In less than two weeks we leave for Disney. We’ve been before and I’m the kids are really excited about going again. This trip the kids wanted to try a little pin trading. But if you’ve every been to Disney, you’ll know the pins there are expensive, anywhere from $7.oo to $14.00 US. So my husband jumped onto ebay and bought a box of one hundred random pins, working out to be a fraction of the cost.
It may seem crazy, buying something without knowing what it is (we didn’t know what pins we were getting). But that’s the whole idea. If the kids ended up selecting pins they want to keep they’ll have nothing for trading.
A friend of mine is also going down to Disney with her daughter so we thought we could include them in the pin trading fun. So here it is two weeks before our trip. The pins have arrived. What better way to amp up everyone’s excitement then by hosting a Pin Party.
My oldest got right into it. She made a sign for the door. She also found a recipe for a fruit drink in her Girls Book of Flower Fairies. This same girl, the one I have to drag out of bed, was also up at six in the morning to go party shopping with her dad.
The kids drank their fairy drinks and they played in the backyard. We had a great BBQ outside. Even the rain held off (a few showers don’t scare my kids easily).
Catching up in the hammock...
...and hanging out with zombie comic books.
Over cupcakes and fruit the Pin part of the Party started. We gave each child their own lanyard to wear around their next and display their trading pins. Then we went from youngest to oldest child and they reached into the pin bag to choose a pin. Each child ended up with 25 pins. Some the kids were excited about and others they didn’t recognize.
Yummy cupcakes
Crazy friend faces
Pin Parties are for boys too
Reaching into the pin bag
Once all the pins were distributed the real fun began. The kids were allowed to trade with each other. My son has decided he wants to collect and trade for pirate pins. And since some of the girls had pirate pins he was eager to trade with them. You should have heard the negotiating going on! At least at Disney there’s no negotiating. You ask a Cast Member (what employees at the Disney parks are referred to as) and they just give you the pin you want for the pin you want to give up. No worries on value or size, just a nice friendly trade.
Some pins the kids decided to keep and not trade
Shhh...pin negotiating in progress
The party was a big success. That night my kids went to bed with visions of Disney pins in their head. They’re all excited about some real trading. You’ll have to check back in two weeks when the real trading happens in Disney to see how it all went.
Pin parties are messy business
Trying to balance life at home with my 3 kids (all under 7), while building my business and developing my writing. Oh and throw a load of laundry in and a dinner that isn't burnt. Wasn't working from home suppose to be easier?
Another day, another thought...or two. 
Posted by Almost Wordless Wednesday: Negotiations » and another thought on August 12, 2009 at 6:45 pm
[…] My oldest daughter and her best friend practice their pin trading and negotiating skills in preparation for our next trip to Disneyworld. You can read all about our little Pin Party. […]
Posted by I love Disneyland but… « Another day, another thought…or two. on November 13, 2009 at 12:33 pm
[…] kids were first introduced to pin trading during out last trip to Disney World and they loved it, especially my seven-year old daughter. All […]