Many children think bugs are icky, squashy and scary, yet there are still some that they find funny and endearing. One popular example is the lovable and kind-hearted Miss Spider. Along with her fun-loving bug neighbors and friends, she gives kids a bug’s-eye view on how life is in the woodsy and whimsical world of Sunny Patch.

Miss Spider must be one of your daughter’s favorite characters, especially if she loves watching cartoons. If she really likes the Sunny Patch experience, and her birthday is coming up, why not give her a fun Miss Spider party? It’s a unique and delightful theme she’d certainly love. Here are a few ideas on how to plan the party.

Spidey Invitations

If there’s a party supply store near you, you can easily visit it and grab a bunch of Miss Spider invitations. With the show’s popularity, you’ll certainly find various designs and patterns to choose from. Fill out these ready-made invitations with the party details and send them to your guests at least a few weeks ahead of the party.

Ready-made invitations are awesome, but if you’ve got a creative streak in you, you can make your own invitations. One idea is to draw Miss Spider images on white cardstock paper, color with a yellow pen, and cut them out. Write the details on the back, then mail to your guests. You can also buy Miss Spider stickers or cutout pictures from coloring books, and stick them around the cardstock paper. Write the details in colored pen, and you’re done.

Another fun idea is to take a photo of your child wearing a Miss Spider costume and use it as the front cover of your invitation. Draw a balloon next to her head, saying “I’m having a Spidey adventure at Sunny Patch, and you’re invited!”. Make your wordings as fun as you can. It’ll make your guests look forward to the event more.

Decorating Like Sunny Patch

Since Sunny Patch is bright, colorful and filled with fun, your party should have the same aura. Otherwise your kid and her friends will not feel the magical bug world. Here are a few ideas to make your venue as sunny as Sunny Patch.

• Pick out a color motif for your decorations. Blue, green, pink and yellow are fun and eye-pleasing choices. Get streamers, confetti, and balloons in these hues and place them around the venue. You can also get tablecloths in these colors to cover your surfaces.
• Decorate your walls with Miss Spider and Sunny Patch posters and banners. You can also get cutouts of dragonflies, beetles, spiders and ladybugs, and hang them around the walls.
• Get some colorful flower pinwheels and stick them outside, on the ground leading to your front doors. (Tips on how to make a red, white and blue pinwheel)
• Spread out plastic spiders, bugs and other critters around the floor and party tables. You can also hang them from the ceiling.
• If your kid has Miss Spider toys, you can use these as table centerpieces.
• Create your own Miss Spider “web site” for the kids to get “tangled in”. First, get five or six chairs, arranging them outwards. You can place them as far apart as you like, depending on how big you want your web to be. Get some white yarn and start tying cross-pieces at the backs of the chairs and between top spindles, crossing as many in the middle as you can. Afterwards, tie several long strand at equal intervals to one of the cross pieces. These will be the ones you weave around the web, until you’re back where you began. Tie them again, and cut off the excess. Lastly, tie one strand around the outside of the circle of chairs, acting as the web’s outer edge.

Having Fun Like Miss Spider

Miss Spider may be nice and kind-hearted, but she sure knows how to have fun! Your kids, while in Sunny Patch, should enjoy themselves too. Try these enjoyable Miss Spider-inspired party games for your tots.

• Miss Spider Beanie Toss - Make a cutout of Miss Spider, from yellow poster board and black paper, for her legs. You should also draw her eyes, but leave out the black spots on her body. Place this cutout on the floor, then prepare several black bean bags. When you say “go!” the kids toss the bags on the cutout, to bring back Miss Spider’s spots.
• Color Miss Spider - Spread out Sunny Patch coloring books around the floor, then provide the kids with coloring materials. Let them have fun coloring Miss Spider and her friends. You can award a prize to the best-looking picture.
• “Bugging” Everyone - Prepare cutouts of different insects before the party. When they arrive, stick a paper bug under their backs. They aren’t allowed to take it off, but they must guess what insect it is by “bugging” other players with yes or no questions.
• Ants In The Yard - Create an obstacle course in the party area, comprised of chairs, pillows and other typical around-the-house items. Ask the kids to form a line. Tell them they are “ants”, walking one after another in a neat, single line. They must walk around the obstacle course without anyone falling out of step. Play a Miss Spider song as you proceed with this game.

After these fun and thrilling activities, let the kids watch an episode or two of Miss Spider. They surely won’t say no to their favorite show. You can also give out Miss Spider goodie bags for everyone, with candies, stickers, coloring books, Miss Spider school supplies and even a CD of the show.

Bug Grub

Your little darling and her friends are going to be hungry after all the crazy, Sunny Patch activities you’ve prepared. The good news is, you can whet and satisfy their appetites with just several simple treats. After all, they’ll be too busy having a good time. Here are some party grub to stuff their little mouths.

• Miss Spider’s Cracker Sandwich - Get two crackers and spread peanut butter on them. Lay down four pieces of black licorice, over one cracker, and press the other cracker to it. Add two raisins for the eyes, using a bit of peanut butter, so they will adhere to the cracker.
• Ants On A Log - Cut some celery in five-inch pieces, and then fill them with almond butter. Stick a few raisins on top.
• Gummy Buggies - Mix assorted gummy candies in a large bowl, like gummy worms and spiders. Some gummy bear also won’t hurt.
• Miss Spider’s Tea - This can be any plain apple juice or iced tea. Place in a large bowl and add edible flowers around the rim for decorations.
• Ladybug Cupcakes - Turn your ordinary cupcakes into a delectable feast by decorating the surface with red frosting and putting black raisin dots all over. Add two yellow candies for the eyes.

To make them feel the Sunny Patch theme better, serve your treats in banana leaves and wooden plates. You can also purchase paper plates with Sunny Patch characters printed on the surface.

Check out this cute spider costume video.

Your kid doesn’t have to be in Sunny Patch to experience fun and excitement. Plan this enjoyable Miss Spider party, and watch her and her friends have the time of their lives. After this, they’ll never think of bugs as “icky” again! If you want to surprise your child, be sure to read how to plan a suprise party.

Golf, being the game of gentlemen and refined individuals, is played with much grace. A combination of power and timing is what you need to garner low scores, as well as low handicap levels. The game may look simple from the onset, but it takes tons of hard work to master a good golf stroke. No wonder many people from all around the world are addicted to this sport. If you think you are good enough to take your friends and peers on, you might as well organize a good old fashioned golf party.

Unlike other celebrations, golf parties are totally centered on one point, which is the game of golf. You can either insert the proceedings within the game or take specific golf elements and make them the focal points of your party. It may sound simple, but you still need careful preparation to pull off a memorable event.

Invitation: Tee Off with a Little Tease

The invitation, as you have probably guessed, is based on the significant elements of the sport. Just pick a picturesque detail and you can create an invitation based from that. Remember, golf is largely played by professionals, so you should make the invite professional-looking as well.

• The Golf Swing - The picture of a player who just completed his backswing is one that captures the drama of golf. The entire motion translates to glory or tears, depending on how the player executed it. Naturally, such a significant detail is worthy of your party invitation. You can take a snapshot during an actual golf game or download one on the Internet. Run it through the Adobe Photoshop and insert the title and relevant information about your party. Once done, print your invite and set it for distribution.
• The Golf Club Set - Take a picture of a well-arranged set of golf clubs. Use proper angles to make it look picturesque. After taking the photo, place the info regarding your party on a visible spot with the use of photo manipulation software. Tweak it a little to make it look more stylish then print.
• The Hole - The hole, being an instrumental part of the game, can be used in more ways than one for the invite. The popular variations are - the hole with a flag, the golf ball about to enter the hole, the ball inside the hole and a player picking up the ball from the hole. Compare the variations and pick the most suitable design for your party.
• PGA Logo - The dream of every serious golf player is to make it to the big league, the PGA. Take a step closer to that dream by using the PGA logo as the design of your invitation. Replace “PGA” with the title of your party and insert the important info in place of the word “Tour.”
• Golf Ball - The golf ball, just like any other sport, is distinct, and so is an invite that is styled like an actual golf ball. Download a photo of a golf ball and enlarge it. Place the essential info about your celebration inside the ball then print on pretty cardboard paper. Cut out the design, so your invite will resemble an extra-large golf ball.

Making the invite is critical, especially since you are catering to a serious crowd. Your objective is to catch their attention and at the same time, influence them to take your event seriously through the invitation. Double check the overall appearance of your invite before distribution.

Attire and Equipment: The Elite Golfer Look

Since the party entails you and your guests to play the game, the attire should resemble the clothes worn by professional golf players. You don’t really need to buy the pricey player-endorsed outfits. Just settle for similarly-styled clothing if you do not have much cash to burn. Don’t forget to bring at least a few golf clubs, which are relative to the activities of your party. Of course, if you wish to play all 18 holes, you should bring your entire golf set.

Venue: Swing by the Right Location

The venue for a golf party can be set in a fancy golf course or in an open space where you can play mini games such as putting and golf trivia. Decide if you want to play the entire game during the event or if you want a more formal celebration, before selecting a location for your party.

• Golf Club - The golf club not only holds a full length golf course, but it also has a lounge and bar area tailor-made for luxurious golfers. It is the favorite venue for golf parties since you have the option to play the game and hold a party at the same time. The only drawback is the pricey membership fees. Then again, if you can afford to play golf, paying for a golf club shouldn’t be much of a problem.
• Mini-Golf - The mini golf course focuses on your putting skills, which eliminates driving, long walks and other tiring stuff. So you can hold the first part of your party in such a venue then you’ll have enough energy for a formal party right after. (Learn how to mini golf)
• Driving Range - Normally, the driving range is a warm up for the actual game, since you can fine tune your swing before playing an 18-hole course. Practicing your driving, as it appears, can also give you a nice energy surge before the party. You’ll be pumped up for all the fun activities after getting warmed up.
• Function Room - Instead of eating at a fancy restaurant, you can book a function room at a hotel, since it has an open space, which can be used for simple golf-related games. You can also enjoy the tasty cuisines care of the hotel’s excellent chefs. Clearly, the classy golfer lifestyle will be put on display with this option.

The venue dictates all of the possible activities for your party. Selecting one is critical, so you should know what your fellow golfers are looking forward to in a golfing celebration.

Activities: A Hole-in-One for Fun

Golf is an exciting game that has many facets. You can actually use various details of the game to make your party pretty exciting. Even if you are not celebrating the event in an actual golf course, you can still lace it with tons of golf-related activities.

• Full Game - For some golfers, partying is only secondary to the thrills of a full golf game. They’ll play the game rather than socialize and have fun with other people. It may seem dull to some, but you should know that many people gain friends and even business contacts simply by swinging through all 18 holes of a golf course. You can just hold a light dinner/after party after playing.
• Mini Putting Game - Putting is fun and challenging, making it a good activity for your party. You can bring a portable putter, which can be bought from any sports store, and set it up in an open space. Select several participants and the one who gets the lowest score consistently is declared the winner. You can also add a “Hole-in-One Challenge” to add variety to the game.
• Golf Trivia - A golf enthusiast not only knows his game, but also hundreds of factoids about the sport and its prolific players. Put the golf knowledge of your party’s attendants to the test by holding a golf trivia contest. Research on all the facts and factoids that you can find then write them on flash cards. You can then select about six participants or form three groups, if you want to involve more people.
• The Longest Drive - If your celebration is situated near a driving range, you might as well use it as a party game. The person who strikes the longest drive receives a prize. To make the game more exciting, you can apply a double elimination round format, followed by a semifinal round and finally, the championship round.

The games and activities, as you can see, are pretty challenging. You can actually determine your guests’ skill levels, in playing golf, just by watching them participate in the festivities.

Check out this video for a lesson on how to make full swing on golf.

Invited Guests: The Player’s Union

As expected, the invited guests should be golf players or at least knowledgeable about the different facets of the game. You can consult with some of the prospective guests who ave active memberships in golf clubs, so you can have more options for the party’s venue. Remember, the golf club is the perfect place for golf parties. Besides, cooperation from your guests is expected, since they are participating in the festivities anyway.

No Other Party is at Par

A golf party will showcase the skills, knowledge and the overall love for the game of every attendant. Make sure that you bring your thinking cap and a handful of golf clubs, so you can match any of the proud golfers during the celebration. Just swing away, as you make a hole-in-one for total golfing fun once the event happens. If you enjoyed reading this article, might as well read The Guide to golf tips.

Are you a teacher whose students are always bored in the classroom? Do they look sluggish and not ready to absorb what you teach? They probably need to see the classroom in a brighter, more fun way. The best way to do this is to hold a classroom party.

Classroom parties can be held any time during the school year. You can hold one to celebrate the start of the school year or the end of the school year. You may also hold one to celebrate better grades from your students or just to have fun. If you’re successful, the party might push your students to look at the classroom as a fun place to learn and be with friends. There are many things to consider when planning a classroom party, including the invitations, the decorations, the games and activities, and the food.

Classroom Party Invitations

Partying in the classroom starts with the invitations. Classroom party invitations should remind the students that this is an educational party, and not just a regular party where they’ll just play all day. One thing you can do is buy small notebooks and slip the invitations on their front covers. The invitations should include the details of the party, including the time, date, and venue for the party. You may also write the food, games, and activities that students can expect at the party. Students can then use those notebooks in the classroom or at home after the party is over.

Another thing you can do is make paper cutouts of school buses or lunchboxes. Color the invitations using crayons and markers, then write the details of the party inside. You can give them to your students during class or mail them to their homes.

If you know how to edit pictures on the computer, there are many photo-editing and greeting card programs that you can use to make party invitations. Simply use the available templates on the photo-editing program and fill in the blank spaces with the details of the party. If all your students have access to the Internet, then you can send the invitations online. You may also print the invitations and hand them out to your students.

Classroom Party Decorations

All the decorations at your classroom party should be related to the things you discuss; for example, if you’re discussing history, then the room should be filled with pictures and figures of historical figures. If you’re a math teacher, then cover the walls of the classroom with colorful numbers and mathematical symbols. Letters of the alphabet will also look good hung from the ceiling.

Move the chairs and desks to the sides of the classroom to allow more room for games and activities. Chairs and desks themselves can be decorated by wrapping them in colored sheets of paper. Write messages on the blackboard about the occasion you’re celebrating; for example, “Congratulations to my bright students for their high grades!”

Hang streamers along the walls to make the mood more festive. Play some music on the sound system and turn up the volume. The playlist could include pop hits or children’s songs if your students are very young (Tips on how to make a music playlist). Make sure that the room is arranged neatly to avoid accidents during the party.

Games and Activities for Your Classroom Party

As much as possible, make the games and activities for your classroom party fun and educational. There should be a balance of thinking and physical games. Try to incorporate your lessons in the games so the children can learn while enjoying themselves. Here are some games and activities that will keep your students running and thinking fast:

Musical chairs: Musical chairs is easy to play in a classroom setting because there are plenty of chairs around. Arrange the chairs in a circular formation and ask for participants. The number of chairs should be one less than that of the participants. Play a song on the sound system and ask your students to dance around the chairs as the music plays.

Participants should quickly sit on the chairs when the music stops. Since there aren’t enough chairs for everybody, one student is always left standing and leaves the game. Continue the game as chairs are removed one by one. Award a prize to the student that sits on the last chair.

Alphabet game: This game is suitable for young children because it requires them to think while having fun. The first player in the game chooses a category, such as animals, geography, people, and places. He then thinks of a word from that category. For example, if the topic chosen was places, he could say the word BRAZIL. The next player must think of a word in the same category starting with the last letter of the previous word; for instance, LAOS. The third player then says SWEDEN, and so on. Players who can’t give words must leave the game, and the player that remains wins.

Animal charades: This game is perfect if you are studying animals. Write names of various animals on strips of paper, then put the strips in a bowl. Animals could include pigs, dogs, cats, horses, and frogs. Next, divide your students into two or three teams. Each team chooses a member who will act out the words on the strips of paper. The other members should guess the animal that the actor pantomimes. Set a time limit on how long your students can guess. Give scores to teams who guess the animals within the time limit. The team who scores the highest wins. (Learn how to play charades)

Grouping game: This is a fun, fast-paced game. The game starts as everyone collects as one big group. Call out any number between two and fifteen that is less than half of the total number of participants. All the participants then scramble to form a group with that number of members. Members in a group should latch arms or wrap their arms around each other so you can see who is in the group. Players who can’t enter a group have to leave the game. More and more players leave the game as you call out more numbers. The winning group could have anywhere from two to five members.

Painting contest: If you’re an art teacher, then the best way to put your students’ art skills to the test is by holding a painting contest. Provide the students with paint and sheets of paper. Choose a category, then ask them to paint anything that’s related to that category; for example, “people.” They can paint policemen, firemen, teachers, and businessmen. You can either give them paintbrushes or just let them paint with their hands and fingers. Closely observe your students during this activity though, because some of them might put paint into their mouths. Award the prize to the best painter or give all of your students prizes so they’ll be more encouraged to paint.

Clay modeling: Clay modeling is another fun activity that sharpens the artistic sense of students. Provide them with modeling clay and tell them to make figures out of it. Give participants a theme; for instance, tools or animals. Choose a winner among your students or give all of them prizes to further encourage them to engage in art.

Foods for Your Classroom Party

The food you will serve in your classroom party should be fun to eat to keep the spirits of your students high. Some of the food should also be heavy because your students will do a lot of physical and thinking games. The following foods will keep your students running and thinking fast during the party:

• Spaghetti: Children absolutely love spaghetti because it has a rich, sweet flavor and it’s fun to play with the noodles. Be careful not to put too much spaghetti on your students’ plates though, because they might just end up playing with it.
• Pizza: Pizza is another treat that will keep your students moving. Kids love pizza because it’s tasty and fun to eat. You can either make your own pizza at home or order from a fast food restaurant. If you’re ordering, choose at least two flavors of pizza so your students can choose which one they like.
• Hot dogs: Some kids are bound to refuse to eat the foods you will serve however tasty they are. They might go for hot dogs though because they are delicious and very quick to eat. Place a big pile of hot dogs on a table and let your students eat them all they want.
• Cookies and muffins: There are children who are extremely picky about what they eat, and they won’t go for messy-looking foods like pizza and spaghetti. To make sure that everybody eats, serve sweet treats like cookies and muffins during the party. You can either bake these treats yourself or order them from a restaurant.
• Ice cream: Children always look forward to the desserts, so be sure to serve something really nice, like ice cream. Flavors such as vanilla, chocolate, chocolate chip, and mocha will surely make your students go back for more. Don’t let them eat too much ice cream, though, because their throats might get sore and irritated.
• Cakes: Cakes are important, especially if you’re celebrating a student’s birthday. You can bake cakes at home or order from a bakery. Buy at least two flavors of cakes if you’re ordering from a bakery, so your students can choose which one they like.

Check out this video how a game of charades happen.

Plan your classroom party carefully to avoid accidents and other unwanted things from happening. Consider what your students might do if seats are arranged this way or another way. The most important thing is that you can keep a close eye on every one of your students during the party. Children have a tendency to go wild when partying, so always be on the lookout for potential causes of injury. The great thing about a classroom party is that it might push your students to study harder and look at school in a brighter light.

In the game of football, greatness means a hundred yards of turf, 11 players on each team, and a lot of fighting spirit on the gridiron. Whether it’s the Super Bowl, the Orange Bowl, or the Rose Bowl, football is an all-American tradition of physicality and teamwork. For many football fans, Hail Mary passes and hard defensive tackles are more than just a part of the sport (Learn how to tackle in football), but also a way of life.

For passionate fans of the game, football is the perfect way to party. Football can be used as a theme for just about any party. Children’s parties, birthday parties, Super Bowl, and even weddings between people crazy about football are perfect occasions for a football party theme. If you want to throw a bash that celebrates the intensity and passion of football, here are some ideas you can try out.

Party Schedule

While you can throw a football-themed party anytime you feel like it, football parties are made much more enjoyable if you schedule them in time with an important football game. The Pittsburgh Steelers or the Dallas Cowboys may be in town, or a game between the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks may be broadcast on TV.

For football fans, there are important dates and games when football games should definitely be celebrated:

• The Super Bowl is the most important game in professional American football. The Super Bowl pits the AFC champions and the NFC champions against each other for a shot at greatness. Super Bowl Sunday, which is held during Thanksgiving week, is considered by many to be an unofficial holiday and an important tradition.
• Conference Championships. The National Football League (NFL) is divided into two conferences: the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). Both the AFC and NFC championship games are played on the first Sunday of January.
• The NFL Pro Bowl is the NFL’s post-season all-star game. The event has been held in Honolulu for the past 28 years. The Pro Bowl is usually held on the first or second week of February.
• The Rose Bowl is nicknamed “The Granddaddy of Them All,” and is the most important game in college football. The Rose Bowl is the oldest college football game tradition in the world, carrying with it over a century of tradition. The game is played on January 1, the afternoon after the Rose Parade.

Football Decorations

Decorating a venue for a football-themed party is easier than scoring a touchdown, but it does require a bit of effort. Whether it’s an indoor or an outdoor party venue, you need to make sure that the party lives, breathes, and eats football. Here are some items you need to make your football party feel like a cool Super Bowl celebration at the winning team’s locker room:

• Footballs. The old reliable pigskin is a great way to decorate your home. You don’t need to worry about buying top-of-the-line footballs from the sporting goods store. Buy footballs that are affordable, but at the same time can be thrown and passed around without fraying or splitting. Buy a lot of footballs to save on expenses.
• Football jerseys and helmets can be bought from sporting apparel stores. Stores have a variety of clothing items to choose from, whether it’s a Green Bay Packers helmet, an Oakland Raiders jersey, or a Denver Broncos jacket. Apparel can be expensive; to save on costs, you may want to borrow some of these items from your friends.
• Team banners are available from stores or fan sites online. You can even make your own pennants and streamers if you have a good printer and if you’re proficient with publishing and photo editing software.
• Player posters are also readily available from sporting goods stores. Posters are an affordable and easy way to decorate walls, or you can even use standees of your favorite players if you can afford them.

Football Party Food

No party is complete without food, and Super Bowl Sunday is no exception. Football lore is about the food as it is about the game. People who do not enjoy football as much as passionate fans do still look forward to football games because of the terrific foods served during football games and parties. Here are some ways to get yourself stuffed and full during the football party:

Thanksgiving Dinner

The neat thing about big football games is that they’re usually held during special occasions. The Super Bowl, for example, is held during the Thanksgiving holidays. You don’t need to prepare special food for the occasion, but you definitely need to whip up small batches of snacks for the big game. If the game is held right after the Thanksgiving party, you can make terrific sandwiches out of turkey leftovers.

Tailgating

Tailgate parties have long been a tradition of American football, especially when a game is held nearby. You can set up your pickup truck with tailgating equipment like portable grills and gas ranges, pack a cooler with cold brews and fresh ingredients, and you’re good to go. Make sure that your tailgating equipment is in proper working order.

Backyard Barbecues

Barbecue is something you can do at just about any occasion, and is perfect for football-themed parties. Barbecue and football go very well together, especially if the TV broadcasts a very important game. You or some of your friends may even have special recipes to share. Here are some dishes you can prepare during a football barbecue:

• Baby back ribs, especially ones made with tender ribs and savory dry-rubs, are terrific for football game barbecues. Make sure to prepare and grill more than enough, because people will definitely line up for second helpings.
• Cajun chicken is another popular barbecue dish. A good way to prepare it is to dip the chicken pieces in clarified butter, sprinkle Cajun seasoning on the pieces, and grill them for four to six minutes on each side. Baste the chicken with some Cajun marinade to keep it from getting tough.
• Pig roast is a very popular delicacy that involves a whole roasted hog. The pig is roasted or barbecued until the meat is tender enough to be picked off the bone. (For more information on barbecue pork recipes, read The Guide to barbecue pork recipe)

Traditional Football Fare

For people who simply cannot get off the easy chair or the couch during an important game, or fix a sandwich during halftime, here are some snack ideas to keep them well-fed:

• Buffalo wings are very easy to make. Deep-fry some chicken wings or chicken lollipops, and coat them with Buffalo wing sauce and margarine. You can buy premade sauce, or make your own out of tomato sauce, cayenne pepper, barbecue sauce, Chinese five-spice powder, and Jamaican jerk spices.
• Turkey chili can be made from leftover turkey and your best chili recipe. Instead of adding ground beef or ground veal to the chili recipe, substitute the meat with slivers from the Thanksgiving turkey.
• Nachos and dip are a staple for any football game. You can use prepared dips, salsas, and sauces for this one. The great thing about nachos and dip is that they can be enjoyed warm or cold.

Backyard Football

The old adage does hold true: it doesn’t matter if you win or lose, it’s how you play the game. You don’t need a hundred-yard backyard covered in AstroTurf to play a quick scrimmage. All you need is a football, and a dozen players who have had their fair share on the gridiron. You can even make a football party tradition by buying an inexpensive trophy that’s your gang’s equivalent to the Vince Lombardi Trophy. Just make sure that nobody gets hurt or seriously injured from a bit of horseplay.

Unlike the game of football, great parties only need a lot of good food and a ton of clean fun. With these ideas for a football-themed party, you can score a touchdown for every fan who lives, breathes, and eats the great American game of football.

Watch this movie to be ready for your next Football Party.

For many countries like England, Germany and France, soccer is not just a sport–it’s a national passion. The wars of old have ceased to exist and yet they seem to have transferred into epic games that have kept millions watching. Soccer mania knows no age, and if your kid is a soccer fan, you can be sure that he or she already has a favorite team, a favorite player and yes, even a favorite country, when it comes to soccer. Get in with the game by throwing a soccer party for your child.

This Season’s Soccer Party Invitations

For the uninitiated, soccer colors may only come in black and white in hexagonal shapes. Of course, while you can use the classic and universally-recognized soccer ball as a design for your invitations, you can also expand your color palette and design choices. While invitation cards in the shape of soccer balls and soccer goals are acceptable and easy, you can make it even more personalized. Why not use your child’s favorite soccer team’s colors, or cut them out in the shape of soccer kits, or the kit of your child’s favorite soccer player?

Another soccer invitation idea is to take a picture of your child in his soccer uniform, preferably in a soccer field or a digitally added soccer field. You can also digitally add his favorite players to be standing alongside him or her. This will make the invitation more personalized, and will leave your guests with no doubt of who the party’s MVP will be.

Your invitation should include all the pertinent details of the party, contact details for RSVP, and RSVP deadline. If you wish the guests to come in soccer uniforms or costumes, it’s also better if you include a request in the invitation as well.

Score Excellent Decorations

When it comes to decorating for a soccer party, it’s great to draw inspiration from actual soccer games. The air is always exciting, festive and full of color! You can start by using your child’s soccer gear like soccer balls, soccer score cards, banners with “Go Team!” messages, big posters of your child’s favorite players and pictures of famous soccer teams.

Balloons, streamers, banners, tablecloths, paper plates and paper cups can be designed to look with the soccer ball patterns. To break from the black and white colors, you can still use your child’s favorite team colors. For example, Spain’s national soccer team features yellow, red and dark blue. Germany’s team colors are red, white, yellow and black while France’s are blue, white and red. Teams typically have standard colors, but it’s better if you get updated on their current team uniforms online because they change annually.

Include lots of white stripes, a staple design in sports uniforms because stripe designs suggest movement and action. Orange cheer cones are appropriate for the theme and also provide that burst of color all throughout the party space.

Simulate a green soccer turf by laying out grass-green carpets in your house. If you already have soccer-patterned tableware and utensils, you can make contrast by using green butcher paper with white lines drawn to look like a soccer field. Action figures of famous soccer players with small soccer balloons attached to them make for interesting centerpieces.

Provide a photo opportunity for your child and guests by having a lifesize cardboard cutout of a famous soccer player. Set up a background of a soccer field to make the final picture look more realistic. Encourage goofy and silly smiles and poses to make the photo opportunity even more fun.

For a final and special touch, put a captain’s armband on your child’s upper left arm.

Kicking Soccer Party Games and Activities

The stage is set and the players are assembled. It’s time to kick ball! Make your guests feel like soccer stars for a game with a variety of games and activities.

• Play a Round of Soccer. Put on your soccer cleats, or any typical sports shoe, for a round of soccer. Typically, there should be two teams with 11 players each. Each team should have a goalie, who is the only one allowed to touch the soccer ball with his arms or hands. Assign an adult to act as coach for each team. Teamwork is crucial when playing soccer, and you should remind the kids to work together to score that crucial point. The first team who gets three points first wins, although ties are subject to soccer tiebreakers.
• Soccer Obstacle Course. Set up an obstacle course on your lawn consisting of seats, tires, traffic cones and other things that you can think of (without potentially causing any direct harm, of course). Each participant will then go through the obstacles while kicking a soccer ball, and must score a goal at the end. The guest who completes the obstacle course in the shortest possible time, wins.
• Guess the Final Score. If you throw your party the same day as a major soccer game, ask your guests to make bets on what the final score will be. They should list their guesses on a slip of paper and submit it. The person who makes the closest guess to both teams’ final scores, wins.
• Name the Player. Print pictures of famous soccer players past and present like Pele, Steven Gerrard, Diego Maradona, Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and David Beckham. Paste them on a large manila paper and assign each player a number. Hand out a list of the players jumbled up and ask your guests to put the number of who they think the corresponding faces are to the listed names. The guest who gets the most correct answers, wins.
• Soccer Bloopers. Soccer has been around for a while, and in the advent of videos and easy recording, a lot of soccer bloopers have been caught and memorialized on tape. Make a collection of funny, hopefully not so painful, soccer bloopers.
• Blindfolded Soccer. If your party can’t be held outdoors, don’t worry, you can still play soccer. Draw a soccer goal on a large sheet of paper and tape it up on a wall. Each participant will try to hit a hackey sack in the goal while blindfolded. Each area within the goal has a corresponding number of points, with the middle part assigned the highest number of points. Each participant will have three chances to shore up the most points to be the winner.
• Design a Shirt. Here’s an activity that’s suitable for the younger guests. Cut out paper soccer “shirts” that are approximately the correct size for an adult soccer player. Divide the participants into three or four groups and assign each of them a paper shirt. Provide the participants with art materials, coloring pens and crayons. It’s up to each of them to design the shirt as best as they can. Your child will then decide on the best-looking shirt, and the winning team gets a prize.
• Hackey Sack. Participants must form a circle and are given a hackey sack each. They must keep the hackey sack in the air using their knees, legs or elbows, no hands. If the hackey sack falls to the ground, the player is out. This must go on until everyone until only one remains as the winner. (Learn how to make the proper hackey sack)
• Soccer Block. Assign a Kicker and a Soccer Blocker while the rest of your guests form a line on one side of the area. The Soccer Blocker stands in the middle between the line and facing the Kicker. The Kicker must try to kick a hackey sack past the Soccer Blocker to the line of guests. If the Blocker is successful in preventing the hackey sack from flying across, he or she joins the rest of the guests and the Kicker becomes the Blocker. One of the guests will then take the place of the Kicker.
• Personal Sports Card. Ask each of your guests to pose in their soccer outfit with a soccer ball and banner for a souvenir photo. Print out the pictures to look like a sports card with the “stats” being actual details of the party.

World Cup Party Food

Make the soccer experience more genuine by serving stadium food and then some soccer-themed goodies as well.

• Soccer Cake. The party cake is usually the central reflection of the party theme on the buffet table. A simple soccer cake design is to have your typical rectangular cake covered with a green sheet of icing. Use white piping to detail the soccer field. Place small plastic action figures on top to make it look like a real soccer field.
• Personal Pizzas. No kid can resist making any food more to his or her liking. Prepare personal pizzas, toppings and cheese. Ask your guests to choose their own toppings, pop it in an oven and voila! Personal pizzas. (Tips on how to make pasta pizza)
• Fruit Bowls. Serve healthy fruit slices in empty melon shells for a refreshing snack.
• Sandwiches. Prepare a variety of sandwiches and fillings such as tuna salad, ham, chicken salad and peanut butter and jelly. Put toothpick with different nation’s flags to hold the sandwiches together.
• Stadium Food. Kids will certainly love an array of stadium food that includes hotdog sandwiches, corn dogs, popcorn, hamburgers and sundaes.
• Drinks. Prepare different varieties of refreshing drinks like Gatorade, fruit punch or fruit juice. Your guests will surely be thirsty after all those activities.

The best of Soccer games! Check out this video.

Before the guests go home, distribute soccer themed party goodie bags containing treasures such as soccer trading cards, stickers, players’ action figures, MVP certificates and a kid’s sports magazine. Soccer passion knows no age, so get them started early.

Abby Cadabby is a three year-old muppet from Sesame Street who knows magic. She is a fairy-in-training, and has a magic wand and beautiful butterfly wings. She uses her magic to do good and help people, and teaches kids a lot of wonderful and good things. If your child loves magic, fairies and muppets, an Abby Cadabby theme party is the perfect, fun and educational party theme for you and your little one.

Magical Abby Cadabby Invitation Ideas

Abby Cadabby can go anywhere with just a wave and a “Gotta poof!”, but not everyone has that magical power and they can’t just teleport to your party at a moment’s notice. Invite your guests to your party a week or two in advance through pretty Abby Cadabby-inspired invitations. You can print Abby’s pictures, her wand, her pretty wings or other magical items such as a rabbit being pulled out of a hat. You can also use Abby’s favorite color, pink, as a color motif for the party invitations combined with other colors such as purple and blue, the color of Abby’s wings and dress.

Use pink and purple glitter when decorating your Abby Cadabby invitation cards. You can also cut out the cards to make them look like tiny fairy wings, which makes for a great invitation and souvenir. You can also cut the card into a star shape and attached to a long wand. Be creative. You can also print pictures of Abby Cadabby with other fairies like her, or with her new friends from Sesame Street such as Elmo and Telly. Write a message such as “Come to my magical party!” or “Make magic with Abby Cadabby” for a real inviting touch.

Smart and Sparkly Party Decorations

Make your party space look like Abby’s fairy home with a few simple touches. First, remember that Abby Cadabby’s favorite color is pink, so use that as a color motif. Add Abby’s other colors such as blue and purple as accents. The color motif can be reflected in the party balloons, streamers, tablecloths, banners, paper plates and utensils.

If you have a collection of Abby Cadabby dolls and items, now is the perfect time to display them! Dolls, mugs, and other Abby Cadabby items can be grouped together near the entrance with balloons tied to them. You can also use these various Abby Cadabby items as centerpieces for your table. As an alternative design item, use pumpkins and put them around different parts of the house and label that they used to be a vase, a radio, a pot or any household item because Abby loves turning things into pumpkins.

Post enlarged pictures of Abby Cadabby, shiny cutout moons, stars and fairy wings on your walls, or you can buy costume wings from your nearest party or costume shop. Intersperse Abby’s magic wand between by using pink and purple pom poms attached to wands on the wall. You can also put these pom poms on a string and hang them up from the ceiling.

Abby also loves to learn so you can also display educational ABC posters or lyrics to educational songs like Ten Little Indians. She also loves other cultures and languages, Spanish in particular, so you can use this and put up basic words and phrases in different languages, such as “Hello!” or “How are you?”

Play episodes from Sesame Street that feature Abby Cadabby on the television. Arrange pink and purple bean bags around the television for a more comfortable viewing experience.

Fun Abby Cadabby Games and Activities

Put on Abby Cadabby wings, wands and headbands on your guests once they arrive so they can really get in the Abby Cadabby spirit. Here are some ideas for games and activities:

• Earn Your Wings. No fairy can fly without wings. Hand out blank cardboard cutout fairy wings like Abby Cadabby’s, and have the kids design their own wings. Set up an activity table and provide art materials like crayons, colored pens, magic markers, sequins, glue and glitter. (Tips on how to make fairy wings)
• Glitter Tattoo. Have a little bit of fairy dust on the kids by hiring a professional glitter tattoo artist. The kids can choose from an array of whimsical patterns and artwork. They’ll feel more glamorous and magical once they get those glitter tattoos on.
• Magical Photo Session. Have a magical backdrop of a forest or even Sesame Street and have your guests pose in their fairy costumes and fairy wings. If you have a big Abby Cadabby doll, be sure to include her as well.
• Cross the Moat. Two guests must be assigned as Princess and Dragon in this fairytale game. The rest of the participants must line up a few feet away from the Dragon, while the Princess stays on the opposite of the Dragon. On the call of, “Save the Princess!” the guests must try to tag the Princess before the Dragon tags them. If the Dragon tags one of the guests, the guests must hold hands with the Dragon and try to catch the others, too. Tagged guests will then eventually form a link until there are no more kids to tag. Those who were able to tag the Princess get prizes.
• Pixie Dust Relay. Divide guests into two or three groups with an equal number of guests for each team. On one side of the room, prepare bowls filled with pixie sticks candy. Using a spoon, each member of each team must transport a spoonful of the candy from bowl to another and come back to pass it on to the next member. If the candy falls, the member must go back another round to do it properly again. The team that finishes first, wins.
• Abby Cadabby Singalong Songs. Sing along to your favorite Abby Cadabby songs from Sesame Street. This is a fun and educational group activity.
• Learn a New Language. If you have any bilingual friends, you can invite them to the party and ask them to teach basic words and phrases to the kids. The kids will be thrilled to learn something new that they can use everyday. (How about learning spanish? read how to learn spanish)

If the kids become tired after the games, all you have to do is pop in a Sesame Street DVD and play special episodes featuring Abby Cadabby.

Pretty and Yummy Abby Cadabby Food

The magical Abby Cadabby theme can extend even to the party food and drinks. They’re all fairly easy to do and won’t cause much trouble in preparation. Here are some ideas that you can use.

• Fairy Sandwiches. Use yellow potato bread for your sandwiches for a golden sandwich. Use a star-shaped cookie cutter to cut out your sandwiches. In between the sandwich bread, put a pretzel rod to make for an edible wand.
• Magic Potions. Before the party, freeze pink strawberry-flavored or cranberry-flavored Kool-Aid in ice cubes. When serving drinks, drop these pink cubes in a differently-colored drinks such as a green lime drink or apple cider. You’ll end up with visually fascinating and thirst-quenching beverages.
• Fairy Cupcakes and Cookies. Use pink and purple frosting for your star-shaped cookies and cupcakes. Put a bit of edible glitter on top for a sparkling snack.
• Abby Cadabby Cake. The perfect way to round up an Abby Cadabby party is to have an Abby Cadabby cake. You can either ask your local bakery to design the cake in the shape of Abby or have Abby’s image printed out on an edible picture on top of the cake.

Have fun for this glitter tattoo. Check out this video.

At the end of the party, hand out Abby Cadabby gift bags full of items kids can use for magical tricks. You can also put in Abby Cadabby dolls, DVDs and wands for them to play with at home. With an Abby Cadabby party, your special one and the other kids will surely have a magical time!

Many boys are fascinated with robots. Robots are all about awesome weapons, epic battles, and lean mean cool-looking machines. Among the many robot and mecha series made over the years, one of the most iconic has to be Transformers. The original toy line, along with the TV series and the movies, made the franchise phenomenally successful. The epic battles between the Autobots and the Decepticons are still watched by young and old alike.

Transformers makes an excellent children’s party theme. With the success of the 2007 Transformers live action movie, many kids today are now acquainted with the original 1980s franchise that influenced a generation. When you plan to throw a grand birthday bash for your boy, you can use a Transformers-themed birthday party that’s sure to be remembered for generations.

Robots In Disguise

Transformers is a franchise based on the epic duel between the heroic forces of the Autobots and the evil forces of the Decepticons. Transformers started out as a toy line from Hasbro, and eventually branched out into animated series, comic books, graphic novels, and movies.

What makes both the Autobots and the Decepticons unique is their ability to transform from vehicles into humanoid warriors. The Autobots are led by Optimus Prime, and are known by their superiority in land-based attacks. The Decepticons, led by Megatron, focus their technology on air attacks. The transformation sequence of both the Autobots and Decepticons from vehicles to robot warriors are the trademark of the Transformers franchise.

Transformers Party Decorations

Many party supply stores carry all sorts of kits for different themes. Chances are they’ll have some party hats, streamers, confetti, and balloons handy for your kid’s Transformers-themed party. To make your child’s party have a unique Transformers feel, here are some ideas you can try:

• Authentic Transformers toys. Nothing says Transformers more than a bunch of toys, whether they’re the good Autobots or the evil Decepticons. You’ll definitely have to shell out some money for Transformers toys, but you can give them to your child or to his friends and guests later on. Don’t buy imitation products as much as possible. To make the most out of the party theme, the robots themselves should have the ability to transform.
• Autobot and Decepticon logos. Some kids prefer the Autobots, and still others prefer the Decepticons. To make the party feel like an authentic Transformers experience, you can make large cutouts of either the Autobot or the Decepticon logos using art foam, cardboard, and shiny paint with a metallic finish. Hang these cutouts on walls to give the kids the impression that they are in a Transformers party.
• Posters and standees. Many posters of Transformers characters can be bought from department stores, malls, party stores, and hobby shops. You can choose from simple paper posters, to more expensive veneer ones that are worth keeping afterwards.

Transformers Party Foods

No party is complete without food. Now that you have decorated the party setting with Transformers paraphernalia, you can also use the same theme for the food you’ll serve in the party. It takes a bit of creativity to prepare food inspired from Transformers. If you’re not confident in your cooking and garnishing skills, then you may want to hire a professional caterer for your party’s catering needs.

Here are some cool recipes you can use for a Transformers-themed children’s party:

Optimus Prime Cakes

Optimus Prime is one of the most famous characters in the Transformers universe. Optimus is a giant red truck, which makes him perfect as a model for a strawberry and chocolate cake. Use chiffon or pound cake layers to build the truck, and put layers of chocolate and strawberry icing in between to hold the cake layers together. Decorate the cake with edible shiny strawberry icing and white icing colored with silver food coloring to make an edible Optimus Prime cake. (Learn how to decorate a cake)

Bumblebee Rolls

Bumblebee is a bright yellow Autobot that’s comparatively smaller to the Prime robots in the Transformers series. To make tasty bite-sized Bumblebee Rolls, you’ll need the following ingredients:

• Spring roll wrappers
• Fresh lettuce
• Carrots, turnips, and celery sticks sliced shoestring-style
• Water, dyed with black food coloring
• Ground pork and ground beef
• Chinese black bean sauce
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Blanched alfalfa sprouts or bean sprouts (Tips on how to blanch vegetables)
• Thick spaghetti noodles, cooked in water dyed with black food coloring

Follow these steps to make Bumblebee Rolls:

1. Soak the vegetables, including the lettuce, in the water dyed with black food coloring. Soak them for as long as it takes to get the food colored black.
2. Cook the meats in Chinese black bean sauce. Season the meats with salt and pepper. Don’t add too much salt because the black bean sauce is already salted.
3. Wrap the ingredients in spring roll wrappers, and deep-fry them until almost golden brown.
4. Tie some bands of the black-colored spaghetti on the spring rolls, and cook the spring rolls for another minute until the spaghetti is crisp and the rolls are golden brown.

Hot Rod Chicken Wings

Here’s a new twist you can add to traditional Buffalo Wings. Go to the store to buy some edible yellow paint, and edible blue and orange glitter. After preparing Buffalo Wings, paint two yellow stripes on the chicken wings with the edible paint. Roll the wings around on the edible glitter to give it a sparkling appearance. You now have chicken wings styled after Hot Rod that children of all ages will enjoy.

Starscream Spaghetti

If your boy is a Decepticon fan, he will really like a Transformers-styled spaghetti dish. Here’s how you can make ordinary birthday spaghetti look like one of the most popular Decepticons, Starscream:

• Prepare some white sauce and tomato-based pasta sauce.
• Cook the spaghetti according to package instructions. Once the spaghetti is cooked, take half the pasta and soak it in hot water dyed with a small amount of sky-blue food coloring.
• Serve the white and pink spaghetti with the white sauce and tomato-based pasta sauce. Now you have a kid-friendly dish that uses all three colors of Starscream.

Transformers Party Favors

Like any children’s party, no guest should leave home empty-handed. If you can afford it, you can give away small Transformers robots as token presents and party favors to your kid’s friends who attended the birthday party. If the price of robots are a bit too steep for your budget, you can buy Transformers-related items like hand towels, t-shirts, mugs, or even pencil cases.

For many people, robots are a lifelong fascination. One way to preserve this fascination is to throw a memorable robot-themed party for your child. When it comes to the Transformers, it still holds true that there’s more to everything than meets the eye.

Watch this Transformer

Your daughter’s birthday is a very special occasion. It’s that one day of the year where she feels and should be treated like the little princess that she is. While girls have different preferences and tastes in what their birthday party should be like, you can never go wrong with a Disney-themed children’s party theme. If you want your daughter to feel truly special and unique on her birthday, you can treat her just like a princess with a Disney Fairytale Friends birthday party.

The Disney Princesses

The Disney Fairytale Friends, also known as the Disney Princesses, are among the most popular characters in the Walt Disney universe. The Disney Princesses are very popular especially among young girls, who feel that they will one day find their own Prince Charming and live happily ever after. There are eight Disney Princesses, all based on characters from fairytale features made popular by the Walt Disney Company:

• Ariel is the curious and adventurous daughter of King Triton from The Little Mermaid. Ariel is fascinated by all things from the human world, and will give up everything to be with her one true love.
• Aurora is the shy and gentle girl from Sleeping Beauty. Cursed by the evil powers of the witch Maleficent, Aurora can only be awakened by a kiss from her one true love.
• Belle is the intelligent and outspoken girl from Beauty and the Beast. She believes that real beauty and is on the inside, and true love is a tale as old as time and true as it can be.
• Cinderella is one of the most famous Disney Princesses. Abused and looked down upon by her stepmother and her stepsisters, Cinderella is helped out by her fairy godmother to win the hand of the Prince.
• Jasmine is Aladdin’s love interest in the hit movie Aladdin. She is a strong-willed woman who wants to marry the person that she truly loves. With the aid of Genie, Jasmine eventually chooses to marry Aladdin.
• Mulan is one of the newer Disney Princesses. To save her family’s honor, Mulan dresses up as a male warrior. She is a fearless, determined girl who keeps true to her heart.
• Pocahontas is also another new Disney Princess. Pocahontas is very spiritual and believes in the power of peace. She does everything she can to stop the bloody conflict between the settlers and the Native Americans.
• Snow White is one of the most popular Disney Princesses; in fact, she is one of the first, because Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was released in 1937. Snow White is a sweet, caring girl who was awakened from eternal slumber by the kiss of Prince Charming.

Party Kits

Planning for a Disney-themed birthday party can be quite complicated, although designing and going about a Disney party for your little princess is made easy with party kits. Many manufacturers make party kits complete with all the stuff you need to make your daughter’s birthday party a memorable one.

Disney-themed party kits range from the expensive to the affordable. Your daughter’s birthday only comes once a year, so you should buy the best possible one you can afford. You don’t have to blow your entire budget to buy party kits, though. Even simple ones that contain glow-in-the-dark confetti, cardboard hats, and stick-on plastic jewelry are good enough if you’re on a limited budget.

Another fun way to use the Disney Party theme is to print out party invitations in Disney themes. You can find many free-to-use images on the Internet that you can use for your invitations. To make your daughter feel really special, put the word “Princess” before her name in the invite.

Princess Costumes

It’s a Disney Princess party, so your daughter should look and be treated like a princess. You can dress up your daughter to look like one of the Disney Princesses. Dress her up in a silk gown and a tiara to make her look like a real princess. If you have jewelry or heirlooms, you should let your daughter wear some of them for her to feel like royalty. You may also want to schedule an appointment with a hairstylist or salon artist to make your daughter look grand for the occasion. (Learn how to make a princess hat)

The Princess Castle

Whether you hold the party indoors or outdoors, a Princess Castle can give your child’s Disney party a more authentic fantasy feel. You don’t have to break out marble columns or gilded roofs to make the party place feel like a castle. Here are some ideas to make your daughter’s Princess Castle look like a royal palace.

Gazebos and arches are more than just for decoration. For outdoor parties, you can use them to hold balloons and streamers in place. You can also decorate them with flowers, vines, and confetti.

Streamers and confetti can be bought separately from party favor stores, or they can come with Disney party kits. Throw streamers and scatter confetti around to give the place a party atmosphere.

Table settings should be decorative, but they shouldn’t obstruct easy access to food, drinks, gifts, and party favors. You can decorate table settings with pink or blue tablecloth, and cutouts and standees of Disney Princesses. (Tips on how to make a centerpiece)

Balloons and glitter can be bought from just about any party store. You can inflate the balloons yourself, or have the store inflate them for you. For Disney parties, you can buy some Mylar balloons instead of using conventional rubber balloons for all your party needs. Mylar is shiny, and and stain-resistant, and is also more durable.

Music can give your daughter’s party very Disneyland-like atmosphere. The soundtrack that you can use for your daughter’s party is made even more meaningful if it comes from her favorite Disney Princess movie. If her favorite movie is The Little Mermaid, you can use “Part of Your World; or, if her favorite movie is Mulan, you can use “Reflection” or “True To Your Heart.”

Party Foods

Kids like spaghetti, fried chicken, and cake, and they’re a must-have for any children’s party. To add some extra character to your party, you can use some foods inspired by your daughter’s favorite Disney princess. If your daughter loves to watch Mulan, you can add some Chinese-inspired snacks like spring rolls and moon cakes. If your daughter’s favorite Disney princess is Cinderella, you can use kid-friendly recipes from pumpkins like pies, soups, and even main dishes.

Party Favors

No one should leave a children’s party empty-handed, but you don’t have to bust your budget giving away stuff that your guests will enjoy. Plastic lunch boxes, pens, pencils, crayons, and other simple giveaways can make everyone feel happy and content. To make the Disney Fairytale theme stick to the party, the party favors that you’re giving away should have the Disney Princesses on them. You can buy these party favors from bookstores, party stores, and department stores. Try to buy stuff wholesale to save on costs.

Your daughter’s birthday is a time that she should be treated like a princess. While many girls would outgrow their Disney fantasies, the memories of a wonderful birthday party will last forever. For your little princess’ birthday, a Disney Fairytale party may just be the most memorable childhood memory - and most memorable birthday - she’ll ever have.

Watch out for this cool video on how to create you’re disney party invitation.

Is your child naturally inquisitive and adventurous? Does he or she love Easter for the thrill of looking for Easter eggs? Well, you don’t have to wait for Easter anymore. You can throw a scavenger hunt party anytime you want. Scavenger hunt parties are great for hiking trips, or during seasons when spending time outdoors is enjoyable. Here are some things you can do to hold a perfect scavenger hunt party.

Mysterious Invitations

Remember those mysterious letters sent in movies leaving only clues on what to bring and when and where to meet? You can also do that for your scavenger hunt party. Hand out unadorned invitation cards with information on what to bring: A camera, paper, pen, bags, a party spirit and treasure hunter’s enthusiasm. Make the message sound mysterious enough to garner enough excitement. Of course, if it’s still not clear to your guests what party they’re going to, you can always leave a number they can RSVP to.

You can also send your treasure map in advance, tied up into a scroll. Another idea is to design the invitation card with various items your guests will need to pick up on the day of the scavenger hunt.

Kinds of Scavenger Hunt

There are different things you can do with a scavenger hunt. The items you can look for can just be found in a household, a reception area, a mall or even the whole neighborhood! Scavenger hunts aren’t just for picking up items-in this age of digital cameras and camera phones, you can also add things they should take pictures of. Of course, since this is a kid’s party, it’s best that you group your scavenger hunters together with an accompanying chaperon if the scavenging area will take them far outdoors.

These are the different kinds of scavenger hunt you can do on the day of your party:

• Mall Scavenger Hunt. You can find a lot of useful things in a mall, and many unusual things, too. Organizing a mall scavenger hunt can be really fun, especially for girls who just love to shop. You can arrange your guests to do easy things like taking a picture by the mall fountain, or look for unusual items, like looking for vomit-colored nail polish. Make a quick tour of your mall a week or a day before the party so you know which items will still be available by the time the party rolls around.
• The Great Outdoors Scavenger Hunt. Having an outdoors scavenging hunt can be particularly exciting for kids because it will take them to places they usually don’t have an opportunity to go to, or look at things they haven’t noticed before. For this scavenger hunt, you can ask your guests to pick up some things they can find outdoors, like a pine cone, an apple (or any fruit of the season) or a freshly-plucked leaf. You can also ask them to take pictures, such as a picture of a bird in flight, an elderly man watering his plants, or a guy cleaning his car. Be creative, and make sure each group or individual is equipped with a fully-charged digital camera or a disposable camera.
• Walmart Scavenger Hunt. Need help picking up groceries? Well, why not kill two birds with one stone and arrange for a Walmart scavenger hunt? This scavenger hunt can take place in just about any large-scale grocery retailer or department store. Items can be range from the things you need for the household like light bulbs and fabric softener, to party items like microwave popcorn and Kool-Aid.
• Historical Scavenger Hunt. Is your neighborhood a historical place? Having a historical scavenger hunt and asking the participants to learn more about the history of your neighborhood is a great way to acquaint themselves with the place they grew up in. You can include museums, libraries and theaters in the scavenging mix. It’s educational and fun!
• Photo Scavenger Hunt. If you’re a bit paranoid about the kids picking up random items and getting germs, don’t worry, there’s an alternative to touching them: They can take pictures instead. Supply your participants with disposable cameras, or ask them to bring their own digital cameras. They can also use their phone cameras. Ask them to take pictures of different people, the guests themselves in funny poses, a dog chasing a car or unusual and more difficult things like a squirrel carrying a nut.
• Video Scavenger Hunt. Instead of taking pictures, you can compile a list of video-captured moments. You can also ask your participants to film themselves rapping, singing or doing a bunch of crazy stuff in unusual environments. Watching the results afterwards will definitely be a lot of fun.

Scavenger hunt parties can also be combined with other party themes, such as a beach party (you can ask guests to look for certain items you can find on the beach) or a camping party. As long as you have time to prepare, creativity and a lot of imagination, a scavenger hunt party can be a lot of fun. Don’t forget to count out and check the scavenged items and reward the group or the individual who got the most out of the list!

Decorating for the Party

Since the party will be focusing on the scavenger hunt, you don’t have to stress out too much with the decorations. If you’re hosting an outdoors scavenger hunt, you can even have the party outside. Set up picnic tables, covered with a cheerful red and white checkered cloth. Decorate your space with colorful balloons, streamers and banners. String up Christmas lights and lanterns to provide light even after dark.

Your centerpiece and other decoration items can reflect the kind of scavenger hunt-for example, if you’re having a Walmart scavenger hunt, you can have canned food, plastic toys and face towels as a tongue-in-cheek decoration. You can also use a “Sherlock Holmes” approach to decorating, since Mr. Holmes also scavenges for clues for answers. Use magnifying glasses, a spy glasses, telescopes and even Mr. Holmes’ trademark deerstalker hat as decoration items.

Inside, set up a printer so you can immediately print and view the photos your participants have taken during the scavenger hunt. If you had a video scavenger hunt, set up a television and some comfy chairs and beanie bags so everyone can watch all the fun adventures that happened during the day.

Food and Drinks for the Treasure Hunters

Scavenger hunts can be very tiring, so your guests will be looking forward to the party food. If you’re having the party on a warm season, make sure you have a lot of cool items in your list such as cold soup, garden salads, fruit juice and ice cream. For chillier seasons, you can have warm apple cider, steaming stew, tea and warm pie.

If you’re cooking outdoors, a grill with freshly-cooked barbecue and spare ribs are a great idea. Setting up a bonfire can also be great for roasting marshmallows and smores. (Learn how to build a bonfire)

The beauty of scavenger hunts is that you can plan ahead with your party and preparing maps, clues and other things the guests will need for their hunt. All you’ll have to do is is to wait for your treasure hunters to come back for a filling meal and snacks. Don’t forget to give them copies of their photos as a souvenir and party favor. Happy hunting. If you enjoy reading this article, take your scanvenger hunt a notch higher by reading how to geocache.

Check this movie to have some fun!

Boys can be so active, wanting to try out new things all the time. One minute it’s soccer, the next it’s hockey, another time basketball and before you know it, he wants to take up baseball. You want to throw him a party but you can’t decide which sports theme to throw. Why not throw a general sports theme instead? It’ll include all his favorite sports and introduce new ones as well. Here are some ideas to get you started on your active child’s very own sports party.

Sport Great Invitations

Having a sports theme is great because it means you can have an array of sports and familiar sports items that you can use. You can send invitations designed or shaped like footballs, baseballs, soccer balls or golf balls. Another invitation idea is to make your cards shaped like uniforms, jerseys or kits that athletes wear in games. You can make up your own color combinations and designs, or you can copy one from your child’s favorite team. Write the guests’ names on the jersey to make them personalized.

If you don’t have a lot of time to cut out your invitation cards into specific shapes, get invitations that look like sports trading cards. Simply take a picture of your child in his favorite sports uniform and print it on your card. On the back you can print the card’s “stats”: the details of the party.

The ideas are endless, with so many things you can use, from the scoreboard, to Michael Jordan to those funny-looking soccer cleats. You’ll certainly have a blast coming up with unique invitation ideas.

Score Festive Decorations

Most sports games have a great festive feel about them, so it’s definitely time to bring that feeling in your party. Here are some things you can do to get you started:

Your child may love a lot of sports, but he’s sure to have a favorite team out of all the others. Use the sports team’s color combination as your color motif. If he doesn’t have a favorite team, you can just ask him which sport he likes the best, which can be the highlight of your party among all the other sports. Attach posters of famous sports figures on doors and walls, as well as big cutouts of sports items like baseball mitts and hockey sticks. (Want to create your own hockey stick? read how to make a hockey stick)

A lot of sports use balls, so you can also use these when choosing your balloons, plates and cups. If you can’t find balloons that are designed to look like sports balls, you can design them yourself. For example, you can use a magic marker to design an orange balloon to look like a basketball. You can use a red or black sharpie to design a white balloon to look like a baseball or a soccer ball. You can even involve your child in making those sports balloons, too.

Put up posters of famous sports figures on walls and doors. For a creative table cover, you can use brown butcher paper and white marker to design the cover to look like a baseball diamond. As an alternative, you can also use green butcher paper and white marker to make the cover to look like a soccer or a football field.

Decorate the rest of your party sports items. You can also ask your guests to come in sports attire from their favorite teams. Supply the parents with pom poms and flags to cheer their kids on later during the games and activities. As an alternative to sports uniforms, you can have t-shirts made for teams a few days before the party, and assign the kids to their teams as they arrive.

It’s also wise that wherever you’re having the party, you should have an outdoor venue to hold a round of different sports and activities. No sports party would be complete without actual sports.

High-Adrenaline Games and Activities

Sports parties are sure to be full of energy, so make sure that all the parents have extra shirts on standby for their energetic kids. You should also have Gatorade and a first-aid kit ready for scratches or wounds, just in case. Once you have all of these ready, you’re set to go for the following games and activities:

• Long Jump. Every NBA player knows that having a really good, tall jump is vital in scoring those points. Stick a long piece of adhesive tape across the ground. Each participant must jump the farthest they can without running to gain momentum.
• Obstacle Course Relay. Here’s one relay that will really give you a challenge: Put an obstacle course made from chairs, tires, jump ropes and have the teams try to relay past the obstacles and back. Time each team, and the team that finishes the relay course the quickest, wins.
• Balloon Volley. Play volleyball using two balloons, with both teams’ goal not to let the balloons touch the ground.
• Throw Hoops. Set up a pail or a trash can that will serve as a “basket”. Affix a spot on the floor away from the basket where the participants will stand. Have five to ten plastic balls at the ready and challenge the participants to shoot all ten balls successfully in the basket.
• Goal! Have a little relay game of soccer by putting obstacle courses and cones between the participants and the net.




• Make Your Own Sports Card. This is a great activity for the younger kids who can’t run around with the older kids just yet. Print out pictures of famous sports players and their stats. Supply the kids with sports card-sized cardboard cards, glue, glitter and other art materials to make their own personalized sports cards.
• Sports Party Wii. If you can’t play sports outside, why not play them indoors? Sports Party Wii lets you enjoy a variety of sports right in the comfort of your home.
• Face Paint. Paint the kids’ faces in their favorite sports teams’ colors. Combined with their sports attire, they’ll certainly get in the sporty mood. You can also add special touches by adding bandannas and sweatbands (Tips on how to make a face paint)
• Larger than Life. Your kids are dreaming to be big sports names someday, too. Supply your little guests with manila paper and have them lie down on it. Outline their bodies using a sharpie or a pencil. The kids will then design their own sports uniforms in any sport or team they like. They can be very creative with this activity, and you’ll see where their interests in sports really lie.

Sporty Food and Drinks

Serve typical ballpark and sport stadium food in your sports party for a totally authentic sports experience. You can also serve other food that the parents will enjoy as well. Here are some ideas:

• Ballpark Food. Nuts, popcorn, hotdog sandwiches, cotton candy, snow cones may be considered junk food by some, but the kids will surely adore them.
• Sporty Sandwiches. Cut out ball-shaped sandwiches using round cookie cutters. Another good idea is to use star-shaped cookie cutters. You can have a variety of sandwiches like tuna salad, chicken salad, ham or peanut butter and jelly.
• Spaghetti and Chicken Wings. A menu item that parents will certainly love and enjoy. It’s also very filling, which is good for hungry boys who just played sports.
• Gatorade. A colorful and healthy drink for real sports players and kids alike.
• Fruit Smoothies. Blend fruits like strawberries, bananas, oranges, grapes with a quart of frozen vanilla yogurt. Blend with ice and raspberry ginger ale and serve in punch bowls. Colorful, healthy and a very refreshing addition to your table.
• Sports Cake. Make different kinds of sports cake shaped like sports caps by baking a sphere cake and using white frosting in combined with other colors.

Obstacle course relay for fun activities. Check out this video.

Before the party ends, make sure each guest gets a great party favor, like chocolate footballs, marbles, and even sports cards. Your child’s sports party will certainly be the talk of the season. Have fun!