6-Foot Tall Party- Celebrate your child growing TALL

Six Foot Party

It’s time for a TALL Party

We have tall genes in our family. We knew our boys would all be taller than six feet as adults. So far, three of them have passed the mark. Our fourth son just turned twelve, so we’ll give him a couple more years.

When our oldest son reached the height of six feet, we decided we should celebrate. We threw a Six-Foot Tall Party for him, inviting our extended family to join in the tall celebration.

Dinner for this party was a lot of fun.  I made a six-foot-long sandwich and a six-foot-long banana split!

I worked at Subway as a teenager, so I felt confident I could make my own sandwich. Years later, when we repeated this party for our younger sons, I just ordered six-foot sandwiches from a grocery store deli. That made it a lot easier, but here’s the instructions if you want to make your own.

6-Foot Dinner

I made enough bread dough for six loaves of bread.  I rolled out 1/4 of the dough into a large rectangle, then cut it in three long strips.  I braided the dough and placed it diagonally on a greased cookie sheet.  I made four of these loaves- each just over 18″ long.  I let them raise until they reached my desired size, then baked them for 24 minutes.  (My regular loaves usually take 30 minutes to bake.)

I made these the day before the party, allowed them to cool, then wrapped them in plastic wrap.

On the night of the party, I lay them side by side on a table.  I trimmed off the ends (except for the two on the far ends) and pushed them together so they appeared to be one six-foot loaf.  I filled them with sandwich fixin’s and it was the freshest, yummiest six footer I’ve ever tasted!

Six Foot Sandwich at the Six Foot Party
Six Foot Sandwich at the Six Foot Party

We made our six-foot-long banana split in a rain gutter.  Plastic rain gutters are very inexpensive at Lowe’s or Home Depot- less than $10.  I scrubbed it clean and it made a perfect 6-foot long bowl for our ice cream.  This is surely against health code, but lots of fun!

6-foot long ice cream sundae at the Tall Party
6-foot long ice cream sundae at the Tall Party

6-Foot Party Activities

When the guests arrived, we measured all of them on our growth chart. We need to know how tall everyone is at a Tall Party.

Growth Chart
How close are you to 6-feet tall?

We included markings for a few famous people, including the tallest man and woman to ever live.  Tallest woman: Zeng Jinlian of China (8′ 1 3/4”)  Tallest man: Robert Wadlow (8′ 11.1”)

Growth Chart

Our first activity was a slam dunk contest in the driveway.  We used a mini trampoline for the contest. Be careful if you decide to do this.  Our little tramp’s legs fell off after a dozen dunks.  Oops! An alternative idea would be to play the basketball game of HORSE but spell SIX instead.

Tall people party dunking competition
Tall people party dunking competition

Next we played volleyball, which is a tall person’s game but is also great for all sizes of people.

The next activity was a game we call “Line Up”.  In this game, you divide your group into two teams.  The person in charge then calls out a sorting category and the teams race to be the first group lined up in the proper order.

Lined up in order by darkest to lightest hair color
Lined up in order of favorite Star Wars character’s height. Chewbacca to R2-D2!

Here are a few examples of sorting categories:  Height (tallest to shortest), Age (oldest to youngest), Hair length, Shoe size, fingernail length, birth date by month- not year (January to December), number of times you’ve been to Disneyland, your favorite Star Wars character by height, your favorite sport alphabetically.  You can think of all kinds of things!  Make the list and give it to the caller. He then begins each line-up race by saying something like, “Think of your favorite food.  What letter does that food begin with? Now line up alphabetically A to Z.)  Fun!

Tall People Game- Describe and guess the famous tall people!
Tall People Game- Describe and guess the famous tall people!

Our last game was one we call the “30 Second Game”.  Again, we divided our group into two teams. Previously, I had printed a long list of famous people (and a few neighbors and friends) who are over 6’0″ tall.  I cut up the list so there was one name on each slip of paper and put the names in a bowl.  The teams took turns having one person give clues to their team.  Their goal was to get their team to guess as many names as they could in thirty seconds.  Teams took turns, trading the clue giver each time, until the bowl was empty. Here’s my list:  Tall People List

Sixlets are a great party favor for a Tall Party
Sixlets are a perfect party favor for a 6-Foot Tall Party

Everyone took home a party favor: a long pack of Sixlets!  Hooray for tall people!

Check out more great party ideas on our website!

Parties for Little Kids Ages 3-7

Parties for Big Kids Ages 8-12

Parties for Teens

Celebrate Father’s Day with Hotel Dad

Welcome to Hotel Dad

Welcome to Hotel Dad!

Do you want to do something really special for your dad for Father’s Day? Here’s a great idea. Turn your house into a grand hotel. We called ours “Hotel Dad”.

We wanted our gift to be a surprise, so we built it on the Friday before Father’s Day. Then, when Dad came home from work, he was escorted to the front door and inside Hotel Dad. Our five kids really loved playing their numerous rolls as hotel employees. That’s what made the night (and morning) a real hit. They donned classy costumes and made it very fun for themselves and their dad.

Here are the rooms and amenities our hotel offered:

Lobby

When Dad first arrived, he checked in at the front desk in our living room and received the key to his room. The kids played the parts of hotel clerk and porters. The porters had luggage (already packed with Dad’s pajamas and toothbrush) waiting at the front desk.

Restaurant

We turned our kitchen into the hotel restaurant. We named it Mama’s Bistro and served one of dad’s favorite meals by candlelight. The kids served as waiters and busboys for the meal. The kids also helped by setting the table, preparing some of the food, and making the menu.

Spa & Wellness Center

Later in the evening, the living room was transformed into a spa. The kids were the spa employees. Our dad’s spa experience started with a foot soak (in a bucket of warm water), followed by a foot rub, back massage, and head scratch (all performed simultaneously by our enthusiastic employees.)

Guest Rooms

We put paper numbers on all of the bedroom doors so Dad could find his room. In the room, we put a chocolate on his pillow, a card with the room service menu, and a bucket of ice with a bottle of sparkling cider.

Bathroom

We didn’t change the bathroom much. We just added a little travel-sized bottle of shampoo, conditioner, and lotion to the shower.

Room Service

We left a card on Dad’s pillow with the Room Service menu. He could order whatever he wanted any time during the evening.  Our room service options included, ice cream, root beer floats, popcorn, and licorice.

Concierge Desk

Our concierge offered a few pamphlets with optional activities. (Our teenage son made the list and served as the concierge.) He had three movie options and information about nearby tennis courts, hikes, museums, and theaters. Our dad opted for the movie but you could add whatever your dad might like most.

Breakfast

Our kids think a hotel is second-rate if it doesn’t serve waffles for breakfast. –So that was the grand finale for Hotel Dad… waffles!

Happy Fathers Day!

Great Gifts for Active Outdoorsy Teens & Pre-Teens

When your kids grow out of toys, it becomes harder to think of gifts for birthdays and Christmas.  Here are some gift ideas that have been big hits at our house with our active outdoorsy teens and pre-teens.

Personalized Water Bottles

Everyone loves having a good water bottle. Find one in a great color and personalize it with a few cool stickers.  You can find stickers for any hobby/passion on etsy.com.  (Plan to spend about $20.)

Spike Ball

spikeball

This is a great game that is easy to store and haul around. It’s a favorite lawn game at our house, especially with teens and adults.  (Spike Ball sets cost $40.)

Dodge Balls

A good set of foam dodge balls can be used for countless games and activities.  You’ll be surprised how often you’ll pull them out.  It’s a great thing to have as a youth group leader for when an activity gets cancelled at the last minute. (These cost about $50.)

Giant Sling Shot

Giant Sling Shot

We’ve used this giant sling shot so many times. It shoots water balloons, dodge balls, stuffed animals, potatoes, and mini pumpkins. (At least, those are the things we have shot with it.) We’ve used it for surprise birthday attacks on friends, at school carnivals, and to shoot vegetables at targets across a field.  Buy two if you want to have battles or competitions with teams. (Plan to spend around $20.)

Nerf Guns

Nerf Guns

These babies are synonymous with classic fun.  A Nerf battle never fails to delight the kids at our house.  Everyone builds their bases/forts and the war begins.  Teenagers seem to love Nerf play every bit as much as little kids. (Prices vary from $10-50.)

Hammocks

Hammocks

We put two fence posts in our yard near a big tree so our kids can hook their hammocks up whenever they like. So many books have been read in these hammocks! They’re also just really fun to play in. Our kids have figured out how to do all kinds of tricks twisting and turning inside. (You can find hammocks for $15-30.)

Frisbee Golf

frisbee golf

If you have a frisbee golf course near your house, you might want to try this fun leisurely sport.  It’s more challenging than it looks but it’s accessible to all ages and physical fitness levels. (The set pictured above costs $20.)

Longboards

Longboards

After you watch “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,” you’ll know why you need one of these.  Most people think they are easier to ride than classic skateboards. (These vary a lot in price, starting at $55.)

Double Dutch Jump Ropes

Double Dutch Jump Ropes

These are fun to take with you to any gathering.  You’ll be surprised how many people have jump rope skills and how much fun it is to watch. Make sure you buy two ropes. We like the 16 ft length. ( Our set cost $24.)

Tandem Bike

Tandem Bike

We found a used tandem bike for $200. It was money well-spent. Seriously, we all love riding it.  It’s just impossible to feel sad while riding on a bicycle built for two.

Pickleball Equipment

Pickleball Paddles

If you haven’t tried pickleball yet, what are you waiting for?  Pickleball courts are popping up all over the country.  It’s a sport where grandma, dad, and little sister can all compete.  It’s really fun.  You can learn how to play in a few minutes by watching tutorials on YouTube. (You can get a set of two paddles for $20 or four for $40.)

Indoor Hammock Swing

Hammock Swing gift for teens Hammock Swing- Great gift for teens and kids

Our cousins have this swing hanging from the ceiling in their toy room.  You can do all kinds of cool twists and turns and dream of being an aerialist or acrobat one day.  It would be a fun addition to a teenager’s bedroom. Very cool. (These start at $40 online but you can get really fancy ones for much more. Our cousins have a heavy duty version from funandfunction.com called the raindrop swing. It cost $300 but it will last forever!)

Sleds/Tubes

Tube

A tractor tube is really fun for sledding and floating.  The bigger the tube, the more people you can fit on it!  (I can’t put a price on this. It all depends on where you buy them.)

Wearable Blankets

Wearable Blankets

My teens love these wearable blankets. There are several brands.  Two of my kids have the Comfy.  Our cousins have the Huggle. They wear them almost every day. (You can find these for $25-40.)  After a day of active fun, it’s always good to come home and get comfy!

Card & Board Games

Check out our favorite card and board games.