A family friendly New Year’s Party

  

I have to admit something and it may seem strange to you. I love new years.  Don’t get me wrong- the fall warmth of Thanksgiving and the warm fuzzies of Christmas are fabulous and they seem to get plenty of attention – but  I  love New Years. The idea of a fresh start and the anticipation of the year to come gets me as giggly as a kid with a new batch of play-dough. 

  Every year I have a celebration with my closest friends and family and I’d love to share some of my traditions with you.  Here is what our family will be doing to ring in the New Year and some tips I have found to keep it memorable for all the right reasons:

   Celebration gluttony: New Years around the world

To get the most out of our party, every year we celebrate New Years around the world.  (Why only celebrate one very late celebration when you can have many celebrations all night long?)  Above the buffet of  family friendly snacks- chex mix, taquitos and other fun finger foods- hangs a giant clock (A great goodwill find a few years back) You can find one like it by searching for over-sized wall clock at www.target.com. Beside it I hang  4 clocks, set at the appropriate times (see below),  each with its own label for the location it represents.  Through out the evenings festivities we can watch the wall clock and celebrate each city’s new year as it approaches.

 Avoiding the mid-night meltdown:

My kids are young (all four under the age of 11) and the idea of keeping them awake until midnight seems like quite an undertaking. (A little research on my part has shown that most kids aren’t really ready to see the ball drop at midnight until about the ages of 10 or 11, anyways.)  In order to avoid the “up waaay past bedtime meltdown,” we will celebrate New Years around the world. 

Check out www.timeanddate.com for a nifty little new years calculator.  I used a world map and stuck flag pins in the places we will “travel” to celebrate. Use this site for flag images: http://www.flags.net/indexa.htm

We will celebrate these cities (Since we are in California, United States)

London, England 4 pm

Buenos Aires, Argentina 6 pm

Santiago, Chile 7 pm

New York, New York 9pm

 At each given hour we will do the count down and run outside with our home made noise makers (decorated painted plastic soda bottles filled with beans and decorated with ribbon and stickers) Each kid gets to open up a goody bag for each time zonewith activities to entertain for the next hour- a coloring page and crayons, some play dough and a cookie cutter, stickers and a frame- whatever makes your wee ones excited. Set the bags out for display on the buffet and decorate them with a clock for each hour you celebrate.

Our own New Year’s ball drop

  I love the ball drop at times square so this year we will have our own version:  Our New Years Pinata Party ball.  Using paper mache and some foil paper squares- make your own pinata (or buy one at the store) Hang it from the highest point of the house and lower it each hour until the long awaited ball drop (We will do ours with New York, USA.)  where you can give it a whack at “midnight.”

 Reflection: Looking back at the past year

   I love to scrapbook. Each year I grab a few pictures of each child during a memorable event and make a scrapbook station where they can scrapbook the past year and make a page for the next year’s resolutions.  Each kid makes their own page and adds it to their album.  I help the young one’s with their journal entries. It’s fun to watch how their pages morph from messy toddler pages to coherent school age creations.

I hope you enjoyed taking a peek at our new years traditions. We sure enjoy participating in them. No matter how you choose to celebrate the New Year with your family, you too can create traditions that they will cherish for a lifetime. 

Party Tips for the busymom: Save time the .com party!

I have discovered the one unifying factor for all moms, the one thing that we all share.  It doesn’t matter if you are a young mom or “old” (moms never get old by the way, they just get better) Weather you are white collar or blue.  There is one simple truth that we can all agree on:  All Mom’s are BUSY Moms. Knowing that here’s a list of my favorite party hot spots to save time while shopping for party supplies and planning my parties. (Surfing is much cheaper than driving these days and you don’t have to shuffle kids in and out of car seats.) Believe me, you’ll want to save this page to your favorites!

 

Oriental Trading Company- Fabulous themed accessories and party supplies. Buy your craft items here!  I’d be lost without them.  Refer a friend first and receive an email for 5 bucks off your order (Promotion, limited time only) Use the search bar and them look at all their suggested items. >>>The most fabulous goody bags start here! By the way, they also have scrap booking items, for all your post party pictures.

www.orientaltrading.com

 

 

Birthday in a Box-  A very well organized party supply shop.  They always have what I am looking for and a great wealth of ideas for my party planning themes.

www.birthdayinabox.com

 

 

Shindigz.com- They’re a great place for over the top party decorations.  Want a HUGE Eiffel tower for your pink Poodle party?  How about a huge castle for your princess party?  Shindigz has it all and are affordable too!

www.shindigz.com

Celebrate Express- This site has the most exceptional selection of themes I’ve seen yet.  They are also unique and seem to offer what most other sites don’t, with professionalism and quality.

www.celebratexpress.com

 

 

>>>Coming soon: Great sites for party planning; Themes

The nasty “P” word: Party Planning, getting ready for the big day

Party planning is like a marathon.  It’s good for you & it can be fun but if you don’t do it right you can get seriously injured. (Alright, so I’ve never seen someone actually collapse from exhaustion from planning a 3 year old’s Chuckey Cheese Birthday, but at the end of the day, with cake smeared pants and confetti coming from, only God knows where, you darn well feel like it .) Yet, there is a light at the end of the sugar- hyped tunnel.  There is a key to unlock the magic door of Party bliss (or avoiding total party meltdown). Ready? …. Preparation.  I know, that ugly word my mother overused, the one word that shows me I am truly turning into my mother, Preparation…. .  I don’t like it, so let’s get to the point:  Great parties don’t happen by accident, it takes planning. Realizing that I have a lot more birthday parties to throw in my future, I sat at the feet of a few people who do it well. Here’s what I learned.  Bad news: Parties take planning and planning means lists.  Good news: I hate lists, so I’ll keep it as short as possible. 

Party CountdownThe Plan: 8 weeks before

Finalize guest list

Estimate your party budgetBook your entertainer:

Check out www.overthetopproductions.com, they do a fantastic job and they do it all.

Set party date and Time

Find Location

Select a theme

The Guests: 7 weeks before           

If you’re going to, Hire a caterer               

Create and send RSVP’s               

Decide activities & goody bags, then purchase necessary items.                               

There are amazing Online party resources, use them well   and save time and $$$                                                www.orientaltrading.com                                                www.shindigz.com                                               

www.celebrateexpress.com

Take Stock: 6 weeks before

Plan your party menu

Take inventory of table wear, place settings and décor.  Acquire what you lack.

Order any party rental equipment.

The Home stretch: Five days before               

Call to confirm your caterer and entertainment               

Buy Piñata and Fillers               

Order cake or make and freeze one.

Three days before

Hit the grocery store for snacks, mini juice boxes, food and drinks for adults and paper goods. Don’t forget: ice, birthday candles, extra garbage bags and paper towels.

Two days before               

Wrap presents               

Pack up the goody bags               

Take care of camera and video equipment : batteries, memory, film.                Mentally run through itinerary, make sure you have more than enough to fill the time.

1 day before               

Restock 1^st aide kit               

Assemble cake or cupcakes               

Put up décor and set a place for gifts               

Set up craft supplies and games               

HINT: IF you’re serving ice cream, pre-scoop it into cupcake liners and freeze until cake time

The Big Day!           

Tie balloons to mailbox or front door               

Pick up cake               

Place cake accessories are in a handy spot               

Chill drinks in cooler               

Relax, smile and have a good time.

Party Favors: A mystery unwrapped

Grace Avignon

 

Party favors have always been a mystery to me, a source of anxiety that I can’t seem to conquer. Now I know it’s not rocket science, but I admit, rather embarrassingly, that the crafty mom side of me is lacking. My last party, for my son, our favors were bought- prepackaged- at the store.  They seemed so… ordinary.  I marvel at the party hostess that has it all together.  What was her inspiration?  Where did she find these neat baubles? How did she do it? At the last party I was at, I stood before rows and rows of pink cellophane bags with marabou trim and vowed, “Today is the day I debunk the goody bag mystery once and for all!” So, my fellow baffled beauties, I set out on my trek to find the answers to my party holy grail, determined to find the 5 simple steps to spectacular goody bags and sisters, here they are!

 

Don’t break the bank

In my research, you can make a great goody bag without spending over $4-6 a piece.  Set your spending limit and stick to it.  By sticking to your budget guns, you’ll use your ingenuity and avoid the “goody bag meltdown” of having too many items that just don’t make sense.

 

Think of you audience

Remember, although the adults may seem impressed, it is the kids you are buying for and they don’t need a Tiffany’s bracelet to make them go “ooh” and “ahh.”  Find items that are age appropriate and fit the party theme.  (Party Holy grail hint: Sticking to a theme could be as easy as using a single overall color like ballet pink or royal blue) Here’s an age breakdown I found on Parenting.com:

            For guests that are:

Ages 2 -3 :

Buy 2 nice “B” things such as bubbles, bath toys, balls and books (The thick kind that tiny fingers can’t tear or toddler teeth can’t gnaw through). 

4-8 years

Guests this age value quantity over quality, so pick 4 to 5 little items that are sure to thrill them.  Use Items such as, stickers, clay, mini puzzles, sidewalk chalk, whistles, water squirters, bracelets and rings (both sexes equally enjoy these, by the way).

Older kids

They’re back to liking a few bigger and nicer items.  They really like things they can use to express themselves.  A small diary and a pen, markers and a stuffed animal or a neat craft that they have made at the party and can take home. Let your child help pick items for their friends, they’ll love it.

 

Use all your resources

There are so many avenues to explore what’s available for your party, here are a few:

            The internet:  give yourself enough time for shipping (usually 7-10 days) and places like www.orientaltradingcompany,com and www.birthdayexpress.com could be your best friends.  Just type your theme in the search box and see what comes up.  Also check out www.buycostumes.com, they have some pretty nifty pre assembled bags as well.  You could add your personal touch to the faboulous-ness that have already put together.

 

            The dollar store: I have found the Atlantis of goody bags!  There are rows and rows of neat little treats, specialty candy, stickers and toys- all under a dollar. Also, don’t forget the neat dollar bins at places like Target and Wal-Mart.  If you plan ahead, a few trips here could yield many items and a few bucks to spare so you can splurge on the container and trim.

 

As for the container:  Think Function and form

A pretty cellophane bag will work but use something more durable and your guests will have yet another goody to remember the event by.  On my quest, I have found things like sand pails, tiny purses, little knap sacks all work well and far outlive the party.  Use the websites above to explore your options.  You can also visit www.containerstore.com for other creative options.

 

Wrap it up with style

Packages are always more fun when they are done up with a bit more pomp and circumstance.  Use pretty trims, like marabou or rick rack.  You can find this in any novelty section of a craft store or in my favorites like Wal-mart or the dollar store.  For name tags you can use place cards, name badges, or even stuffed animals with names written on them in permanent marker or puff paint.  Your creativity is the limit.

 

Looking back on my explorations I see that the Goody bag treat is all about expressing your child’s unique personality and personifying it in a way your guests can enjoy. I feel empowered, with these simple rules, using simplicity and creativity, an amazing goody bag can be made by all! Happy hunting!

Tea for two- sexes that is.

You can have a tea party for both boys and girls without loosing the interest of the y chromesome.  The key is finding a theme that is diverse enough to entertain both.  Try a mad hatter tea party, that way your young gentlemen can find a crazy hat and enjoy the day’s festivities. OR divide your paty into 2 parts of one theme… like a Farytale party that can entertain both young knights and princesses or maybe pirates and princesses (You never know- They may even try a scone!)

About « Kids Party Ideas, Etiquette, Themes and more

About « Kids Party Ideas, Etiquette, Themes and more

Themes:

Batman 

Princess

Spiderman

Batman Birthday Party – Batman Begins Party
A Batman birthday party guide with Batman party games, activities
and decorating ideas. Invite your friends to the Bat Cave, for a fun-filled
Batman birthday party!

For easy party planning, order your Batman Begins party supplies on-line. Then use this party guide to plan your games, decorations and other party activities. Remember to keep your guests ages, group size and location in mind while planning. Order your supplies here >>

BATMAN PARTY INVITATIONS
Send invitations out 2-3 weeks before the party.
Cut a bat symbol from black cardstock paper and write the invitation with
a silver gel pen. Or glue the bat symbol to a red 3×5 card. Write the guests name on the bat symbol for a personal touch and then add the party details on the other side of the invitation.

“Gotham City needs you!
Come to the Bat Cave for a secret meeting…”

BATMAN PARTY DECORATIONS
Create the mood for your party with streamers, batman balloons and a well decorated table.  Add to your decorations with Batman posters on the wall. 
Cut Batman symbols from cardstock paper in a variety of sizes. Use ribbon to hang the symbols from the ceiling,  on the walls etc.
Advanced Decorating : Create the Bat Cave by painting large boxes to resemble computers, screens and other gadgets. Place the boxes surrounding the party area. Enlist a talented teen to make cartoon sound effect bubbles just like in the old shows or comic books. “BAM”..”POW”! BATMAN PARTY GAMES & ACTIVITIES

Little Caped Crusaders
Batman or Batgirl
When the children arrive for the party give every child a cape
and mask. Cut large rectangles (about 45″x35″) from black non-fraying, fabric and simply tie two corners together. 
Enlist another adult or teenager to face paint masks on each child. A simple mask outline will do. 
Tip: Use Pinking shears to cut the fabric. 
This will prevent the fabric from unraveling during the party.

Follow-the-Joker
Have the children take turns wearing a court jesters hat and leading the other children for a game of follow the leader. 

Bat Planes
Provide black paper, batman stickers and gel pens
for making Bat Planes. Later the children will use these 
for a game.

Batman to the Rescue
Make a Bat Signal on a large piece of butcher paper, white sheet or cardboard. Have the children take the Bat Planes 
and form a circle around the signal. When you say “POW” - 
The children will throw their planes towards the bat signal trying to land on it. Play this several times giving everyone 
a candy or small prize when the game is over.

Batman Training Course
Being a super hero takes strength and agility. 
Develop those skills with a fun obstacle course. It’s best to have an obstacle course game in a large room or outdoors. 
Use household items such as chairs, pillows, sleeping bags, hula hoops, old tires or anything you can find to create a challenging course. Show the children how to run the course from beginning to end to avoid chaos. Place exciting music 
and off they go. Every time they reach the end of the course they get a sticker, candy or small prize.

Pass it On Relay
Another game to work on those super here skills.
Separate your guests into teams and provide each team 
with a medium sized ball. To play, each team will form a single-file line. Give the first person in line a ball. When the game begins, the first person will pass the ball over his/her head to the player behind him. That player passes the ball between their legs to the next player. This passing pattern continues – over, under over under, until the last player in 
line receives the ball. Then the play reverses back through 
the line to first person. The first team to pass the ball from front to back and back again — wins! 
TIP: We always play fun music when playing games like this.

BATMAN PARTY FAVORS AND GOODY BAGS
Fill a Batman plastic drinking cup or favor bag with 
batman stickers, toy bat-a-rangs, comic or coloring book, Batman fruit snacks and other related toys. 

Treats for Hungry Super Heroes
Depending on the time of your party you may not need to serve a meal but just in case…
Enlist a friend to dress in a tuxedo like Alfred and have him help serve the food.

Poison Ivy Floats
Make ice cream floats with green (kiwi or lime) Italian soda,
club soda and vanilla ice. Serve in clear glasses so the children can see the green color. Top with whipped cream and a drizzle of the green syrup.

Bat Sandwiches
Make sandwiches with kid’s favorite filling — PBJ, Ham, Turkey…use a bat-shaped cookie cutter to cut the sandwiches. Serve with fruit or carrot sticks and dip.

Disney Princess Birthday Party – Birthday Party Themes for Girls A Disney Princess birthday party with princess party games, crafts and party supplies. Everything you’ll need to create the Disney Princess party of your little girl’s dreams!Disney Princess Party Supplies For stress free party planning, order your Disney Princess party supplies on-line. Then add some of the Disney Princess party games and activities listed below. Don’t forget to have fun with your princess!DISNEY PRINCESS INVITATIONS For home-made invitations, use pink card stock paper cut in a Tiara shape. Or, roll your paper in a scroll and tie with a thin satin ribbon. “The King wishes your  presence at  the Royal Birthday Celebration of Princess ______ !” A sprinkle of glitter in the card or envelope adds flare. Attach a princess sticker to the envelope or outside of the scroll. DISNEY PRINCESS PARTY DECORATIONS The princess colors of choice are pink, lavender, yellow and white. Cover the table with your table cloth. Sprinkle sequins or pink candies on the top of the table. Place balloons anywhere that strikes your fancy. Hang Disney posters on the wall and door. Drape the Birthday Girl’s Chair with fabric and tie a ribbon around it. DISNEY PRINCESS PARTY GAMES & ACTIVITIES Several ideas are a natural for this popular theme.  We’ve provide enough for you to choose according to  your time frame and party space.The Princess Party Begins… Announce the guests upon arrival and escort them to the royal preparation table, where they will receive a small amount of lipstick, blush and eye shadow. If you have not already suggested the girls wear their favorite dress-up dress, provide a box of special dress up clothes and a mirror. Princess Face Painting Purchase standard face paint or make your own. Suggested images are; roses, tiaras, glass slippers, twinkling diamonds or stars, castles and hearts. Make every picture sparkle with a very fine dusting glitter (craft or cosmetic store). Click here for sample images If face painting is just not your gift, mix aloe-vera gel and fine polyester glitter. Apply to the girl’s cheeks for sparkling fun! Cinderella’s Glass Slipper Make a “glass slipper” before the party, using silver spray paint or glue and glitter, on a high heeled shoe.You will also need an old, tattered shoe for game time. Position the girls into a circle. Pass the shoe aroundthe circle while music is playing. Ring a bell to signal the stroke of midnight. The player holding the slipper when the bell rings, receives the old shoe to hold, while sitting in the middle. She is then in charge of the bell ringing for the next round. At the end of the game every player receives a Disney Princess prize; necklace, ring, Disney Princesses fruit snacks etc. Snow White’s Poison Apple Send the little princesses to find the poison apple, before Snow White takes a bite! Before the party, tie a green ribbon around the stem of one red apple. Hide that apple with several more apples around the party space. To play simply explain to the children that Snow white is going apple picking and one of the apples is poisonous. Can they find it?  If you want to add more poisonous apples, just tie more ribbons around the stems.  Who Am I Before the party, place stickers of Disney Princesses on several 3×5 cards – one Princess per card. To play, tape the cards onto the girls backs, so that they cannot see their own Princess. The object of the game is to identify which princess is on you back, by asking yes/no questions of the other players. Example: Does my princess have brown hair? Is my princess wearing a blue dress? Dance — Freeze Inform the girls that Sleeping Beauty’s evil step mother is threatening to FREEZE the entire Kingdom!!! When the music starts, they begin dancing…until the “Evil Step Mother” (adult) stops the music. At which point, they all freeze. Repeat this several times. The Princess is missing her favorite things! Place several items on a tray or cookie sheet. Try to find items that work with the theme; tiara, lipstick, wand or royal scepter, silver spoon, jewelry, hankerchief etc. One player leaves the room. Remove one or two items from the tray. When the player returns they must guess what’s missing.  Repeat until every child has a turn. Princess Puzzler Before the party, print out Disney Princesses pictures from the Internet, or use a coloring book. Attach each picture onto some construction paper with a glue stick. Cut the pictures into 2, 3, or 4 puzzle pieces. Hide the pieces around the party area. The girls each need to find one puzzle piece and then find the the players with the matching piece/s. Pretty, Pretty Princess For parties with 4-6 girls A board game, where the object of the game is to become the princess. You can find it where you purchase most games. It is intended for four players. If you have more girls purchase extra jewelry at your local party store.  PRINCESS CRAFTS Princess’s Jewels Bead jewelry with string and plastic beads to make necklaces or bracelets. Make a Princess Frame Decorate Craft foam picture frames (craft store) with glitter glue and stick on jewels. Use a Polaroid or digital camera to take pictures when the girls are all dressed up and wearing their tiaras. Each girl will have their own picture and frame to take home.  Make your own Tiara Purchase paper tiara’s (party store), glitter glue, and stick-on jewels. Cover your work space and allow the little princess’s to create their own tiara to wear and take home. Royal Princess Clay  Make your own play dough. Provide each child with a ball of dough and some fine glitter (craft store). The children will work the glitter into the dough. Package each of the guests dough into a Zip -loc bag to be taken home as a party favor. DISNEY PRINCESS PARTY FAVORS Fill a pink paper bag (party store) with favors fit for royalty; glitter balls, stickers, Disney Princess fruit snacks,nail polish, plastic jewelry, miniature book of Cinderella, “stick-on earrings”, paper dolls… PRINCESS CAKE Easy Princess Cake… Make or order a sheet cake with roses and add a plastic tiara and wand or Disney Princesses figurines.

Spiderman Birthday Party – Party Ideas for Kids
A Spiderman party adventure your little super-hero will never forget…
with Spiderman party games, crafts and decorating tips. Spiderman Party Supplies
For stress-free party planning, order your party supplies on-line.
Then, create a web of fun using the games and activities provided below.SPIDERMAN PARTY DECORATIONS
The color theme for this party is red, blue and black. Cover your table
with a white sheet for easy cleaning. Then run some red and blue
streamers down the center of the table. Make a centerpiece with a Spiderman toy, the birthday cake, or a bouquet of balloons placed inside 
a Spiderman gift bag. Scatter some toy spiders around the table.
Add matching plates, napkins and cups. Hang a few Spiderman posters, balloons and matching streamers. For a fun effect use black streamers
to create a web hanging from your ceiling.Personalized items make a great addition to every party theme and can
be personalized with your child’s name, the names of each of your guests, or a message! Personalize your Spiderman items here >>

SPIDERMAN PARTY GAMES & ACTIVITIES

Stick the Spider On Spiderman Game
This game is played just like Pin the Tail on the Donkey.
With a sheet of poster board and a permanent black marker, draw a spider web. Make small paper spiders with construction paper, or plastic spiders. Use glue dots (craft store) or double stick tape to attach the spiders to
the web.

Spiderman’s Web Walk
Just like a cake walk with webs!
Cut circles from poster board. Use a permanent marker to draw spider webs. In the center if each web write a number 1-3. Make corresponding number cards as well. To play: Place the webs in a circle. Play Spiderman theme music (or any fun music) and have the children step from web to web.
When the music stops, draw one of the numbers from a bag. The players that are standing on the webs with that number, get a sticker or candy.
Play this game several times until every player has received a treat.

Peter Parker’s Mad Science lab
This will vary with your tolerance for mess –
Provide kitchen science items and plastic containers for the kids to mix
and explore. Items could be — baking soda, vinegar, food color, oil, cornstarch etc. or, you could use a recipe for “Goop” or “Flubber”

Goop
1 cup of corn starch
1/4 to 1/3 cup of water
paper cups

Flubber
1 1/2 C. Warm Water 
2 c. Elmer’s Glue & Food Coloring Solution 
4 tsp. Borax 
1 1/3 C. Warm water Mix 
Mix the first two ingredients then the second two separately.
Then pour them together – do not stir.

Spiderman Party Crafts
Make spiders or webs using one of these suggestions:
Use black chenille stems (pipe-cleaners), a black pom-pom’s and
 plastic  eyes. Cut two chenille stems to make 4 pieces. Twist the
 pieces together to make eight legs. Glue the pom-pom to the center
 and add the eyes. Craft glue or a hot glue gun (adult job) will be needed.
The kids can make several spiders  by inserting toothpicks
   into black gum drops.
Tooth picks and mini marshmallows will also make a fun spider treat.
Use black yarn, glue and paper to make a web.
Marble paint a web using black paint and paper.
 

Spiderman Cake 
Cupcakes would be perfect for this party! Frost with red frosting and make webs with a black decorating tube or shoestring licorice. Place a spider ring in on the web. Make sure you tell the kids the rings are not edible.

5 simple steps to a memorable kids birthday party!

Birthday parties don’t have to be a source of anxiety.

I remember it like it was yesterday.  My oldest daughter Hope was turning 7, we had just moved to a new state and she wanted to have a birthday party for her entire class. As I thought of the 30 plus kids in her class, I panicked.  Images raced through my mind of hoards of unruly kids tearing through my house amped on sugar, leaving a wake of destruction behind them with their frosting smeared faces and hands. I, huddled in a crumpled heap of frustration and exhaustion in the corner. 

As I awoke from my nightmarish visualisation I realised: kids parties don’t have to be an exhausting, overwhelming chore. With a bit of organisation and some creativity, Hope and I could not just plan a 7th birthday but we could make memories together that last a life time.   Looking back, I can see the 5 simple steps that made her day amazing.  You don’t have to panic at the thought of a party either.  I’ll share my gems of wisdom with you.  Read on.

  1. Remember the audience.

Kids are simple.  Think back to Christmas;  you fretted over buying THE perfect toy and they were more excited to play with “the cool box.”  Talk with your child and see what they are interested in.  A clue might be plastered to their bedroom wall.  Hope loved the beach.  Her room was decorated to the nines with Hawaiian print, sandy beach images, and bobbly-wobbly dancing hula girls.  It wasn’t too hard to decide that a beach theme was what would make her soon to be 7 year old heart sing. 

2. Think Outside the Box

 Once you two decide on the theme, think of creative (and cost effective) ways to decorate.  To stretch your party planning dollars further, use items you already have in an inventive way.  We used Hope’s room decor to give her party a Waikiki pizazz:  Hula dolls as center pieces.  Bold colored Beach towels as table runners and dollar store flip flops and sand pails full of pinata candy as party favors. 

3. Entertainment is child’s play 

Once we established the them and had fun dreaming up the decor we moved on to decide entertainment.  I am not one for chasing kids and lots of structure (or huge messes at my house) so Hope and I settled on a venue elsewhere.  You could use a club house, a park, a restaurant, a pool (make sure all your guests are water proof…) even a relative’s house that is better suited for entertainment.  For Hope, we had the party at the river (only a few minutes drive from where we lived). Each guest received their own floaty noodle- you know those long, brightly colored  styrofoam things you use to float in the pool with? (Walmart is a God send!) and a sand pail labled with the guest’s name.  I’d like to say I did it for the personal touch but really, I knew the names would make it easier to keep track of what belonged to whom. An easy up made for a great escape from the sun and was decorated with Hawaiian themed items from oriental trading company (www.orientaltradingcompany.com) .

4. Invite the parents

Once we established the locale, Hope and I made out the invites. (You can make them with clip art and your computer, but them at your local party store or send e-vites online)  We used a hula girl invite and added some grass to her skirt for a 3-D and personal touch.  I knew I didn’t want to chase kids by myself all day or take on the responsibility of making sure every kid made it through the day above water, so Hope and I decided to invite the parents.  We scheduled the party at 2:00 pm. This made it easier on me. At 2-ish, snacks are appropriate and you are clear from having to provide dinner as well. We also let the parents know that snacks would be served for them and their teeny whainis also. 

 5. Keep the food simple

Lastly, we decided on the food.  As party favors, the parents all got their own tiki glasses for punch and had some other snacks more suited to an adult pallet like turkey wraps (use mayo in packets that don’t need to be refrigerated to avoid sending your guests to the emergency room with food poisoning) and a fruit tray kept on ice.  Since coolers fit into the beach theme we decorated them and used them as part of our snack buffet.  Brightly colored bowls of chips and crackers and party mixes adorned the table. Party tip: pre package snacks such as chips in pretzels in their own bags to keep the sand on the beach and out of your snacks. 

So you see, with a bit of planning and a whole lot of quality time Hope had an amazing 7th birthday. I know you child will too!  You’ll see, with a bit of planing and a lot of fun your child can have the party of their dreams .