How to Throw a Child's Party for Oktoberfest

Oktoberfest began as a Bavarian festival honoring the marriage of a prince almost 200 years ago. Today Oktoberfest is the world's largest fair. The German festival has spread around the world. It has evolved into a worldwide party of music, beer and feasting. The October celebration is easily adapted for a child's party. You can share the Bavarian heritage with children using fun and simple entertainment.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Polka or Oom-Pah music CDs
• Streamers
• Balloons
• White paper tablecloths and colored paper napkins
• Picnic plates and tableware
• Tables and chairs
• Inexpensive root beer mugs
• Root beer
• Pretzels
• Vienna sausages
• Hot dogs with sauerkraut
• Potato salad
• Apple strudel or black forest cake
• Small cowbells or hand bells
• Kazoos or flutes
• Inexpensive alpine or Tyrolean party hats

1. Cowbells Decorate the room with streamers and balloons. Leave room around the tables for marching and simple dancing. Use white paper tablecloths and colored paper napkins for the tables. Oktoberfest is a casual event so use paper or plastic picnic plates and utensils. Put a small cowbell at each place.
2. Give each arriving guest an alpine or Tyrolean hat. These are inexpensive plastic or felt and can be found at party shops or dollar stores. Background music should be polka, oom-pah, yodel or German folk music.
3. Pair off the children for a simple slap dance exercise. Show them the basic steps. Slap your hands on your thighs, then clap your hands. Next clap your left hand to your partner's left hand. Slap your thighs again, clap your hands, then clap your right hand to your partner's right hand. Do this five times, then all join hands in a circle and march clockwise. Stop. Face each other again. Slap your thighs, clap hands, and repeat the dance except this time march counter-clockwise.
4. Pretzel Serve pretzels in group bowls for sharing. Guests must ring bells between each course. Serve vienna sausages or hot dogs. Ladle out potato salad. Serve root beer in chilled plastic mugs. Dessert can be served after the main meal or after a short break for kazoos or noisemakers.
5. Kazoos Give each guest a kazoo and short kazoo lesson. Turn up the music. Guests play bells or kazoos with the folk music.
6. Give departing guests take hats, cowbells, kazoos and balloons.

Tips & Warnings

• Dress the host or hostess in Oktoberfest accessories such as suspenders for a man and an apron for a women.
• Serve the root beer mugs from a tray.
• Show a movie such as "Heidi" or "Pinocchio." They are not Bavarian, but offer a European folk tale atmosphere.