Jack and Jill Clown Party

Parties for boys or for girls in the grades are not too hard to plan but woe to the mother of boy and girl twins. Her job to plan a birthday party for her Jack and Jill that will please them both takes a bit of doing.

Mrs. Grady faced this problem. She wanted a gay, happy party where the boys wouldn't spend their time teasing the girls, and the girls wouldn't tauntingly sing, Jackie got a girl friend, Jackie got a girl friend. Her solution was a clown party. All youngsters love a clown, and the twins were enthusiastic while they cut invitations in the shape of a clown's hat on which they printed:

A clowning we will go At Jack and Jill Friday after school. When the boys and girls arrived bubbling with joy of anticipation, they were shown a large gay-looking carton which the twins had decorated with clown faces and bright-colored balls. Their curiosity was intense and they were delighted to discover in this box a supply of wide ruffs of gay-colored crepe paper and tall white crepe paper hats with bright tassels one for each guest.

Dressed in this attire each youngster caught the gay spirit of clowndom, and the party was on its way. The young clowns were seated around card tables on which was a supply of paper coffee cups with handles, some cone shaped paper cups, and paper baking cups. Also paste, crayons and scissors. They were also shown a completed puppet clown for a pattern and each one was asked to make one. The pattern had a face drawn on the coffee cup with an extra handle added for the other ear. The cone shaped paper cup decorated with many colored dots made the hat. The pleated paper baking cup made the ruff.

The children were enthusiastic over their creations. They discovered that by sticking a hand in the paper cup the clowns could be made to turn their heads, bow and do other clownish maneuvers. The boy and girl whose clowns were voted the funniest became captains for the next game.

After this bit of quiet activity the youngsters were ready for some exercise. Jack and Jill took their friends outdoors for a hoop-jumping contest. For this contest the twins had prepared beforehand a number of large hoops made of stout wire and covered with red tissue paper.

The captains chose their teams so that even numbers were on each side. There was a hoop for each guest. The captains held the hoop tilted so that a child running from a given goal could easily jump through the hoop bursting the paper covering as he did so. The side going through the line first was declared the winner. This was a very exciting game, not too difficult but loads of fun.

At the end of this game the hoops were used for a hoop rolling contest. The boys competed against the girls. Each member of the winning team was given two bags of popcorn, one of which he gave to a member of the losing team.

Teen-age kids are very much concern about their looks and appearance. They always have a desire to look good at the best they can. This party provides them a chance to change their appearance. That is why a Clown party is always at the top.