Lady Bug Party

 For my daughter's 6th birthday she wanted a Lady Bug themed party.  She ended up wanting a lot of the same activities we had done the year before at her Butterfly Birthday Party - so see game details under that blog entry.  The party went 1 hour:

-Make headbands as guests arrive
-Play 3 games
-Open presents
-Eat Ice Cream
-Secret Message activity


Lady Bug Head Bands:
My daughter helped paint styrofoam balls black.  I stuck a toothpick in the ball and she painted them using sponge brushes and craft paint.  When they were dry (approx. 24 hours) she stuck a piece of pipe cleaner into each ball.  We used 1/2 a piece of pipe cleaner for each antennae.

 The antennae were taped using masking tape to the back of a strip of red cardstock.  I cut circles out of felt made with a sticker backing.  Each girl stuck their own dots on.  We then fitted the headband to their head and taped it.  The sticker backing proved a little more difficult for the 5 and 6 year olds to remove than I had hoped.  You could also use rubber stamps with black ink or crayons and markers or paper dot and glue sticks.

Lady Bug Birthday T-Shirt:
I picked up a red t-shirt and drew a lady bug on the front using a black Sharpe marker.  As guests arrived they signed the back of the t-shirt (I placed cardboard between inside the shirt so the marker wouldn't bleed onto the front).  My daughter slipped it on just before we started the games.

Lady Bug Wrist Band:
Hobby Lobby had 8 1/2 x 11 pieces of felt with lady bugs printed on it.  We cut it into strips and made wristbands out of them using stick-on velcro circles.

Secret Lady Bug Message:
I cut 4" circles out of black construction paper and wrote one letter on each spot which, when put together, spelled "Happy Birthday!"  We taped the spots all over the back yard and the girls had to find the spots and figure out the secret lady bug message.

Games:
As usual, I take tried and true games and change them to fit the theme.  Usually is means just changing the title :)  See my Butterfly Birthday Party entry for details on these games.

What Time is it Mrs. Lady Bug (What Time is Mr. Fox?)
Butterfly, Butterfly, Lady Bug (Duck, Duck, Goose!)
Lady Bug Freeze Tag

*BONUS Idea
One idea I found online which we didn't get around to prepping was buying live ladybugs at a nursery and letting the guests release them into the yard.  I think they would LOVE that.

Harry Potter Party!

Welcome to the Hogwart's House Cup Relays at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardy (my son's birthday party!). This party was designed for outside when the weather is warm because wizards are going to get WET!

INVITATION:

Congratulations!

The Hogwarts' Sorting Hat has chosen YOU

to attend the Gryffondor House Celebration

in honor or (child's name) Birthday!

Date

Time

Place

Wear your Wizard Robes (swimming trunks)

Perform a glimmer spell (put on sun screen)

Bring your invisibility cloak (towel)

Lunch will be served in the Great Hall (the backyard)

For the graphic on the invitation I googled coloring pages and found one with Harry Potter coloring pages someone had drawn up.

ARRIVAL: We had the CD player outside blasting Hedwigs theme as the kids arrived. Each boy received a gold sash or a green sash. GOLD = Gryffindor team and GREEN = Slytheron team. Boys jumped on the trampoline and played on the swing set while we waited for everyone to arrive.

GAMES:

Quidditch Training Relay:

On "go" the first boy on each team ran to the wading pool to put on their 'uniform' (an adult sized t-shirt floating in the water) - I felt this was perfect since it's ALWAYS raining during the quidditch matches in the movies. Then the kids jumped on a broom, ran to the end of the yard then back to the pool where they took off the shirt, then ran and tagged off the next player. House points were awarded to 1st and 2nd place.

Potions Relay:

Each team started out with a milk jug 3/4 of the way full of water (I cut the tops off the milk jugs leaving the handles in tact). On 'go' the first person from each team had to run/walk down to a cone, circle the cone, and come back with the jug on top of his head. He then had to dump/pour the water in his jug into the jug of the next boy on his team. The jugs could NOT leave the tops of their heads. The highest house points went to the team with the most water left in their jug at the end. The next highest set of points went to the team that finished the race first.

Capture the Dragon Egg (like Capture the Flag):

I mowed an extra thick line down the middle of the yard for a neutral area but you could use sports cones or a hose to mark the area (you can't tag anyone or get tagged in this area - neutral zone). Each team had 6 paper plates spread on their side of the line with an egg painted on it. The object of the game is to steal the eggs (paper plates) from the other teams side and get it back to your side without being caught. Once the other team has one of your eggs you cannot get it back. Each child had three rubber bands on his wrist so if he got tagged in enemy territory he had to give up one of his rubber bands to the player who tagged him. He then had to go back to His side (free walk back - no stealing plates though on the way). Once all your rubber bands were gone you were dead - so the rubber bands basically give you 3 lives (or more if you collected rubber bands from players you tagged) before you're out of the game. House points went to the team to capture all the other teams eggs first.

Troll Target Practice:

My son drew a very large, ugly troll head on our fence. We had a cooler full of water balloons. Boys took turns throwing water balloons at the trolls head. House points were given to throws that hit the troll.

For lunch the boys roasted hot dogs over the cauldron (fire pit) and ate cupcakes.

Puddin' Paintin'

This is a super fun, easy, and yummy way to spend some time together.

MATERIALS:
Boxes of pudding* in different colors (green/pistachio, brown/chocolate, pink/strawberry cream, yellow/lemon, etc.)
Wire or plastic whisk for each child to mix their pudding
Milk and measuring cup- for making the pudding
Bowl for each child in which to mix their pudding
Wax Paper to be used as a painting canvas
Clean medicine syringes for sucking up pudding and squirting it out
Bowl of fruity marshmallows for embellishing ones art (and munching on)!

PROCESS:
Each child sat at the table with a bowl and whisk. I let them choose a pudding box which they then emptied into their respective bowls. I measured 1 3/4 c. of milk and poured it into each bowl. The kids then began whisking away to their hearts' delight. This step could, of course, be done prior to the kids joining the project.

Once the pudding was whisked I tore a piece of wax paper for each child to use as his/her canvas and handed out syringes.

The kids dipped the ends of the syringes into the various bowls of pudding, sucked up the pudding, and then emptied the syringes onto their wax paper. They used marshmallows to embellish their artistic endeavors. Our little one needed help getting the hang of the syringe but soon found herself quite proficient.

*We tried both the Jell-o brand and the generic. The Jello-o brand came out a lot smoother and easier to use than the generic for this project.

Butterfly Party

We did a butterfly themed party for my 5 year old. We were able to be outside and the party easily accommodated a lot of kids; however, many of these ideas could be used indoors as well.

OPENING ACTIVITY: I had an oblong portable table set up on the back patio and some fun music playing as kids arrived. The girls ran around the backyard until we had enough to start. I had made copies on pink card stock of a butterfly I had drawn with a sharpe marker. I cut the butterflies out before the girls arrived. I also had 2" thick strips of card stock on hand to tape to the back of the butterfly and circle around the girls' heads when they were finished decorating. Staples work too but they tend to irritate the skin or get caught in hair - I like to use masking tape or packing tape. On the table were bowls of crayons, jewel stickers, and butterfly stickers. The girls colored and giggled and pressed stickers all over their butterflies. Because there was no glue involved the girls could wear them right away. Be sure to attach the 2" inch strips nearer to the bottom of the back of the butterfly so the girls can still see when they wear their Butterfly Crown!

GAMES:

1 - What Time is it Mrs. Butterfly: Kids LOVE this game (usually called What Time is it Mr. Fox?). Once person is Mrs. Butterfly and stand at one end of the yard or room. Everyone else lines up on the other end. The players yell, "What time is it, Mrs. Butterfly?" Mrs. Butterfly then gives a time between 1 o'clock and 11 o'clock (use only on the hour times). If Mrs. Butterfly says, "2 o'clock" the players take 2 steps towards Mrs. Butterfly. If she says "8 o'clock" the players take eight steps. At anytime she wishes, Mrs. Butterfly can yell, "Midnight" and chase the players in an effort to catch one or more. You play rounds until there is one player left and she becomes Mrs. Butterfly. Caught players can either sit out or become butterfly helpers/chases with Mrs. Butterfly.

2- Butterfly Freeze Tag: This is the classic freeze tag game where one child is it and the others run like mad avoiding being tagged by 'it'. If tagged the child freezes until another child (not 'it') unfreezes them by tagging them or crawling under their legs. In our butterfly version my husband was 'it' and the butterflies 'flew' around, waving their arms like wings, avoiding 'it'. If tagged the butterflies wrapped their arms tight around themselves, like a cocoon, and waited to be tagged and turned back into a butterfly by a fellow player. This game makes for one pooped dad at the end of the game!

3-Pin the Spot on the Butterfly: My daughter helped me draw a big butterfly on a piece of poster board which we then attached to our back fence. She also helped me cut out colorful spots. Each girl had two chances to be blindfolded, spun around once, then pointed in the direction of the butterfly. There was a loop of masking tape on the back of their spot so it would stick to the butterfly when they pressed the spot against the poster board. You could also use spot stickers if you wanted. The butterfly (and part of our fence) were beautifully spotted when the girls were done with this game!

DESSERT: My daughter wanted ice cream cones but there are a bunch of fun butterfly themed ideas as well. I thought this Butterfly Bounty idea from Family Fun magazine was especially cute and the girls would LOVE decorating their own clothespins and choosing from a bunch of fun goodies to fill their wings! Here's the link http://familyfun.go.com/crafts/butterfly-bounty-841052/

Piggy and Gerald Party

We are BIG fans of the Piggy and Gerald books by Mo Willems. For my sisters birthday we had a Piggy and Gerald Party using themes from some of the books.

COSTUME RELAY: In I've Been Invited to a Party! Gerald helps Piggy know how to best dress for the party. Will it be a costume party? A swim party? A fancy party? In the end it ends up being a mix of all the kids of parties and the guests are dressed accordingly. For our relay I had a cowboy vest, an inner tube, a cowboy hat, a swim mask/goggles, and silly shoes. We had two teams. On 'go' the first person on each team ran to their pile of clothes, put them on, yelled, "I know parties!" (a line from the book), took off the costume pieces, ran back to their team, and tagged the next person.

ELEPHANT TRUNKS: This was the favorite at the party! Family Fun magazine shared this idea and it really works! WAY love it! *We did it on the lawn and it did turn some of the grass yellow a day or two later - you may want to do it on gravel or cement. Family Fun calls it the 'Foamerator' - Here's the link: http://familyfun.go.com/crafts/the-foamerator-785017/ There's a great video demo as well.

PIGGY NOSE PENNY DROP: Happy Pig Day! helps party goers be excited about being a pig. Here's a game that's super easy and done relay style. I took two egg cartons and glued round pieces of pink paper I had cut out on the bottom of each egg space. I then took a black sharpe marker and drew piggy eyes, noses, and mouths on each one. The object of the game is to have the egg carton with the most amount of piggy faces holding a penny. On 'go' the first person on each team (penny in hand) runs to the egg carton (on the ground) - the player must press the penny against his/her nose and drop the penny towards the egg carton (no bending knees or waist). They can straddle the egg carton of they wish. If the penny falls on the ground they can pick it up and try again. If it lands on a piggy that already has a penny, leave it and run back to tag the next person. If it lands on a piggy that didn't have a penny before - GREAT - that's a point for your team. You can time this game and see which team has the most pigs with pennies or wait until a team fills every piggy face.

FOOD IDEAS: In the Piggy and Gerald book There is a Bird on Your Head two birds build a nest on Gerald's head - a fun dessert would be a birds nest made using the Chocolate Haystacks recipe my sister-in-law shared with me:

Chocolate Haystacks
1 cup butterscotch chips
1 bag chocolate chips
Melt chips together then add
2 cups chow mien noodles
1 cup peanuts
1 cup marshmallows
Mix together and drop onto wax paper in small mounds. Using the back of a spoon press down in the middle to make it look like a nest. Let cool. Use jellybeans, marshmallows, or peanuts for eggs. *Make sure you check kids for peanut allergies before serving to friends!

Ice Cream Cones: In the Piggy and Gerald book Should I Share My Ice Cream? We have the perfect reason to serve ice cream to our guests. Be sure to use sugar cones!

OTHER PIGGY AND GERALD BOOKS TO GET YOUR CREATIVE JUICES FLOWING:
Elephants Cannot Dance - Dance Activity?
I Broke My Trunk - Toilet Paper wrapping activity or game?
We are in a Book! - Have kids write a book starring themselves.
Are You Ready to Play Outside? - Sprinkler games?
Pig's Make me Sneeze
Can I Play Too?
I Will Surprise My Friend
I am Going

Indoor Camp Out!

Indoor camp outs are fun when the weather outside is nasty. You can do this as a family or invite friends over to join in the fun.

SNACK: Bag-o-Smores! My three year old helped with this - it would even be a good idea to let each child make his/her own bag of smores by giving them each a bag and a spoon to fill their bags. Each bag has mini marshmallows, chocolate cocoa puff, and teddy grahams. WE tied the bags with hemp twine.

SET UP A TENT! We have a 10 man tent that we set up in our family room after moving the couches out of the way. You could also use your garage. I throw a bunch of blanket and pillows in there and the kids can enjoy quite of free play. We usually have friends go home around 8:00 p.m. and our kids pull out their sleeping bags and sleep in the tent.

SPOOKY STORY: What Was I Scared Of? by Dr. Seuss is the BEST! The newest edition even features the 'pale green pants with nobody inside them' with glow in the dark effects! This book is fun because your three year old and your ten year old will sit through it and be engaged.

GAMES:
1-Flashlight Face: sit in a circle (we sat in the tent) and turn off the lights. Holding a flashlight under your chin say an emotion that the kids can make with their faces (mad, scared, dead, happy, crazy, etc.) Demonstrate then pass the flashlight around the circle. Each kid takes a turn putting the flashlight under his/her chin and making a face reflecting the emotion first mentioned.

2-Going on a Tiger/Bear Hunt: This one is especially appropriate for younger children. Everyone starts out sitting and you announce everyone will be going on a tiger hunt together. The is done entirely in pantomime and can be as detailed or as simple as you want. You and the kids can go over/under fences, swim a river, squish through mud, etc. Here is a link to the tiger hunt story I grew up with featuring Sesame Street's Ernie http://www.metrolyrics.com/tiger-hunt-lyrics-sesame-street.html. A bear hunt story I like and super easy to imitate is in a book called Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen.

3-Spoons: Especially appropriate for older kids this one gets crazy and fun. You just need a deck of cards (we use UNO cards) and a spoon for each player. Here's a link to the rules: http://boardgames.about.com/od/cardgames/a/spoons.htm

CRAFTS: There are truckload of fun camp crafts. When thinking indoor camp out you want to keep the mess factor at a minimum. One of my favorites was providing colored paper, yarn, and scissors to the kids and letting them cut the paper and yarn into long strips. They then crammed these strips into a small empty clementine bag (plastic netted bag - onions and potatoes come in them too sometimes). We hung the stuffed bag from a tree. The strips of yarn and paper peek out of the netting allowing the birds to grab what they want for nest making.