Mum Posts Open Invitation To An 'Ultimate Water Balloon Fight' On Facebook For Her Son With Apraxia

Boy With A Speech Disorder Struggles To Make Friends, Mum Finds A Way To Throw Him The Best Birthday Party
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A mother posted an open invitation for her son's 10th birthday party on Facebook because his speech condition has made it hard for him to make friends.

Camden, who will be turning 10 on 6 July, has Apraxia of speech, which makes it difficult for him to talk.

He wants to have an "ultimate balloon fight party with 2,000 balloons and lots of kids", Camden's mother said, but she was worried not enough children would turn up.

So she created an open Facebook event page inviting people to join her son for the party. The page quickly went viral and accrued nearly 2,000 likes in one day.

Camden's mother wrote on the page: "I know all kids should learn disappointment in life - but sometimes other kids are so cruel.

"Camden has Apraxia of speech and because of the issues with articulation and some impulsiveness he has a really hard time making friends."

Apraxia of speech in children (CAS) is a motor speech disorder - children with CAS have problems saying sounds, syllables and words because the brain has problems planning to move the body parts needed for speech.

The Virgina-based mother continued: "He [Camden] mainly plays with his older sister and her best friend and one other boy in the neighbourhood.

"This friend is 11 and has recently decided he's too cool to hang out with a 'little kid that can't talk right'. So poor Cam is left with no one else to play with.

"To fulfil his 10th birthday wish of having a huge water balloon fight, I am extending an open invitation to anyone with kids that wants to come throw some water balloons with one awesome little boy."

Camden and his mother

Since the open invitation has gone live, many US-based parents touched by Camden's story have sent birthday wishes and apologised for not being able to make it to the party because of distance.

Many people have also requested an address to send gifts, cards and birthday wishes too, and Camden's mother has replied with ideas for presents.

She wrote: "I've had numerous emails asking what Camden likes: He loves Legos, all the Marvel super heroes, Teen Titans Go, Star Wars Rebels, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Despicable Me Minions (He can't wait for the new movie to come out), board games, RC cars/helicopters, basketball, ninja's & his latest fascination is The Simpsons..."

Another parent identified with Camden's speech condition, and wrote: "I would love to bring my nine-year-old daughter, Emily... she too has Apraxia of Speech and Mixed Receptive Language Disorder as well as ADHD and ADD!"

We wouldn't be surprised if 10-year-old Camden is swamped with presents come 6 July.

Easy Birthday Party Hacks
Blowing Up Balloons(01 of27)
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Save your breath with this fun trick! Use baking soda and vinegar to help blow up party balloons. Place the baking soda in the deflated balloon and vinegar in a plastic bottle before placing the balloon over its mouth. When ready, pour the baking soda out of the balloon and into the bottle. The baking soda and vinegar will then react and produce a gas to inflate the balloon.Source: Mom To 2 Posh Lil Divas (credit:Mom To 2 Posh Lil Divas)
Candy Cake Toppers(02 of27)
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It's your child’s birthday, so you might as well let them have their sweets! For a creative cake topper, use candy. Candy necklaces, lollipops, and even pop rocks work well. Source: Blog Lovin’ (credit:Blog Lovin’)
Printable Party Invitations(03 of27)
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Take advantage of free printable party invitations. If you look on Pinterest, you’re guaranteed to find a number of invites in various themes. Source: Great Kids Birthday Parties (credit:Great Kids Birthday Parties)
Healthy Snacks(04 of27)
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Make healthy snacks fun to eat by cutting them into small pieces, like this watermelon. Tiny hands will appreciate this and will gobble up the snack in minutes! Source: Pop Sugar (credit:Pop Sugar)
Balloon Drop(05 of27)
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What’s the easiest way to entertain some toddlers at a birthday party? Create a balloon drop. They’ll go nuts!Source: Blogspot (credit:Blogspot)
Simple Loot Bag(06 of27)
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Putting together loot bags can be a hassle, so try this idea instead! Just pick up a couple stuffed animals and at the end of the party, each kid can take one home.Source: Green Way (credit:Green Way )
Pre-Scoop Your Ice Cream(07 of27)
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If you’re serving ice cream at your child’s birthday party, you can save time and energy by pre-scooping it into cupcake tins. Just remember to line the tins first before scooping. Then pop the whole thing in the freezer until snack time!Source: Real Simple (credit:Real Simple)
Pom Pom Balloons(08 of27)
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Why waste money on fancy balloons when you can make them yourself? Glue pom poms on to balloons for a cool effect. You can get both supplies at the Dollar Store and your kids will have a blast making their own party décor. Source: Design Improvised (credit:Design Improvised)
Keep Bugs Out(09 of27)
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If your child is celebrating a summer birthday outdoors, you can easily prevent bugs from getting in their pop or juice by using cupcake liners turned upside down!Source: Pop Sugar (credit:Pop Sugar)
No-Bake Birthday Bars(10 of27)
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If baking isn’t really your thing, these no-bake birthday cake bars are a fun alternative to homemade cake. This recipe uses white chocolate, sweetened condensed milk, birthday cake Oreos, and sprinkles!Source: Homemaking Hacks (credit:Homemaking Hacks)
UP NEXT:(11 of27)
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Brilliant DIY Birthday Cake Hacks
Use Airheads To Make Letters(12 of27)
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Birthday cake messages don’t always have to be done in icing. For a fun twist, try making them using chewy Airheads candy and a stencil! Get the instructions: DIY Studio (credit:DIY Studio)
Layered Cakes(13 of27)
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If you’re making a layered cake, try this simple trick using unscented floss. Quick and easy!Get the instructions: Listotic (credit:Listotic)
No-Bake Cake Pops(14 of27)
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No-bake cake pops are always a fun alternative to regular, old birthday cakes. These are awesome because there are a million and one ways to personalize these to suit your kids’ tastes. So what’s the secret to making these no-bake pops? Use Timbits! Get the instructions: Sugar Kissed (credit:Sugar Kissed)
Cookie Cutters For Stencils(15 of27)
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Forget numbered candles, this is genius! Use sprinkles and a cookie cutter to create a stencil of the birthday boy or girl’s age on their cake.Get the instructions: This Little Life of Mine (credit:This Little Life of Mine)
Use Stencils For The Frosting(16 of27)
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We love this idea because it’s quick and easy. Freeze a cake for 20 minutes before applying a stencil and scraping on frosting. This will give you a clear design with minimal effort. Get the instructions: Refinery 29 (credit:Refinery 29 )
Transform A Store-Bought Cake(17 of27)
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Transform a plain store-bought cake into something more kid-friendly using black spray food coloring and blue rock candy. Get the instructions: Simply Cheyenne (credit:Simply Cheyenne)
Make Edible Glitter(18 of27)
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Your kids won't believe that can eat this!Get the instructions: Kreatiewe Kos Idees (credit:Kreatiewe Kos Idees)
Make A 'Fruit Cake'(19 of27)
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If you’re looking for a healthier alternative to cake, then try this idea to transform a watermelon into a festive treat!Get the instructions: Women Hacks (credit:Women Hacks)
Birthday Pancakes(20 of27)
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If your kids love pancakes than this cake is a definite must! These pancakes are topped with icing made from whipped cream and powdered sugar. Sprinkles add the finishing touch. Get the instructions: Seeded at the Table (credit:Seeded at the Table)
Unicorn Frosting(21 of27)
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This is a pretty cool trick! Make rainbow frosting, also known as unicorn frosting, by stacking each color on top of one another inside of a disposable piping bag. Then, when you go to frost your cake, it will come out in beautiful swirls of colour. Get the instructions: Amanda Cupcake (credit:Amanda Cupcake)
Make A Name Cake(22 of27)
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This is a more advanced cake hack, but it will blow your kid’s mind! Start by making a cake and cutting out the letters with a knife or stencils. Then set up the letters so that they are in line. Once done, make more cake batter and pour it all around and over the letter before baking. Get the instructions: Meko Creations (credit:Meko Creations)
DIY Cake Toppers(23 of27)
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Make your own toppers to personalize any cake for your kids.Get the instructions: Visual Heart (credit:Visual Heart)
Use A Ready-Made Cake(24 of27)
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Decorate a plain store-bought cake to make it special for your little one. Use fun toppings like little plastic figurines to make it more personalized.Get the instructions: Make It Blissful (credit:Make It Blissful )
Make A No-Bake Ice Cream Cake(25 of27)
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You can easily create a homemade ice cream cake using ice cream bars, cool whip, and a chocolate drizzle! Get the instructions: Nothing Really Excites Me (credit:Nothing Really Excites Me)
Create The Illusion Of Frosting(26 of27)
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Not good with a pipe of frosting? Don’t sweat it. Create an illusion of frosting by using merengue cookies. Brilliant!Get the instructions: Real Simple (credit:Real Simple)
Make A Moist Cake(27 of27)
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This is an excellent tip for any parent planning on baking their own cake. Get the instructions: Pinterest (credit:Pinterest)