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Crepe paper streamers covered my bicycle as I donned my favorite dance leotard. Nearby, a friend twirled her baton while my brother fidgeted with his helmet (which may have had an inflatable shark taped to it? I can’t quite remember). It was almost showtime, though our audience didn’t know it yet. The year was 1990-something, and my elementary school friends and I were psyched to star in our very own parade.
We didn’t have permits. We didn’t alert the neighborhood. But we had homemade costumes, decorated bikes and scooters and plenty of enthusiasm as we marched, skipped and pedaled down the sidewalk. The idea was my mom’s, likely to get us to stop whining about being bored during summer break, and she’d alerted some neighbors and fellow parents, so they could pop outside and watch.
We didn’t care that we didn’t have a big audience, or beads to throw out or a 100-person marching band. We just loved the chance to dress up and do something out of the ordinary, making a capital-m Moment out of a random weekday. It’s simple, yet it’s become a core memory of mine all these years later. And recently, I revived it, as my husband and daughter crafted a “float” out of an old diaper box and balloons, then danced throughout the house throwing confetti made from paper bags to an audience that stared in silent reverence, due to them being stuffed animals.
We filmed it as a birthday tribute to my dad and sent it his way, since we live 1,200 miles away. It was silly, it was simple—and yet, it turned a typical Tuesday night into something magical.
And so, I challenge you: Sometime this year, will you create an impromptu parade?
How to Host a Kids’ Parade at Home (or in Your Neighborhood):
1. Host a Float-Building Party
Save cardboard boxes, paper bags and paper towel rolls, then head to the dollar store for a cheap balloon pump, balloons, streamers, washable paint and other party supplies. Let kids go wild creating whatever they can dream up. (The easiest course of action, in my experience, is having them decorate their bikes and scooters with a pennant or streamers.)
We added two arm straps to a large box to create a “float” for Em to wear and decorate, which she kept pretty minimalist—unless it was sponsored by Millie Moon and I didn’t know it—opting for a massive trail of balloons and a mask on a stick.
2. Encourage Costumes
Old Halloween costumes, mismatched clothes—anything goes. You can set a theme, such as the circus or USA (particularly if it’s timed to July Fourth), or just see what the kids pull out of their closets and throw together.
3. Paint Faces
Optional, yet highly encouraged, if you’re turning this into an all-day affair. (You can buy full face-painting kits on Amazon.)
4. Invite Spectators
Set a date and time and alert the neighborhood, inviting them to join the fun—or pull out a chair and catch the show.
You could then turn it into a backyard party, inviting everyone over for a cookout, if you really want to take things up a notch. (After all, how often do we have Memorial Day or Labor Day off, swear we’ll do something, then wind up sitting on the couch or folding laundry? Not this year!)
Psst: In the spirit of getting more out of each weekday, I’m thinking of making “Why Don’t You…” a recurring series, where I share a simple-yet-unexpected way to infuse your day with a little more fun. Have any ideas for the column? Want to share your take? DM me: @lifebetweenweekends.
