What are some good anniversary ideas for kids to do?

Question

I am babysitting some kids tonight whose parents have their 16th wedding anniversary today. This family means a lot to me, and so I want to have the kids and I make them something, or do something for them for when they come home from dinner tonight. Any ideas on what the kids and I could do? The kids are 10 and 14 years old.

A little about the parents: the father is a pastor of my church, very laid back people but very busy people, they are always helping out another person, and never think about themselves, they have a dog, rat, and bird as pets.

I already got them a card, and I can run out to the store and get something else as well if I need to. So any ideas would greatly be appreciated! 10 points guaranteed to the best and most creative ideas! thank you for your help!!

Answer 1

Well even though this is an idea for the morning, and it won't technically be their anniversary anymore, I will give it a shot anyway!

You guys could put together a breakfast casserole and then just cover it and put it in the fridge overnight.  Then tomorrow morning the kids can get up early and pop it in the oven and surprise their parents with it!  Maybe they can also make little decorations, like napkin rings out of construction paper or pipe cleaners, in the shape of hearts or something.  Maybe put a framed wedding picture on the table as a centerpiece.  Light some candles.  It could be an intimate family breakfast!

Paula Deen has some good recipes for breakfast casseroles.  Here is a link for a french toast one:

http://www.pauladeen.com/recipe_view/204

Answer 2

You can make a cake or cupcakes with the kids so when the parents come home it's there for them.  The kids can also have a card there waiting for them with the cake.

You can do some decorations, or have them do a poem or write something like 16 reasons why they're the best parents, have each child do their own, I'm sure with the age difference, the answers are going to be very different and the parents will LOVE that!  They can make this for their parents along with the cake, cookies, anything or even alone and the parents will love it and appreciate that you went through the trouble of helping their children do this for them.  You can even do 16 reasons why they are special to you.

You can also have them put together a picture collage.  You know those frames that are collage frames?  They are one big frame with the many openings, you can get one of them, they sell them everywhere in the framing departments of Target, Walmart, Kohls, Michael's, AC Moore, Linen's and Things, etc.  You can get one of those frames fairly inexpensive and have the kids round up pictures of their parents through the years, leave 2 spaces blank.  One space to put the dates, and Happy 16th Anniversary (they can start with their wedding picture) and the other blank is to take a picture of them when they get home from dinner and put that most recent picture on the actual day of their anniversary in the frame.  So the dates would be from their wedding to their 16th anniversary and pictures of them as a couple in between.  They will love it, it's like a scrapbook for their wall, it's from the heart, it's made by you and their children and it's of them.  You can even include pictures of them with the kids and make it a family project and do family projects.

If you think the kids can't do that, you can go out and get one of those frames at either Michael's or AC Moore, the ones that have to be decorated, and get some paint and Anniversary and Love stickers in the scrapbook dept. and have them decorate the frame and put a picture of the couple in the frame and it will decorated by their children.  In these stores they also sell what's called Scrapbook frames where you can make one scrapbook layout and frame it.  You can get them in the framing dept. and then go to the scrapbooking dept. and get the paper and some stickers and things and have the kids come up with a few pictures, like 2-3 of their parents, make the layout and put it in the frame and if they want, they can decorate the frame or leave it as is and they can hang that on their wall too.

Or you can go to the store and get them a cake and have a little celebration when they get back.  Get an ice cream cake or whatever the kids can tell you their parents like, have Happy 16th Anniversary written on it and then put it in the fridge or freezer when you get there.  Then get some streamers and poster board and have the kids make a sign and decorate the house for when their parent's get home and have a little celebration with them.  I'm sure they would love that.  If you think they're going to come back very late you can tip them off that their kids have a special surprise for them and if they can either skip dessert or bring it home and have it later when they go to bed so the kids can do their surprise, this way they're not waiting up all night for them to come back home.  Most kids are up late during the summer anyway, but if the younger one is going to struggle with being awake, you can tip them off on the a side without he/she knowing.

I hope some of these ideas help.  You are VERY sweet to do this for them.  You really are!  I hope they have a very Happy Anniversary and that whatever surprise you choose, it goes over great, which I'm sure it will!!