| "I'm tired of always being the youngest in | | | | it circles of various colored tissue paper |
| the family," sputtered the rebellious Linda | | | | which represented balls of Grandmother's |
| one day. Her mother laughed at her crossness | | | | yarn.Each girl was then given a cardboard fan |
| and then had an idea."How would you like to | | | | (file folders make good fans). Then each girl |
| be a grandmother for a day?" she asked.Linda | | | | tried for one minute to fan as many balls of |
| forgot her crossness and brightened up, | | | | yarn as possible into the work basket. |
| "How?" "How could I?""We could plan a | | | | Linda's mother timed each contestant and |
| Grandmother's party and invite your friends | | | | awarded a small prize to the most successful. |
| in for an afternoon tea like Grandmother used | | | | This game is very tricky because the thin |
| to enjoy when she was young."And this was the | | | | paper blows out of the basket as easily as it |
| start of Linda's "Grandmother's" party. To | | | | blows in.In Grandmother's childhood homemade |
| give her invitations an old-fashioned touch | | | | feather beds and pillows were common in every |
| Linda pasted colored rickrack braid around | | | | home, so Linda planned a feather relay. Her |
| the edges of small white cards. On the cards | | | | guests were divided into two groups. The |
| she printed "Come to Linda's for | | | | first player of each group was given a |
| Grandmother's Day."When her excited guests | | | | feather. Each girl keeps her feather in the |
| arrived they were directed to the back | | | | air by blowing on it while she crosses the |
| bedroom where they found two large boxes - | | | | room and returns. She then hands her feather |
| one filled with old long dresses (one for | | | | to the next in line. The side finishing first |
| each little guest), the other filled with | | | | wins the relay.The next game was "Grandma." |
| hats, gloves, beads, and other fancies.Around | | | | Linda was the first Grandma and stood with |
| the room Linda had pinned a few old-fashioned | | | | her face to the wall. The other players stood |
| pictures which the girls studied to get ideas | | | | in a line across the room. The idea of the |
| about hair styles. Also they were not | | | | game is for the players to creep up on |
| familiar with the black court-plaster beauty | | | | Grandma without being seen.Grandma could turn |
| spots until they saw an old photograph.After | | | | at any time to look over her left shoulder or |
| considerable hilarity over "dressing-up" and | | | | her right shoulder, but she could not at any |
| a proper time devoted to primping, Linda | | | | time turn all the way around. If Grandma |
| announced a style show to discover the | | | | caught sight of a player moving she sent her |
| prettiest costume, the funniest, and the | | | | back to the starting point. The player who |
| cleverest. Winners would be judged by the | | | | first was able to creep up on Grandma and |
| applause of the guests and awarded | | | | touch her took Linda's place and became the |
| prizes.After all this excitement the girls | | | | next Grandma.Teatime came all too quickly. It |
| went to the living room for a "Quilting Bee" | | | | consisted of thin nut-bread sandwiches cut |
| - so popular when Grandmother was a girl. | | | | with fancy cookie cutters, and cocoa. |
| Each girl was given a small square of | | | | Old-fashioned snowballs and plenty of ice |
| tarlatan and enough tiny squares of gay | | | | cream satisfied the sweet tooth. Snowballs, |
| cotton material to cover it plus a tube of | | | | so popular in Grandmother's day, are squares |
| glue. Each girl then glued her cotton squares | | | | of white cake frosted on all sides with white |
| to the tarlatan back to make a doll-sized | | | | coconut frosting.Linda and her guests all |
| quilt. The girl with the nicest looking quilt | | | | decided that having a "Grandmother's" party |
| was awarded a prize.Because even interested | | | | was lots of fun.John Lenaghan writes about |
| girls do not like to sit still too long, the | | | | party ideas and other party-related topics |
| next game was an active one. Linda put a work | | | | for the Party Ideas 4u website. |
| basket in the center of the floor and around | | | | |