All of my daughters had backyard birthday parties every year. And I am so glad that the tradition continues with my granddaughters.
Home is where they feel most comfortable. And it's where the best memories are made. So I think home birthday parties are always best.
I remember one birthday party when I turned 7, my parents took me and my class (all 50 of us - that's Catholic school for you!) to a restaurant called Hody's, where they had a Hody's clown, and lots of spaghetti. After the party, we all came back home to eat cake, open presents, and frolic in the backyard.
But that's where the surprise came in. Our backyard abutted an open lot. And so, while we were away at the restaurant, my dad took down our back fence, and had a company drive in a big wooden playhouse, with sliding windows, flower boxes, and everything a little girl could desire. And this was in the days when when there weren't many prefabricated playhouses, so this was an extraordinary treat.
When I stepped into the backyard, I was out of my mind with excitement. We have an old grainy 8 millimeter home movie of me running around the backyard in circles, and hugging my dad. It is a cherished memory.
And it all happened in the backyard.