Few things are as easy, lighthearted and fun as a 10-year-old birthday party. They don't require many ideas from you, they have their own. They are not yet of an age where they want to go to the movies or battles with paint guns. They are past frequent potty breaks requiring assistance, needing constant surveillance and the desire to go to Chuck E. Whatever one more time.
When Alienor asked me to invite friends over for her birthday, it was easy. Feeling a little more courageous and knowing my creative audience well, I suggested a tie-dye activity. When the younger brothers got involved, it ended up a little messier than I'd planned for, but so colorful and joyful.
I mixed up all the colors of the rainbow in squirt bottles, put on the table mat and we were ready to go. I used fiber-reactive dye and pre-soaked the items to dye in vinegar. Seven girls and two boys sat down to make pretty items, all as different from each other as autumn from spring. Some stayed at the table forever, taking their time and thinking things through, others soaked the entire thing (Arthur) and had to hang it out on the line to dry, most took them home in a plastic bag to set. One small thing I missed in my new experiment was that contrary to silk, cotton requires soda ash to set properly. A lot of the color would be washed out over the coming week, but the combinations were still beautiful.
I had provided extras; bags and bandanas to tie, thinking they could then choose. They did, and then proceeded to ask for seconds. The little munchkins dyed everything I had, nothing sad and white left in sight.
I mixed up all the colors of the rainbow in squirt bottles, put on the table mat and we were ready to go. I used fiber-reactive dye and pre-soaked the items to dye in vinegar. Seven girls and two boys sat down to make pretty items, all as different from each other as autumn from spring. Some stayed at the table forever, taking their time and thinking things through, others soaked the entire thing (Arthur) and had to hang it out on the line to dry, most took them home in a plastic bag to set. One small thing I missed in my new experiment was that contrary to silk, cotton requires soda ash to set properly. A lot of the color would be washed out over the coming week, but the combinations were still beautiful.
I had provided extras; bags and bandanas to tie, thinking they could then choose. They did, and then proceeded to ask for seconds. The little munchkins dyed everything I had, nothing sad and white left in sight.
The rest of the time? Trampoline jumping, cake and ice cream, naturally.
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