Like any parent, we feel like time has flown by, and it’s remarkable to think how far we’ve come in such a short space of time. To clean the jars, preheat the oven to 140C/275F/Gas 1. Wash the jars well in warm soapy water then rinse thoroughly under running water. Leave the jars and lids to dry, upside down, in the oven. (Or you can clean the jars by putting them through the hot cycle of a dishwasher.) After nearly ten years of Lindy Hop, I’ve participated in my fair share of birthday jams, both as a “jam-er” and a “jam-ee”. Here are my top eight tips for making birthday jams more fun, especially for the dancer being jammed: 1. Set the stage. Place a few saucers in the freezer to chill. These will be used to test if the cooked jam has reached setting point. Create a fun and exciting atmosphere for the jam-ee! How? First, you have to get up (and encourage everyone else to do the same) and make a semi-circle around the jam-ee. It’s a bit of a let-down when people stay sitting and chat with their friends while a birthday jam is happening so don’t be that guy (or gal). Then, make the semi-circle nice and tight; give the dancers enough room to dance but make it feel cozy and close. Clap your hands off! Smile! Have fun! 2. Include the band (or DJ).

We are proud to be part of a global movement for computing education, and the partnership between the Raspberry Pi and Scratch Foundations is a really important part of that movement.

Register your Birthday Jam and we’ll send you some special swag

You’re excited. You can’t wait to steal in. We get it. Birthday jams are fun! But unwritten (until now?) birthday jam etiquette says we should let each jam-er have at least a full phrase of the music to dance with the jam-ee so don’t jump in too soon! If you’re worried you won’t get in there, make it known that you’re planning to jump in next by making your way in to the circle and looking for the opportunity to make your move and then strike when the phrase is ending! 6. Remember who the jam is for. It’s a nice touch, and after all, that’s why we’re having the jam, no? 5. Take your turn, and let others take theirs too. Scratch is by far the most popular programming tool used in Code Clubs and CoderDojos, and is at the heart of our work to support computing education and digital making in schools. We’ve worked really hard to make sure that the Raspberry Pi 4 is the perfect platform for getting creative with Scratch 3.

As a follower, being jammed means you typically end up doing a lot of swing outs. A lot. If the song is a bit on the faster side this can get tiring, so if you’re a leader and you’re about to jump in to a jam pay attention to what the last 2 or 3 leaders led and if it was a bunch of swing outs or variations of swing outs maybe change it up and give the follower a bit of a breather with some moves that are a little more chill. 8. Have fun!They’re making the music that inspires us to dance, and so they should be just as much a part of the jam as you and I. Be sure to leave a space (hence, the semi-circle) so the band or DJ can see the jam too! 3. Get in there! Is it your birthday? No? Then this may not be the time to show off your cool new flashy moves that draw all the attention to you. Take this opportunity to really make the jam-ee shine. 7. For the leaders: take it easy sometimes too.

Birthday jams are one of the many wonderful things that I love about Lindy Hop and the swing dance community. How about you? Have you had your first birthday jam yet? Got any tips of your own? To test if the jam has reached setting point, first remove the pan from the heat while you test the jam – this is very important. Spoon a little of the jam onto a cold saucer, leave to cool for a few minutes, then push your finger into the jam. If it wrinkles, it is ready. If not, return the pan to the heat and cook the jam for a minute or two more and test again.While Jams take place throughout the year, there’s a special tradition of Jams celebrating the birthday of the Raspberry Pi computer. This year, there were over 130 Raspberry Jam events in 39 countries, attended by 8000 people. Now that’s a party! Register your Birthday Jam and we’ll send you some special swag Have I said this already? I’ll say it again, just in case. Have fun and make it fun for the jam-ee!