My son was turning 8 years old. Normally, this would involve dozens of children descending on the house for a very noisy, slightly manic, birthday party. 2020 was to be different. We were only allowed several children due to Covid 19, so what we missed out on in party guests, we made up for with decorations!!! It would have been so easy to not host a party at all, but frankly, all children have been absolute superheroes during lockdown, and the one thing they all needed was some fun!!! So, we turned to Super Mario to bring the party and some long overdue smiles to these special little people!!!
Our timing couldn't have been more perfect, as Nintendo had just released Super Mario Party. My son and his friends are crazy for their Nintendo switches, so we hit purchase on Amazon Prime, and the entertainment arrived the next day! I can't recommend Super Mario Party enough for a small get together. It was such an easy way to create entertainment at the party - all that was needed was to set them up, provide snacks and they were off!!
The game is based around a board game plus there are lots of exciting mini games to explore. You pick your character, including Mario, Luigi, Bowser, and Toad and battle each other to win the game.
As I mentioned, the decorations were key this year. There is so much choice online for Mario party decorations - we mainly opted for balloons. Mario's colours are awesome for party design - super bright and colourful. The birthday boy certainly gave it the sign off as he opened the door to check whether Mario had arrived - He was SO happy! (I always decorate their party rooms the night before the party, so it's a complete surprise to them on the morning - adds to their excitement, and mine!).
The balloon strip was so easy to make - I found balloon tape online and also purchased an electric balloon pump for £14 (how I have lasted so many years without one I will never know! Every house needs one). Simply blow up all the balloons and push them through the holes on the tape to secure, then attach to the wall. Such a quick and easy way to add colour to any event.
Another bonus of a small party is the catering. Being used to catering for 20+ children at parties, having to feed four was a breeze. I kept it so simple, with pizza on the menu followed by birthday cake. I would normally make a homemade birthday cake, but I simply couldn't resist this Mario cake found at Tesco!
Although this was one of our smallest parties, in many ways it gave me the most joy. In a year which had been filled with so much sadness and uncertainly, this party showed us that celebrating every little milestone, no matter how small, is a way of spreading happiness and love to those closest to you xx
