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Wracking your brain for activities for your child's next birthday party? We've all heard the parental lament, "all they want to do is play electronic games" when it comes to party planning. And if two are playing, what are the other kids doing? Jumping on the furniture, eating all over the house and wrestling on the floor. Brings back not-so-fond memories of the last party you hosted? There are more reasons than entertainment to plan active energy-burning fun for your kids' next party. The American Heart Association kicked off a child obesity program this summer with several new findings. Go to www.americanheart.org for the full report. One of the items identified is that we must get kids moving or this generation of children will not outlive their parents if current trends of sedentary lifestyle and obesity continue. With this in mind make your next party an interactive playtime for the whole family to enjoy. Active parties are fun memories for kids and don't have to result in expensive rental of equipment or remodeling your home to do it. Most birthday parties are 2 hours, with about 40 minutes allotted for food & opening gifts. What to do during the other hour and 20 minutes? Consider your party size, age and gender groups when finalizing your plans and give some of these ideas a try. For ages 7-10 try dodge ball, hotshot or obstacle courses. Team competitions like tug of war, hotshot competitions, jousting or boxing are fun and very physical and are guaranteed to burn tons of energy. Team activities such as three-legged races or relays involving multiple accomplishments and a race against time will engage them. Ages 4-6 will love the old favorites with a different twist. Play tag as a dog catcher and hounds complete with barking and howling (when you're caught, you can't make a sound). London Bridge lying on the floor with feet up to form the bridge and others crawling through, when the "bridge" comes down, the feet try to catch the person; Duck, Duck, Goose with their favorite super heroes or cartoon characters instead. All kids love the "new" games such as Fear Factor or Survivor, which can be a great disguise for an old favorite game. Hide flags throughout an obstacle course to be found by competing teams racing against a clock. Children still love pretending, so add adventure by describing the danger they will encounter and the treasures they can find. Small prizes such as super balls, noisemakers, tattoos, and whistles are always a big hit. The activity can have a competitive edge for the older ages 6-10 or everyone can win with the younger groups. Another alternative is to move the party out of the house. One newcomer on the scene is fast becoming a favorite for active, energy-burning parties. Go to the inflatable party zone called Pump It Up, where giant inflated play structures in indoor arenas offer all of the above and more. Kids jump, climb, slide, bounce and play for an hour to 1.5 hours under the watchful eye of trained staff. All ages can play, so parents can bring a pair of socks and play with the kids for a most rewarding experience. There are huge boxing gloves for the Bounce House, padded jousting sticks and appropriate headgear for even the roughest boys. Obstacle courses, 2-story slides, and inflated basketball court or coliseums encourage non-stop competing and continuous activity. See www.pumpitupparty.com for photo albums and listings of locations near you. The best part of having a party at Pump It Up is that your party isn't subject to weather conditions and it's completely private in a clean, safe and fun environment. Pump It Up offers private parties, seven days a week! They offer various party packages to meet any of your needs. They even can supply the cake and other party options to make the whole party planning effortless! So plan a party that will get the kids moving in a healthier direction! And if you want to have fun too (and save yourself and your house some wear and tear), call Pump It Up and reserve your date today! Burnsville: 952-707-9386, Eden Prairie: 952-943-0052, Ham Lake: 763-757-9000, Plymouth: 763-553-0340.
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