Creative Party Blog

You know Pinatas are really fun for kids to have at birthday parties. And having a pirate skull head is the best!

I don’t believe the hostess made this one but there is no reason why you couldn’t. It’s been a long time since I’ve personally made a pinata but maybe I’ll endeavor one and give you a run down. But this one looks super simple. Just a balloon and some paper sticking out for the cross bones would be all you need for this pirate paper mache pinata.

Speaking of making the pinata for a pirate party….why not have your kid be involved in making their own pinata for their birthday party. My daughter is in first grade and she just did paper mache in her class and did a great job. It may not look like a professional but if your child is like mine, she love to be involved in the planning process……when I let her……I know that’s terrible.

What ever you decide, kids never tire of smacking something like a pinata with a bat. Might as well be something you don’t mind them tearing up. Fill it full and don’t forget to hold some back for the kids who aren’t as aggressive and don’t get any candy.

Ar….There is nothing better for a birthday party than a little story time activity. Especially during a Pirate Birthday Party that can easily get out of control, a story being read will calm those crazy energy bugs down!

The great thing about this activity during a Pirate party is not only that this type of party can be crazy. But there are some great Pirate books out there that can be read. You can even have the kids participate by repeating the words that the crew does.

My favorites are: How I Became A Pirate and Pirates Don’t Change Diapers. I think you would be hard pressed to not find this author. And if I’m not mistaken, I think there is another coming out. These stories are very fun and a great activity for a Pirate Party!

Let me hear you say “Arh.” These were common words to hear coming out of this captain’s mouth. At birthday parties, moms and dads are often busying around with the party and all the details that go with it and aren’t enjoying the party itself. Whether it’s a pirate party or another theme altogether, you are going to have the same experience.

Just like you might hire a caterer or servers for a dinner party, hire a party “captain.” This gal was part of a package that the birthday boy’s mom purchased at a local store that sells pirate garb. But even if you are having your party at home, you can still do this. Now, I’m not talking about an entertainer. I’m talking about a person who takes the planning that you have set into motion and carries it out. This leaves you to pay attention to the pirates or to other moms.

A college student would be perfect but really any responsible kid could carry it all out. My daughter “big kid helps” at my son’s preschool. She is only 7 and totally guides the little ones in the activities for the day. I don’t see why she wouldn’t be able to carry out the basic functions of a birthday party if she were allowed to be in charge.

Regardless or not if you have someone else run the party for you or it’s you yourself running the party….don your favorite pirate captain’s costume and it will make the party all that much more fun for the kids. And it helps you get into character as well!

We recently went to a Pirate Birthday Party at one of our local malls. The store was a Pirate themed store and in the back they had an area for the kids table and room for activities. What a great idea to generate extra revenue for those guys!!!

Anyway, during party times and peak times, they have a “warm up” guy out front of the store to greet the kids. He makes all kinds of balloons into swords and hats and whatever can be dreamed up. I can see this being a fun addition to the beginning of any birthday party. Really not even just Pirate parties. There are tons of clowns and balloon guys around who could do this to warm kids up and set the tone for the party.

So for the next Pirate or other type of Birthday party, consider just having a balloon maker come to warm the kids up or to be the primary entertainment.

Magic Show Birthday Parties are becoming very popular. And what’s a magic themed birthday party without a real magician? For the right age kid, it can really be fun for them. This birthday boy is obviously having a great time.

I’ve been to several of these types of parties over the last year or so and really it doesn’t matter much how good your magician is. The kids seem to love all level of talented magician. There was one in particular that the adults didn’t really care for but the kids loved him. Then there have been others that both adults and kids love. The best way to find these guys is just by word of mouth referrals.

As you can tell by the faces of these kids, this magician was a bit hit. I will say that kids get to a certain age and they really try figuring out how the tricks work. You’ll have to base it on your child and their friends. But I think that the perfect age range for a magician is where the kids are from say 4 to 8…..maybe 9. At some point, they start heckling the magician and that’s not fun.

This particular magician was at a birthday party for a 5 year old and his name is Presto from Portland, OR. I’ll just say that the kids loved him.

It really doesn’t matter the age of a child…..you give them a few balls or riding toys or a net and a gym and the kids will figure out something to play! This party was in a neighborhood gym and these parties really end up being the easiest parties that still let you put your own mark on.

Many times when I’m planning a party, I think of all the cool places that are out there that we could have a party at…..you know the places. But when it comes to being able to individualize the party, it’s really tough. Now, I’m sure that’s my own hangup and not one that my children share but it really does make a difference to personalize a party.

When you want to personalize a party it doesn’t mean that you have to plan and schedule every second of the party. Have the party at a location that lends it’self to free play. You can eat up 30 min to an hour with the kids just getting their wiggles out.

Don’t be afraid of the down time and let them make their own fun with free play.

Birthday Pinatas don’t have to be traditional! It is much easier to find a pinata that matches the theme of the party you are having. But if you can find a unique decoration like this one, go for it.

The mom of the birthday girl found this decoration that a local store was about to discard. She took it, filled the center hole with candy and put some plastic in front to secure the candy. This party was for 4 year olds so she knew that her pinata wouldn’t be torn up that much. Even if it was, it didn’t really matter.

So, when thinking of having a birthday party pinata, think outside of the box and don’t feel like you can only use a pre-made pinata. Or even have your kids make one…….who knows.

Setting the mood of your birthday party is just as important as with an evening cocktail party. Besides everyone being incredibly visual, folks are also auditory. I know that I’m not telling you anything that you don’t already know! But when you are planning a birthday party, especially for kids, you get all caught up in the minutia of the party and forget about some of the other important details.

Now that Ipods are so popular, providing your own music can not be easier. Really you can’t go wrong with background music. We’ve been to parties where the music is all kids oriented and others where the music is more along what the parents like. And to my surprise, the kids love much of the adult music as well. As long as it’s up beat, the kids will love it.

If anyone is interested in play lists, let me know and I’ll get my husband on it. He’s the one in charge of music in our house! Just let me know.

When it comes to outdoor Birthday Party Games, the old faithful seem to win out over all others. Pretty much any game that can be played inside can be played outside. But not vise versa….. We’ve been to several birthday parties and the best games and activities are the ones I played when I was little! And I’m not even going to begin to tell you how long ago that was.

Having a water hose attached to pretty much anything can provide a long span of fun for almost any kid. Especially if it’s hot outside. If you plan to do this, it’s always helpful to give the parents a heads up to bring a bathing suit. But even if they forget, up to a certain age, the kids can just strip down to their skibbies. Why not?

I’ve seen all variations of pin the tail on the ??? You fill in the blank. In our outdoor bug party, they pinned the spots on the lady bug. I had at a winter party, pin the parts on a snowman. Use your imagination here but these can be fun for many ages. I will admit that kids that are about 5 or 6 and up have more fun with this game. The little ones don’t seem to get as much out of it and lose interest pretty quickly.

For older kids, sometimes all you need to do is to carry along a bag full of sports equipment. At this party, they had 3 hula hoops set out. This is a skill that ages 5 or 6 and older have got down but much younger they don’t. And throwing a ball back and forth takes too much effort on a parents part. But for older kids, it’s a great time filler. Our super hero party that we’ve highlighted, had an obstacle course outside. I’ve seen duck duck goose done effectively. Face painting. Don’t let the outdoor party part of it throw you. Let your imagination go free and enjoy being outdoor for your kids’ birthday party!

This idea is a great way to kill two birds with one stone! At this Almost Sleepover Birthday Party, the girls got to put the toppings of their choice on their own pizza square. It was a great idea to get the girls involved in the party AND it took up some time which can be a mom’s worst nightmare…….what am I going to do with all these girls for 4 hours…..

You can buy pre-made pizza crust at many grocery stores. Roll it out yourself and place on the baking sheets. Let the kids put on the sauce or it might be easier for the mom to do it. Then have bowls of cheese, pepperoni slices, peppers, mushrooms….anything you think the kids would like. Then one at a time, let them prepare their own slice just the way they like it.

Send them to tear up your daughter’s room and a few minutes later, the pizzas are ready!

I don’t care the age, I don’t care the sex, I don’t care what kind of party it is or just gathering for that matter…….having an organized ice breaker at the beginning always starts the party off right. Now, I’m not talking about a silly ice breaker. I’m talking about a planned activity that is ready to go as folks walk in the door. I’ve watched adults and children hesitantly walk into a room when there is a great deal of commotion and it takes them a while to warm up. Then I’ve watched the same kids walk in and immediately sit down to a project with other kids and they are engaged right off the bat.

At this almost sleepover party, the hosted had the idea to let the girls decorate their own craft supply caddy to take home. It was very timely as it had just been valentines and my daughter for one came home with a box full of craft supplies! So this was a great idea for her to keep all those supplies right where should could use them when she wanted.

I’m not sure where these boxes were purchased cut with “storage” and organizing being the thing right now, you can find a myriad of things out there at hobby shops and scrapbooking supply stores. Provide the storage box and a little permanent paint and the kids provide the creativity. Honestly this could be done for any age kindergarten and up.

Having a Halloween Party or a Halloween Birthday Party? Make it more festive by encouraging everyone to dress up…..even moms and dads.

We had a kid Halloween Party and to encourage everyone to dress up, we gave prizes for the best or most creative costume. Funny enough both winners (mom and kid) were pirates!

For the moms we gave an orange spatula and I can’t even remember what we gave the child winner but just about anything works. It’s all about the fashion show and suspense of who wins!

Resources: We found the orange spatula at William Sonoma. During the holidays they have lots of fun items. If not, Halloween is just about the easiest time to find holiday items that would be fun prizes!

Making playdough can be a rewarding activity for kids of many ages no matter if it’s at home or during a party. I make playdough with my kids all the time. They love working with the dough. I just make sure to plan the activity on a day that I don’t care if my kitchen gets messed up!!!

Following are some recipes that I’ve accumulated. My favorite is recipe #1. I would recommend you try them all and see which one works best for you. All the recipes for the playdough are very similar. Only slight variations but as with baking, slight variations will make very different playdough.

Play Dough Recipe #1

Directions:
Mix together dry ingredients:
2 Cups White Flour
1 Cup Salt
4 tsp Cream of Tarter

To 2 Cups of Boiling Water, add:
4 Tbsp Cooking Oil
1 tsp Food Coloring

Pour liquids into the dry ingredients and stir well. When slightly cooled, knead for a few minutes until smooth.

Hint: Use and electric mixer and it’s sooo easy. If you are doing it by hand and the kids are helping, you might choose to put the food coloring into the dough after it is kneaded. And the better or more concentrated the food coloring is, the brighter the color of play dough you will get.

Play Dough Recipe #2

Directions:
Mix together:
1 Cup Salt
3 Cups Flour
4 tsp Cream of Tarter
2 Tbsp Cooking Oil
1 1/4 Cup Boiling Water
Food Coloring

Makes 4 small plastic containers of Play Dough

Play Dough Recipe #3

Directions:
Mix Together in Saucepan,
2 Cups All Purpose Flour
1 Cup Salt
1 Tbsp Cooking Oil
3 tsp Cream of Tarter
2 1/4 Cups Water

Cook above over medium heat 4 to 6 minutes until batter is like mashed potatoes. Pull of stove and let cool. Add food coloring into the mixer or add later when the kids can knead it in.

Be sure and keep the playdough in an airtight container or a plastic storage bag and your playdough can last up to a month!

I’m about to share with you an activity that did not work out so well…..but only because the kids were a little young. For my daughter’s 3rd Creative Art Birthday Party, we decided to have an activity for the kids to do when they arrived at the party. And what could be more fun than making playdough?

Well, it was not so much fun for this age. I recommend you consider this as a GREAT activity but do it for ages 5 and up. At 3 they were still a little hesitant to get their hands goopy.

I had little containers already measured out with the dry ingredients. All the kids had to do was to dump the playdough ingredients into bowls and add water. Mix with your fingers and add a little food coloring. Easy craft or activity for a kids party. Maybe a little messy but super fun.

My kids are older now and they just die to help me make playdough. And love that they’ve done it themselves!

Resources: We have several playdough recipes that we’d like to share with you.

Once all of your guests have arrived to your Princess Theme Party, a great idea is to have a puppet show set up in another part of your home for the kids to move to. This idea is great for younger children as it’s all really magical for them. Most cities have puppet show artists that you can hire. Super easy and you don’t have to be in charge of too many activities or games!

The puppet production groups will often have multiple shows that can fit within your party theme. If they don’t advertise one that you think will work for you, feel free to ask them if they could put one together for your particular theme. These folks are often very creative and can come up with a show very easily.

Resources: The puppeteer for this party was Penny’s Puppet Productions for Birthday Fun.

Photo taken by Amy Hall Photography, Portland, OR.

A great first activity when kids arrive at a birthday party is to have a craft project to work on. This keeps the kids busy while others arrive and gives you something to direct them to immediately.

The boys decorated cardboard shields purchased already cut and glued a handle on to the back. Then the girls project was to decorate their own party crown. Again, the hats/crowns were purchase and then the kids glued on adornments and colored on them. Both a nice compliment to the want and swords that were given as favors.

Resources: Pre-cut shields and pre-made hats were purchased at Oriental Trading.

Photo taken by Amy Hall Photography, Portland, OR.

A great way to start a birthday party is by providing an activity to start the party. This gets the kids comfortable doing something they LOVE to do and keeps them busy while other guests arrive. We have two coloring pages that have flowers on them for you to print off and make copies for your guests to color.

If these don’t strike your fancy, there is tons of free flower clip art online that you can look for to print off for the kids to color.

To See Templates:
Click below link through 2 screens.

Flower Clip Art 1

Flower Clip Art 2

Having a Birthday Dance Party for little kids was really fun. And what was more fun was to see parents and kids realizing that they can like the same music!

As part of the kids favors for this dance party, we put together a Dance Party Music CD that we gave to each family. We photoshopped the cover images and made a collage on the front of the jewel case. We could have gone a step further and made a sticker for the front of the CD but didn’t. They are easy enough to do. All you have to do is purchase the stickers from Avery or someone and then use their software. I hear it’s pretty easy.

Anyway, we wanted to share our song list with you in case you want to make your own dance party CD. Vogue, All Star, Gettin’ Jiggy, Faith, Can’t Touch This, Celebration, Come On Eileen, To Be Real, Hooked, Sweet Home Alabama, Joker, Comin’ Out, Tide is High, Curious George, YMCA, Jack & Diane, Dream Machine, When It’s Over and Brown Eyed Girl.

Enjoy your own dance party. This is just the beginning. There are many more popular dance songs to add to your music list.

Oh my this was such the best idea! It was the cupe de grace for this party! Yes, face painting is all over the place but no matter how often the kids get to go it, they still can’t get enough. Think about it……if you are a female, how often do you put make up on?

This lady is a clown who does face painting and balloon magic. Most major city will have many folks who do the same. These people really love their art and are quite good. Our clown goes by Bizzy and was so nice and great with the kids.

Because it was a bug party, all the kids got a bug face painted and then were able to get the complimentary wings to go with their face! So, if you wanted a spider, you go it. If you wanted a butterfly, you got it. You wanted a Ladybug, you got it. Any bug the kids could dream up, Bizzy could do them. The painting can be as intricate or simple as you wish.

These were more simple faces. Simply because the kids were lined up for Bizzy’s magic and didn’t want to do anything else until they were all dolled up!

With some simple asking around or searching on the web for clowns in your area, you should be able to find one that is willing to come for an hour or two to your party. Know their policies up front and ask all the questions before the party. You don’t want to get to the party and have to negotiate with your clown while the kids are running around. You want to be focused on your child and how much fun they are having.

Resources: If you live in Portland, OR, check out this clown for your child’s bug birthday party at Bizzy’s Website. They will go home as spiders, lady bugs, a butterfly or whatever bug they can think of and the make believe play will last way longer than the birthday party.

Many games that you play at Birthday Parties can be altered to fit almost any theme you are having. These that were played at this bug birthday party are not new games. In fact I played them when I was little and I suspect my parents played them when they were little. It’s all in how you present it. AND the kids never know. The simplest of games are often the most fun for kids.

What’s better than being blindfolded and sent to pin the tail on something? And in this case, the children needed to pin the spots on the lady bug. It was so funny. No matter how close we started out the kids, they had the hardest time of getting the spots anywhere close the the ladybug wings. And she was so big!!! Easy. Fun. One they will stand in line to do.

This game is also nothing new. Toss the bean bag into a tub or through a board with holes in it standing up. In this case the hostess had drawn bug pics on the solid colored bean bags. And it completely pulled the theme right in!

Remember that you don’t have to create new games. It’s just all how you tie them in to your current theme.