The Kids’ Pick-a-Party Book 50 Fun Themes for Happy Birthdays and Other Parties Penny Warner The Kids’ Pick-a-Party Book Penny Warner The Kids’ Pick-a-Party Book 50 Fun Themes for Happy Birthdays and Other Partie s Penny Warner The Kid’s Pick-a-Party Book Electronic book published by ipicturebooks.com 24 W. 25th St. New York, NY 10010 For more ebooks, visit us at: http://www.ipicturebooks.com All rights reserved. Copyright © 1997 by Penny Warner Originally published by Meadowbrook Press in 1997. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. e-ISBN 1-59019-906-5 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Warner, Penny. The kids pick-a-party book : 50 fun party themes for kids, ages 2 to 16 / by Penny Warner. p. cm. 1. Children’s parties. 2. Birthdays. I. Title. GV1205.W378 1997 793.2’1—dc21 97-35061 CIP DEDICATION As always, to Tom, Matt, and Rebecca ACKNOWLEDGMENTS To the students at Diablo Valley College and Chabot College who contribute wonderful ideas. CONTENTS page Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii Abracadabra Party (6 to 12 years) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Action Heroes Party (2 to 10 years) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Around the World Party (8 to 12 years) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Bazillions of Balloons Party (2 to 8 years) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Beary Fun Picnic Party (2 to 8 years) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Bike and Trike Party (5 to 14 years) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Bugs Are Beautiful Party (3 to 10 years) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Camp-Out Party (6 to 14 years) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Candy and Cake Party (5 to 8 years) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Carnival/Circus Party (2 to 12 years) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Cooks in the Kitchen Party (8 to 14 years) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Crafty Artists Party (4 to 12 years) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Creative Careers Party (8 to 14 years) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Deejay Dance Party (8 to 16 years) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Dinner and Drama Party (10 to 16 years) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Ghosts and Goblins Party (8 to 14 years) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Hawaiian Luau Party (6 to 10 years) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Ice- and Roller-Skating Party (8 to 16 years) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Inquiring Snoop Party (8 to 14 years) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 It’s a Mystery Party (8 to 16 years) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Karaoke Party (6 to 14 years) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 Kooky Cookie Party (4 to 10 years) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Lions, Tigers, and Bears Party (2 to 10 years) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 Locomotion Party (2 to 10 years) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 Makeover Party (8 to 14 years) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 Music Maker Party (3 to 12 years) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 Olympics Party (8 to 14 years) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 Pets on Parade Party (2 to 10 years) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81 Pirate Ship Party (4 to 12 years) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 PJ Party (6 to 14 years) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87 Planet Earth Party (8 to 14 years) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 Prehistoric Party (2 to 8 years) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93 Restaurant/Café Party (8 to 15 years) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96 Sand Castle Party (6 to 12 years) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99 Science Explorers Party (8 to 14 years) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101 Screen Test Party (8 to 14 years) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104 Secret Agent Party (8 to 12 years) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107 Sleepwalking Party (8 to 14 years) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109 Snow Sculpture Party (6 to 12 years) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112 Space Invaders Party (6 to 12 years) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114 Spanish Fiesta Party (6 to 12 years) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117 Splish-Splash Party (6 to 12 years) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120 Sports and Games Party (8 to 14 years) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123 Storybook Party (2 to 8 years) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126 Time Machine Party (8 to 12 years) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128 Toon Town Party (2 to 6 years) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131 Trash Bash Party (8 to 12 years) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134 Upside-Down, Inside-Out, and Backwards Party (8 to 12 years) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137 Wake-Up Party (8 to 14 years) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140 Wild West Party (6 to 10 years) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142 INTRODUCTION For many parents, planning a child’s birthday party can be overwhelming. There are so many details to consider, you might wonder where to begin. The whole event can seem unwieldy and chaotic when you have to decide • whom to invite to make the party fun; • what to set up to create a festive atmosphere; • what treats to serve that the kids will eat; • what games to play to get the kids involved; • what activities to provide to keep the kids entertained; • what favors to send home with the guests without breaking your budget; • how to ensure that everything runs smoothly. The trick to successful party planning is to select a theme. Every birthday or holiday party needs a theme to give it focus. The theme forms the heart of the party and provides the personality, creativity, uniqueness, and detail for the event. The best way to pick a theme is to ask an expert—your child! Kids know their interests, and those interests can easily become the motif of any celebration. If, however, you and your child need some help choosing a party theme, or if you’re looking for something out of the ordinary, check out the suggestions in the following chapters for ideas, directions, and details. Once you’ve chosen your theme, simply pick out the invitations, decorations, and party favors to match, and adapt them to fit your needs and the ages of the kids. You’ll find that having a central focus for the party helps stimulate ideas and organize your efforts. Before you select a party theme, consider what type of party you want to host. Below are six distinct party types: • The Event Party—This party features an event, such as a homemade carnival or ice skating show at the park. You can create the event at home, in the backyard, at the local park, or host the party at an event site, to make it even more authentic. • The Movie Party—This party is designed around a favorite movie or video: an animated cartoon such as Aladdin, a silly comedy such as Ace Ventura, or an action-packed adventure such as Jurassic Park. You can take the kids to the theater or show a video right in the party room. • The Activity Party—This kind of party focuses on a special activity of interest to your child. Swimming, reading science fiction stories, or working with arts and crafts, all make good party themes. Host a swimming party at a pool or beach, have a sci-fi party with costumes and games, or provide arts and crafts materials and let the kids create their own party. • The Fantasy Party—A fantasy party turns the ordinary into the fantastic. Turn your family room into a forest, your garage into a garden, or your patio into a pirate’s den. All you need is a handful of materials, such as crepe paper and cardboard, a giant helping of enthusiasm from family members, and a pinch of imagination to provide the special details that make the fantasy come alive. Voilá! You have a one-of-a-kind celebration in a magical, new world! • The Special Guest Party—This party has a special guest as its focus. Invite a storyteller who can make a book come to life; a makeup artist to perform miracle makeovers; a musician to teach the kids guitar; a magician to perform feats of magic; a sports figure to talk about the big leagues; a local star to share some behind-the-scenes stories; or simply have someone dress up like a character in keeping with your party theme, such as Batman, Barbie, a Power Ranger, or a princess. Let the special guest entertain the kids while you focus on the food, fun, and favors. • The Outing Party—This type of party involves a special outing. You can visit a variety of exciting sites—from the airport to the zoo. You may want to take the kids to a special restaurant, a kids’ theater production, a candy factory, a local campground, a children’s museum, a fire station, or an amusement park. The themes included in Kids’ Pick-a-Party Book provide suggestions for invitations, costumes, decorations, games, activities, food, and favors. Each party theme also includes a section called Variation that offers additional ideas for that particular theme. And you’ll find a few Helpful Hints to help you overcome problems that may arise during the fun. To further personalize your party, use your creativity and imagination to match your child’s unique taste and temperament. From under the sea to outer space—and everywhere in between—Kids’ Pick-a- Party Book has plenty of party ideas. Now it’s time to PARTY! [...]...PARTIES A G E S 6 T O 1 2 ABRACADABRA PARTY To create a magical Abracadabra Party, perform these amazing party- planning tricks that are sure to astound the kids Then watch what appears right before your very eyes! INVITATIONS • Write the party details on white cutouts of a rabbit Cut out a black hat and make a slit in the hat into which the rabbit “disappears.” Leave the rabbit’s ears showing, and... bears VARIATIONS • Instead of a Teddy Bear Party, have a Baby Doll Party or a Monster Party, and let the kids bring their favorite related toys • Have an adult friend rent a bear costume and make a surprise appearance at the party • Take a trip to the zoo to see the real bears • Make miniature teddy bears using brown socks Have the kids stuff the socks with newspaper or batting, then tie off the head from... a bunch of candy bars and carefully remove all the wrappers Set the candy bars aside Write the party details inside the wrappers using a permanent felt-tip pen, or insert a separate piece of paper with the party information inside the wrapper Fold the wrappers back up without the candy, and place them in envelopes to mail to the kids Save the candy bars for a game • If you prefer, send the candy bar,... let the kids pull the rabbits out of the hats to read the invitations • Write the party details with a white crayon on white paper to make the invitations appear blank Include a color crayon with each invitation, and tell the guests to color over the paper to magically reveal the party details! RABBIT-IN -A- HAT CUPCAKES 1 Bake chocolate cupcakes according to package directions; cool 2 Set each cupcake... add paper cutouts for arms and hands, legs and feet, ears and hair FOOD VARIATIONS • Have a clown come to your party and ask him or her to make balloon creatures for all the kids • Have a clown come to the party to teach the kids how to make their own balloon animals • Plan a water balloon party, get parents’ permission, and have the kids bring a set of extra clothes to the party HELPFUL HINTS • Be... the candy bar names • Unwrap the candy bars and rewrap them in foil Then let the kids guess the brands just by looking at the shapes • Play the Candy Catch Game Have the kids sit in a circle Place a bunch of candy bars (one for each player) in the center of the circle Give each player four playing cards, and place the remainder of the deck in the middle One player begins by drawing a new card from the. .. guests as they arrive • Fill the party room with balloons— attached to the door handles and along the walls, floating or suspended from the ceiling, for a balloon canopy • Cut out balloon shapes from colored construction paper and use them as place mats, wall hangings, and other decorations GAMES clothes with balloons, or wear the balloons around their ankles and wrists The kids can even use deflated balloons,... If you have any tapes of animal sounds, play them when the kids go to bed Such tapes are available at nature stores • Get out the flashlights and take a midnight walk around the neighborhood, under the leadership of an adult • Have one group walk around the backyard, leaving clues as they go, such as arrows made from lined-up rocks or a trail of bread crumbs Then have a second group follow the clues... challenge • Play “Who can keep the balloon up in the air the longest” or “Who can pop the most balloons.” 11 A G E S 2 T O 8 ACTIVITIES • Inflate some long, thin balloons, and teach the kids how to make their own balloon animals Instructions are available at a library or at party stores • Give the kids felt-tip pens, stickers, and other decorations so they can detail their balloon animals Then add paper cutouts... over, and hold onto the guest in front of them Then have the first player in line lead the rest of the “body” in a game of follow the leader Give each player a chance to be the “head” of the caterpillar and lead the body up, down, and around the yard ACTIVITIES • Make Refrigerator Bug Magnets Spread out newspaper on the party table Place bug-making materials on the table, including small pom-poms, felt, . to make ears. (As you work on each ball, keep the rest frozen.) 5. Set ice-cream balls on top of cup- cakes; serve to waiting magicians. ABRACADABRA PARTY To create a magical Abracadabra Party, . good party themes. Host a swimming party at a pool or beach, have a sci-fi party with costumes and games, or provide arts and crafts materials and let the kids create their own party. • The Fantasy. The Kids’ Pick- a- Party Book 50 Fun Themes for Happy Birthdays and Other Parties Penny Warner The Kids’ Pick- a- Party Book Penny Warner The Kids’ Pick- a- Party Book 50 Fun Themes for Happy