In part 1 of the Games and Entertainment of the Party Planning series, we looked at ideas for party games.

Here are a few guidelines for hiring an entertainer for your child’s birthday party.

If you decide to hire an entertainer for the party, do that immediately after you have decided [...]]]>

Image via Wikipedia

In part 1 of the Games and Entertainment of the Party Planning series, we looked at ideas for party games.

Here are a few guidelines for hiring an entertainer for your child’s birthday party.

If you decide to hire an entertainer for the party, do that immediately after you have decided on the theme of the party.

The best entertainers are normally booked far in advance, so if you send out the party invitations and only then contact the entertainers, it might just be possible that the entertainer you had in mind, might not be available on the day of the party.

There are a variety of birthday party entertainers with a wide range of prices. The best way to find a quality entertainer is to ask around.

Talk to friends, other parents, your child’s school or childcare center, etc. If your child comes home from a party raving about how funny the performer was, find out who it was. Ask your child if they want that performer to come to their birthday party too.

If you didn’t have any luck finding entertainers through referrals, look in your local family type publication in their “party” section.

There are more choices there than you could ever call. Find a few ads that catch your attention and seem to be the kind of entertainment you need.

Call them starting with the one that caught your eye first and work your way down the list. You should be able to find what you’re looking for in two or three calls.

When calling, there are several things you need ask:

• What age group is their show most suited for?

• What do they do in their show?
• What does their package include?
• How long is their performance?
• How much experience do they have?
• Do they have references?
• What do they charge?
• Do they accept credit cards?
• What are the payment arrangements?

The answers to these questions will help you decide which entertainer is right for you.

Keep in mind that the entertainment seldom matches your party theme unless you theme the party around the entertainer or hire a costumed character.

On the other hand, don’t worry too much about the entertainment matching your theme.  Even if you and your child have set your hearts on a clown for the  party, it is not the end of the world if he is not available. A magician may work just as well and if he is not available,  find other ways to keep the children entertained, for instance, with a trampoline or jumping castle.

If you must have an entertainer, rope in family or friends with special talents to come and lend a hand with the entertainment. There is bound to be a “natural” clown in the family, so rent a clown costume from the local theater and let he or she entertain the children.

What about uncle Tom who is always entertaining the young ones by letting a coin or two disappear from behind their ears and has a few card tricks up his sleeve? I’m sure he would not mind helping you out if the professional magician you wanted for the party, is not available.

Maybe the young teenage boy down the road who is always juggling a few balls on the lawn, will be willing to entertain the party guests for half and hour and teach them a few juggling skills.

Keep your options open and think about people you know with special skills or knowledge.

The local science teacher may enjoy showing the children a few science experiments or the local dance teacher may be willing to come over for half an hour to teach a few dance steps.

Your local fire department may even be willing to surprise the party guests by arriving in front of the house with a fire truck and may even take the kids around the block for a drive…

And if all else fails, YOU can become the entertainer. It is easy to learn a few magic tricks, how to twist a balloon or two, learn a few basic face painting techniques or use your own special talents to entertain the party guests.

Don’t worry too much about not being able to provide a professional entertainer even if your child really wants one.  As long as the children are being entertained and having a good time, you can be sure that the party will be a success.

Teach yourself:

Balloon Twisting

Face Painting

Magic Tricks

Disclosure: This article contain links to party products. If you buy any of these or related products I will get paid a commission.

The birthday party is a big deal every year but there are other milestones that deserve celebrating as well.

The day that you daughter gets her first set of kids bunk beds is a big deal and deserves [...]]]>

Here is another guest post written by Robert Lobitz with ideas for an unusual sleepover party theme…

The birthday party is a big deal every year but there are other milestones that deserve celebrating as well.

The day that you daughter gets her first set of kids bunk beds is a big deal and deserves a little celebration. I suggest having a sleepover party to throw a bit of a bash for her next step toward adulthood.

One of the nice things about bunk beds for kids and sleepovers is that you have an extra sleeping space ready to go right off the bat.

This way, you do not have to cram a bunch of kids into the living room or onto the couch and floor so they will be more comfortable. Kids are small too, so you can fit a couple of them into each bunk.

Of course, she is going to want to sleep in her new set of kids bunk beds so it makes sense to have the party in the bedroom too.

For a theme, I suggest pizza and movie night. If you have a little skill in the kitchen then you can avoid buying junky pizza from the greasy place down the street and you can entertain the guests by having them create their own pizzas.

This is a great tactic for getting a little help in the kitchen along with entertaining the kids and making them happy. There is nothing quite like eating a personal pizza that you made for yourself.

If your daughter has a favorite movie or genre then you should be able to decide on a playlist fairly easily. You can take this to the next level though.

You should buy new sheets and comforters for those bunk beds that have the theme of the movie you are going to watch. If they love Disney then that is an easy task as there are lots of bedding choices sized for kids bunk beds with a Disney theme.

Good luck with your first bunk bed sleepover!

Robert Lobitz  is a theme party enthusiast who loves to come up with unusaul ideas to celebrate your child’s birthday.

Disclosure and/of Material Connection: Sponsored posts are written by others and may highlight services or products that I have not personally tried myself. The author and/or company who sponsored it compensated me via a cash payment, gift, or something else of value. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Children under the age of one do not require much to keep them busy. A few balls or boxes that they can play with, maybe [...]]]>

There are many games and activities for birthday parties. The important thing is to choose games that are age appropriate and will fit in with the theme of your party.

Children under the age of one do not require much to keep them busy. A few balls or boxes that they can play with, maybe some finger-paints and blank sheets of paper will be enough to keep them busy and happy.

Children over the age of two up to 10 years of age are  more active.  Normally this age group likes games and if they understand the rules of certain games, they will almost always take part in these games.

Things can get a bit trickier when you are dealing with 11 to 13 year olds; they can become bored quite easily.  If the game appears even the slightest bit babyish, they will definitely not take part.

You have to be careful when you pick out games for this age group, after all, they are at a stage in their lives where they have to think about their image and anything that is not “cool”, will be shunned.

The best is to talk to your child and find out what kind of games he and his friends would prefer. The chances are good that they would just like something like a movie or pizza party with no actual games.

By the time children reach the age of 14 years or older, they have become more comfortable with who they are and may even enjoy participating in the “immature” games of their younger years again.

If you are going to hand out prizes at the end of games, it is good policy to give a prize to every guest at the party. It does not have to be expensive prizes, just something that again fits in with the theme of the party.

By doing this, you will let every child feel good for taking part in the games. Let’s face it, not all children like to take part in games; they may be shy or just not that much into games.

You will, however, almost always need to plan at least one game for the party, even if you have an entertainer coming.

Activities can range from coloring with crayons to having  a jumping castle in your back yard. It is not really necessary to keep the kids busy with lots of games or activities, but you also have to make sure that there is enough for them to do, so they do not get bored during the party.

 Ideas for Games and Activities for Children 2 through 10

 Build your own Maze Activity

Hit your nearest appliance stores and department stores for this game in a hunt for as many extra large boxes as you can find.  This activity involves letting the kids take the boxes and make mazes they can crawl throughout them.  Do not forget to recycle when you are done.

Dressed for Work Game

You already have everything you need for this game.  Supply the guest with enough adult clothes and a timer and see who can get dressed over their existing clothing for work on time.  Longer time is allowed for younger children but speed up the time for older children and see who ends up half dressed come time to “go to work.”

Pass the Orange or Tennis Ball

Make a relay with the guest having to go from one end of the room to the next holding either an orange or tennis ball under their chin and pass it on to the next person on their team.  The first team to have all their players finish, wins.  If the ball or orange is dropped, they can only pick it up with their neck.  For younger children you can modify the rules some to make it easier for them.

Bubble Gum Game

This is another relatively cheap game that only requires paper plates, whipped cream, and bubble gum balls.  This is another great game for picture perfect moments so have your camera ready.  Here is how it is played.  Put a couple gumballs on a paper plate and bury tem with whip cream.  The guest has to dive in and find the gumballs!  Messy, but hilarious!

 Ideas for Games and Activities for Age Group 11 and up

 Mystery & Murder Mystery Games

The internet has made this game free to anyone.  You can also purchase more advance versions of this type of game online.  This would be a great task for the birthday child to get ready.  All instructions are included and they are great fun for this age group.

Indoor Golf Ball Croquet Game

This game makes for some hysterical pictures.  Each guest will need one pair of panty hose and two golf  balls.  Place the one golf ball in each leg of the panty hose.  Tie the pantyhose around the waist with the long ends of the legs hanging down in front of the guest.  The guest will then take turns trying to make a golf ball that is placed on the ground into designated targets.

Karaoke Contest 

A karaoke contest can be a blast for teenagers.  They can pretend like they are the next up and coming American Idol and other guests can play the roles of the judges.

Other great standbys are riddles and treasure hunts and/or board games.

What kind of games do you plan for your children’s birthday parties? Old trusted ones like for instance, Pin the Tail on The Donkey, Musical Chairs and Spoon Walk or do you devise your own games everytime? Please share your ideas in the comment section.

Disclosure: This article contain links to party products. If you buy any of these or related products I will get paid a commission.

In some Christian countries including the United Kingdom it is tradition to cook pancakes (crepes) the day before lent starts.

This is because traditionally people would not eat sweet food for the next 40 days and 40 nights so to stop it from going to [...]]]>

A Guest Post by Ewan C. MacDougall

In some Christian countries including the United Kingdom it is tradition to cook pancakes (crepes) the day before lent starts.

This is because traditionally people would not eat sweet food for the next 40 days and 40 nights so to stop it from going to waste they would fill pancakes with it and enjoy it all that night.

Making pancakes is a really easy cooking activity that kids love to get involved with, it doesn’t involve to much fancy cookware and if your child has a birthday around that time of year, or you’re just looking for an excuse to have a party why not throw a pancake party.

If you decide to do this you will need to prepare enough batter in advance, a pint of batter will make about 15 pancakes depending how big and thick you make them.

The recipe:
The Pancakes (for 1 pint of batter)

•  4 eggs
• 1 pint of milk
• 8* oz flour

(*note: if you prefer thicker pancakes you can increase the amount of flour slightly. Thicker pancakes are also a little easier for children to cook as they are less likely to fall apart)

1. Mix all the ingredients together and then leave to sit for 20 minutes.
2. Use an oil soaked cloth to finely coat a frying pan, and then heat the pan until the oil smokes.
3. Pour enough batter for one pancake into the frying pan and move the frying pan in a circular motion to spread the batter evenly.
4. If the pan is hot enough the bottom of the pancake should cook almost instantly, allowing you to flip the pancake. (You can either do this the fancy way, or if you’re feeling less brave flip it with a spatula.)
5. Once the pancake is flipped reduce the heat and slowly cook the other side of the pancake until it is cooked through.

The fillings:

This is really up to you, everyone has their own preference. The most traditional pancakes have lemon and sugar; you could also try filling them with stewed fruit.

At a children’s party the easiest option would be to have a selection of flavoured sauces normally used for ice cream and jam. You can also find some more fancy filling recipes here.

Making it a party:

Use your best judgement in how much you let the children do based on their age and how much you trust them.

For young children you might like to make the pancakes all in advance and then just let them choose their own toppings. Slightly older children might like to try flipping their own pancakes, and older children still can be involved in the whole process.

Having at least two adults supervising this party is advisable, one to supervise the children and the other to supervise any cooking. This also allows you to have the children cooking in smaller groups which are safer.

Enjoy pancake making, even if you’re not having a party, it can be a great fun thing to do with your family.

Author
Ewan Cambell MacDougall has spent several years working with children at Kids Summer Camps.  He currently works in online marketing with several different companies.

Metric Converter for Ewan’s Recipe

Disclosure and/of Material Connection:   Sponsored posts are written by others and may highlight services or products that I have not personally tried myself. The author and/or  company who sponsored it compensated me via a cash payment, gift, or something else of value. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Here are  few ideas  for kids party decorations:

GREETING SIGNS:

A greeting sign in your front yard or on your door is a nice way to welcome party [...]]]>

Decorating for a kid’s party can be cheap and easy, yet impressive, if you have the basics in place and use a little imagination and advance planning.

Here are  few ideas  for kids party decorations:

GREETING SIGNS:

A greeting sign in your front yard or on your door is a nice way to welcome party guests. Match it to the party theme and colors.

For a beach party write “No Swimming at High Tide” in blue on  a white background decorated with shells around the edges of the sign.

For a magician party, the sign can be in the form of a hat with the words:

“Step into the magical world of ____ (your kid’s name)”

A music party sign could say “Disco now in Full Swingl”. With just a little imagination, a homemade sign can be better than a store-bought one and you’ll be complimented on your ingenuity to boot!

BANNERS AND POSTERS : Put up birthday banners and themed posters in the party room to add a festive touch

WALL DECALS:  Buy life-sized decals to decorate the walls and windows of the party room. These decals can normally be removed after the party and be used in your child’s bedroom again.

LIFE-SIZED CARDBOARD CUTOUTS:  These life-sized cardboard cutouts are very popular at birthday parties. You can buy cutouts of  movie stars, cartoon characters, sports heroes, music artists and many more. Certain companies will also make customized cutouts of your child from a photo that you provide to them.

BALLOONS:

Balloons are a must for every kids party. They are cheap, colorful, and children love them!

Choose the balloon color to complement your party theme. For example, two shades of green for a jungle party, yellow and orange for a construction party, pink and purple for a princess or fairy party.

Assorted helium-filled balloons can be bunched and anchored in the middle of the party table as a centerpiece, or attached from the light fixture in the center of the room or let them simply float underneath the ceiling. If the party is

outside, attach the balloons to tree branches for a festive touch.

A balloon arch is an impressive way to direct guests to the party area. Simply attach helium-filled balloons to a ribbon about every 12 inches and secure it to the ground on either side of your doorway.

Remember to attach a few balloons to your mailbox to show guests where the party is. Be sure you have enough balloons to give one to each party guest as they leave.

CREPE PAPER:

Another cheap and easy party decoration is crepe paper. Tie four to six pieces from the center light fixture in the room extending to the corners and walls.

Twist as you go and secure with masking tape or rubber cement, both of which are easily removed after the party is over.

For an extra fancy effect, twist two different colors of crepe together. Attach a couple of balloons over the crepe paper ends to cover any tape or glue.

Hang crepe paper strips in doorways similar to the 60′s beaded look. Alternate colors for more visual effects. Balloons and crepe paper alone are enough to give your party area a fun and festive atmosphere.

SPIRAL HANGINGS:  These can be made by recycling plastic bottles or cut paper or tin foil plates into spirals and attach theme related images to one end of  each spiral. Attach to the ceiling.

FLOWER HANGINGS: Use fishing line and string fake flowers to make “flower curtains” for the windows and at the entrance to the party room.

TABLE DECORATIONS:

Use one or more of your child’s toys related to the party theme as a centerpiece, for example, a large teddy bear for a teddy bear picnic party, a grouping of Barbies for a Barbie party, a cowboy hat or boot for a western party.

You can even anchor a balloon bouquet to your unique centerpiece. Curl several lengths of curling ribbon and scatter them all over the  table.

Empty toilet paper or paper towel tubes, egg carton and cereal boxes can all can be turned into fun characters to decorate the party table.

Decorated paper plates and cups (use cut out paper shapes, napkins, candy and cookies to do this).

The party food can also contribute to the table decorations, for instance cookie, fruit or candy bouquets.

COSTUMES:  You may not think of costumes as decorations, but they are! They just happen to be adorning the party guests and not the walls or tables! Costumes lend a playful mood to the party. It can vary from full-blown customes that fit in with the theme or the party, or just funny party hats, sunglasses, crowns, masks, or costume jewelery.

Have fun when you decorate your home or backyard for your child’s next theme party.

Disclosure: This article contain links to party products. If you buy any of these or related products I will get paid a commission.

Here’s how to make the truffle tree:

Ingredients for truffles:

-  100g cake crumbs (1 layer bought Madeira cake) -  60g ground almonds -  30g white [...]]]>

Surprise the party guests at your daughter’s next birthday party with this truffle tree centerpiece. It is sure to lend a festive touch to the party table decorations.

Here’s how to make the truffle tree:

Ingredients for truffles:

-  100g cake crumbs (1 layer bought Madeira cake)
-  60g ground almonds
-  30g white granulated sugar
-  100g drinking chocolate (do not use cocoa)
-  200g slab milk chocolate
-  5ml vanilla essence
-  smooth apricot jam (about 100ml or a little less
-  chocolate vermicelli
-  desiccated coconut and/or sprinkle nuts
-  sprinkle nuts

Do this:

1. Combine the cake crumbs, sugar, drinking chocolate and ground almonds in a mixing bowl. Mix well.
2. Melt chocolate over a low heat or in a microwave on medium. Add to the dry ingredients and stir together with the rum essence. Add just enough warmed apricot jam to make a stiff mixture.
3. Roll small pieces of the mixture into 35mm size balls.
4. Roll the balls in the coconut, chocolate vermicelli and nuts.

Refrigerate for 2 days before assembling. Assemble a few hours before serving.

Makes 35 truffles

Note: A double batch of chocolate truffles is required to fill the size polystyrene ball used in the instructions.

You will also need:

• a round polystyrene ball, approximately 38cm in circumference, available from florist wholesalers)
• suitable container (plastic, ceramic or earthenware)
• 1 dowelling stick, approximately 12mm in diameter and twice the height of the container
• ribbon in colours of choice (about 4 metres)
• thin florist’s wire
• cyprus or similar foliage
• re-usable adhesive
• approximately 60 round, good quality toothpicks (not the flat type).

To assemble the tree:

1. Cover the stick with ribbon.
2. Secure at the bottom and top with Sellotape.
3. Press the stick into the polystyrene ball.
4. Have ready the container, with a large piece of re-usable adhesive secured in the base to anchor the tree.
5. Very carefully press the base of the stick into the adhesive.
6. Break the toothpicks in half and stick them into the polystyrene ball at intervals.
7. Carefully position the truffles onto the toothpicks.
8. Make 15 to 20 small bows and secure with florist’s wire. Position the bows between the truffles.

Fill the container with foliage and small party favours.

You only need two pieces of  paper of choice to make these pretty heart shaped bags.

Cut the two pieces of paper in equal sized shapes as shown on the diagram, fold each shape in half and cut a slot in each.

The [...]]]>

These woven heart-shaped party favour bags are also known as Danish Sweethearts.

You only need two pieces of  paper of choice to make these pretty heart shaped bags.

Cut the two pieces of paper in equal sized shapes as shown on the diagram, fold each shape in half and cut a slot in each.

The size of the hearts will depend on the size of your paper shapes, the only thing to keep in mind is that after you have folded them, the length of the cut to slot them together, should be the same length as the folded edge.

The two big hearts in the photo had a size of 10 cm, the smaller ones 6 cm and 4,5 cm.

Follow the diagram to interlace the two paper shapes

Here’s how the bag looks when you open it  up.

Punch a hole in the center of each side and thread with narrow ribbon, or cut a length of paper and glue on the inside for handles.

You can then fill the heart shaped bags with small party favours.

Idea: The 6 cm hearts can be used for party invitation envelopes. Write your invitation on a smaller heart-shaped card, insert and close the heart-shaped envelope with a pretty metal brad. (link opens in a new window)

Have fun when you make these paper heart-shaped favour bags

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links to products. If you buy one of these products, I will receive a commission.

Danish Sweetheart Resource: “Let’s Have a Party” by Maureen Roffy 1974

Make chocolate baskets by cutting plastic bubble wrap into squares. Spread the bubble side with a layer or two of melted chocolate.

Place each square into a glass or muffin tin to use as a mould.

Refrigerate until hard, remove from mould and carefully peel [...]]]>

Here is a quick tip for a child’s birthday party.

Make chocolate baskets by cutting plastic bubble wrap into squares. Spread the bubble side with a layer or two of melted chocolate.

Place each square into a glass or muffin tin to use as a mould.

Refrigerate until hard, remove from mould and carefully peel off plastic.

Fill with sweets or serve for dessert filled with ice cream or filling of choice.

You can also use the baskets for small sweets, like peppermint creams.

How to make peppermint creams:

500 g icing sugar
1-2 egg whites
3 ml peppermint essence (almond tastes good as well)
100 g dark chocolate

Sift the icing sugar into a big bowl. Whisk the egg whites until frothy. Add enough of the egg white to the sugar to form a stiff paste. Mix in the peppermint essence.

Roll the paste out onto a surface dusted with icing sugar to about 7mm thickness. Use small pastry cutters to cut into rounds, hearts or desired shapes. Leave them to dry for 2-3 hours.

Melt the chocolates in the microwave or in a double boiler. Dip half of each peppermint cream into the chocolates. Allow to dry on greaseproof paper, which will take about 5 minutes.

Yield about 40 peppermint creams.

Tip: Dark chocolate is best to use, as the milk or white versions would be too sweet. Add a drop of green food coloring to the peppermint creams and pink or red food coloring to almond creams.

Note: The chocolate basket method and peppermint cream recipe were originally published on my ezi-edible-gifts blog during 2007

Who says chocolate is not a food group?

Enjoy!

Organizing a child’s birthday party can be a stressful task; however, once you know what the theme of the party is going to be, it can be easier to arrange.

Children that love playing sports are likely to want a birthday party that [...]]]>

This is a guest post written by Robert Lobitz

Organizing a child’s birthday party can be a stressful task; however, once you know what the theme of the party is going to be, it can be easier to arrange.

Children that love playing sports are likely to want a birthday party that relates to the activities they enjoy.

If your child loves hockey, there are a few things you can do to plan an exciting hockey themed birthday party.

For any party, you need to invite your guests one way or another.

If you’re going to send out paper invitations, you could send hockey themed invitations to prompt the guests to guess what type of party it’s going to be.

If your child has many friends who also enjoy playing hockey, this could be the perfect idea to encourage as many people as possible to turn up to the birthday party.

Decorate your house with pictures of hockey players, teams and anything else hockey-related that your child likes. They’re likely to have a favorite team – if this is the case, buy some posters or print some pictures of the different players to stick on the walls or use for other purposes.

Air hockey tables are the center of attention at a hockey themed parties.

If you don’t already own an air hockey table, you could rent one or borrow one from a friend.

Fans of hockey will find this extremely exciting, and the guests will spend all night competing against one another on the air hockey table.

Finally, put together some hockey party bags to give the guests before they leave.

Try to get some small hockey player figures or games related to hockey and put them inside the bags. You can also include traditional things such as birthday cake, stickers and bubbles.

Robert Lobitz is an air hockey and theme party enthusiast.

Disclosure and/of Material Connection:   Sponsored posts are written by others and may highlight services or products that I have not personally tried myself. The author and/or  company who sponsored it compensated me via a cash payment, gift, or something else of value. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Aside from the games and prizes, one of the things that children look forward to when attending a birthday party is the food.

Kids will eat whenever they have a chance and at a party, they normally eat more just because there is food available that is not normally served.