[2022-07-05] Birthday party ideas

Many people remarked on what a great idea Jen's Storybook was (kudos to my sister for that one). I'm certain that at least one person among Jenesis readers will implement the practice of gathering stories and tributes from loved ones to honour a family member.

That got me thinking about other ideas that Jenesis readers might appreciate. I recalled organizing a party a few years ago to celebrate the 50th birthday of my younger brother, Bryan. It was the first family get-together after the passing of my brother Greg a few months earlier, and I felt that it was time for a happy family gathering.

I reserved an area in a country bar for the group, which fit the casual vibe I was going for. Now, my experience with parties in restaurants is that you talk to the people immediately around you, and few others. I wanted to promote mingling, especially with the guest of honour, so I organized several activities. As each guest arrived, I gave them a personalized welcome package, providing everything they would need to participate in each of the three games I had planned. A winner would be identified after each activity, which provided a little incentive for everyone to play along.

1) Clothes Pin Greeting
I gave each guest a clothes pin with their name on it and instructed them to give it to Bryan at some point in the evening. This gave each guest a reason to interact with Bryan and to wish him happy birthday. Bryan placed the clothes pins in a bucket as he received them. (I even included one with Greg's name on it, as I felt that he was with us in spirit.) Once everyone's pin had made it into the bucket, Bryan pulled one at random to identify the first winner of a prize.

2) Best Wishes Card
Included in the personalized welcome package was a blank index card and a pen. I asked each guest to write something nice about Bryan on the card. The responses were frequently tongue-in-cheek, which made for some fun reading after the event and a memorable keepsake. Again, Bryan selected one card at random to identify our second prize winner of the evening.

3) Quiz: What did Bryan say?
The third activity was a quiz. A few weeks before the party, I had had a long text exchange with Bryan during which I posed seemingly random questions and he answered them. I then created a quiz with the questions I had put to him, providing his response as well as three other plausible answers I made up for each question. What made the quiz difficult for participants is that many of the answers could have been correct. Here are five of my favourite questions and answers from the 24 I included in the quiz (correct responses in italics):
  • Bryan’s favourite childhood toy? Pellet gun, Tabletop pool table, Dinky toys, Stuffed penguin
  • Something Bryan hates waiting for? Someone to text back, Someone to get him a tool, Someone to exit the bathroom, Line-up in a drive-through
  • When Bryan was a kid, what did he want to be when he grew up? Detective, Astronaut, Veterinarian, Candy store owner
  • If Bryan could enter a horse in the Kentucky Derby, what would he call it? Chinook, Royal Crown, Itchy Bits, Gotta Pee
  • The first chore Bryan did as a kid that came to his mind? Cutting grass, Shoveling corn in a Turnco box, Picking stones, Weeding the garden
For this activity, the prize winner was the person with the most correct responses.

We brought two large carrots cakes for dessert. The restaurant was very accommodating, providing a dedicated table on which we could cut the cake as well as plates and forks for our dessert.

As we slowly return to larger gatherings, perhaps you'll have occasion to take inspiration from one or more of the activities in this post.