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About Georgia Blair
Expertise
Are you planning a child's birthday party at home? Want to make it more exciting than exhausting? A little expert advice can help make it a more memorable event. The Party Fairy's strategies for successful parties can help parents turn down the chaos level and turn up the fun. We specialize in fantasy tea parties - but whether you're planning a sweet and nostalgic tea party or a rough-and-rowdy treasure hunt for boisterous little pirates, we have plenty of tips, tools and techniques to share. Need an idea for a centerpiece? A party game? Wondering whether the activities you have selected are age-appropriate for your guests? Not sure what to do with the two little boy cousins invited to a very girlie-girlie tea party? We can answer a variety of questions on many topics. Chances are good that we've heard your question before - but if not, we've created an entire business from the ability to create and imagine workable programs for children!

Experience
As the owner of The Party Fairy, I have personally conducted more than 600 birthday parties for children on a paid basis - and did this free of charge for years before I decided to trun it into a business. All told, I have probably conducted more than 750 parties.

Organizations
None are relevant.:) And don't worry; nothing odd. Just church and school organizations.

Publications
New York Times regional newspapers chain (I was an employee for several years and worked at various newspapers during my 20-year journalism career) I also worked at many smaller newspapers throughout Alabama

Education/Credentials
I was a journalism major many, many years ago - shortly after the world was created. :) Although a journalistic background is not particularly relevant to the business of children's party planning, a communications background could prove useful in answering questions from the public.

Awards and Honors
Hmmm.... The only ones possibly relevant here are several Associated Press newswriting awards

Past/Present Clients
No one of national note or significance (yet!) because my clients are all pretty much under 9 years old! But to their parents, of course, my little clients are all shining stars! :)

You are here: Experts > Style > Entertaining > Party Planning > 5 yr. old camping b-day party

Party Planning - 5 yr. old camping b-day party

Expert: Georgia Blair - 10/20/2009

Question
I'm throwing my soon to be 5 year old son a camping birthday party. Most people invited are good friends, but he has a couple of boys whose parents we don't know real well. I'm not sure how to word the invitations because we don't mind if people want to actually camp out and spend the night. Should I make it seem like it's a "fake" camp out but put on the bottom of the invite, parents are welcome to spend the night also? I'm hoping those parents we don't know well will choose not to spend the night.

Answer
The good news (I think!) is that most parents of 4 and 5-year-olds will not want to stay out late for the party, and if they don't know your family very well we can be reasonably certain that they won't expect to spend the night! That should help take care of the problem.

I do like your idea about sending out an invitation designed to encourage most guests to go home rather than stay. To make this work, be sure to set a specific ending time for the party on your invitation -- as in: "Join us for a night under the stars, as we celebrate Josh's 5th birthday with a "campout" from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 21. We'll roast weiners and marshmallows, sing campfire songs and enjoy a birthday cake dessert."

At the bottom, include a note that says something like:
    "Feeling adventurous? We'll keep the campfire stoked for anyone who wants to bring a sleeping bag and make a night of it!"

With a set ending time, I can almost guarantee you that most parents of young children who don't know your family well will not plan to stay afterward. To avoid any issues with tearful young children who don't want to leave the party, make sure the event includes a time when the party is obviously over. You might want to move away from the campfire, for example, to a different area to open presents. A good way to announce the "end" of a party is to gather everyone and make an announcement" "Thank you so very much for coming. We have really enjoyed having you here tonight, and I know Josh had a ball. You are all such good friends, and we are lucky to have you. Now before you go home, we have a little something we'd like to give each of you." Then hand out the party favors.

There's no better exit signal than this kind of scenario.

Follow up the invitation with a phone call to the people you really want to stay overnight, explaining that you were serious about the overnight invitation and would love to have them join you for a "real" experience under the stars.

Good luck and happy camping! :)

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