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Kids have a lot on their plate anymore… even the youngest of them have homework overload, a general lack of free time, and a whole lot of extra things to do, like sports and hobbies. It makes it a lot harder for them to celebrate what makes them free to be themselves, and it makes it harder to have that connection or bond that you truly want to. So, I’ve decided to be a lot more intentional, as a parent, to make sure my son and his friends are Free To Be themselves, and to celebrate that, I decided to throw a Free To Be Bash! Here’s how to throw one at YOUR house, too.

Free To Be sounds pretty wide-open, and that’s the whole point. Wide open choices for them to play how they need to– but with some fun suggestions on how to play to get them started.

The whole idea of a Free To Be party is that there’s no real agenda– kids can play at the stations they want, when they want, as long as they want. If they only stay at one play station the whole time, that’s okay. And if they decide to visit several play stations for only a few minutes each, that’s okay, too. It’s all about freedom to choose.

For each free-to-be station, you’ll want to leave some open-ended play for them to use. One station that my son loves most is the Music Station so kids can feel Free To Be Musical— we set out records, CDs, a microphone, some drums, and a variety of hand instruments for play. You can vary up the play by allowing them to make their own instruments– like a shaker using toilet paper rolls and rice, a paper plate tambourine, or anything else you can imagine! Kids love the opportunity to just experience the music– we set out a variety of different kinds of appropriate music and let them decide, because truly, this is all about them, from rock and roll to rap to classical and back.

If your kids would like to be musical, but you don’t have any instruments on hand, or if you want a fun take-home craft, then you’ll love this simple DIY shaker tambourine. Simply fill one paper plate with a small amount of rice, and place another paper plate on top. Make sure that all of the edges are sealed with tape, glue, or just being held together so rice can’t escape, and punch holes around the exterior. Then, weave or tie ribbon or baker’s twine through each hole to make sure the rice cannot escape. Then, decorate– my son chose to use stickers, but you can provide all kinds of fun stuff to decorate with!

As you can tell, this craft is always a hit, and makes for some fun musical play, so your children and their friends can be free to be Musical!

The next option that kids may enjoy is the option to be Free To Be Athletic! Just use what you have on hand– check out my recent post on a DIY Obstacle Course using only chalk, grab some balls to play with, and do a variety of organized or free play with different hula hoops, cones, nets, and more. If it’s a fun athletic activity, it can work well– and you don’t have to do much encouraging for athletic-minded kids to grab a soccer ball and just start kicking it back and forth!

You can additionally encourage kids to be Free To Be Artistic. Paint, crayons, markers, mini canvases, stickers, tie dye– whatever you feel comfortable with offering, or have on hand, make great choices for an art station where kids can make their own take-home project! Modeling clay can be a great one, too, or a bracelet making station– whatever you’d like to encourage great play.

One thing we don’t give kids enough time for, it seems, is messy play. I want my son, who has Sensory Processing Disorder, to know that he is Free To Be Messy, especially in appropriate venues like this Free To Be Party. For us, that usually means space for digging in the mud, and a washing up station– you can add additional play items like tin pie plates for imaginary mud pies, or just leave it simple– mud, and soap and water to wash up after.

When it comes to things like Messy Play, which I’ve touched on in the past with my Messy Play Splatter Painting DIY post, it can be hard to let go. There’s a natural inclination to say “Don’t play with that, you’ll get dirty” because most of us really don’t want mud or paint tracked in or anywhere it shouldn’t be. Cleanup can be a pain in the butt, and it can add to already stressful lives.

Plus, with my son, I’ve always had to be pretty picky about the cleanup process anyway. With sensitive skin issues we both experience, plus problems with common allergens, it can be hard to find a system of cleanup that gets his clothing clean, but also doesn’t give him the sensitive skin issues that make life miserable.

Sensitive skin acting up is bad enough, but when you have Sensory Processing Disorder, it’s even worse… so we just avoid it altogether by using all® free clear products like the all free clear® detergent, the all® free clear mighty pacs®. the all® free clear fabric softener, and the all® free clear dryer sheets. They’re free of dyes, perfumes, certain chemicals, and other irritating residues that can aggravate skin. The all® free clear liquid detergent and mighty pacs® are even the #1 detergent recommended by Dermatologists, Allergists, and Pediatricians for Sensitive Skin, and for good reason. They really don’t irritate skin.

Plus, with my son and I suffering from seasonal allergies, I love that washing with all® free clear helps remove 99% of the top everyday and seasonal allergens* Dog and cat dander, dust mite matter, ragweed pollen, grass/tree pollen. Naturally, laundry detergent can’t prevent or treat allergies, but being able to get these allergens off of our clothes makes life a lot easier, and means we worry less about allergens and more about being free to be having fun. We simply find ours in the laundry care aisle of our local store! Be sure to follow the package directions listed on the back of the package, and as always, keep laundry care items out of reach of children, and you’ll be just fine!

Once all of the guests at your Free To Be Party have had the chance to play at the stations of their choice to their hearts’ content, you can let them snack by choice, too– after checking with any food allergies that might be present, offer up a variety of awesome choices. Maybe a child is Free To Be Healthy and wants a healthy snack– we just set out a variety like carrots, celery, apples, oranges, bananas, and our new favorite for those who are a little ambitious… Rambutan! (It’s a grape-like fruit with a soft interior but a very furry exterior!)

Some kids, they’ll be Free to Be Sweet with a few choices on the sweeter side… after all, what’s life without a little bit of a sweet tooth? Cake or cupcakes would also be a great option for this sweeter side of life!

Or, maybe they’re Free To Be Cheesy– think cheese crackers, cheese dip, cheese sticks, anything cheesy!

You see, the options are endless– and you’ll find most kids want to be a lot of things. Ask a kid what they want to be when they grow up, and you’ll find many kids will give you not just one job, but a list of them (an astronaut that does ballet on the weekends? A musician that sometimes races race cars? A butterfly veterinarian?)… and kids don’t just want one style of play or one type of food, either.

As parents, we tend to want to box them in, but when we allow them to be Free To Be anything, the possibilities are endless!

What are your Kids Free to Be? Let me know in the comments below, and then check out more ideas here, or visit the social hub here!