Make your child's birthday wishes come true.
Kids' birthday parties are quickly becoming a competitive occasion to see who has the most original party. Forget the same tired superhero and princess themes, and impress your child and his friends with a party they won't soon forget. It takes only a little more time to create a unique kids' birthday party and often costs less than the typical character parties. Does this Spark an idea?
Challenge Party
Base this party around your favorite competition reality show or come up with your own games. Prepare the party area before guest arrive with some challenges. Fill a plastic wading pool with toy snakes, rats or bugs. Bury a small object under the toys such as a key or or large coin. Kids must search for the object. The first one to find it wins.
Eating disgusting foods is a common challenge on reality TV. Recreate the challenge at home. Fill bowls with peeled grapes, cold noodles and thin cut beef jerky. Blind fold each child and tell them they have to eat eyeballs, worms and dry skin. The first kid to finish their bowl wins.
Roast hot dogs and marshmallows over a charcoal grill for the meal. Serve the kids a "snake" instead of cake. Make two red velvet cakes in a ring pans. Cut each ring in half and connect them end to end so each looks like a slithering snake. Frost in green and insert a piece of red licorice in the front for a tongue.
Secret Agent Party
Train your own set of secret agents by hosting a secret agent training academy. Send invitations in plain manila envelopes stamped "top secret" recruiting each child to special agent training. Once they arrive, take them to their first class, fingerprinting. Hand out stamp pads and pocket notebooks and let the kids take turns fingerprinting each other. Then let them figure out write in secret code. Give them a simple code-such as numbers representing letters and instruct them to write a message in their notebook. When they finish, give them a small magnifying glass as a prize. Other activities include water gun target practice and footprint identification.
After the kids graduate from the academy and become secret agents, give them their first mission---to find the missing cake and presents. Have the party room set up separately. Hand out clues and send them on a hunt for the next clue. Use only two or three clues for younger kids and five or more for older ones.
Karaoke Party
Host a karaoke competition in your living room. This is a sophisticated party for children ages 9 to 12. Rent or purchase a karaoke machine from a party supplier. Set aside an area to be the stage. In front of the stage arrange small tables with two or three chairs each at them. Turn down the lights. For extra lighting, use multi-colored holiday light strings around the stage. Let the kids take turns at the microphone. Have a nearby box full of costumes, old clothing and make-up to help everyone get into the act.
Instead of a large cake, serve cupcake microphones. Fill ice cream cones three-quarters full with cake batter and bake as usual for cupcakes. Frost with black icing or chocolate frosting. Attach a string of black licorice near the bottom with icing to resemble the microphone cord.
Tags: agent training, each child, kids take, kids take turns, secret agents, take turns, their first