Do you celebrate your child’s birthday in the fall? Keep reading then, because I can help you plan a fall birthday party your child will love! Although, the best part is, not only will your child love the birthday party, but the guests will have a good time too. They’ll have such a good time they’ll want to return next year to help the birthday boy or girl celebrate again.
My oldest son’s birthday is October 6, and every year I throw him a party indoors. However, this year I decided to do something a little different. My son, his little brother and older sister love to roast hot dogs and marshmallows over the fire; what kid doesn’t? So, instead of the usual indoor birthday party with only cake and ice-cream, I thought we would celebrate his birthday with a good old-fashioned wienie roast. Not only did the birthday boy and his siblings welcome the idea, but the guests had a great time as well. I know this, because my mother called me the next day, and she went on and on about how fun the birthday party was. She also said she had talked to the other guests that were there, and she revealed they had a good time too. In fact, Mom told me they said we should get together at my house again soon for another wienie roast. Of course, I was overjoyed to hear everyone had a blast, and I thought maybe – if it wasn’t too cold – my daughter’s birthday was coming soon. Her birthday’s December 9, so I wouldn’t want to try and have another wienie roast if the weather is too cold, but if the temperatures are fair, then I just may have another for her.
If the weather is permitting, and your child’s birthday is coming up soon, then you too can plan the same wienie roast for your child and guests. The cost is affordable, and it doesn’t call for a lot of work either. First, you’ll need a few extra tables. The number and size of tables will depend on the number of guests you will expect. For my son’s birthday party, I used only one table – our picnic table. (I had a total of 13 guests.) I also pulled out the lawn chairs and told those I had invited to bring their lawn chairs. Next, you’ll need a burn pit of some kind to build the fire in. My husband is a heavy equipment mechanic, so he got our burn pit (last year) from his place of employment. I believe what he got was a rim off one of the big trucks they have. His place of employment was throwing it out and he grabbed it up for events such as these. Moreover, it also benefits us when we need to burn old furniture and things of that nature. Once you have tables and a burn pit, the next thing you need is plenty of wood to keep the fire going, and cardboard for starting the fire.
You should be off to a fine start, because now you have the materials you need for your wienie roast. The next thing on your agenda should be a shopping list. Other than food, you will want to get any cleaning supplies you’ll need to clean your house. Some of the elder guests may want to stay indoors where it’s warmer, so you’ll want to make sure your home is clean. I did tell my elder guests they were welcome to sit inside, but they chose to join the rest of us outdoors. They stayed closer to the fire to keep warm, and they didn’t complain at all about the weather. As I said before, they expressed to my mother that they had a good time.
Now for the food. At my son’s birthday party I decided chili was a great fall food, and I knew it went well with hot dogs. Therefore, I went with chili, hot dogs, hot dog buns, mustard, ketchup, relish, ice-cream, coffee, tea, cool-aid and marshmallows for the food. When you include the food items in your list, be sure you specify how much of everything, and base it on the amount of guests you expect so you’ll have enough food for everyone.
My son asked for ice-cream, and unbelievably, even though the weather was a little cool, everyone ate ice-cream anyway. For the cake, I always buy a cake mix, icing and frosting to write “Happy Birthday.” I prepare the cake myself instead of going with a store-bought cake. The reason for that is because my kids asked me too; they said my cake is better than the store-bought ones. (Kids know best.) I told them I can’t draw, but they didn’t care. As long as I wrote “Happy Birthday” and placed candles on the cake, they were happy. Sometimes I search the Internet for pictures of something they like. When I find the picture I’m searching for, I print it, cut it out and place it on top of the cake. Sure, the icing comes with it when you remove it, but I can always add the leftover icing to touch it up.
After everyone ate, some of the adults visited, and some joined the kids to play games. My brother also brought his four-wheeler, and all the children enjoyed driving it around the yard. Between driving the four-wheeler and jumping (one at a time; it’s much safer) on the trampoline, the kids has a blast too!
I have to admit, not only did the wienie roast go over well, but preparing the party didn’t tire me. All I had to do was balance and organize my social life with my job and college. I clean my house a few days before, then on the day of the party, I prepared the chili, made two one gallon pitchers of tea, a pot of coffee, and one, one gallon pitcher of cool-aid. As guests started arriving, I carried everything outside (I had help), my husband started the fire, and again, we all enjoyed ourselves.