Party Plans
Planning a party should be fun for all, including the birthday child! If your child enjoys these types of activities, make sure to include him/her in all of the pre-party planning, such as developing the guest lists, planning the games, selecting the decorations, even preparing the party treats.
If your child is younger, consider creating a countdown calendar to keep track of the number of days until the party. Think how excited he/she will be by the time the big day arrives!
Deliver or mail your invitations at least 2-3 weeks in advance so that your guests can respond and plan accordingly.
Set a budget. Before you make any purchases or deposits, put together a list of all your expenses by item. If the total expenses are more than your buget, think of how you can creatively reduce your expenses by trimming some of the less important items. If necessary you may also need to trim your guest list.
Schedule
Consider limiting your party activities to no more than two hours. At this point the energy level of most children starts to fade, and all of those amazing party activities you have planned will cease to be fun. A two hour party will provide enough time for your child to greet all of his/her guests, play a few games, open gifts, celebrate with refreshments and cake, and say goodbyes.
Guests
It's tempting to not want to leave anyone out when planning a party for your child. Will this be a family event, or school friends only? What about brothers and sisters? Remember, it's important to keep the party size managable. If the weather permits, an outdoor event might provide more flexibility if you're working with a larger group. Together with your child develop his/her "wish" list of attendees, and then determine what will work best for your party setting. If the party is a large event with lots of guests, remember to include friends or family who are willing to lend a helping hand.
Decorations
Think about how you can "transform" areas of your home, yard, or other party space so that your guests truly experience the Bug theme. Reinforce the party theme with coordinating wall and table decorations. Bugs Everywhere includes a Centerpiece, Hanging Cutouts, Banners, Party Fringe, and Metallic Balloon.
Get creative! As part of the decorations, set up an area for the guests to "dig" for bugs. This can be very real using dirt and real bugs, or a little more playful using crushed chocolate wafer cookies ("dirt") and various types of candy and snacks to resemble "bugs". If you need additional ideas check out the internet, the library, or your local bookstore.
If your party is at home, don't forget to decorate the outside of your house! This will help set the mood for the party and direct guests to the correct address. Consider: plastic bugs of all shapes and sizes, spider webbing, and giant bug cutouts attached to sticks placed in the yard.
Activities/Games
To encourage participation from everyone at the party, it's always a good idea to stick to simple games that children may already know or can learn easily. Consider starting with something less active to allow the party goers to warm up to each other. It's also good to have these kinds of activities or games at the end of the party also, so that your guests can start to wind down prior to refreshments and saying goodbye.
Depending on the age of your party guests, be sure to include the Bugs Everywhere Match Game and Activity Kit when planning your party activities. Think of simple ways to adapt standard party games to complement the theme of the party. These include Scavenger Hunts for bugs, Pin the Spider on the Web, or a Spider Crawl.
If your guests are a little older, think of ways to make the games a little more "buggy" and "creepy". One idea might be to transform food items to common bugs, blindfold the guests, and let them guess what they are.
Make sure you have enough activities to last the length of the party, and then some. Running out of activities can quickly take your event from loads of fun to a party downer. Remember board games and craft materials can always be used in a pinch.
Other Ideas
Spend some time teaching your guests about bugs. Arrange a mini teaching session using materials from the library, bookstore, or internet. Or if it's nearby, arrange a tour to your local zoo or nature park.
Purchase craft materials for your guests to create their own set of antenna to take home. Include items such as headbands, glue, styrofoam balls, glitter glue, pipe cleaners, craft foam, and plastic jewels.
Create a memory book of the event using the Creative Expression Scrapbook Kit. Take lots of photos, everything from the guests, to the food, to the games, and the gifts. Make special note of the current events of the day. Include a few small decorations or momentos.
Include your guests in a group photo and include the photo as a momento with your thank you notes. Your guests will appreciate your thoughtfulness, and treasure the memory for years to come!
Party Wearables
Bugs Everywhere includes coordinating paper cone hats. But don't stop here! Encourage your guests to come to the party dressed as their favorite bug. Provide each guest with antenna when they arrive at the party, or have them make their own as a craft project (see Other Ideas above).
Prizes
Game prizes are fun for both winners and losers. Keep the prizes simple so others do not feel left out. Make sure to have some silly prizes on hand for the losers as well so they have something to take home.
Food
Treat your guests to a variety of creative snacks complete with fun names. Don't forget bug juice, worms (hot dogs cut into slivers, boiled), gummy worms, and more. Create an ant hill cake.
Don't Forget
What's a birthday cake without the candles? Make sure to have plenty on hand.
Unexpected
No matter how much you plan, be sure to expect the unexpected, both good and bad. Be prepared with a good attitude and a camera! |
