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Posts Tagged ‘party’

Theme Thursday: Construction birthday party!

Posted by Katie on August 05, 2010 in General | Theme Thursday

If you have a little one whose eyes light up every time someone mentions dump trucks, tool kits or Bob the Builder, then we have the perfect theme for him or her: a construction party!

We found some great ideas for party games on Amazingmoms.com to make your little builder-in-training’s birthday unforgettable! Take a look:

Build-It with Blocks: Children will use cardboard “brick” blocks to build a tower as high as they can within a designated period of time.

Construction Zone Obstacle Course: Set up an obstacle course with piles of dirt, tires, stepping stones, caution tape and any other safe items you can think of. To play, the children will go through the “Construction Zone” as fast as they can.

Dirt Mover: Provide each team or player with a kids-safe hand shovel, pail and a pile of dirt. Place the pail a reasonable distance from the pile of dirt. Each player will take a shovel of dirt from the pile to the bucket until the pail is full. This game can be played as a relay race with team players taking turns, or children will race against each other.

Before the party, make a big truck by painting a large cardboard box. Provide beanbags for the children to toss into the “dump truck.”

Theme Thursday: Soccer Birthday!

Posted by Katie on July 08, 2010 in General

In honor of the soccer fever that is sweeping the country thanks to the 2010 FIFA World Cup, our suggestion for this Theme Thursday is to throw a soccer birthday party!

Kids-Birthday-Party-Guide.com has some festive suggestions to put on a fun party for your little David Beckham or Mia Hamm. These ideas are sure to keep your guests entertained (and active!). Have a look:

Decorations:

  • For your soccer party decorations, line up two rows of plastic cones to form a path leading to your front door. Spread out as many soccer balls as you can in your backyard. Tape balloons and sports pennants to the door.
  • Cut out giant paper balls from large sheets of construction paper or poster board. Then decorate the balls in a soccer pattern, and hang them in the party room. Fill the walls with various soccer memorabilia. Place pennants from various teams, posters of soccer players, jerseys, hats, and other soccer related items.
  • Cover the soccer birthday party table with a green tablecloth. Arrange soccer-themed paper plates and cups. Hang helium or Mylar balloons in bunches near the table and from the backs of chairs. Place streamers on the table or draped from a string hung above the table. Hang a personalized “Happy Birthday!” sign near the table area.

    • Games:

  • Blindfolded Soccer Goal: Before the soccer birthday party, draw a large soccer net on a poster board. Draw and cut out soccer balls out of construction paper. Blindfold the kids, and then have them pin a ball on the “net.” They get certain points for different plays: if they pin their ball in the center of the net – one point, at very top or bottom corners of the soccer net – three points, etc. Play several rounds. The player with the most points wins.
  • Super Soccer: Play a game of soccer using a tennis or beach ball instead of a soccer ball.
  • Sporty Visors: Purchase plastic visors at a local craft or party store. Have fabric paint, soccer stickers, sequins, and glue available for children to decorate their visors.
  • Soccer Bowling: Set up bowling pins on the grass or pavement. Line the pins up in two rows: two pins in the front and three pins in the back. Have your soccer birthday party guests kick the ball and knock down as many pins as they can. Give one point for each pin knocked down. The player with the most points wins.
  • Obstacle Dribble: Make an obstacle course in your yard out of cones, chairs, and other items.
  • Have soccer birthday party guests form a line. Then they take turns dribbling the soccer ball around the cones, chairs and other items. Kids dribble to the end of the obstacle course and back. You can add silly activities, such as kicking the ball through a cardboard box and then crawling through it.
  • Air Ball: This soccer birthday party game is similar to playing hacky sack. Everyone stands in a circle and tries to keep a small ball (or a hacky sack) in the air using their feet and other parts of the body (except arms and hands). If the ball hits the ground, then the person who kicked it is out. The last person left remaining, wins!

    • Birthday Crafts: Make a Party Popper!

    Posted by Katie on May 21, 2010 in General

    partypopperthAre you looking for a cheap and easy way to make some fun party supplies for your upcoming shindig? Well, look no further! I went to About.com and found these simple instructions for making great party poppers!

    You can use them as decoration for your next birthday party or fill them up with small treats and give them away as party favors!

    Materials Needed:

    • Colored Tissue Paper
    • Toilet Paper Roll
    • Cellophane Tape
    • Curling Ribbon
    • Small Candies and/or Gifts
    • Scissors

    Instructions:
    Start out by cutting 1 to 3 pieces of tissue paper into 12″ x 12″ squares. I would suggest using at least two pieces of tissue paper to make your party popper a little stronger. You can use tissue paper in different colors for each layer or use all the same color if you like.

    Lay the squares of tissue paper on your work surface on top of each other and then lay the toilet tissue roll centered along one edge of the tissue paper. Tape the edge of the tissue paper onto the side of the toilet paper roll. Roll the toilet paper roll up in the tissue paper tightly and secure the other end with tape. Your toilet paper roll should now be completely covered and you should have about 3″ of tissue paper hanging off each end of the toilet tissue roll.

    Cut 2 pieces of curling ribbon, each one about 20-inches long. Pinch the tissue paper together on one end of the toilet paper roll and tie it with the ribbon as close to the toilet paper roll as you can. Now you can fill the inside of the toilet paper roll with candy and/or small gifts. Once it is full, pinch and tie the open end of the tissue paper like you did the first end. For a nice finishing touch, use the edge of a scissor blade to curl the ribbon. For a fancier party popper, use two or more pieces of ribbbon to give it a fuller look. You can also decorate the party popper using crayons, markers, or stickers!

    Tip Tuesday: Parisian Birthday!

    Posted by Katie on May 04, 2010 in General

    eiffel-tower-paris-franceI mean, every girl dreams of visiting Paris right? Why not give her a taste of France without the expensive airfare?

    In honor of the beautiful Audrey Hepburn (the stunning actress celebrated her birthday on May 4th), I’m giving you some tips on how to throw an elegant, Parisian birthday party!

    Host a dinner party for your daughter and her friends! While I’ll let you decide on the menu, here are some great ways to make any house feel like Paris :)

    Check out celebrations.com for more!

    For your party’s decorations, envision the theme “Paris in the Springtime”:

    Color Scheme
    Capture the essence of “Paris in the Spring” by using a cheerful pastel color scheme with light pink, lavender, and spring green. Keep with these three colors when buying balloons, paper plates, napkins, flowers and other decorations.

    Springtime Flowers
    Visit your local floral district or wholesale market and purchase tulips, peonies, or football mums in large bunches. Split them up into smaller containers you already have at home, such as ceramic and silver pitchers, teapots, vases, and pots. Place the floral arrangements all over the house, with a special emphasis on the area that the majority of the party will take place.

    Note: This décor idea looks best when the containers are all silver, but silver and white will also look good.

    Paris Pictures
    Order a few large posters with Paris-themed images and hang them around your home. Or, temporarily replace a large picture in your house with a framed poster of the Eiffel tower just for her birthday party. A large framed Eiffel tower would look beautiful placed over the mantle of a fireplace, flanked by two small bouquets of flowers on either side.

    Extras
    Target has a super cute Eiffel Tower pillow that would be perfect tossed onto your couches or chairs for decoration.

    Games and Activities

    Movies to watch at your Parisian Birthday Party

    Keep the girls entertained with fun movies that revolve around the city of love. Here’s two to try:

    *Passport to Paris — This movie is perfectly age-appropriate. It follows the Olson twins in their younger years as they take a fun trip to Paris and end up on an adventure.

    *When It Sizzles — Older girls will love this Audrey Hepburn classic that mixes fantasy with the real world, all set in Paris.

    Theme Thursday: An April Fool’s Birthday

    Posted by Katie on April 01, 2010 in Theme Thursday

    cakeHappy April Fool’s Day everyone!

    April Fool’s is a great day dedicated to fun and laughter (just as long as you remember to keep all your tricks in good fun!), but it’s also an awesome birthday party theme!

    If you have a little one celebrating a birthday in April, you have to check out what Geni from Burbank, CA did for her little girl! Thank goodness she was kind enough to share her success story with birthdaypartyideas.com!

    My daughter’s 8th birthday is in early April so last year we decided to have an April Fool’s Day party at our house. To make the invitation, we made one on the computer with a birthday motif and wrote all of the information backwards. When the kids drove up to the house, they were greeted by caution tape across our front lawn and across the entrance to the side gates so they would have to walk directly up to the front door. On the door we taped a Wet Paint” sign to it. Over the doorbell but we did hear that some guests stood their for a few minutes trying to decide what to do…I even had someone call me from their cell phone. My husband or I would answer the door in our bathrobes looking “shocked” to see the new arrivals at the door. The party snack food was made up of small apples which had single holes cut out with a gummy worm crawling out of it. It actually looked real! We also made “sushi” out of rice krispy treats and fruit roll-ups. There are recipes on the internet for these.

    Read more »

    Theme Thursday: A Party from a Galaxy Far Far Away!

    Posted by Katie on March 11, 2010 in General

    48097018_1Do you have a hard time pulling your little guys away from The Empire Strikes Back orThe Clone Wars?

    Why not embrace their love of Jedis and lightsabers and throw them a Star Wars birthday party? I went to amazingmoms.com to learn a few tips of the trade!

    PLANNING YOUR STAR WARS PARTY
    You don’t need the powers of “the force” to host a memorable party, but time planning and the ideas in this guide will help. If possible, 4-6 weeks is the perfect no-stress time line. Begin with Star Wars party supplies. Then, use this birthday guide to prepare your Star Wars party games and activities.

    Star Wars Partyware from Birthday In a Box

    Build a Star Wars party box with everything you need for a fabulous party or purchase a la carte items.

    STAR WARS PARTY GAMES AND ACTIVITIES
    Star Wars Badges:
    Get your guests in the spirit of the latest Star Wars saga with this fun craft project. Before the party, cut out badges from construction paper. Provide the kids with Star Wars stickers, extra paper, glue, scissors, glitter, markers, crayons, magazine pictures, etc., and encourage creative expression. During the party, hand out extra badges as favors while playing games. When giving out the badges, honor the kids with special awards, i.e., Best Yoda Impression, Best Team Player, Most Infectious Giggle, or Biggest Smile.

    Asteroid Hunt:
    Purchase small treats or gifts and wrap them in aluminum foil. Hide them in a sandbox, around the house or in the yard. At the party, let the children dig in the sand, or search throughout your “planet” to find their “moon rocks.” The kids will love the excitement of opening their rocks and finding treasures!

    Light Saber Training Course:
    Before the party make some light sabers with foam pipe insulation or skinny swimming “noodles”. Wrap 4-6 inches from the end with colored electrical tape to make a handle. One red, one black, blue etc. To play, divide the kids into teams to go through a challenge course. Each team will get one “Light Saber”. Create tasks for each potential Jedi to accomplish (not too hard) with the light saber in hand. For example: Hit ping pong balls with the light saber, crawl under a chair tunnel, go down a slide, roll under a tarp, pop bubbles with the light saber — you get the idea.

    Alien Face Painting:
    Purchase a set of face paints and give each guest a unique alien “look.” Let each child make up an alien name for himself or create a few of your own and let the kids draw names randomly. Use movie names or your own, such as “Zork,” “Murblap,” or “Gondar.”

    STAR WARS PARTY FAVORS
    Make your own party favors by filling plastic party cups decorated with Star Wars Stickers. Write each guests name with glitter glue and fill with glow in the dark items, flashlights, glow-balls, small Star Wars toys and treats. Save time with complete Star Wars party favor kits, an easy and special way to say “thank you for coming to my party!”

    Tip Tuesday: So you want to rent an inflatable moon bounce

    Posted by Katie on January 12, 2010 in Tip Tuesday

    moon-bounceYou know how the story goes… your son or daughter gets back from their best friend’s birthday party in a state of euphoria (probably riding the last of the sugar high). The best friend’s parents must have decided to go all-out, because they practically re-located the circus to their back yard for the afternoon — complete with ponies, clowns, balloon animals… and a moon bounce. It’s this last one that happens to have your little tyke in a tizzy, and she pleads with you to order one for her party the following month. After weeks of relentless nagging you finally decide to entertain the possibility… now what?

    Have you ever wondered about ordering your own moon bounce? Look no further, because today we have a number of tips for renting your own, from Associated Content:

    Pros

    Bounce Houses are fun: Children LOVE bounce houses! It’s great exercise and they’ll be in there for hours, working off all that pent-up energy. Bouncy castle parties are memorable — your child will remember the bounce house birthday party for his entire life.

    Bounce Houses work for both genders: If there will be boys and girls at the birthday party, a bouncy castle will keep everyone happy and entertained. You won’t have to plan separate birthday party activities for boys and girls.

    Bounce Houses make parties simple: The bounce house will be your party’s centerpiece. The rental company usually sets it up for you, giving you time to do the rest of the pre-party set up.

    Clean up is easy too – just deflate. Often times, the rental company will come to your home and deflate the bounce house for you.

    Cons

    Bounce houses require constant adult supervision: You need to have at least one adult dedicated to watching the bounce house. If the only adults around are you and your spouse, getting a bounce house might not be a good idea. Check with family members, neighbors, or ask the other parents if they would be willing to volunteer.

    Bounce houses are expensive: While it depends on your area, bouncy castle size, and the time of year/time of week for which you’re reserving it, bounce houses generally cost $100-$500 to rent for the day.

    Kids can get hurt in the bounce house: Even with the best party planning tactics and adult supervision, kids can still get hurt in a bounce house. Remember, you’re dealing with other people’s children – you won’t know how they’ll behave, especially if you’ve never met the child before.

    Click here for more tips on moon bounces

    Theme Thursday: Sledding party

    Posted by Katie on January 07, 2010 in Theme Thursday

    boy-sleddingAs that pesky cold front sweeps across the states, why not take advantage of the cold weather and throw a sledding-themed party. Most kids love playing in the snow, it’s budget-friendly, and doesn’t take much time to plan. Our friends at Peppers and Pollywogs have a bunch of great tips for throwing your very own sledding-themed party, here’s a few:

    • Try to have your destination hill be close to a center or enclosure so that kids and parents (if they stay) can take refuge from the cold, and also so you can set up some snacks and treats for the guests.
    • Make sure the party hill is spacious and away from anything dangerous like water, utility poles, or roads.
    • Request that guests come with their own sleds so you are not meant to supply everyone with equipment.
    • You may want to bring extra clothing items in case someone forgets their mittens, or if you have to replace water-soaked socks. Kids lip balm and a first aid kit would also be appropriate to have on hand. If you are only outdoors with no indoor facility nearby, make sure to bring some blankets along as well.
    • In the party invitations, be sure to ask the guests to dress appropriately. You could even make it a contest, like, “Who can stay warmest the longest?”
    • The sledding activity will keep everyone busy the full length of the party.
    • Make sure to supervise the kids well so they are not sledding head first, are keeping a safe distance from one another when sledding, and are walking back up the hill on the side rather than the middle where kids are sure to be sledding.
    • One fun game: Time the kids as they race down the hill to see who rides the fastest. Let them compete again and again.

    Tip Tuesday: Throwing a Sleepover Birthday Party!

    Posted by Katie on January 05, 2010 in Tip Tuesday

    sleepover-friends-dare-400a081407Remember your first sleepover party? The sleeping bags, bad movies and way too much caffeinated soda?

    We all know that when kids get to a certain age, it’s all about slumber parties. So in an effort to make your lives a little easier, I went searching for some tips on how to throw a great sleepover birthday party.

    Check out Kaboose to learn more!

    Tips:

    Pick a number.

    As a general rule, sleepovers should be limited to eight or fewer guests. Keep in mind how much space you have for sleeping bags. Use our printable guest list to start your planning. You can fill out the name, of course, but have parents fill out the rest. One way to make sure this is covered is to include the blank sheet in the invitation. It’ll make parents feel better, too, knowing you’ll have all the information you’ll need.

    Keep it short.

    Have kids arrive right before or after the evening meal, and arrange for them to be picked up before noon the following day. Keeping hours short will help to maintain your sanity. Use our printable party schedule to help plan your party timing.

    Get the vitals.

    Before the party, get a list of food allergies, medications, dietary restrictions, bedtime routines, and a home and cell phone number of each guest’s parents. At the same time, let other parents know that you’ll be keeping a close eye on all the kids to ensure safety. Use our printable guest list to help keep track of everyone’s information.

    Know the basics.

    Kids will need: a sleeping bag, pillow, flashlight, p.j.’s (and a spare), clothes for the next day, toothbrush/toothpaste, hairbrush, favorite stuffed animal (for younger kids), and a favorite CD to add to the mix being played throughout the party. You can add our printable what-to-bring list to your party invitations or keep it on hand for when your children go to sleepover parties.

    Lay down the law.

    As soon as all kids are present, explain the rules: No leaving the house. No crank calls. No unsupervised cooking. No “ganging up” on anyone. And make sure all the kids know that fights will not be tolerated. If they get out of hand, parents will be called. Note: To ensure this step is taken care of, you may want to schedule it in your printable party schedule.

    Reduce anxiety.

    Let the kids know you’re available to talk if they get homesick, experience bedwetting, or have trouble falling asleep. If a child asks to go home, try to address their fears before calling the parents. It may be a simple matter of plugging in a nightlight or fetching a glass of water. If they still seem anxious or if the child is sick, don’t hesitate to call the parents.

    Create a sleeping space.

    To thwart any “I wanna sleep next to Billy!” fights, arrange the sleeping bags in a starburst pattern, with everyone’s head in the middle. So that you don’t forget in the chaos of the party, you may want to schedule this in your printable party schedule.
    Calm ‘em down.

    Initiate “dim lights” at a specified time (10:30 p.m. is good), then “lights out” a half-hour later. That gives the kids time to wind down, talk quietly, and decompress before they go to sleep. Playing a non-scary movie right before bedtime also helps kids to wind down. You may want to schedule the movie, “dim lights,” and “lights out” in your printable party schedule.

    Don’t stress over night owls.

    Staying up late is half the fun! They’ll drift off eventually, and maybe they’ll even sleep later the next morning. You can only hope.

    Theme Thursday: A WINTER Luau Party!

    Posted by Katie on December 31, 2009 in Theme Thursday

    Last week I gave you some tips on how to embrace the cold and throw a winter-themed birthday party — and today

    I’m teaching you how to do just the opposite :)

    Escape from the cold! Throw an indoor luau birthday party and remind yourself that spring is just around the corner!

    Below are some of my favorite tips, but visit Suite101.com for more!

    Invitations:

    Printable invites are below. Print on regular paper or cardstock. Cut along the outer dotted lines and fold the inner dotted lines to form the invite. Fill in the appropriate information.

    Decorations:

    When you have a luau for your child’s birthday, the decorations are part of the fun. Now is the time to get creative! Use brightly colored streamers, seashells and raffia table runners. Pull out all of your tropical plants to set around the party room. No luau party would be complete without hibiscus flowers and raffia. Buy artificial hibiscus flowers and cut them off the stem. Spread them over the party table. You can almost always find luau themed tableware at your local party supply store, but if you can’t then bright solid colors work just as well.

    Activities:

    Make Your Own Lei

    Of course when you have a luau birthday party, a lei is a must. Instead of buying cheap, plastic leis, why not have each child make his or her own? Collect artificial flowers and take them off the stem. Remove all of the plastic middles. You will be left with petals with holes in the middle. Next, cut brightly colored straws into 1/2 inch pieces. To start, string a piece of thin twine or kite string on large plastic needles. You can find these at almost any store that sells crafts items. These are easier for kids to handle than regular needles. Instruct the kids to string a petal, followed by a straw until the twine is full. Now each child has created he or her own unique Hawaiian lei.

    Pass the Pineapple

    Play this game like Hot Potato, except pass a pineapple (or coconut) around the circle. Find some festive Hawaiian music to play while the kids are sitting in a circle. As the music plays, the pineapple will pass from child to child. When the music stops, the child holding the pineapple is out. The last person left is the winner.

    Cake and Snacks

    Cupcakes are perfect for a kid’s birthday party because no utensils are needed and they are easy to make. Bake cupcakes and spread white frosting over them. Take graham crackers and crush them very finely. Sprinkle them over the frosting—it will resemble beach sand. Now add a little paper umbrella. For snacks set out bowls of goldfish crackers and plenty of fresh fruit. Make fruit skewers using strawberries, fresh pineapple and grapes. You can even cut off the bottom of a fresh pineapple so it sits up nicely. Put it in the middle of a large serving platter and stick your fruit skewers directly into the pineapple. This makes a nice table centerpiece that serves a purpose, too.

    Goodie Bags

    No kid’s birthday party would be complete without a goodie bag. Use plan brown lunch bags and give each child beach themed goodies such as a beach ball, gummy fish and goldfish crackers. Tie the bag off at the top with raffia and you have an easy, inexpensive luau party goodie bag for your child’s party. You can even give large beach balls and have each child autograph it, or add the goodies to a plastic beach pail. The possibilities are endless!

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