Thanks to the wonders of modern technology, computers and the Internet have become a major part of our children’s lives. Computer games are quickly making an emergence at children’s parties. In the good old days, children at parties used to be content playing timeless classics like pin the tail on the donkey and hot potato. These old standbys are now being replaced with the latest PC gaming craze.
Does the thought of converting your little one’s favourite PC game into a feasible party solution frighten you? Not to fear! Use these directions as a guide toward for your next fantastic Computer Gaming party.
Choose a Theme. What do Bob the Builder, Dora the Explorer, Jimmy Neutron and Thomas the Tank Engine have in common? All are widely popular cartoon favorites that have made the big jump to your computer screen. Checking out any electronics section of a department store demonstrates this theory. In all likeliness, your child has a favourite. If you’re a grown adult and you can recite the words to the show’s theme songs, have various cartoon show related paraphernalia around your home, and can name all of the characters…these clues might be a good tip off. Make sure your cartoon/gaming theme is age appropriate. A Blues’ Clues Party could bore the life out of a bunch of ten year old, and the parents of five-year-old children may not appreciate a party tribute to X-Men. The theme itself can still be Gaming related without using the big names from the tube. Perhaps it can be a sports theme, where children can play different sports and then compare their scores. Need help finding an appropriate theme? Call up your favourite search engine and type in “Children’s Cartoons”. You’ll be surprised at how many creative titles pop up.
Invitations. The neat thing about a computer gaming theme is the ease of creating an invitation. Invites for the children’s party can be emailed or a physical copy of them can be easily created through the computer. In Microsoft Word, you can create greeting cards and even insert a picture of the cartoon theme into the card by a simple matter or inserting the picture saved onto your hard drive and placing it into your greeting. Including the party date, location and time are essential, but so too is the indication of a theme. If there’s a Bob the Builder theme, then by all means, ask children to dress up like Bob. If Thomas the Tank Engine is a theme, then ask the kids to bring over their favourite Thomas toys. Incorporating Gaming So now the theme has been set, the invitations are also out.
The children are coming…how do you entertain them? Take the key elements from videogames and then incorporate them into a party scenario. Example #1: Dora the Explorer This cartoon hero might be the theme of your party. The videogames are quite similar to television show in that as Dora, the player searches for objects with her treasure map. As children play Dora the Computer Game, this theme can be easily translated into a party treasure hunt. Divide children in small groups or teams, and assign them with a treasure map. The group who finds all (or most of) the objects on their map first wins a prize. Example #2: Bob The Builder “Can we do it? Yes, we can!” is the war cry of Bob, who builds anything from streets to roads. As one group of children can play the computer game, others can gather around and construct some Bob-type creations. Using anything from play dough to Popsicle sticks, divide the group up into small teams and have them build an assigned model within a certain time limit. Cooperative play and competition are a winning combination.
Whatever computer gaming idea you choose to build your party around can be a surefire hit with the inclusion of these classics: a birthday cake, kiddy bags filled with treats, a piñata.
Encourage Fair Play For computer play, set a time limit either individually or in small teams and stick to it. The trick to hosting a successful Children’s gaming party is to have computer games available, but, at the same time, encourage group involvement. If the group of youngsters is rowdy in nature, enlist in the aid of some parent volunteers. Remember the idea of a Gaming Party is exactly that—a chance for the group to have fun.
-Lidia Siino
