Ummm, just about everything!
There's the cleaning (in my case, beforehand just so I don't look like an episode of Hoarders to my friends)
There the cleaning afterwards, finding food in the mailbox, or the bathroom, or where ever they decided to forget their plate of ice cream.
Lets not forget the 15+ tweens, squalling and laughing for 2 hours (or god forbid if it's a sleepover!)
So this year I had a stroke of genius. Lets have the party somewhere else!
But, as you know, I am not into spending money. So where can we go for free....hmmmm...
THE MALL! A scavenger hunt it is.
So I planned a 3 hour party for a Saturday. Sent out some evites and didn't do anything else until party day.
I made a cake in the shape of a purse.
I put together a list of clue.
I split the guests into 3 teams, and recruited 3 parents to serve as team captains.
In an envelope, I include the "rules and clues" sheet, a $10 bill and on the outside I wrote the team captain's name and their team members.
Bam-done...just like that.
Come party day, I arrived at the Mall 30 minutes before the party to score a table in a back corner of the food court. I had hoped to be there 1 hour early, but, well, that didn't happen. Because of course, I forgot one of the other kids had a dance lesson. ugh.
But I got a table no problem. I bought my kids some Sbarro's so I was a paying customer, I put together a couple tables, set up a table with the "donation" box (the kids ask their friends to bring donations in lieu of gifts. Teresa's charity of choice is our local St. Vincent dePaul Food Pantry). Then I waited.
Once the kids arrived, They sat and I explained the rules. Emphasizing on the no running and no disturbing the stores displays and just overall appropriate behavior. They were in groups of 4-5, so they were manageable for the team captain.
They were instructed that the team has $10. They are to spend that, getting the most bang for their buck.
They photograph each item on the list, being sure to include a team members in the photo.
After about 30 minutes of arriving and preparing-the teams were off. Leaving me to lounge in the food court all by myself. What. Score. I'm throwing a birthday party and I get alone time. This is pure genius. So I bought myself some Chick fil A and enjoyed the quiet!
I had allotted 1.5 hours for the hunt, but all teams were done in about an hour. During my "me" time. I also ordered a nugget platter from Chick fil A, and a couple large fries. They provided the plates and forks, so I divey out the food and the girls ate. We sang happy birthday, had the cake and ice cream (which I sent my husband out for along with some Capri Suns for drinks)
That $10 they spent? They emptied all their bags onto a table and took turns picking from the loot. Score- no goodie bags.
So to wrap up,
I took no photos....captains did that
No goodie bags .... included in the hunt
No clean up
No food preparing
No even having to entertain the kids!
I think this was the most successful party .... ever....
Now-I know you are wondering, "What was on the list?"
Well here it is:
RULES:
1. Each team will need to
complete as many items on the list in the allotted time.
2. You will start at The Food Court and you must meet us back
at The Food Court at 4:00pm
3. The teams that are late will
receive a time penalty.
4. You must take a photo of
each item on the list. There must be a team member in each photo. Take turns
with your partners being in the photos.
5. Hang items up or place them
back where they were before you leave the store. Do not destroy displays.
6. Inappropriate behavior will
lead to ending of the hunt and returning to the food court.
7. Do not run in the stores or
in the mall. You can walk briskly.
8. You can not leave the mall.
Check the items off as you find them.
Your
Team Captain is: Janet (aka Grammie)
Scavenger Hunt List
THE FOLLOWING CLUES ARE CERTAIN
STORE NAMESYOU MUST FIND THE ITEMS IN. You only hold the item up not try it
on. You can find them in any order, use mall maps.
_____You
are Limited to something white here.
_____
Build a Beary awesome heroes uniform.
_____
Victoria has a Secret about something pink.
_____Express
yourself with something glittery.
_____JC
saved her Penny's to buy something green.
_____Aero
found something on sale here.
_____Your
Bath and Body needed a little sweet pea.
_____Soar
like an Eagle in something blue.
_____You
Macy something green here.
_____Purchasing
a cami or tank top would fill in the Gap of my wardrobe.
_____FYI…
I love 1 Direction
_____
Payless for a pair of boots.
ITEMS
YOU NEED TO FIND IN THE MALL NOT NECESSARILY IN STORES
Stand
in front of the item not on it etc. [some can be in stores]
_____Vending
Machine
_____Fake
tree
_____
Bench
_____Chair
_____Animal
or something with an animal print
_____Something
out of this world
TRYING
ITEMS ON
(if you are trying on shoes, do
not go to department stores where they have to get them in the back this takes
up time and wastes the employees time because you are not buying them. Go to
places like payless, target, etc that they are readily available. Remember to
put them back after you try them on)
TRY on the following Items on:
[take turns] You must go to at least two different stores.
_____Black
high heel shoes
_____Shoes
that you would buy (sandals, flats, buckle up shoes etc) [close up of shoes]
_____purse
_____belt
_____Get
individual shots of each person in your group looking like a star
[examples-boas, tiara, jewelry, purse etc.,never try on earrings) [have at
least one thing on] Sunglasses Purse Something shiny
FIND
THESE ITEMS AS A GROUP
_____
Find flowers
_____
Find a star
_____
Find a frog
_____
Find a tiara
_____
Find a heart
_____
Find a gumball machine
_____
Find a bear
_____
Find something that is red
_____
Find something that sparkles
_____
Find something that is unique (swirls, cool patterns, etc)
BUY
SOMETHING
You’re
team captain has $10. Your mission is to get the most bang for your buck.
Remember Quantity not quality!
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