Throw a Community Ayyam-i-Ha Party Like a Boss
It’s that time of year again! As Ayyám-i-Há approaches, party planners in communities everywhere scramble to come up with fun, meaningful activities that will appeal to a wide range of ages. Here are our best tips from veteran party planners on how to throw a community Ayyam-i-Ha party to remember! And don’t miss out on our giveaway of a wonderful new coloring book for kids for Ayyám-i-Há!
Be sure to visit our Ayyám-i-Há Gift Guide and download your copy of our Ayyám-i-Há fun book!
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Throw a Community Ayyam-i-Ha Party Like a Boss
Looking for great ideas for your community Ayyam-i-Ha party? Here are suggestions from experienced party planners from around the world. Be sure to share yours in the comments!
Inviting the Wider Community
- Invite those already involved in core activities, like children’s classes.
- Send out an invitation (hard copy or digital, even on Facebook) to set the tone about the party so that friends and neighbours who are not Bahá’í learn about it before hand.
- Have an open house, so friends don’t feel the need to commit and can just drop by when they’re able. Makes it easier if you have a small house, too!
- Make invitations with pictures and a quote with a little explanation about Ayyám-i-Há.
- If possible, try handing out invitations in person so you can explain more if anyone has questions.
Gift Exchanges
- White elephant exchanges are very popular! “It’s hilarious to watch 50 something adults picking presents and exchanging them.”
- Have everyone bring a simple gift then a gift under each person’s chair.
- Treat bags for kids
- Have every child bring an inexpensive, wrapped present. Then each gets to pick one of the presents out of the basket.
- Have all the children bring simple inexpensive presents like pencils, stickers, or erasers then pass out one to each child. Every child leaves with new treasures, plus they get the experience of giving.
- Hang up a sheet on a doorway, going only half way up, and decorate with pictures of fish. Make a fishing rod with a small basket on the end of the string to “fish for presents.” Each child then gets to “fish” for a small gift.
Entertainment
- Skits about history
- Live music & dancing
- Talent show
- Puppet show that shares the concepts of Ayyám-i-Há (such as hospitality, service, kindness and gift giving).
Activities
- Break children into age groups for active games
- Have kids make picture frames for their favorite Bahá’í quote
- Have different stations where people can make gifts (potting plants, card marking, candle rolling, making lavender sachets) for others.
- Face painting
- Piñata!
Music
- Sing songs from children’s classes together
- Performances from the children’s classes
- Live music
Food
- Sheet cake
- Pizza
- Picnic in the park
- Candy, but set up in a different part of the house. Each family went in as a unit, and the parents decided how much the kids could have. (There were also toothbrushes!) Then they put the candy in the fabric goodie bags.
- Ice cream sundae bar
- Cupcake/cookie decoration station
- Progressive dinner (appetizers at one home, main course at another, dessert at another)
Service Projects
- Collect items for a local homeless shelter
- Do a food drive for a local food bank
- Help a local family in need
- Donate supplies to a Bahá’í school
- Collect winter jackets
- Make no-sew blankets for children in foster care
- Host the party at a park then do a park clean up afterwards
- Collect books and toys for the local children’s hospital
- Assemble lunches for homeless youth
- Have a station to make bird feeders (with pine cones and seeds), cat toys and dog treats to take to the SPCA
- Make toiletry bags to give to the domestic crisis center or “blessings bags” for the homeless, with items like travel size shampoo, conditioner, lotion, toothpaste, soap, toothbrush and washcloth
- You can find more service project ideas in our Ayyám-i-Há Gift Guide or in this list from Brilliant Star.
Ayyam-i-Ha Coloring Book Giveaway!
I’m so excited to be giving away a wonderful new children’s coloring book about Ayyám-i-Há, the Fast, and Naw-Rúz from my dear friend Melissa of Delighted Hearts. COLORING BOOK – Celebrating Ayyam-i-Ha, Observing the Fast, & Celebrating Naw-Ruz Around the World
To win your copy, simply comment below by telling us how you’re getting ready for Ayyám-i-Há!
Contest runs through midnight PT on Monday, February 19, 2018. Winners chosen through random selection. US Shipping Only.
-8 Comments-
We have an Ayyamiha jar that we have been saving $ in all year. We donate the $ or buy stuff for a charitable cause. We also give 4 nights of gifts that remind us of ways to serve: reminders to clothe, to feed , to give, to love. We also light candles for each night.
I love these ideas! What a great way to focus on service.
This was so helpful! We used it at our party planning session today 🙂
Thanks!
I’m so glad to hear it!! Hope you have a wonderful party! There are so many creative ideas out there.
I am baking lots and lots of cookies!! Mostly nine pointed stars and gingerbread men, and pieces for small gingerbread houses.
Cookies are always a big hit! And I love the idea of doing the stars and gingerbread houses.
This year, Ayamm-i-Ha falls during my daughter’s Spring Break. She’s 4. As we dislike clutter and materialism ourselves, we’ve decided to give of our time and attention. We are inviting a recently widowed neighbour to fiber, inviting a senior in the community to tea whom we know lives alone and whose daughter lives in the country from which I emigrated. We will have two or three days with friends to play and spend time together. We will also go on a special trip to see a play together. We are decorating the house, c counting down using a countdown flower. We are taking about social virtues like joyfulness, kindness, friendship, gentleness…
What a lovely idea! It is so easy to just focus on giving children gifts, but this is a beautiful way to focus on the true spirit of the holiday!