THE CHILDREN’S PARTY

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 876, 21 January 1930, Page 5

THE CHILDREN’S PARTY

a T4MELY SUGGESTION FOR THE HARASSED HOSTESS

Tb« old idea was that i£ you provided a wonderful tea and plenty of toys and sweets, you could leave the rest to the children, and count your juvenile party a success. Perhaps children are more difficult to please nowadays. Anyway, the old prescription does not seem to work. The few enjoy the party, while the many hold back in corners, through shyness or boredom, unless some novel method is adopted to bring them out of their shells. A good plan with older children Is to force the chatter straight away by introducing the game of guessing characters during tea. Make headbands of crinkled paper to fasten behind with jtnall safety-pins, and fix to the front of each a card bearing the name of a well-known character —Robin Hood, AUco in Wonderland, Old King Cole, and s 0 on - Fix a headband on each guest—having removed all mirrors, for the idea is that every child must find out whom he or she represents. It must be explained to the children that they may ask questions of each olher and that the questions must be answered truthfully. There will then he no fear of a dull meal, for the children will shout from one end of the table to the other in their efforts to pet their questions answered and to win the prise for the first correct guess. If the guests are of all ages, from times upward, try to separate the babies into a different room for tea and games, having the whole company together only for a grand march or for a distribution of gifts. The little ones are often frightened by noisy amusements, and the fear of knocking them down restricts the older ones in their games. An amateur conjuror is a boon to the hostess of tiny children, but those of school age usually prefer guessing competitions and charades. A treasure hunt through as many rooms as you can conveniently throw open is always a great success, but “breakables" must be removed to safety first.