Celebrating a birthday: how an afternoon becomes an experience

For many children a birthday is one of the special days of the year.

Weeks in advance the thinking starts: who will be invited? Which cake should it be? What do we want to do? And of course: what absolutely cannot be missing?

For parents this is often the beginning of a very different kind of planning.

How do we keep a whole group busy? What do we do if it rains? Which activity suits children who are all quite different? When do we eat? Who keeps track of everything? And how do we manage to make the afternoon not only well organised, but genuinely enjoyable for the birthday child and its guests?

This is exactly where children's birthday parties at Brainorithmics come in.

With us the point is not simply a full afternoon programme. The children should become active themselves: building, designing, experimenting, puzzling, playing or, depending on the theme chosen, coding.

We prepare the activities and the materials, guide the children through the programme and take care of the tidying up afterwards.

That way the children get to experience their birthday, and parents can simply celebrate along with them.

What can make a birthday party special

Children do not necessarily need the biggest programme or the most spectacular decorations for a birthday to stay in the memory.

Often it is single moments. Having built something themselves. Marvelling together at an experiment. Having solved a challenge. Carrying out an idea of their own. Laughing with friends. Or proudly showing at the end something that came about during the afternoon.

That is why three things matter to us particularly at a birthday party.

The children become active themselves

Watching may be part of it. What stands at the centre, though, is doing something yourself.

The children build, design, experiment, solve small challenges or develop something together.

The result is an afternoon in which they are not only entertained but are themselves part of what happens.

Different children find their place

A birthday group often brings together very different personalities.

Some children are right in the middle of things straight away. Others watch first. Some enjoy puzzling over a task for a long time, others bring in a great many creative ideas.

A good programme should therefore allow different ways in and give as many children as possible the chance to contribute in their own way.

Something of their own comes about

It is especially nice when something has become visible at the end:

• a construction
• a creative piece of work
• a challenge that was solved
• an experiment
• or a digital project

The result does not have to be perfect. Far more important is the feeling: we made that ourselves.

From keeping children busy to giving them an experience

Of course you can fill a birthday party with many separate items of programme. But more activities do not automatically mean a better afternoon.

For us a special experience arises far more when children are given time to really immerse themselves in an activity.

A task may be interesting. It may challenge them a little. Perhaps something does not work on the first attempt. Then it gets changed, tried again and thought through further.

Those are exactly the moments that make tinkering, experimenting and creative work so exciting.

Our job in this is not to hand out every solution. We guide the children, give support when it is needed, and at the same time leave enough room for ideas of their own.

And because a birthday is not a lesson, movement, eating together, laughter and free moments are naturally part of it too.

A birthday is first of all a celebration

This point matters to us particularly.

A birthday party at Brainorithmics is not an extra school day and not a lesson with a cake break.

Even though the children think, try things out and discover something new almost in passing while building, experimenting or coding, something else stands at the centre of that day: the birthday child and the shared experience with its guests.

The activity gives the afternoon an exciting frame. It should spark curiosity, let conversations happen and give the group something they can experience together.

But it remains a birthday party.

How a birthday party at Brainorithmics can unfold

Every party is a little different. Age, group size, the chosen theme and the wishes of the birthday child all influence how it goes.

Even so, there is a framework that has proved itself well.

Arriving

Not all children arrive at the same time or with the same energy. Some want to get going immediately, others first need a few minutes to look around and settle into the group.

So the party starts in a relaxed way. The children get to know the surroundings and the person supervising and get a first impression of what awaits them.

Starting together

A short shared start brings the group together and introduces the theme of the birthday.

We make sure that nobody has to be good at anything or show something in front of the whole group straight away.

The main activity

Then the central part of the programme begins. Depending on the birthday chosen, the children can for example build, design, experiment, tinker or code.

The tasks are adapted to the age and to the group. Where it makes sense, the children work together or in small teams. With other activities each child can work on a project of its own.

What matters to us is that the children can try out as much as possible themselves.

Time to celebrate

Afterwards or in between there is time for what belongs to a birthday: sitting together, eating, drinking, talking, laughing, singing and of course celebrating the birthday child.

The organisational details around cake and catering are agreed before the party.

A shared ending

At the end the children get the chance to show their results or to round off the afternoon together.

That way the party does not end abruptly but gets a deliberate closing point.

And after that we take care of the tidying up.

Which themes are possible?

Children are interested in very different things. So a birthday party at Brainorithmics can have different focuses too.

Which themes are currently possible depends among other things on the age of the children, the group size, the location and what is on offer at the time.

Possible directions can for example be:

Robots and technology

Building, testing, changing and trying again.

Technical tasks are particularly exciting when children can see immediately what effect their ideas have. Why does something not drive in the direction we want? What has to be changed? What happens if we try a different solution?

That turns technology into a playful puzzle.

Coding

Depending on age and theme, coding can be part of a birthday too.

The children can for example solve a small digital challenge, design an animation or develop a simple project.

The point is not to convey as much coding knowledge as possible. The children should try things out, create and enjoy a digital task together. Anyone who wants more of it afterwards will find it in our coding courses for children.

Experiments and discovery

Marvelling, observing and trying out: with experiments suited to their age, children can discover scientific phenomena through play.

What happens? Why does something change? Can we influence the result?

It is precisely the immediate observation that makes activities like these so exciting for many children.

Creative workshop

Designing, building and carrying out their own ideas.

Creative activities offer plenty of room for different personalities and different working speeds. Not every result has to look the same. On the contrary: it is precisely the different solutions that make it appealing.

Combinations

Depending on what is available, different elements can also be combined.

A larger main activity can for example be complemented by a shorter challenge, a game or a creative part.

Which variant suits the group is something we discuss during the planning.

Why technology and creativity go well together

Technology and creativity are sometimes seen as opposites. For children they lie surprisingly close together.

Whoever builds something needs an idea. Whoever codes has to make decisions. Whoever experiments observes and changes.

Whoever designs also solves small problems: how should it look? How will it hold? Which materials go together? Can I do it differently?

At a birthday party this produces activities in which there does not have to be only one correct solution. Children can bring in their own ideas and at the same time work together towards a goal.

That makes such tasks interesting for groups with different interests and different prior knowledge as well.

For our birthday activities, no particular specialist knowledge is normally needed. What matters is that the tasks suit the age and the particular group.

Different age groups need different birthdays

A birthday for five year olds should look different from a party for eleven or twelve year olds. So we adapt tasks, pace and supervision to the age group in question.

Roughly 5 to 7 years

With younger children, concrete and clearly manageable activities come first.

The sections may be shorter, movement can be built in more often and supervision is closer.

Building, designing, trying out and visible results are particularly well suited at this age.

Roughly 8 to 10 years

Many children can now engage with a challenge for longer.

They enjoy puzzling things out together, compare different solutions and increasingly want to find out for themselves how something works.

Small challenges can create additional motivation, without the whole birthday having to turn into a competition.

Roughly 11 to 12 years

With older children the tasks may become more complex.

They can take on more responsibility for their project and develop solutions of their own.

At the same time there is still enough room for what matters at a birthday at any age: spending a good time together with friends.

The age bands are a guide. Children and groups differ, so we always look at the actual make up of the birthday party as well.

Why a good structure matters

Birthday parties need neither a minute by minute timetable nor fifteen items of programme. A clear framework helps, though.

Children want to know what happens next. At the same time they need breaks and enough time to finish an activity.

So we would rather plan a few fitting elements with enough time than an afternoon that rushes from one item to the next.

Activity, movement, celebration and quieter moments may alternate. That keeps the afternoon lively without feeling overloaded.

Reserved children may watch first

Not all guests at a birthday know each other equally well. Perhaps school friends, neighbours and relatives come together.

Some children feel at home in a new group straight away. Others would rather watch first. Both are fine.

We do not want to push children into speaking in front of the group straight away or into taking part in every activity in the same way. A manageable start and a clear task can help them find their bearings.

If you already know that an invited child needs particular support in new groups, you are welcome to tell us beforehand. Then we can prepare for it better.

What takes the pressure off parents

A birthday at home can be wonderful. But it also means a fair amount of organising.

• Preparing the room
• Getting the materials
• Planning the programme
• Providing the cake
• Keeping an eye on the group
• Reacting to unexpected situations
• And tidying up afterwards

With a birthday party at Brainorithmics we take on a large part of this organisational work. We prepare the agreed programme and the materials needed, lead the activities and take care of the tidying up afterwards.

That means parents do not have to supervise the group, prepare the next item of programme and think of a hundred small things all at once.

They get to experience the birthday themselves as well.

What parents should look at when celebrating away from home

Wherever a party takes place, a few questions help with choosing.

Does the programme suit the age?

A task should neither bore nor unnecessarily overwhelm. So ask how activities are adapted to the age of the birthday group.

Is the flow of the afternoon clear?

It does not need a minute by minute plan. But parents should know roughly how the afternoon is structured and how much time is set aside for activity, celebration and breaks.

Is the group size right?

Group size, age, activity and supervision belong together. With practical tasks in particular, there should be enough support available.

Do the children become active themselves?

A varied birthday lives from the children not only watching but being able to try things out and create.

Is there enough time?

Too many activities can be just as tiring as too little structure. A good programme leaves room to finish something, to celebrate and also to take a breath.

Can individual notes be discussed in advance?

Allergies, intolerances or other important information should be able to be settled before the party.

Less programme can sometimes be more

When planning a birthday, the wish to fit in as much as possible arises quickly. One activity. Another game. A challenge. Then cake. Then something else special.

But children need time to engage with something. When an exciting activity has just properly got going, it does not have to be interrupted after ten minutes for the next item.

So we prefer a good rhythm to the longest possible list of activities.

A special birthday does not come from the number of activities. It comes from the moments in which the children are really there.

Competition in moderation

Small challenges can be great fun. With older children in particular it can be motivating to solve a task together or to try out different solutions.

But a birthday party should not depend on who wins.

So we use competition where it suits the group and the theme, and we make sure the shared experience stays in the foreground.

The birthday child stays at the centre

With all these activities, one thing must not get lost: it is a child's special day.

The birthday child should feel seen and be able to enjoy its afternoon.

That does not mean it has to stand in front of everyone the whole time. Some children love attention, others only like it in small doses. Here too we try to create a setting that suits the child.

Parents and siblings

Whether parents stay for the whole party and whether younger or older siblings can take part is best settled during the planning.

That depends among other things on the age of the children, the group size and the programme chosen.

If a sibling is to be there, please let us know with your enquiry.

We are also happy to discuss your own wishes as parents in advance, so that as little as possible has to be organised on the day itself.

Cake, food and allergies

Of course the relaxed part belongs to a birthday too. How cake, snacks and drinks are organised is something we settle with the family beforehand.

Information about allergies and intolerances is particularly important. Please let us know about anything relevant early on, so that it can be taken into account in the planning.

That way organisational questions can be settled before the birthday as far as possible, and on the day itself the celebration is what matters.

Birthday party, workshop or course?

At Brainorithmics there are different ways to discover something new. They have different goals, though.

Birthday party

A birthday party is first of all a celebration. The activity creates a special setting for a shared afternoon with friends.

Workshop

A workshop for children concentrates more strongly on one particular topic. Children can try something out and spend a limited time engaging with it more intensively.

A regular course

In a regular maths course or coding course long term learning comes first. Skills and knowledge are built up and developed step by step.

None of these formats has to lead to the next.

A child may find a robot birthday wonderful without wanting to attend a coding course afterwards. But a new interest may also grow out of it. Both are perfectly fine.

Children's birthday parties in Aarau and Cham

Would you like to celebrate a children's birthday in Aarau or Cham? Brainorithmics offers supervised birthday programmes with technical, creative and playful activities. Which themes and dates are possible depends on the age, the group size and what is currently on offer at the location in question.

You will find our rooms at these two addresses:

• Aarau: Laurenzenvorstadt 77, 5000 Aarau
• Cham: Riedstrasse 3, 6330 Cham

Both locations are centrally situated and easy to reach. You will find more about the rooms and how to get there on the pages for our locations in Aarau and Cham.

Which dates, themes and variants are possible at each location is something we are happy to clarify with an enquiry. That way we can look together at which programme suits your child's age, interests and group.

How an enquiry works

If you would like to plan a children's birthday at Brainorithmics, we only need a few basic pieces of information to begin with:

• your preferred date or possible dates
• the age of the birthday child
• the approximate number of guests
• the location you would like
• interests or theme ideas

If you already have a concrete idea, you are welcome to tell us. If everything is still open, that is just as fine. We discuss together which options come into question for the particular group.

After that, details such as the flow of the afternoon, catering, special wishes and important notes about the children can be settled.

If you have a particular date in mind, an early enquiry is worthwhile.

What should stay afterwards

A birthday party lasts only a few hours. What stays in the memory is often something quite different.

The robot that finally drove off after several attempts. The experiment where something unexpected suddenly happened. Their own creation. The shared laughter. The moment with the cake. Or the pride of having to show parents quickly at pick up what has been made.

That is exactly what we want to create room for at Brainorithmics.

Not for the perfect birthday according to a fixed scheme. But for an afternoon on which children may discover, try things out, celebrate and simply have a good time together.

And for parents who do not have to be host, entertainer and organiser all at once.

Because a children's birthday party does not have to be perfect. Above all it should belong to the children.