childeren's Birthday Party Book
birthday_hats

Ready Set Party! Free-birthday-Book
Take away the stress of planning a birthday party and give your child an exciting and memorable celebration! This clever guide will give you fun, fresh and easy tips that cover all the details for throwing a great party! Everything from planning your guest list to game activities. Ready, Set Party is full of great ideas and practical advice for those looking for a step to step planning guide. Read the entire book below.

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Ready Set Party! the best tips and ideas for childre n’s parties Page 2 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ready, Set, Party! – the best tips and ideas for children’s parties. Happy Birthday! I personally can’t think of a better celebration than a birthday. The one day of the year that is considered yours. It’s a day to feel special. What could be better than celebrating this special day and being the center of a loving circle of family and friends? Celebrating birthday’s are a way people can express how happy they are to have you in their lives. Planning and putting together a party can be the perfect way to tell your child that they are special. As parents, we want to give our children the best. By planning a party we can give them a gift of fun and exciting memories. A gift, of memories that they will remember for years to come. This guide is designed to give you professional suggestions and tips on everything you need to know, to throw a fun, creative, memorable party! So let’s get started! Get Ready Proper planning is the key to making your child’s party a fun occasion for all. The first step in planning is to think of the overall structure of the day. How do you see it? It’s best to collect your thoughts and jot down some notes. Provided below and throughout the book are worksheets and checklists you can use as you plan. The party at a glance worksheet on the following page will help you brainstorm on a game plan for the day. Do not worry if you don’t know at this point of what you would like to do. This guide is designed to give you lots of ideas and suggestions to get you started. Once you have a basic idea of what you would like to do it will be easier to focus in on the individual tasks that need to be accomplished. Make sure your child is involved in the planning process. This is an exciting time for children. So let them help in as many ways as possible and have fun! Timeline Another helpful checklist is a timeline checklist. This timeline checklist will help you with what will need to be done and when. This list is very handy to have and should be printed off a posted on your fridge or bulletin board for quick reference. The items on the timeline will be discussed in detail throughout the guide. 1 Page 3 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ready, Set, Party! – the best tips and ideas for children’s parties. PARTY AT A GLANCE Party for who? ________________________________________________________________ Date: _______________________________ Time: ______________________ Party Theme:__________________________________________________________ # of Guests:_________ Party Helpers (help for the day) _________________ ________________________________________________________________ Location (home, indoors, outdoors): ________________________________________________________________ Food and drink ideas: ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ Activities and game ideas: ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ 2 Page 4 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Timeline Notes 3-4 Weeks before the Party Pick the party date and time. Pick the party theme. Create a guest list. 2-3 Weeks before the Party Select and send out invitations. Decide on activities and games. Plan the menu. Food and refreshments. Arrange extra help from friends or relatives. 1-2 Weeks before the Party Check and confirm guest numbers. Order party supplies, decorations, party favors, activities and prizes for games. Buy party food. Order cake from bakery. 1-3 Days before the Party Buy any remaining food for the party. Prepare food that can be made ahead. Touch base with your helpers. Line up any music or video for the party Confirm any orders placed – cake. Construct any decorations. Make sure camera is working - purchase batteries, film. Party Day – Hours To Go Bake and decorate cake or pick up from bakery. Make sure you have plenty of candles. Childproof party area. Decorate party area – pick up any helium filled balloons. Set up games and activities. Set table. Assemble party favors. Make food that could not be made ahead. Take plenty of pictures. HAVE FUN!! 1 week after the Party. Send out thank you notes. Page 5 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ready, Set, Party! – the best tips and ideas for children’s parties. The right party for the right age Before you can make some decisions on the type of party you would like to hold for you’re child. You will need to consider their age. Many of your planning decisions will revolve around the age of your child. Use your best judgement on reading what your child will enjoy and have fun participating in. You know your child the best. Here are some guidelines for what to expect of children at various ages: Ages 1 to 3 Children at this age cannot grasp the idea of a party. Most families acknowledge these birthdays with simple small gatherings. It’s best to keep it small, short and simple. These parties are usually more for the guests than the birthday boy or girl. Ages 3 to 5 The concept of “birthdays” starts to sink in and children at this age will get excited about a party. 3 to 5 years old begin to enjoy being around other children their age and can play well in groups. Children at this age are fairly well disciplined and tend not to complain about foods or games but it is still best to keep the game play short. 3 to 5 year olds have a hard time waiting their turn during game play and you can loose their attention quickly. Ages 5 to 6 Children of this age are more comfortable in groups as they continue to develop more advanced social skills. At this age they will fully enjoy having a party and many will want to be involved in the planning to some extent. This is the perfect age to start getting your child involved in the planning process. Ask your child about what they would like to do at their party. Suggest some possible themes they may enjoy. You can plan a structured party with games and crafts. Co-ed parties can become more difficult to plan, as many children at this age prefer to be in a group of all boy or all girls. 4 Page 6 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ready, Set, Party! – the best tips and ideas for children’s parties. Ages to 6 to 8 Children have developed longer attention spans but it can be tricky planning activities as they can run through them quickly. It’s best to plan for a variety of activities and make sure to have back up ones if any flop with the kids. Ages 9 to 12 It’s more difficult to group these ages together as there is a variety of development happening from 9 to 12 years old. One thing that is common with this age range is the need to be treated more like adults. They will want to plan the majority of the party but will still need some guidance and support. It’s a good idea to fit some free unstructured playtime along with structured activities. Games and activities are still enjoyed and you can include more mental challenges games with riddles or clues. Try to stick to games that are not too competitive. Children at this age have fragile egos and failure can be crushing. Party date and timing One of the first steps in planning is to pick a date and time for the party. Ideally we would like to celebrate on the actual birthday but that sometimes this is not realistic. Busy schedules with sports, lessons or family activities can make it difficult for all your guests to attend on the official birthday. If the birthday falls in the middle of the week, you can plan to do the party for the weekend. Sundays work well as you are more likely to get everyone to attend. Plus having it on a Sunday will allow you all Saturday to do the last items on your checklist. How long? Figure out how long the party should last. The average child’s birthday celebration is 1 ½ to 2 ½ hours. This again depends on the age of your child. For children ages 3 and under, keep it short. The party should be no longer than 1 to 1½ hours. Children of this age have shorter attention spans but they are truly easy to please. After all, these birthdays are more for the parents and family of the children. Children ages 6 and up are more likely to want to do a variety of activities for their birthday. Parents should plan for 2 to 3 hours. If you wish to avoid making meals and would like to serve snacks and birthday cake, plan the party for a time before or after regular meal times. Good times for a party are from 1-3 p.m. or 2-4 p.m. 5 Page 7 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ready, Set, Party! – the best tips and ideas for children’s parties. Beginning, middle and end Once you decide the length of time for the party. You should plan every moment. The party should be segmented into a beginning, middle and end. The Beginning When guests first arrive your child should greet everyone to make them feel welcome. Show your guests where to hang their jackets and where to find the washroom. Let your guests give their presents and admire the decorations. Your guests will not arrive all the same time and you will need to set up activities to keep them occupied. No one likes to walk into a room of people and feel out of place. Put children at ease and keep them occupied by setting up welcoming games and activities. The Middle When all guests have settled in, it’s best to plan the bulk of your activities or games. Get the children moving with scavenger hunts, dancing or games such as pin the tail. For some game suggestions, check out the games and activities section of the guide. The middle of the party needs to include the food! Serve the meal or snacks and of course you need to make time for singing happy birthday and serving the birthday cake! The End Unfortunately, all parties must come to an end. What type of activities would you like to do to wrap up the party? There are a few traditional parts to a child’s birthday that we have not covered yet. Opening gifts and party favors. These are two excellent activities that should fall near the end of the party. However you decide to end the party, always make sure you and your child thanks everyone for coming! Opening Gifts Decide if opening gifts at the party is appropriate. It is not recommended activity for younger children. Young children have not learned birthday etiquette yet. You run the risk of little ones not understanding that the gifts are for the birthday boy or girl and they may want to take the gift for themselves. A younger birthday boy or girl could also open a gift and shout out something inappropriate like “I don’t like this.” If you feel like your child may be too young for gift opening, have your child open gifts after the party. Take a photo of your child with the opened gift and send it along with your thank you notes. 6 Page 8 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ready, Set, Party! – the best tips and ideas for children’s parties. Opening Gifts If you feel your child is old enough to open gifts at the party, then let him or her open them in front of the guests. Older children love to see their gifts opened from the birthday boy or girl. There are of course, occasions that a child doesn't bring a gift for whatever reason. Try to have a few small gifts on hand that this child can use as their gift so no one gets left out. Party Favors A traditional part of children’s birthdays are the favors. Favors are little gifts that are given to each guest to take home as a souvenir of the great party they attended! They are usually small items that are fun to play with. Some great party favors include, stickers, erasers, spinning tops, badges, pens and wrapped candies. Take your child shopping for favors as they can come up with some great ideas. Make sure that you supply identical gifts to avoid disappointment or conflicts amongst the children. You can create party loot bags so your guests can pack them up for taking it home. 7 Page 9 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ready, Set, Party! – the best tips and ideas for children’s parties Location Most birthday parties are held in the home. On warm weather days you can move the party outdoors. Think about how much space you will require. If space in your home is limited, there are many facilities that can accommodate you for your child’s party. Some suggestions are: •Aquarium or zoo •Bowling Alley •Community Center •Movie Theatre •Park •Pizzeria Pick a party theme Decide with your child if they would like to incorporate a favorite theme around the party. It can center on a movie or TV show, sport or activity. Anything your child enjoys. Let their imagination go wild! With your guidance you both can come up with a fun theme. Try to work the theme into every element of the party from the activities, decorations to the food menu. Extra help Throwing a party can be much easier if you enlist the help of family or friends. It’s a good to have at least 2 adults when you’re dealing with more than 8 children. Give your helpers plenty of notice - 2 to 3 weeks so they can mark it in their calendars. They can help with decorations, setting the table, leading games, taking photos and most importantly cleaning up! 8 Page 10 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ready, Set, Party! – the best tips and ideas for children’s parties Get Set You have done your brainstorming and have come up with a date and time. You have decided how long the party will be and how it will flow from beginning to end. In addition, you have picked a location and enlisted some extra help for the day. So, what’s next? We cannot forget the guests! Guest List Take the time to sit down with your child and discuss the guest list. The following page is worksheet you can use. Remember that a smaller party is much more manageable than a mega party. Large parties tend to be expensive and children tend to get less out of them. It’s better to have quality than quantity. A good rule of thumb is to invite as many children as your child’s age plus two. If your child is turning 8 years old, work together to create a list of 10 guests. But never invite more children than you have room for. Try to keep the guests in the same age range or you may want to plan for separate activities for older or younger children. RULE OF THUMB – How many guests to invite CHILD’S AGE + 2 9 Page 11 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ready, Set, Party! – the best tips and ideas for children’s parties GUEST LIST CHILDREN: Reply Parent's First Name Last Name Address Phone Number(Yes Nameor No) ADULTS: Reply First Name Last Name Address Phone Number(Yes or No) 10 Page 12 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ready, Set, Party! – the best tips and ideas for children’s parties Invitation Once you have decided on your guest list, its time to send out the invitations. I recommend you send out cards versus inviting your guests by phone. Information on the place and time or other details about the party may be missed or misquoted when you invite guests by phone. It’s best to use a card so all information is clearly outlined on the invitations. Cards are more favourable as they act as a reminder that often will be displayed somewhere in your guests home. It’s more of a personal touch to send a card. Cards can be sent by mail, email or hand delivery. If you plan to mail them, it is best to mail the invitations at least 2 to 3 weeks in advance. Email can be a fun option as you can design some fun invitations with the computer. Hand delivery is often seen as a personal touch but it comes with some disadvantages. Children handing out birthday invites at school can lead to hurt feeling for those children who may not have been invited. You also run the risk of the invites being lost or misplaced by your child or your child’s guests. If you plan to hand deliver it is recommended you do the delivery yourself to child’s parents. Make sure your invitation lists all the information your guests will require: date, place, and time including the time its over. Include any special instructions, such as “bring your play clothes.” Write on the invitations whether parents are invited or if kids are to be dropped off. For younger children, ages 5 and under, expect they maybe accompanied by a parent. You may want to plan for extra food and drinks for parents who are staying. Have your guests RSVP, with your phone number and the date by which you need the answer. This gives you a better idea of your the number you need to plan for. YOU’RE INVITED!! For: Tommy’s Birthday Party Date: April 4, 2004 Time: 1:00 to 3:00pm Place: Tommy’s house – 708 Smith Street RSVP: Call Tommy’s parents at 432-1234 by April 1, 2004 11 Page 13 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ready, Set, Party! – the best tips and ideas for children’s parties Planning the menu The Cake The birthday cake is the centrepiece of a party. It is the most desired food by children. So with that being said, it should be your primary focus. Decide if you will make the cake yourself or have a favorite bakery design the cake for you. Whatever you decide, it usually best to stick with the more traditional choices of chocolate, white or yellow cake with frosting. Introducing new flavours and recipes maybe refused by the children if they are unfamiliar to most. Birthday Food Ask your child what types of food they would like to eat. This is the one day you may have to relax and let your child’s healthy diet go out the window. Serving vegetable platters or non sugary items can be a huge disappointment to your child and guests. Use your discretion when planning the food menu. Flavour is the most important part. If you are planning a party around meal, all time favourites are hot dogs, hamburgers, pizza or Kraft’s Macaroni and Cheese. Sandwiches are also an easy meal to prepare. Keep in mind the food does not be elaborate or fancy but do have a variety of foods on the table as kids will be eager to sample a spread of goodies. Try keeping the goodies bite size. This way you can reduce the amount of leftovers you will have. Drinks Smaller children are happy with fruit juices or water. Older children appreciate a little more variety. Fizzy drinks and pops are always a success. If you have a smaller gathering, a real treats are milk shakes or smoothies. Be cautious about serving juices that may stain. If you’re worried about your carpets, it’s best not to serve drinks such as cranberry or grape juice. For some food ideas check out the party menu ideas section of the guide. 12 Page 14 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ready, Set, Party! – the best tips and ideas for children’s parties Party Menu Ideas Party Sandwiches Ingredients: Sandwich bread Sandwich fillings, such as peanut butter, cream cheese, vegetables, bologna, egg salad, cream cheese. Steps: Assemble sandwiches using a variety of fillings and cut out using different cookie cutter shapes such as stars or animal shapes etc. Mini Pizzas Ingredients: English Muffins –halved and toasted Pizza sauce Shredded cheese (mozzarella or cheddar) Various vegetables – mushrooms, zucchini, olives, green peppers, onions, pineapple or any other favorite topping. Steps: Let the kids help themselves to the toppings and make their own special pizza. This is a great way for children to experiment and try new types of vegetables if they desire. Microwave the English muffins for 1 1/2 minutes in the microwave or until cheese is melted Pigs in a blanket Ingredients: Container of refrigerator crescent rolls Package of cocktail, regular or veggie hot dogs. Steps: Take crescent roll dough and wrap and cover the hot dog and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 450 degrees for 8 to 12 minutes. Serve with mustard and ketchup for dipping. 13 Page 15 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ready, Set, Party! – the best tips and ideas for children’s parties Hamburger Cupcakes Ingredients: Bread (White or Brown) 1 pound of ground beef margarine 1 can of tomato soup 1 egg grated cheddar cheese salt & pepper Steps: Butter slices of bread (just one side), and shape into muffin tins-- butter side in. Fry hamburger until brown, add soup, & egg. Fill bread cups with mixture. Sprinkle cheese on top. Bake at 375 till brown. 15-20 mins. Popcorn Balls Ingredients: 4 tablespoons butter 1 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup light corn syrup 1/2 can Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 5 quarts popped popcorn Steps: Combine first 3 ingredients in saucepan and boil over medium heat, stirring often. Add sweetened condensed milk and simmer, stirring constantly to softball stage. Add vanilla. Pour mixture over popcorn and mix well. Coat hands in butter and form balls. 14 Page 16 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ready, Set, Party! – the best tips and ideas for children’s parties Butterscotch Noodles Ingredients: 12 ounce butterscotch chips 1/2-cup peanut butter, chunky or smooth 1 large can Chinese noodles Steps: Melt butterscotch chips and peanut butter over simmering water in a double boiler. Remove from heat; stir in Chinese noodles. Line cookie sheet with waxed paper; place spoonfuls of mixture on the waxed paper. Refrigerate to harden and keep refrigerated until serving. Smiley Apples Ingredients: medium red apples, cored and sliced peanut butter miniature marshmallows Steps: Wash, core, and cut apple in half. Cut each half into 8 slices. Spread peanut butter on one side of each apple slice. Place 3 or 4 mini-marshmallows on top of peanut butter on one apple slice. Top with another and press together to make one “smile.” Continue assembling remaining apple slices. Ants on a Log Ingredients: celery sticks peanut butter raisins Steps: Spread some peanut butter on a celery stick... that's your log. Now put the raisins on the log in a row...those are your ants. 15 Page 17 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ready, Set, Party! – the best tips and ideas for children’s parties Purple Power Smoothie **CAUTION – This can stain if spilled** Ingredients: 4 teaspoons lemon juice 1 cup water 2/3-cup grape juice concentrate 1-cup instant nonfat dry milk 2 cups ice cubes Steps Put lemon juice and water into a blender and mix well. Add the grape juice and dry milk and blend. Slowly add ice, one cube at a time. Turn off blender while adding each cube of ice. Blend well and divide into glasses. Chocolate Soda Recipe Ingredients: 2 teaspoons chocolate syrup 2 tablespoons milk 2 tablespoons vanilla ice cream 1-cup lemonade 1 ice cube Steps: In a tall glass, mix chocolate syrup and milk. Add 1 Tbsp vanilla ice cream. Stir then add 2nd Tbsp vanilla ice cream, 1cup lemonade and 1 ice cube. Stir lightly. Serve with a straw. Cranberry Lemon Punch **CAUTION – This can stain if spilled** 1 frozen cranberry juice concentrate 1 frozen lemonade concentrate 1 liter lemon lime soda 1 liter selter water bag of frozen raspberries Steps: Defrost 1 can frozen cranberry juice concentrate and 1 can frozen lemonade concentrate. Put them in a big punch bowl with a liter of lemon lime soda and a liter of seltzer water. Stir it a little and then pour in some frozen raspberries for decoration. 16 Page 18 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ready, Set, Party! – The best tips and ideas for children’s parties Shopping List Put together a list of items that you will need for the party. Keep in mind the following when creating your list: -Invitations -Party ware - plates, cups, spoons, forks, napkins -Candles - matches -Decorations- streamers, balloons. -Party favors and prizes -Games or craft supplies -Food - cake, snacks, drinks -Film for camera or video camera -Music -First aid kit items -Trash bags for clean up. Party Proofing If you do plan to have the party in your home, you may want to remove any breakables from the party area. Accidents can happen when you have a room full of excited children. Get down to your knees to get a view of the room from a child’s perspective. Take a good look around and remove anything you consider fragile. Remove any smaller pieces of furniture to allow for plenty of space. It’s better to be over cautious when child proofing the room. Removing breakable items will not only put you at ease but you children as well. It’s also a good idea to keep a first aid kit close at hand for any minor cuts or bruises. Spills happen. To prevent damage to surfaces use plastic tablecloths and keep plenty of napkins and paper towels close at hand. You can also cover upholstered furniture with colourful blankets or put down an older area rug to protect your carpet. Check out the clean up tips section of the guide for some further tips. 17 Page 19 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ready, Set, Party! – The best tips and ideas for children’s parties Party Decorations Nothing says party like a room full of decorations. Let your imagination guide you when decorating. It doesn’t take much; balloons and streamers can make a party atmosphere in minutes. If you’re planning a theme party carry out your theme through your decorations. Balloons Balloons in clusters look the best. Buy lots of them in different shapes and colors. Use colourful ribbons to group them together. Hang clusters of balloons from the ceiling or doorways. You can create your own balloon archways. Have a cluster of balloons at the front door or near the entrance of your driveway to let partygoers know where the birthday is. Be creative. You can never overdo balloons for a child’s birthday. You can draw faces on them with a marker or write the birthday boy or girl name on them. If you plan on using helium, wait till the day of the party to purchase them as they loose their air and will not float, as they should. Children love balloons and they can be a great parting gift for all your guests as they leave. Streamers Another effective form of decorating for a party are paper streamers. You can purchase a variety of colors. Take two or three colors and twist them together to create garlands. Streamer garlands look best if you hang them from room corner to corner where the wall meets the ceiling. You can string the garlands from the wall corners to the center of the room to attach to a ceiling light or fan. Balloons mixed with the streamers can give a room a fun, festive look. 18 Page 20 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ready, Set, Party! – The best tips and ideas for children’s parties Party Decorations Table Decorations Protect your table surface by spreading a protective cover over the top. The tablecloth should not drape to the floor. Set your table ahead of time. Lay out napkins, plates, forks and spoons. You can place the cups out when food is ready to be served. Your table will be filled with goodies and treats so a less crowded the better. It’s best to avoid large centrepieces as they can obstruct the view of your guests and can also cause spills. A small piñata makes an excellent centrepiece or cluster of helium balloons adjusted high enough off the table. Make sure you have plenty of room for the birthday cake! Creating place cards for seating arrangements is a good idea before the guests arrive. If you do not create place cards you can run the risk of every child wanting to sit next to the birthday boy or girl. Plus, your child will be in the awkward position of having to decide who will sit next to them. In the end it can create some hurt feelings and should be avoided. Party Music Music can play an important role in creating a fun party atmosphere. Music should be in the background especially when the guests start to arrive or when the children sit down to eat. Turn up the music for games, especially if one of the games is musical chairs! Pick songs that will be familiar to the children. Children will enjoy singing along or enjoy talking about there favourite singers. 19 Page 21 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ready, Set, Party! – The best tips and ideas for children’s parties Activities and Games Plan your activities and games around two things. One being the age of the children and two is how much time you wish to spend playing games. Don’t expect younger children (3 and under) to want to cooperate in organized games. Some activities that work well with the younger crowd are; sing alongs, bubble blowing, dancing, playing with play dough or coloring books with lots of crayons. The older the children are, the more creative you can get with the activities. Try to avoid games that require kids to wait a long time for their turn –or at least give them something else to keep them busy while they wait. It’s a good idea to plan more games than you expect to use in case you run out before the party ends. Try also to choose one game that every child can win at least once. You want everyone to feel like a winner. Below are some game ideas. If you’re planning a themed party, it’s fun to adapt them to match the theme of your party. Oink Piggy Oink! This game is only suitable if the children can support the weight of the other children on their laps. Guests sit in a circle and one child is “It”. “It” plays the farmer and all the other guests are the little piggies. The farmer is blindfolded and starts to walk around the circle tapping each piggy on the head. The farmer is told to stop and sits down on the lap of the guest and says “Oink Piggy Oink”. The guest has to give his or hers best imitation of a little piggy. It’s up to the farmer to guess who the person is. Musical Survivors This is a variation of musical chairs. Use pieces of craft paper to create little islands shapes. Make the paper approximately 10 inches square. It should be able to fit one child’s foot and hand on it. Place the islands on the floor with one less island than you have children participating in the game. Let the children pretend swim to around the islands to music. When the music stops everyone has to find an island to place one foot and one hand on. The children who could not find an island or who could keep their balance are out of the game. Continue to remove islands depending on how many are out. The game continues until you are down to 2 survivors and 1 island. Whoever claims the last island is the sole survivor! 20 Page 22 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ready, Set, Party! – The best tips and ideas for children’s parties Activities and Games Name that Sound Quiz If you have a tape recorder you can have some fun with this quiz game. Before the party, make recordings of various sounds such as; a computer printer printing; a door unlocking; brushing teeth; dishwasher; vacuum cleaner; toaster popping. Let each guest write down what they think the sound is. The player with the highest score wins! Sheppard and the Coyote You will need room for this game and it is best to be played outdoors. One guest is picked to be “It”. “It” plays the Coyote. The rest of the children line up in a row placing their hands on the person’s hips in front of them to form a chain. The first child in the line is named the Sheppard and the other children are the Sheep. When the Sheppard starts to walk the sheep hold on and follow. The Sheppard confronts the Coyote and says “What do you want Mr. Coyote?” The Coyote responds, “I want to eat your yummiest, fattest sheep!” The Coyote then tries to run to the back of the line of sheep and grab the hips of the last person. The Sheppard has to run away and lead the line of sheep to avoid capture from the Coyote. Rotate the line so everyone has a chance to be the Sheppard and the Coyote. Memory Game Test your guests’ memory skills. Place a group of small objects on a tray about 20 items or so. The items can be anything like pencils, forks, rocks or toy cars. Display the tray to the guests for about 30 seconds then remove it from sight. Give the guests 3 or 4 minutes to write down the names of as many objects as they can remember. The one with the most wins a prize. Catch the Balloon Gather your guests in a circle on the floor and give each guest a number. Put the highest number in the center of the circle as “It.” “It” will then call out a number while dropping a balloon to the floor. The holder of that number has to catch the balloon before it touches the floor. If the balloon touches floor then that player becomes “It”. Food Guess This game can get messy but the kids will have a blast. Blind fold your guests. The children will need to guess what food they are touching. The one you gets the item right first wins. If they are having a challenge with one of the foods, let them smell it or lastly taste it. Be creative with food items such as peeled orange slices or get messy with small mound of mashed potatoes or spaghetti. Kids will squeal with delight placing fingers in the bowls! 21 Page 23 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ready, Set, Party! – The best tips and ideas for children’s parties Activities and Games Made you laugh The object of the game is to try to keep a straight face while other players try to make you laugh. The guests form a circle and one guest starts the game by saying “ha”. The next guest follows with a “ha” ha’. The next guest says “ha” “ha” “ha” and so on around the circle with each guest adding another “ha”. Each person must keep a straight face and pronounce it each ”ha” as seriously as they can, to avoid laughing as long as possible. Any player who laughs or makes a mistake must drop out of the game. But players who drop out can then try to make the remaining players laugh without touching or talking to them. The one who keeps the straight face the longest, wins! Peanut roll relay Split the guests into 2 teams then have each of the teams divided up between a start and finish lines. The start and finish lines should be on a soft surface preferably a carpet. Each member of the team will race on their hands and knees rolling a small peanut shell with their noses. The first team with their last team member across the finish line wins! Tangle rope You will need several lengths of yarn or ribbon that is sturdy and thick for this game. Instruct your guests to stand in a circle with their right hands extended to the center of the circle. Place one of the ribbons around the right wrists of 2 guests and then weave another ribbon around the right wrists of another set and so on. The object of the game is to see if the pairs can untangle themselves by stepping over or under people or turning around Who am I? Prepare pictures of well- known personalities, favourite cartoon characters or rock stars. Place a picture on the back of each guest. This way the guests can check out who everyone else is but can’t see their own. The children take turns asking yes or no questions to figure out who they are. Game Prizes If you plan to give out prizes for games. Make sure that prizes are distributed evenly, for everyone should go home with the same amount of goodies. You can even up the winnings by giving prizes for the hardest tries or biggest smiles. To add to the excitement of winning a game, you can place the game prizes in a decorated box marked “PRIZES”. Allow each winner to reach in the box and grab his or her own goody. 22 Page 24 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ready, Set, Party! – The best tips and ideas for children’s parties Party Crafts If your child enjoys making crafts you can incorporate some craft activities as part of the birthday celebration. Almost any household item can be used to make cool projects. Work with the children to show them step-by-step how to create these crafts. Below are some ideas that can inspire your birthday boy or girl Coffee Filter Rainbows Figures Materials: Coffee Filters Children’s color felt markers Colored craft Instructions: Flatten out coffee filter on a protected surface for each child. Let the children color the filter roughly with splashes of different colors. Wet the filter using a spray bottle to let the colors run and bleed into each other. Creating a rainbow color effect. Blow-dry with blow dryer on low heat until dry. (Approximately 5 minutes) Once dry, cut out into an animal shape such as fish or tropical bird. Use additional craft paper to draw and glue different features such as eyes or mouth. Edible Jewellery Materials: Candies with holes (ex lifesavers) String for each guest (approx 2 feet) Instructions: Place candies in small bowls for the guests to easily reach. Give each child a length of string and let them create a necklace or bracelet, etc. 23 Page 25 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ready, Set, Party! – The best tips and ideas for children’s parties Party Crafts Monkey Pipe cleaners Materials: Bumpy pipe cleaners Pom – poms 1 inch and ½ inch Regular pipe cleaners Googly eyes Glue Instructions: For each monkey cut a length of bumpy pipe cleaner that has two bumps and bend it in half into a V shape to form the legs. For the arms use a 9-inch regular pipe cleaner. Curl the ends into a small U shape to create the hands. Using tacky glue secure two1 inch pom-poms together, with the legs and arm pipe cleaners in between them. This will be the body. Glue another 1-inch pom - pom on top of the body for the head. Decorate the head with googly eyes and use the1/2 inch pom- poms as a nose and ears. To finish off take a 6 inch length of regular pipe cleaner and glue to the back of the monkey for a tail. Once glue is dry you can bend and shape arms, legs and tail into different positions. Funny Face Balloons Materials: Balloons Children markers (preferably black) Instructions: Inflate balloons with helium or air and knot them. Give each child a balloon and marker to draw big eyes, nose, silly mouth, etc. 24 Page 26 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ready, Set, Party! – The best tips and ideas for children’s parties Photos – Making Memories With all the preparation and planning you will do for the party, it would be a shame not to capture the celebration with pictures. Birthday parties are great way to document the years and see how your children have grown. Make sure you have plenty of film and extra batteries for your camera or video camera. Enlist a family member or friend to be in charge of taking photos if you are unable to manage running the party and taking photos at the same time. Whatever the case have your camera ready in hand to catch some special moments. Catch the birthday boy or girl blowing out their candles or opening a special gift. The best pictures are the casual ones rather posed photographs. Kids should be photographed at their eye level not from the perspective of an adult looking down. Be prepared to be on your knees for many pictures and come in close to the faces of the kids, rather than focusing on a roomful of people. Photography shouldn’t interrupt the party but be part of the fun. Memory books are special way to look back at past celebrations for both parents and children. If you plan to put together a scrapbook of birthday photos, plan to include not only the photos but also a copy of the invitation, a note of the gifts received, the food served. You may also want to include a short note on the guest list, the decorations or any funny memory that may have happened. Making captions around photos can make the book more fun. It’s a great project you can have your child help with. 25 Page 27 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ready, Set, Party! – The best tips and ideas for children’s parties Clean up tips Cleaning up is never fun but with help some extra hands to help and some helpful hints you can minimize your cleaning efforts. •Party Proof. Take the time before the party to remove any items from the area that may be hard to clean. If you have light carpet consider covering it with an older area rug something that if a spill happens you wont have to struggle to clean it up. •Be prepared for the little emergencies. For any carpet spills, keep club soda close at hand. Simply pour a generous amount directly on the stain and rub with a brush or towel. It is helpful to have a few towels stashed close at hand so that accidents can be taken care of quickly. It also a good idea to keep extra paper towels or baby wipes out and accessible for your guests. So your guests can easily wipe their hands if necessary. •Clean as you go. Don’t wait until all the children have left the party. If you have food plates or empty cups sitting around have your helper scan the room for things that can be thrown or put away. •Trash bags and serving trays. The best way to clear most of the party debris is to use a large serving tray to haul everything to the trashcan or the kitchen. 26 Page 28 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ready, Set, Party! – The best tips and ideas for children’s parties Thank you notes The party is over, the gifts have been opened and now it’s time to have your child assist in writing thank you notes. Thank you notes are important social skill builders and children enjoy writing them when they have fun note cards or a creative design made from the computer to work with. When it’s time to write the thank you cards it good idea to pay close attention to who brought what gift. It’s best to have a notepad and pen handy so you can jot down that Billy bought a blue toy car and Grandma bought a teddy bear with a red ribbon. This way you can personalize each thank you card. Dear Jessica Thank you for coming to my party, and for the really cool doll house Your Friend, Sarah Special addition to thank you cards are including a picture from the party or small treat like a mini bag of candy or a sticker. Don’t put off sending out “thank yous” too long. Your guests should receive a thank you note no later than a week after the party. 27 Page 29 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ready, Set, Party! – The best tips and ideas for children’s parties Party! That’s it! You have covered all the details for planning and hosting a memorable birthday party! The last tip I can provide is to have fun. Do not get tied up in too many details. If things don’t go as you planned, relax it’s not the end of the world. Your child will have fun no matter what and so should you! Good Luck and many Happy Birthdays! 28
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