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Class outing
Take the school class/college group/ people they live with on an outing, to share celebration with everyone around and also includes help with carers and facilities including use of minibuses etc (The Levinfiche Foundation in London organises and runs group outings www.levenfichefoundation.org ).
Free concert at school
Invite musicians from Live Music Now , a charity that brings live music to people who find it hard to access www.livemusicnow.org.uk, to play at School/college/day centre/ residence to share a birthday celebration with people around you, will be a happy boost for friends, helpers, carers.
Hot tub
Hire a hot tub which is great fun – you can borrow hoists from school/college/day centre.
Birthday picnic
We are lucky that Liam's birthday is in May so we give a birthday picnic lunch in the park for Liam, his friends and some siblings. This works really well as the other kids can sit and have lunch and sing happy birthday and there's plenty of space for the kids to run around. Liam gets huge enjoyment out of being outside and hearing his friends and having food!! I haven't forked out a fortune in hiring a hall or soft play centre which my son can't then enjoy. No mess at home to clear up either!!
Everyone deserves a happy birthday
Birthdays!! Can be a sad time for parents because it reminds you of the person's age and what they might be doing if they didn't have their problems. Always remember this is their birthday and they deserve a good celebration.
Party on a different day
I think birthdays can be traps for the unwary, and hard for everyone! I think you just have to work out what suits you and your family & go with that. I tried to divide the day of the party from the actual birthday. This means that you have time to help them enjoy their presents and aren't trying to make sandwiches or ice cake in a rush, and it keeps the tension levels down for everyone.
Activities and outings
We found outings which include an activity such as bowling alleys, tourist attractions, theme parks work well with two or three families. Access and staff at these types of places are generally very helpful and you mostly get concessions on tickets as well as queue jumping perks !
Themes
We always think about Adam’s current interests and try to theme his birthday around his favourite things or food of the moment!
Animal petting
Around our area there are childrens party organisers who bring lots of unusual small animals for people to pet. Zoe thoroughly enjoys it and so do her friends. If you cannot find party people who do this or a local farm/pet shop you can always ask around your friends to bring their pets.
Sensory games
We have our parties at home and find sensory games work really well for Special Needs kids and others alike, as it is unusual for them ie parachute games, pop the bubbles, pass the fibre optic, musical statues with glow sticks etc
Borrowing from other people
If you have a party at home, or in a hall, just borrowing toys from lots of different friends may work. Don't feel pressured to do a 2-hour party - it's better to have one hour which is a great success, than longer, which turns out to be filled with stress.
Plan ahead
The more planning you do, the better a party will run, so it's worth doing as much as you can beforehand and enlisting as many family and friends to help you on the day as you can.
No all at once!
Colin always loved his parties, but when he was little, he would get so over-excited opening his presents that we had to limit them to a few at a time, to stop him hyper-ventilating.
Horse riding for the disabled
Find your local horse riding for the disabled stables - they usually are happy to run parties and you can always use the club room for a tea afterwards. Great for anyone who has never ridden a horse before.
How many people?
Know your child and make sure you only invite the number of people that he or she can cope with. This may even mean you celebrate a few times with different people ! Also the less guests, the more I can focus on Jez and his enjoyment.
Party guests
We realised Alex much prefers to be with his therapists and carers rather than his peer group so we make this an opportunity to make a party to say thank you to them.
Drumming
A friend of ours is a musician – she came and ran a drumming session for a group of 10 and it was brilliant, we all loved it.
It's all about the birthday
On Shelley’s birthday, the awareness of her chronological age and her lack of corresponding level of attainment would hit me and I would feel sad. I am almost past that feeling now. She is a mostly happy woman and that is the most important thing. I am also very proud of her achievements despite the obstacles she faces and she gives so much pleasure and joy to others, so there is more and more about which to feel very proud and blessed.
Theatre
I can recommend the Theatre - specially pantomimes which can be inclusive for everyone. Theatre’s often have a party room or area where you can make a tea.
Sibling fun
Simon is naturally shy and scared of party entertainers but we found that he loves it when his siblings run the party which is great for everyone.
Noise levels
The level of noise can be a big issue. I suggest you need to be aware of the noise level when you are choosing how you are going to celebrate and how many people you are going to invite.
Pool party
Pool parties are great, see if you can hire your local hydrotherapy pool. We go to Stanmore Orthopaedic Hospital's pool but you can try your local Special Needs School or Physiotherapy Unit at the local hospital.
Indoor fireworks
You can get cheap boxes of indoor fireworks – we get a box occasionaly for some fun. They are good for birthdays, visuals and smells.
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