Easiest Party Ever - Mall Scavenger Hunt

We long ago established that I am a nut when it comes to celebrating my kids' birthdays. There are elaborate cupcakes and themes and decorations and ... WTH IS IT WITH TEENAGERS? Why do they hate fun? I think it was a perfectly reasonable request for me to ask Alexis to have an elaborately-themed party for her birthday but noooooooo. She refused.

(It's a good thing Mila is officially entering The Nutty Birthday Zone this May. I will get to pick up right where I left off!).

She wanted a party, just an "age appropriate blah, blah, blah" party.

I turned that into dinner with her friends and then a scavenger hunt at the mall.

Which, I WIN. She has clearly stated that it was her favorite party ever and I have gloated mightily because she tried to stop me. At one point, she was all, "Scavengers hunts are dumb. We're just going to shop."

No.

Just no.

I persisted. AND I WAS RIGHT. (Clearly I'm not done gloating.) There was a point during the scavenger hunt when I had two of her friends on the phone and one standing in front of me because they were eagerly trying to smarty pants their way to solving one of the clues. AND THEY WERE SO EXCITED ABOUT IT.

Seriously.

If you want to see a hoard of 7th grade girls get excited, give them a list of things to find in the mall. They *loved* it. And they're all stupid competitive, so they nearly suffocated me trying to all watch while I scored the whole thing. It was pretty fantastic. And cheap. The entire party - dinner at Buca di Bepo and prizes included - came in at $150 for 10 girls.

I'm totally doing it again. Can 5-year olds wander the mall alone? Maybe Mila would like that ...

(Here's the clue list we used in case you want to do a similar party.)

Comments

[Mary]

Will you come to Oklahoma and throw me a birthday party? I turn 55 this year and I would totally love a themed birthday party (as long as it's not over the hill).