Party Buzz - Kid's Birthday Party Ideas

Creating a Tropical Paradise for a Luau Party

2006-07-24T16:35:00.000-07:00

The summer weather is upon us, which means it’s a great time to have a luau party! There are tons of luau party supplies and decorations on the market, so creating your tropical paradise should be a snap.

First of all, decide on where the luau party location will be. Will it be in your backyard or at a local park? Grab and pen or pencil and imagine the party area and how you would want the area to look. Once you have all your ideas jotted down, you can start planning.

Here are some decoration ideas that work will work great for easily creating your tropical paradise:

•Palm Trees – You can purchase inflatable palm trees, or make your own by hanging coconuts from existing trees or making some out of construction paper.
•Flowers – Hibiscus and plumeria flowers are the some of the most popular Hawaiian flowers. You can either purchase real flowers or fake flowers, or you can make your own flower decorations out of tissue paper.
•Grass Skirts – Grass skirts are usually something to wear, but they make a great decoration item. Use grass skirts to hang around the edge of a table or around the perimeter of the party area.
•Tiki Torches – These can be found almost anywhere. Check with your local hardware store or all-purpose stores.
•Luau Party Supplies – There is a wide assortment of luau party supplies available online or in your local stores. Two great luau themes can be found at http://www.partydestination.com/. Both of these themes also come with coordinating luau party items!

Once you have planned out your decorations, it’s time to create your menu. To keep things simple, barbequing is your best option. Shake things up by barbequing kabobs. Add chicken, pork, or beef on a kabob with veggies and fruit such as pineapple. Brew up some fun iced drinks that people of all ages can enjoy. Add an umbrella and a small slice of pineapple to make their drink feel even more tropical!

To keep the luau party fun going, try to incorporate some activities into the party. Piñatas and a hula-hoop or limbo contest are great activities that guests of all ages will love. Also, plan on greeting your luau party guests each with a Hawaiian lei. If you are on a budget, fake leis can be found for fairly cheap and are just as fun! Also request on your luau party invitations that guests come dressed in their best Hawaiian attire.

To complete your tropical paradise, have Hawaiian luau music playing in the background.

Ideas for a Superman Kid Birthday Party

2006-07-07T16:40:00.000-07:00

Kids, especially young boys, are overly excited about Superman with the recent release of Superman Returns in the movie theaters. If your kid wants to have a Superman party, there are many great game and activity ideas, as well as Superman party supplies and Superman party favors to purchase.

“Superhero Capes” would be the first suggestion for an activity. It’s pretty simple. Go to your local fabric store and buy some fabric (preferably, fabric that won’t unravel). Cut the fabric to create “capes” and tie a string to two corners of the fabric. Have items like glitter, glue, markers, stencils, etc. on hand and let the children decorate their capes. When they are done, tie them on and have a blast! This activity is sure to be fun for the children and it will be a great souvenir for the party guests to take home.

Looking for a game the children can play? You could set up a “superhero” obstacle course. Grab some couch cushions, chairs, toys, bicycles, ropes, or any other item that you can find around the house. Set the items up out in your yard or inside your house to create an obstacle course. Explain to all the children that they have to jump over this and crawl under that. Time the children, fastest wins a prize!

A super cute party recipe that would go great with a Superman birthday party is “Kryptonite Kubes.” To make them, just add drops of green food coloring to your ice trays, fill them with water, and freeze overnight. Put the cubes in a punch bowl and pour lemon-lime soda over them.

Now that you have a few ideas about fun activities that can be done at a Superman birthday party, all you need is the Superman party supplies. You can find coordinating invitations, plates, cups, napkins, party favors, and piñatas. If your birthday child wants to be Superman at their birthday party, there are also Superman costumes available. The possibilities for having a great Superman kid birthday party are endless!

Pull-String Pinatas & How They Work

2006-06-27T16:17:00.000-07:00

Pull-string piñatas are designed for parents, who prefer to have their children, particularly small children, play a non-aggressive game or if the party game area is indoors. The pull-string piñata is a gentler version of the regular game of piñata.

The pull-string piñata is constructed like a regular piñata with a few exceptions. First, it has a secret trap door. Secondly, it has 20-30 ribbons that hang from the bottom. Only the “lucky” ribbon, however, is attached to the trap door that opens when the ribbon is pulled. All the other ribbons are lightly attached and pull off when tugged.

Many piñatas come with pull-strings pre-attached. Even though a piñata has pull-strings, you can still hit it like a regular piñata. If you have a piñata that doesn’t include pull-strings, you can purchase a pull-string converter kit for fairly cheap. The pull-string converter kits are easy to install on most piñatas. The only requirement is that your piñata have a flat surface on the bottom of the piñata.

Pull-String Converter Kit - $2.99 at Birthday Express

~ Party Chatter

Table Decoration Ideas for a Kid Birthday Party

2006-06-26T16:38:00.000-07:00

Have you ever started decorating for your kid's birthday party and wondered what you could do to make your decorations look like a pro came in and did it? Whenever I have a birthday party for my son, I stress about how the decorations need to look perfect so the guests will be excited when they arrive to my son's party. I've come across some great ideas through the years, specifically on decorating the main table. Here are some tips that'll help any parent when attempting to decorate for their child's party.

First, spread your tablecover on the party table. If you're concerned about your table possibly being damaged by spilled drinks, put a protective layer underneath the tablecover. If you are having a themed birthday party, find toys, favors, or centerpieces that coordinate with the theme to put in the center of the table.

Second, cut several 12-inch pieces of curling ribbon and curl it by pulling it between your thumb and the blade of scissors. Lay the resulting curls along your table and in front of each guest's place setting. They'll love the added touch and the extra attention you paid to make them feel sepcial.

For an overall visual affect, set the table before the guests arrive. Most times, you won't break out the plates and napkins until cake and ice cream time. Putting these items out before hand will make your table stand out and will add value to the overall "decoration" of the party.

If you know each guest that will be attending the party, it's a great idea to make placecards. This helps prevent hurt feelings when they discover that not everyone can sit next to the birthday child. Plus, your child isn't put on the spot of deciding who gets to sit next to him or her. You and your child can figure that out before the party starts. Party favor boxes or bags are a great subsitute to put out if you don't have any placecards.

Balloons can also add a great affect to the overall look of your main party table. Tie a balloon to each chair that surrounds the table. You could even write the name of each child on a balloon and use them as "placecards". If you have a lighting fixture of some sort hanging above your table, tie some balloons & curling ribbon to it.

Last but not least, put the birthday cake out on the table for the guests to see when they arrive. Children love getting a look at the birthday cake. Just make sure that you keep it covered to prevent little fingers from taking a sample of the frosting before cake and ice cream time.

Keep one thing in mind when decorating your main party table - don't clutter it. Setting out the plates, napkins, placecards, cake, and a few table decorations is all you should need to make your main party table the center of attention!

Ideas for an Outdoor Kid’s Birthday Party

2006-06-23T12:58:00.000-07:00

Now that summer is upon us, it’s the perfect time to spend more time outside. If you have any children with a summer birthday, try throwing the party outdoors. Not only are there a number of places and activities that can be done outside, you’ll save your house from being destroyed by all the little munchkins!

Some great places to have an outdoor birthday party for your kid are at a local park, swimming pool, beach, theme park, or in your own backyard. If you plan on having your party anywhere besides your backyard, you may want to make a few calls to reserve party space.

Depending on where you have your party, you may or may not need party supplies and decorations. If you will be having your party in your backyard or at a park, balloons, tablecovers, plates, napkins, cups, and forks & spoons are a must have. You could probably skip trying to hang up streamers – in case the wind picks up! Other venues such as a local swimming pool or theme park usually provide most of your party supplies. When calling to make reservations at these venues, make sure to ask what supplies they provide.

The good thing about having your party outdoors is that it allows the children to have a lot of room to run around and have a good time with their friends and family. There is several fun and easy games that can be played outside such as a game of baseball or kickball, a treasure hunt, freeze tag, or Marco Polo if your party is at a pool. If you are really into letting the kids get competitive, break them up into teams of two and have a three-legged race, an egg toss, or a relay race.

If you will be responsible for providing the food at the party, keep it simple or have a BBQ. Kid’s love finger foods so if you plan on having a short party, put out some meat, cheese, crackers, fruit, and veggies for them to munch on. If you are having a longer party at a park or in your backyard, grill up some hamburgers and hotdogs as well!

If you are looking for some additional ideas for throwing an kid birthday party outside, check out some useful links below:

Birthday Express: Party Planning – Games, activities, and fun recipes!
FamilyFun – Summer Activities!

~ Party Chatter

Disney's Cars - Hot New Party Theme!

2006-06-21T15:35:00.000-07:00

The buzz in the theaters right now is Cars, a Disney Pixar movie. Children are going crazy and the partyware has become very popular! The partyware is super cute and features Lightning McQueen on most of the partyware. You can also find great party favors and party accessories to coordinate with the partyware!

Try out Birthday Express - they have a huge selection of Cars party items!

Find Your Local Movie Times:
http://movies.yahoo.com/

Checkout reviews at New York Times:
http://movies2.nytimes.com/gst/movies/movie.html?v_id=290414&excamp=GGMVdisneycars

Party Planning Checklist

2006-06-20T16:23:00.000-07:00

Print out this cool party planning checklist. It'll help you keep your mind in check when preparing for your child's next birthday party!

3-4 weeks before your party

• Choose a party theme.
• Create the guest list. Guests generally range from friends at daycare, school or the neighborhood, then add close relatives.
• Pick the party date and time. Parties are generally 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours long.
• Order party supplies, decorations, party favors, activities and prizes for games. Be sure to order enough tableware for the adults that will attend, as well.

2-3 weeks before your party
• Send the invitations. It is best to ask guests to RSVP to get an estimate of how many children to expect.
• Decide on activities and games to play.
• Consider the age of the children and plan games and activities accordingly. Plan more games than you expect to use in case you run out of activities before the party is over.
• Plan your menu.
• Arrange for extra help on the party day from friends or relatives.

1 week before the party
• Order cake from a bakery if you are not baking your own. Bake cake and freeze it, if making your own.
• Make any other foods that can be made ahead of time and store foods in the freezer.
• Write out a final schedule of activities for the party.
• Confirm any orders placed for the cake and/or party supplies.
• Let siblings invite a special friend over for the day so they won't feel left out. They can either play apart from the party or they can be helpers.

2-3 days before the party
• Buy remaining food for the party. Buy film and/or videotape.
• Check batteries for the camera and/or camcorder.
• Get an exact guest count. Call those who haven't responded.
• Arrange to have balloons filled with helium to pick up the day of the party. It is fun to have each guest go home with a balloon.

1 day before the party
• Finish decorating the cake, or pick up the cake from the bakery.
• Make sure you have plenty of candles and matches.
• Child-proof the party area.
• Decorate any indoor areas (save outdoor decorating for the day of the party).
• Prepare food that can be made ahead of time.

Party day

• Pick up helium-filled balloons.
• Prepare foods and beverages that could not be made ahead of time.
• Take plenty of pictures and videos to commemorate this special day.

Remember, young guests will be excited and mishaps may occur. Keep your sense of humor, and even if not every aspect of the party goes off as planned, the most important part is to enjoy the day as you celebrate the life of your child!

Copyright © Celebrate Express, Inc.

Welcome

2006-06-20T15:25:00.000-07:00

Thanks for visiting Party Buzz! We will be posting anything and everything having to do with kid's birthday party ideas daily.

This blog is presented on behalf of Celebrate Express, Inc. Our utlimate goal is to be a great resource for parents to visit to get party planning ideas - not only from us, but from our blog visitors! We encourage anyone visiting this site to post any party ideas or suggestions that they may have!

Thanks,

Party Chatter