This is a party theme that is easy to put together, very budget friendly, and often a favorite of kids aged 2 to 3-years-old. Essentially, the party is all about the party child. Given that kids this age are learning and recognizing who they are, having a party that reflects them will be a lot of fun for this age. For you, it is super easy to put together!

Here are the tips:

1. Ask your guests to dress in the same outfit as your child will. Make it something simple like jeans and a blue T-shirt. When everyone walks in they will be dressed exactly as your kid.

2. Decorate with your child’s favorite colors using balloons, streamers, and tableware. If there is a favorite candy, have these scattered around the table as well. Print off pictures of your kid and have these hanging around the party room as well. You could also attach the pictures from streamers for additional fun decorations for when the guests arrive at your party.

3. Have several of your child’s favorite toys on a table and Play Dough for the kids to make replica creations of your kid’s favorite things.

4. Have the birthday kid lead the gang in a round of “Simon Says,” but use your child’s name instead of Simon.

5. Play “Pin the Nose on _ (Your child’s name.)” Print off a very large picture of your kid and hang it up. Cut out a big red nose and have them use this to try and pin the nose on.

6. What are some other fun games your child loves? Charades? Tag? Hide and Seek? Freeze? Mother May I? Red Light, Green Light? Whatever those favorite games are, if you have the room, play them.

7. Take pictures of each guest with your child, and place it into a frame to be taken home by the guests for the party favor. If you have a digital camera, these pictures can be printed off and placed in the frames. Alternatively, send the frames home and send the pictures with the thank you notes afterwards.
8. Have a cake with a picture of the birthday child on it. Make it his favorite cake and icing flavors.

9. Serve your child’s favorite foods, even if outlandish, like Fruity Pebbles, serve them up to keep with your theme. It will add fun to the party menu.

The point of the whole party is to celebrate the uniqueness of your child and to share this with everyone at the party. It is easy, budget-friendly, and because there is no one just like your kid, it will be very special!

Banana Splits are so yummy, especially for kids during summertime. One of the BEST parts of this ice cream classic is that you can either make your own concoctions or stick to the tried and true. If your child loves to make and eat banana splits, a great summer-themed party could revolve all around making, judging, and eating them!

Make invitations using bright yellow construction paper cut out into the shape of bananas. Write all of the party details on one side, and draw brown spots on the other. Alternatively, hand-deliver real bananas with tags tied to them that include all of the party details. In the invitation, ask the guests to bring their own favorite ingredient for making banana splits along with them, or have them bring a banana that they dress up in some way, i.e. with a hat on it.

Decorate the party area with yellow and brown balloons, streamers, and party ware. Have a large piece of butcher paper lying flat on a table. The kids can draw a huge banana split together and hang it in the party area.

Make the banana splits on the party table. Be sure to arrange the table so that there are dishes with all of the toppings laid out, as well as spoons, bowls, etc. You may want to pull the chairs away from the table while the kids are making their sundaes.

The main activity of the party will be making banana splits. You can have a competition where the kids make their splits using the ingredients you have laid out and the special ingredient they brought. Hold a tasting competition, where everyone gets to taste everyone else’s and wins prizes.

If you have had the kids bring a banana that is “dressed up,” have a competition to see whose is most creative, the funniest, etc. Hand out banana candies as prizes and make sure everyone wins!

Play Pass the Banana like Pass the Parcel.

Have the kids jump up and down and do “banana splits!”

Hold a series of relay races with bananas. Divide the kids into two teams, and have a bowl of bananas at the opposite end of where the kids race from. When a kid runs down, he or she must peel a banana, eat it, place the peel on his or her head, and race back to the team. The first team done wins!

For another relay race, have the kids peel a banana at the start, race down to the other end and make a mini banana split, eat it, and race back. The next kid must do the same. The first team done wins!

Today, more and more parents are opting to request No Gifts on their kids’ party invitations. It often doesn’t work out very well, as some people adhere to the guideline while others ignore it altogether and bring a gift. The fact is people want to bring something to a child’s party, as a result, to get around embracing the concept of traditional gifts or no gifts at all; there are creative ideas that offer an in-between the two options:

1. Host a book exchange and organize it in a few different ways:
-Guests bring a wrapped gift and everyone takes one home.
-Some open the books on the spot; others wait until the kids have gone home.
2. Give your child an experience rather than a party. If you allow friends to be invited, let the experience be the celebration, not the stuff.
3. Hold an inexpensive gift exchange (under $10) so that every child receives a gift.
4. Request art supplies and donate them to a shelter.
5. Hobbit Practice - Better to Give than to Receive! Each child receives a gift, although they do not bring one.
6. Request a donation to a great organization like http://www.heifer.org/.
7. Contact a charity that is a favorite and ask for a Wish List, i.e. a list of stuff the organization really needs. As an example, the Humane Society may need leashes, collars, toys, etc. Request guests bring these items in lieu of birthday gifts to donate and make the wishes come true!
8. Whatever donations are brought to the party for a favorite charity, have the birthday child deliver the donations to his chosen charity.

This is a great round-up of ideas that are alternatives to traditional party gifts. Also, keep in mind, if you are concerned about the amount people will spend on a party gift for your child, it is appropriate to write in your invitation, Gifts under $__ would be appreciated. Putting a price limit guideline on the invitation can help to keep gift-giving budget friendly.

Happy Gifting ─ or not!

Do you want to plan something extra special and fun with your children this St. Patrick’s Day? How about sending them on a treasure hunt to find their own pot of gold at the end of the rainbow this holiday?

Here are the creative clues to use:

• Blarney Stone: Kiss me and maybe you’ll be as lucky as we!
• Shamrock: Small, lush, four-leaf, and green, pick me and make a wish for your favorite team.
• Pot of Gold: If you follow the rainbow, I’m what you’ll find, making you rich in mind.
• Rainbow: In the midst of light rain, with sun shining through, I’ll make beautiful colors true.
• Leprechaun: Small and green, with top hat on head, I’ll visit on St. Patty’s and spin some legendary Irish lore.
• Irish Jig: A little dance to keep the cheer of the day. Once you have figured it out, dance your way to the next clue.
• Green: I rhyme with bean and mark the annual day. No matter if a button, flower, balloon, or flag in the parade, I am the color to wear today!
• Top Hat: Standing tall and black atop your head, I bring a funny look to your stead.
• Ireland: Where it all began on the Emerald Isle.
• Famous Sayings: “When __________ are _________.” & “______ o’ the _________ to you!”

Have your kids figure out the clues and find the objects around your home. The last clue should lead them to their own pot of chocolate coins!

When you are finished with your treasure hunt, serve up a green menu your children are sure to find lucky:
Make a Green Shake for breakfast: Blend one banana, 2 cups of lime sherbet, and 2 cups of milk.

Magic Milk: Add a few drops of green food coloring to the bottom of the glass and add milk!

Golden Coins: Use Ritz crackers, peanut butter, and butterscotch chips. Spread the peanut butter on one Ritz cracker, top with second cracker. Melt the butterscotch chips and dip the sandwich crackers in it to coat, and place on wax paper.

Shamrock Mashed Potatoes: Prepare mashed potatoes and have the kids add a few drops of green food coloring. On their plates, let them play with their food and make shamrocks out of their mashed potatoes!

Leprechaun Dust: Use one box of Jell-O™ instant pistachio pudding, milk, and empty, clean baby food jars. Place one tablespoon of the Jell-O™ powder into the baby food jars, and add milk to fill the jar. Have the kids shake it up to turn it to green!

Serve a Green Buffet: Grapes, pickles, olives, cookies, cupcakes, kiwi, green apples, celery, broccoli, cucumber, pear, green Jell-O™ pudding, sour apple jelly beans, etc.
Enjoy this Top O’ the Morning day!

Kids head to school on Valentine’s Day truly excited! Usually they have created a special Valentine’s Day box to capture Valentines from all of their classmates!

When I attended primary school, there was a rule that everyone had to give all of their classmates a Valentine to avoid hurt feelings. Yet, one year, I did not get a Valentine from somebody in my class and I was devastated. I remember making a big deal out of the situation and I think it even got my classmate in trouble. (OK, I admit I was pretty sensitive!)

To avoid hurt feelings and this classroom quandary, take the following steps:
• Definitely make a valentine box to hold all of those cards. This will be a fun craft project, and the kids will have a central place to capture all of those valentines.

• Ask your classroom teacher for a complete list of students so that you know the names of the kids in the class and can use this as a resource when filling out valentines with your kids at home.

One Tip: You don’t necessarily need to address the Valentines to particular names. If it is easier, count out enough cards for the number of kids in your child’s class, add one or two more just in case, and have your child sign his or her name on the cards. Your child can then drop them into the boxes without worrying about their classmates’ names. This works especially well with very young children.

If you aren’t a big fan of giving your children candy for Valentine’s, or your kids’ school has a policy against bringing candy to celebrate the day, here are some fun alternatives to the traditional Valentine chocolate:

• Movie gift certificates
• Heart notepads, pencils, and erasers
• Strawberry lip gloss
• Bubble bath
• Heart bracelets and necklaces
• Stuffed animals
• Red yo-yos
• Heart photo frames
• Red bouncy balls
• Red jump ropes
• Silver lockets
• Hair ribbons
• Favorite DVDs
• Heart stickers and/or rubber stamps with red ink
• Red crayons, markers, and glitter glue with an activity book
• Ice cream cone gift certificates

The list of ideas can go on and on. Anything pink or red will do, especially if it’s in the shape of a heart. These are excellent gifts to give to your children besides a box of chocolate this holiday!

Looking for a fun activity to keep the kids busy during your Valentine’s party, or to ignite your kids’ enthusiasm in the days leading up to Valentine’s Day? Why not organize a Valentine’s Day treasure hunt!

Check out these creative clues surrounding all things Valentine for inspiration:

• Red Rose: Red and perfect, smells pretty too.
• Heart: Shaped like two swans’ necks paired together, it’s brimming with joy always and forever.
• Valentine: I may be red or pink, come in an envelope or a box, never mind it’s what this day is all about!
• Chocolate: Whether milk or dark, filled with caramel, nougat, or cream, I am a part of every Valentine dream!
• Candy Hearts: Whether pink, green, or blue, and with a hard crunch or two, share these with your friends to learn their feelings true.
• Candle: Strike a match and watch me flicker, quickly I alight and shine forth light.
• Stuffed Bear: Soft and plush, darling to hold, I am all yours.
• Poem: A few lines here and there, but my words will pack a punch and leave you with no more than a care.
• Cupid: I shoot my arrow with a bow to your heart to make it grow!

Hide these items throughout your home or party area so the kids can uncover Valentine’s treasures.

If your little one is soon to turn one and it is cold and wintry outside, a perfect theme for your party may be a fabulous Winter One-derland! If it is December, January, or February and you are sure to be throwing an indoor party, here are some ideas to pull this theme together. It will work well if older children will be attending the party. Otherwise, if you want to host a Winter Wonderland party, just drop the play on the words and you have a great party for many ages!

For your invitation, cut out an array of mittens, snowballs, scarves and snowflakes in your party colors and place all of the pertinent information on the cut outs. Use cookie cutters as guides; they can pull double duty later for craft projects or treats.

Another invitation idea is to paint Styrofoam balls with your party colors, for snowballs, and attach a tag with the party details. These invitations will need to be hand-delivered.
For the decorations, use white for one color, for snow of course, and pair it with another color you would like to use as well. Since you are emphasizing the winter time frame, if you go with a 1st Birthday theme, you may want to keep it on the generic side.

• Hang snowflakes from your ceiling at different lengths.
• Decorate the party walls with big snow people that you cut out from large cardboard and other wintry items, i.e. mittens, hats, scarves, etc.
• Cover your furniture with white sheets
• Place Styrofoam packing peanuts around the party room for the snow
• Create the look of a frozen lake by placing clear plastic bags on the floor.
• Place a sign stating, Danger: Thin Ice!
• Hang twinkly lights all over the party room.
• Make snowmen out of balloons; taping three different sizes of balloons together and decorating their faces with markers.

Craft Ideas: Make Snowmen

You will need:
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup salt
• 1 cup water
• 2 Tbs. Veg. Oil
• 1 Tbs. Cream of tartar
• 1/3 cup silver glitter
• 1/4 cup white powdered tempera paint.

Mix all ingredients together. Cook over medium heat, stirring until ball is formed. Knead dough until cool. Provide bowls with bits of cloth, paper, beads, pipe cleaners, felt, etc. Have the guests sculpt their own snow dough snowman and decorate it.

Make Snow Globes: Use baby food jars and fill the jars almost to the top with water and stir in a few drops of glycerin and 1/2 a teaspoon of glitter and star and moon confetti. The glycerin increases the density of the water and causes the glitter to fall slowly. This is a great party goody for the kids to take home!

For Activities:
Hopefully, you will have snow and your party guests can make snow angels, build real snow people, go sledding, go on a winter nature hike and/or simply play in the winter wonderland!

Have a Race to the Pole.

Set up different stations in the party room and have the kids complete a different task at several “places” as they make their way to the North Pole. As example, go to Klondike, where the kids wrap up yarn into a coil, which they take to Greenland, where they dress in heavy winter clothes, to go to the Arctic Circle, where they map their progress by drawing a circle with a compass, and finally reaching the North Pole.

Play Hot Snow Ball as you would “Hot Potato.”

Have a Blizzard. Blow up a large amount of white balloons, e.g. the snow, and provide small fans to the two teams. The purpose is to fan as many of the balloons to their designated goal areas in the room. First team to get the majority of balloons in the designated area wins!

Hide icicles of various lengths around the party area. Have the two teams hunt for as many as many as possible and then, as a team, piece them together. The team to form the longest icicle wins!

For the Menu:
Make Snowman Pizza, using cheese, olives, and other veggies for the toppings!
Make Snowman Pancakes using different sizes of pancakes and have the kids decorate them with chocolate chips.
Pigs in a Blanket, to keep the piggies warm!
Ice Chips: Use any type of chips with a dip
Snowman Crackers: use cream cheese and veggies to decorate.
Make a batch of sugar cookies and cut them out into different winter shapes and have the kids decorate with sprinkles, candy, and frosting.
Serve mud and snow, hot chocolate with whipped cream
Serve little donuts rolled in powdered sugar, mini snowballs.
Serve a Polar Ice Cap. You will need: Blue Kool-Aid, ginger ale, vanilla ice cream, clear glasses, and straws. Refrigerate the Kool-Aid and ginger ale. Fill a glass almost halfway with the blue Kool-Aid. Add ginger ale almost to the top of the glass. Drop in one big snowball (scoop of vanilla ice cream), and enjoy with a straw!
Send home the Snow Globes as the favor!