Second Cup: Theme parties aren't just for kids

Give your gatherings a purpose and have more fun

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning,
This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's
tip is that theme parties aren't just for kids. When
you're planning a gathering, it can be fun to think

(00:24):
beyond the time and place and consider whether a theme
could make your party feel more special. So I recently
helped my daughter plan a Spa themed birthday party. We
ordered tween sized robes, face masks, nail polish, all that
good stuff. By thinking through the theme, she knew she

(00:46):
would have more fun with her friends than if she
just invited everyone over for pizza in a movie. Now,
of course that would be fun too, but the Spa
part would make it more memorable. I think she's onto something,
and not just for twelve year old birthday parties. A
theme can elevate almost any gathering. We know this instinctively

(01:11):
with seasonal parties around this time of year, you might
just get invited to a Halloween costume party. Come Thanksgiving,
you and your family will gather to express gratitude alongside
expressing your desire for more pie. December might bring cookie exchanges.
You figure out a time and place to get together,

(01:34):
but for seasonal parties, you also know there is something
else making the gathering coherent, which is one reason that
people feel so festive, even though sometimes the holidays and
their parties can be exhausting. I would argue that adding
themes can elevate gatherings any time of year. For instance,
if you are celebrating an adult's birthday, you can choose

(01:58):
a theme that relates to the birthday boy or girl,
either as a young person or today. Maybe you choose
the year a newly minted fifty year old graduated from
high school and invite people to wear clothes reflecting that year.
It goes without saying that that year's top forty hits
should be playing on the stereo. Or maybe you choose

(02:21):
the person's current passion as a theme, gathering the friends
of a budding chef at a culinary school for a
class followed by dinner. Or maybe the person is an
outdoor games enthusiast and you can build the party around
cornhole or Gaga or something like that. Of course, you
don't have to have an occasion like a holiday or

(02:44):
birthday to throw a themed party. If you and your
friends all love crafts or wish, you could find more
time for crafts. Have a crafting party. You could set
everyone up to do the same craft, say sculptures with
copper wire or making friendship brace. Or you could provide tables, chairs,
and snacks and invite everyone to bring their own craft

(03:06):
projects to work on. Priya Parker, author of the Art
of Gathering, urges hosts to think about the purpose of
their gatherings and that can help you decide on a
theme party that might be right for you. She points
out that a category of party isn't a purpose. In
other words, put luck, dinner, or even costume party doesn't

(03:30):
really qualify as a purpose. Go beyond what you are
doing to also consider why you are gathering in the
first place. Think about your hopes and your intentions for
this gathering. Do you want to create an occasion for
laughing and having fun together after a stressful season. Do
you want to help your friends circle get to know

(03:51):
each other better. Maybe a crafting party will let you
and your friends tap into your creative side and spend
an afternoon doing something for the love of it, not
because it's productive. Maybe the fifty year old's nineteen ninety
one themed birthday party will remind him that he's known
his friend group for a long time. Getting together with

(04:15):
friends and family is great, but you don't have to
settle for just picking a date and a time and
a default place. Instead, think about why you want to
get together and consider whether a themed gathering might help
you achieve that purpose. A theme can give your party
a focus and perhaps a sense of playfulness and fun too.

(04:39):
You'll create connections and memories that go deeper than they
otherwise would. In the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for listening,
and here's to making the most of our time. Thanks

(05:01):
for listening to Before Breakfast. If you've got questions, ideas,
or feedback, you can reach me at Laura at Laura
vandercam dot com. Before Breakfast is a production of iHeartMedia.
For more podcasts from iHeartMedia, please visit the iHeartRadio app,

(05:23):
Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.