PARTY FUN FOR BOYS AND GIRLS

A survey from tot-hood to teen-hood which, in spite of a preponderance of cliches and not a few la-de-daisms, embodies a roster of pretty sound ideas for almost any occasion you can think of. Stressing the importance of parties and what they mean for ""small fry"" the authors start off with accounts of specific parties for the youngest age group- three to six-present the variety of short games needed to keep this age on the go. Keeping to descriptions of actual parties as they do throughout the book, the authors move on to parties for boys-rough but not too rough games, a kite party, a carpenter party; for girls- a puppet party, a dog party, a blue jeans party; for boys and girls at that tricky first dance stage- ice-breaker activities, a beach picnic, even a Roman dinner; for special days- dozens of ideas for Thanksgiving, Halloween, St. Patrick's Day, etc.; and lastly for everyday fun- how to rig up a back yard gym if you live in the city, how to keep ten-year-olds happy during a vacation by car. This has all been written down in a style meant to coax the hesitant parent, with chapters prone to start as does the first, in this way; ""Will your ""So Big"" be three years old his next birthday? What fun to give him his first birthday party:"" We object to the patronizing tone but the great number of ideas, presented as being carried out in a natural setting is not to be overlooked.