rows, And well-patched khaki shorts, and fake Grown-up long pants for a five-year-old. The wind is gay , t h e i n d ; s bold: It spanks the important pants, it billows The dresses Qut tQ ruffled pillows> I It . the wom shirts over its , . , s er ’ u i -a, „ # Anc J blows up the socks with a puff of sky, And I wonder if it wishes, as , That the ones they belong to would never grow older!

—Frances Frost.