This cute book  also happens to work tremendously as a theme for a party! Many parents have found that A Very Hungry Caterpillar party makes for an excellent baby shower or 1st birthday party theme. So if you have a child that loves this book and you want to center your party around it, here are some creative and fun ways to bring this book to reality in your very own home.

Caterpillar Decor Ideas

If you want to pull off one of the most popular themes based on such a classic book, then you’re going to need one really important thing – caterpillars! They are what the story is all about and at the center as a pivotal character in the book. So it’s time to find as many caterpillars as you can and decorate your space accordingly. (Real caterpillars need not apply, unless you’re not the squeamish type! Perhaps if you have a butterfly garden, you can show off your munching critters?)

Start with caterpillar tablecloths and napkins, or a general “garden and butterfly” theme. It need not be The Hungry Caterpillar directly, but just keeping with the theme. Then find some other cute ways of incorporating this beloved insect into every aspect of the party:

• Buy red and green balloons. Blow up about eight green balloons, and tape them on the wall in a wavy pattern. Blow up one red balloon and draw eyes and a nose as a face. Tape two purple strips of paper to the balloon. Finally, tape it to the “head” of the balloon wave. Viola, a balloon caterpillar!
• Draw all the fruits used in the book and paint them in a similar style, on poster board. Then, using a saucer or cup (depending on how big you made the picture), draw a circle in the middle. Cut out a circle in all the food. Hang them in the party area. Munch munch!
• If you have kids old enough to make crafts, create a paper chain caterpillar – using green and red paper, cut strips of paper and make loops, and fastening with glue. Create one red strip of paper into a loop. Then, with a full sheet of green paper, draw and cut out a leaf. With a hole punch, cut out some holes to show the caterpillar munching on it. Glue all the loops into a chain and onto the leaf, with the red loop as the head. Paste purple antennae, eyes and a nose on the head. See this craft and more here.

Munch on the Caterpillar’s Favorite Food

If you know anything about the book then you know that the foods that the caterpillar munches on are a very important part of the story overall. So take cues from those favorite foods and serve them up in a fun little caterpillar buffet. Start with some simple favorites such as watermelon, strawberries, and oranges and then move onto the really good stuff.

Don’t forget that The Hungry Caterpillar ate his way through other yummy treats such as sausage, lollipops, cupcakes, and chocolate cake. If you just follow cues from the caterpillar then you’ve got your menu planned out for you! If you put out the little book inspired buffet on a bed of perfect green leaves that adorn the table, then you’ve got yourself an excellent way of serving food and delicious treats for all to enjoy.

Check out this cute Very Hungry Caterpillar party train from Coco Cake Cupcakes! (Image on left)

Bringing the Book to Life

Even if the kids are young at your birthday party, they are sure to want to feel a part of things. One of the perfect ways to make everybody feel as though they are a part of the book or theme is to assign them a part. You want to be sure to read the book aloud for the guests and then you can make each child an important element of the book.

A great way to do that is to give each child their own badge. You buy buy a set of badges, or you can make your own – simply photocopy and cut out the various images of food from the book, then take them to a store where they can create buttons for you. You can hand out the badges and assign them their own part in the book as you read along.

When the part of the story comes along that matches the child’s badge, that child can make their own caterpillar munching impressions. The kids will love to hear the story read aloud and then be thrilled to see which part they play in it. These badges make for a fun way of bringing the story to life and to really carrying out the theme well.

You can even let the kids dress up as their assigned character or let them act out their part for a fun little twist. No matter what, making each child a part of the story and allowing them to bring the book to life is a well executed and unique way of carrying out this fun children’s theme. You will all develop an even greater appreciation for the book and for this classic aspect of childhood through a really fun party for all!

P.S. Check out this adorable plush toy – a Zoobies Very Hungry Caterpillar plush pal. It can be a plush toy or a pillow. There is also a zipper that reveals a blanket inside!

Related posts:

• Party Favor Ideas for Preschool Children’s Birthday Parties Dr Seuss party favor boxes Goody bags really make a...
• Alice in Wonderland Cookie and Dessert Ideas What better to serve as the theme for your next...
• 1st Birthday Barnyard Party Ideas Celebrate your child's 1st birthday with farm animals! All kids...

My Little Pony Party Supplies

In a little girl’s world, what’s better than playing with a friend’s hair? The answer: playing with a toy’s hair (after all, the toy never complains).

The My Little Pony series of toys and shows is so appealing because it combines two things any budding fashionista loves: horses and glitzy glamor. Each Pony is gorgeous, colorful and has a long, flowing, brushable mane and tail, plus accessories.

If your little girl is begging for a My Little Pony Party, go for it — it’s so easy and so much fun. Come to Ponyville and get your party off to a gallop with the following ideas …

• My Little Pony Party Supplies
• My Little Pony Party Invitations
• Choosing Colors and a Style for The Party
• Party Decorations: Think Pink ‘n Pretty
• Activities and General Fun
• Superhero Foods

My Little Pony Party Invitations

Lucky you, there are officially licensed My Little Pony invitations out there to save you time and aggravation. They can be had on the cheap, too. Buy them within a My Little Pony party pack and you’re really raking in the savings.

If you decide you’d rather make the invitations, buy some pretty, glittery stickers. Set up a document in your computer or help your little one create her invitations by hand. Print an image of your child’s favorite Pony, along with “X is turning 6!” Allow your child to decorate the front of the invitation with stickers. The party information should be printed on the inside.

One more cute DIY invitation idea: buy rainbow colored lollipops or rainbow colored stick candy. Tape the candy to the back of the invitation and hand-deliver, or if the candy is small enough to be completely covered by the card, you can go ahead and mail.

Choosing Colors and a Style for The Party

Rainbow colors just scream “My Little Pony,” so choose lots of pretty “girl” colors for your party: pink and magenta, lavender, sky blue, sunny yellow, etc. Mix pretty pastels with dramatic jewel colors.

You might want to choose either a carnival or fair theme for decor and activities; both are perfect for a pony themed party.

The Ponies themselves are a child-fascinating combination of playful and glitzy-glamorous. Aim for this feel in your decoration theme as well. Here are some ideas:

Party Decorations: Think Pink ‘n Pretty

Pink, lavender and blue will do for your pony party decor. Think glitzy, but with a sweet attitude.

• Put up plenty of hearts, rainbows and flowers in the party area. It’s easy to download pics and print them, then cut them out and hang them on the walls. Or sit down with your child and have her help you color My Little Pony images (if she’s old enough, she can draw freehand, or look for black and white images she can color).

• Hang loads of pretty, whirly swirly items from the ceiling. Curl long pieces of ribbon in your party colors and hang them. To the bottom of each, glue or staple a printed picture of one of your daughter’s favorite Ponies from the collection so they swirl and float as guests walk by.

• Hang white mini Christmas lights around the area for sparkle.

• Look in your local dollar store’s garden section for dollar pieces of trellis or a garden arch. Also pick up bunches of fabric flowers and lengths of ribbon in lavender and blue. Set up the arch near your doorway, in your backyard if you’ll be hosting the party there, or if buying a very small arch or using one trellis, on the party foods table. Thread flowers and ribbon through the arch.

• Print out a picture of all the major characters and hang around the party area – Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Applejack, Rarity, and Twilight Sparkle, for example. Don’t forget Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, co-rulers of the magical land of Equestria.

• Cross aqua blue, purple, or two other colors of crepe paper over each other and begin twisting loosely. You’ll wind up with a two-colored garland. Tape the garland across the entry to the party area.

Pic: Hasbro.com. Print images your child loves and hang on the walls, or from the ceiling with ribbon.

• Set up a tea party style garden. This works for an outdoor party in good weather. Set up mini child’s tables — ask friends to borrow theirs, or find out about inexpensive local rentals. Set out child-size chairs. Drape pretty tablecloths over each table. (For a small party, you may only need one table.) Set out My Little Pony cups and napkins along with iced tea. Also set out small cakes, finger sandwiches with the crusts set off, cookies, pretzels, etc. Find more ideas in our Princess tea party guide, which you can incorporate here.

• For a carnival pony theme, outdoors is best, but you can make this work indoors too in a pinch. Tape pictures of popcorn boxes up on the wall. Play fun carnival style music. Hang a multicolored parachute from the ceiling as a “big tent.” A fair theme will be similar; add some cute signs you make yourself by gluing cardboard rectangles to cheap wood dowels or plastic garden spikes. The signs should say “The fair is this way!” with an arrow, “Welcome to our pony fair!”, “Welcome to our carnival,” etc. Consider renting a popcorn or cotton candy making machine if you have the room.

Pony Party Foods

• Serve carrot sticks and apple slices for a healthy party snack. (Horses love carrots and apples.) To make these more “fun” to eat, buy the single-serve pre packaged apples and baby carrots.

Rainbow cupcakes. Get fancy if you’d like; this cupcake has five colors. See recipe below for details. Pic: Jess and Colin, Flickr

• Pink or lavender anything is great for this theme. Think pink or purple icing on cake, cupcakes, cookies, etc. There’s pink lemonade, or cut grapes in both red and purple, grape juice, and pink or lavender candies.

• Buy horse-shaped cookie cutters and make cute pony cookies out of prepackaged dough (it’s usually in the refrigerated section near the dinner rolls). FUN ACTIVITY: Have baked pony cookies ready for guests to decorate. Sit guests down to a table with bowls of icing, nuts, raisins and candy pieces and encourage them to get creative.

• Have a lot of girls-just-want-to-have-fun foods. Pizza, pretzels, chips and nachos go a long way toward making guests happy and can be very inexpensively bought or made. Check out all your local pizza chains a week before the party to find the best deal on more than one pie.

• Set out Skittles (“taste the rainbow”) in bowls for guests to grab as they run between party activities.

• For dessert, serve rainbow sherbet or vanilla or chocolate ice cream with rainbow colored sprinkles.

Rainbow Cupcakes

Now here’s a My Little Pony party recipe we love. It looks great but is so easy to make. Here’s how:

Ingredients

• white cake mix (standard size box, usually approx. 18 oz.)
• red, yellow, purple and green food coloring, each separate; or any colors you’d like – mix drops of color per color chart on box
• pink or lavender frosting (or use food coloring with white frosting), or plain white frosting — your choice
• rainbow sprinkles, if desired
• cupcake cups, about 16 muffin size or 20 regular/small

Directions

1. Prepare cake mix as directed on box. Separate the mix into four small bowls.

2. Add one food coloring color to each bowl; blend well.

3. Tap one tablespoon of the first cake mix color into each cup or until all of that color is gone.

4. Tap one tablespoon of the next cake mix color into each cup on top of the first color. Be gentle — don’t mix! Continue this procedure with the last two colors.

5. Bake as directed.

6. Cool completely; frost. Add sprinkles if you’d like, or leave the frosting plain — the inside is decorative all on its own. Serve.

Just Horsin’ Around: Party Activities

My Cute Little Ponies!

• If your child is willing to relinquish her My Little Ponies to her friends for the duration of the party, sit kids down and allow them a lot of free play. They’ll use their imaginations and have a great time.

• For very little kids, if you own a rocking horse, “dress” it up in layers of pink and lavender — you can even put streaks in its “hair” with spray colors, or if the horse is a keepsake, tie some colored yarn into its mane. Let guests take turns having a ride.

• Have a makeup and nails station. This is perfect for a My Little Pony party. Choose only child-friendly, non toxic makeup and nail polish.

• Have a face painting station. For young children, you’ll want to do the painting yourself. Buy paints specially made for this purpose and decorate guests with little butterflies, polka dots, flowers, etc. in pastel colors.

• Buy a rainbow colors play parachute. Gather guests in a circle, have them count to the age of each guest while fluffing the parachute up and then down for each number, then at the final number, sitting quickly under the parachute. You remember this game from gym class and probably from your child’s Gymboree or kindergarten.

• Grab a bunch of old “fancy” clothes you have shoved in the back of your closet and let guests dress up in them, then hold a mini fashion show on the spot. You can also purchase My Little Pony costumes (see the pics of my kids – surprisingly durable, since they’ve since dressed up in them about two dozen times!)

• Play Pony Bowling. Set up My Little Pony toys in bowling pin formation. Have guests roll a small rubber ball toward the ponies. Whoever knocks down the most in two tries, wins.

At the end, send guests home with a party fun pack that includes cute items like stickers, rainbow stick candies, gummies, M&Ms and temporary tattoos. Enjoy your time in Ponyville!

Related posts:

• Jem and the Holograms Party Ideas Jem and the Holograms was a favorite Saturday morning cartoon...
• Cupcake Party Ideas If you know a cupcake lover who just happens to...
• Circus Themed Party Ideas Come one, come all! The biggest show in town is...

What You Will Need:

• One white paper plate
• Two pink circle stickers
• One black marker
• One piece of white foam paper
• One piece of pink foam paper
• One piece of blue foam paper
• scissors
• glue stick

You want to start by taking the white paper plate and folding it in half horizontally. Be sure that it’s folded equally and that this fold is secure as it will form the top of the bunny’s head where you will glue the ears to.

Once you have half of the paper plate in front of you, it’s time to go to work in creating the bunny’s face. Start by placing the two pink stickers as the ends of the bunny’s mouth. Place them far enough apart that you can draw a little bunny smile in between them. Draw two black dots for the eyes, or add googly eyes you may have left over from another project. Next is the smile, starting from one pink circle down, then curved up again by what will be the nose, and then back down again to curve up at the second pink sticker.

Using the white foam paper, cut out two bunny ears. With the pink foam paper, trace and cut out two smaller pieces that will fit inside the ears. With another section of the pink foam paper, cut out a little triangle to make the bunny’s nose. Finally, with the blue piece of foam paper, draw by hand or trace the shape of a bow. It should be one piece that has two triangles on either end and then a small circle in the middle. Voila you have a cute little blue bow tie to show off as a fancy accessory. Set all pieces aside.

Putting Everything Together and Bringing Bunny to Life

Finally you want to get to work in gluing it altogether. This is where you can let your child take over or just help them a bit. First glue on the white ears at the top of the folded paper plate. Leave enough space so that they look natural like ears and it will go just fine.

Then glue on the pink inner part of the ear on each respective white ear. You will really start to see the bunny take shape when you glue the pink to the white as it’s such a classic telltale sign of Mr. Peter Cottontail himself!

Finally glue on the blue little bowtie at the bottom of the paper plate. Give enough space so that it doesn’t run into the mouth and that it is slightly set apart. This is not a hard project, but you may need to help your child with the cutting and gluing.

Your little preschooler is sure to like creating their own little bunny to display at the table proudly. A fun Easter activity to do together and to get into the spirit of this most festive spring holiday!

Related posts:

• Hippity Hop to these Fun Easter Games and Party Tips Here are some fun Easter activities that will keep the...
• Easter Bunny Themed Party for Kids Make Easter one to remember with fun Easter activities before...
• Tin Can Phone Craft Though they have been recently brought back to life by...

Magic as we know it today is all thanks to him. David Copperfield, Criss Angel, David Blaine and every other modern magician all pay homage to his legacy. Far from being just an escape artist, Harry was a visionary who brought magic into mainstream America, united magicians into a strong nationwide society, was one of the first performers to use mass media tie-ins, wrote books and also starred in movies.  This therefore makes for the perfect occasion to celebrate everything that is magic!

You can create a delightful magic party in your very own home with ease. It’s about a fun environment and somebody who can serve as masters of ceremony at your event. Magic is a theme and an idea that so many of us enjoy and so it works well as the perfect theme for a party. You want to leave guests guessing and so you need to create an ambiance fit for the best tricks.

A Magical Environment

Set the tone starting with the lighting. You want a dimly light room as you would expect at a true magic show. You want to set up some of the very props that so many of us remember from fun magic shows we’ve attend in the past. Put out a big black top hat as the centerpiece on the table and then have a stuffed bunny coming out of it.

You can find some magic accessories and decorations that fit within this theme. Plates, napkins, tablecloth, and actual decorations with a magician’s hat or decks of cards are all a perfect fit. You are setting the scene and tone for a fun magic show and so you want to think through the environment first and foremost.

Bring in a True Magician

To celebrate Harry Houdini’s birthday in style, you will want to recreate your very own magic show at the party. This can be done by hiring a local magician that you can find through an entertainment company. If you are on a tight budget then just work with a friend or family member who has a few proven tricks up their sleeve. Or learn a couple fun magic tricks via Youtube.

Alternatively you can reach out to guests in advance and ask them to bring their favorite trick. It may be the penny game, a card trick, or something more elaborate. Magic is a subject that many people love, and you may be surprised be the number of guests who have a trick or two up their sleeve! It’s always a fun addition to let guests bring along some of their favorite tricks and gets everybody excited for this fun celebration.

Magical Touches at Your Party

Magical touches should be used in every aspect of the party, from the food to the atmosphere itself. Start by creating fun little magic wands that also happen to be edible. Dip pretzel rods in dark chocolate and voila—you have delicious magic wands! Make sandwiches and Jello figures out of cookie cutters shaped as magical elements. Find top hats, rabbits, and stars and you have yourself a magical feast.

Go the extra mile and set up some steam or magical mist in the background. You can do this with dry ice and when guests come in they are greeted with a mist in the air that leads to wonderful mystery. There’s something magical about this type of party and no better reason to celebrate than the birthday of the very celebrated and amazing Harry Houdini himself.

• View more ideas with our magic theme party idea page!

Related posts:

• Celebrate the Luck of the Irish with These St. Patrick’s Day Drinks You don’t have to be Irish to celebrate St. Patrick’s...
• Harry Potter Party Theme You don't have to go to Hogwart's School to find...
• Magic Themed Birthday Party You don’t need to be a magician to throw a...

It’s time to bring S.H.I.E.L.D. to defend your home and have a party. Probably the most fantastic Marvel comic series, The Avengers brings together Earth’s mightiest superheroes into one powerful team. Consisting of Iron Man, Thor, Wolverine, Captain America, Black Widow, Hawkeye and The Incredible Hulk, they all unite to fight the foes no single superhero can withstand.

• The Avengers Party Supplies
• A Little History: the Birth of The Avengers
• The Avengers: The 2012 Movie
• Assembling Your Party: Invitations and Decor
• Activities and General Fun
• Superhero Foods

This May, Josh Whedon’s The Avengers will be hitting the big screen, assembling a cast from other Hollywood blockbuster movies to untie against Loki and his minions to save the world. This means a lot of calls from kids (and adults like me!) for Avengers superhero parties. So, what are you waiting for? Put on your Supermom or Supderdad cape and let’s get started.Avengers assemble!

A Little History: the Birth of The Avengers

Coolness since 1963.

The Avengers have had so many incarnations — gaining and dropping members, appearing in comics, cartoons and movies.

The Avengers were created by Marvel Comics in 1963 with the super-awesome tagline  “Earth’s mightiest heroes.” I wasn’t around at that time, to be honest — but as a child I was fascinated with the Marvel originals. Your kids will love them too, so incorporate them into your party for vintage flair.

FYPI (for your partying info), the original team consisted of Iron Man, Thor, The Hulk, Ant-Man, Wasp and Captain America, who was literally unearthed (or de-iced) in the series’ fourth issue.

The Heroes Through the Years

The Avengers took off after their original release and morphed quite a few times over the years, even being “killed off” and then revived three times (check out their history on the Marvel Wiki, fascinating). But the cry of “Avengers assemble!” and the spirit of this cool team kept a continuous roll of comic books, cartoons (including on the big screen) and promo items going.

Besides the crew listed above, a few Avengers and antiheroes through the series’ history have included:

• Giant Man (originally Ant-Man)
• the Scarlet Witch
• Hawkeye
• Black Widow
• Quicksilver
• Doctor Doom
• Monica Rambeau
• the Beast
• Tigra
• She-Hulk
• Hercules
• Ms. Marvel
• Mantis
• Wolverine
• Mocking Bird
• Spider-Man
• Spider-Woman
• Human Torch
• Egghead
• Baron Zemo

One of the cool things about The Avengers is the series includes not only mutants with incredible powers and villains of equal status, but gods and godlike beings (Loki, for example, a trickster who ties in with Thor in Scandinavian mythology). This means that in The Avengers series, anything can happen…and usually does.

The Avengers: The 2012 Movie

Re (re re re)-born and more awesome than ever: the 2012 Avengers.

The hit movie stars some of the biggest names in Hollywood – Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man), Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow), Chris Evans (Captain America), Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Gwyneth Paltrow (Pepper Potts), the coolest cat on the planet, Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury), and even Lou Ferrigno playing the voice of the Incredible Hulk! With Joss Whedon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Dollhouse), this is a powerhouse of a movie!

Without going into spoilers, let’s just say there’s plenty of material in this year’s take alone to stuff any Avengers party full of ideas. But get as creative as you’d like for this party — there’s close to 50 years worth of fighting, foibles, earth-saving and comic book-esque humor to dig into.

Assembling Your Party: Invitations and Decor

For invitations, we usually recommend putting your own together. You can do this for sure with The Avengers, but unless you’re a serious artist, I wouldn’t recommend freehanding this. Get movie images off the net — they abound, so this should be no problem.

This photo op idea is ridiculously cool. Flickr: Anders Ruff Custom Designs

Add a l’il super hero lingo to your invites; the campier the better, so don’t worry about sounding silly. “Avengers assemble!” is, of course, the perfect way to invite your guests, whether young or adult. For kids, try “Our superhero is turning (X) today — come celebrate with us” or “Morph on over for the super party of the year.” Add “the party takes off at (time, date)” and other fun lingo.

As for decor: oh, are you going to have fun. This may sound cliche but here, the possibilities really are pretty much out of this world. Here are some basics:

• For colors, The Avengers movie leans toward the darker, rather than the early-60s-esque “Americana,” red white and blue Captain America brought to the group. So choose primarily bold reds and deep blues, adding touches of white if you’d like.
•  That said, patriotism is still a huge Avengers icon. Look for red, white and blue confetti. For more drama, try red, white and silver. Also buy disposable cutlery, plates and cups in red and blue. One fun idea is to buy two different-size plates in two different colors, and stack them so you have the two colors at each setting.
• As we noted above, Avenger party ware is out as well, so if you’d like to get your hands on some authentic Avengers decor, grab it! This will make everything easier.
• Put up an awesome Avengers/Thor personalized banner with the birthday girl or boy’s photo. Buy the real deal (it’s very reasonably priced) or print out your own. We’ve also seen some great home made standups for guests — print a pixelated background, for example (see the pic above).
• Pose a character standup or two in the party area (check out Captain America, Thor and any other Avengers favorites you can find). Pose guests next to the standups and print out the pics during the party to place in goody bags.
• Check around online for Avengers printouts. Here are some great freebie cutouts.
• Buy cheap material from your fabrics store in Avengers colors, or use fabric you already have around the house. Drape the various colors over the backs of chairs at the party and knot around the front (superhero “capes”)

Activities and General Fun

• Here’s a fun idea: dress as Edwin Jarvis, the Avengers’ butler, to greet guests. Act out the part of butler as you invite them through the door. Hilarious!
• Play the Avenger Scavenger Hunt party game. Scavenger hunts are the big thing right now. They can apply to almost any theme and will be super fun for this one.
• Hand out Avengers masks and let guests run around the party showing off their super powers.
• Sit guests down to make red, white and blue poppers. Or you can make these in advance and use them for goody bags. Stuff with fun things. Make super-big poppers out of paper towel rolls and place a Marvel comic book in each along with a handful of candy – it’s the perfect superhero treat “bag.”
• Invite guests to dress up as any Avengers character, from any decade — good guy or villain, star of the show or rarely seen extra. You can tie this in for Halloween in October if you like; it also does a great double for a birthday party activity.
• Have a costume contest and give everyone a small award (of course): candy, an activities book, crayons, etc.
• Hook up the Wii Fit and have guests test their feats of strength, stamina and coordination. Yes, believe it or not, this really is fun for both kids and adults. Adding a little friendly competition to the mix kicks things up a notch. And you’re working off all that sugar. Which reminds me…

Superhero Foods

Superheroes need their protein and veggies, so if you thought you’d never be able to talk kids into eating healthy foods at a party, think again. Set out trays of veggies cut into fun shapes with yummy ranch dip in the center of the plate.

Cube or scoop watermelon and sprinkle blueberries on top for a red and blue healthy motif. Raspberries can make this a real treat too.

For protein, put out string cheese, little cheese cubes and protein-packed sandwiches (choose fresh deli meat; you can even go for a super long sub).

If it’s warm out, fire up the grill and make veggies and dogs. Chicken nuggets are a perennial favorite, too. Watch out for nuts and legumes such as peanuts, which are a great source of protein but may trigger allergies.

Of course, you’ll need a super cool Avengers cake or Avengers cupcakes. You don’t need to be anything close to a super talent to create this. Simply bake any style and flavor cake, ice, and use an edible cake topper. Here’s some “incredible” and “stupendous” cake ideas from other people:

Comic book cake, by Cake Fiction

Superhero cupcakes, by Cake Central

It’s hammer time! Cake by Kavingate

You can get the Marvel cakelet pan at Ebay or Williams Sonoma.

If you’re feeling inspired, go ahead and pick up some Avengers mini plastic toys on Amazon. Arrange them on a cake covered in white frosting and add piped blue and red stripes or a blue and red American flag to the cake. While guests are eating, wash the plastic pieces and send one home in each goody bag.

More red, white and blue ideas include: red, white and blue kettle corn (too cool…here’s a tutorial); strawberry Twizzlers tied in blue ribbon (curl the ends with one blade of a pair of scissors); and red, white and blue cookies, any style.

Give a nod to the individual Avengers besides Captain America too. How about green cupcakes with green frosting for Hulk? Or make deviled eggs and call them “black widow eggs” for Spider Man and Black Widow. How about halving prepared croissant dough pieces, rolling them and bending slightly, pinching the ends and then baking to make horns like the ones on Thor’s helmet?

Now what are you waiting for? There’s a neighborhood or classroom full of superheroes that need a great place to fly to for food, friends and fun. As always, let us know what cool ideas you come up with. We’re continually amazed and inspired by our readers’ creativity!

Related posts:

• Avatar Movie Party Invitation ideas Avatar is one of the hottest movies to ever hit...
• Avatar Movie Party Theme Ideas Complete Avatar party supply kit Avatar Party Supplies Avatar Invitations...
• Make Your Own Movie Theme Party Lights! Camera! Action! We all love movies, and for some...

New Theme Ideas, Entertaining Tips and Special Offers For All Your Party Needs! Join the Party!         Add Us To Your Address Book To help ensure that you receive all email messages consistently in your inbox with images displayed, please add this address to your address book or contacts list: newsletter@themeaparty.com   Have A Topic Idea? I’d love to hear it! Just reply to this newsletter and let me know what topics you’d like to know more about.   Have Any Questions? Don’t hesitate to hit the reply button to any of the messages you receive, or email me direct at chris@themeaparty.com     {!date long+0} In This Issue… These St. Paddy’s Day Ideas Really Are Green Hot Idea: Host a “Coming Out of Hibernation” Spring Party Super Cool Drink Recipes with an Irish Flavor Easy Holiday Recipe: Shamrock Sandwiches Theme Party of the Month: St. Patrick’s Day Office Party Sliante! – Awesome Irish Toasts Sales and Coupon Codes for Online Party Merchants   These St. Paddy’s Day Ideas Really Are Green We’ve been hearing a lot lately about upcycling — the reuse of items you already have. Our readers have been reusing things you might not think of to commemorate birthdays and holidays. So here in the office, we brainstormed great St. Patrick’s Day ideas that don’t cost a penny (or any extra resources). What we found is that two holidays prior to St. Patrick’s day are goldmines (pun intended) to celebrate the Holiday of All Things Green. Christmas. Look for anything green, which isn’t too hard with Christmas decor. Green ribbon is perfect — you can make a cute St. Patrick’s Day garland by printing out “Happy St. Patrick’s Day” or “Erin go Bragh” or even “Drink Up!”. Another find: Christmas boxes and wrapping paper! If you’re a total nutter like I am, you keep these even if they’re dented or torn. You say guiltily to the spouse, “I’ll find a use for it eventually.” Well today’s the day, folks. Get out all that green cardboard and start tracing images of shamrocks, leprechaun hats and cool rainbows (use scraps of other colors to make these). Green Christmas balls and green garland are perfect too. Hang the garland over doorways and hang the balls wherever — on St. Paddy’s day, you just can’t have too much green. Mardi Gras. Another great holiday for scavenging decor is one you might not think of: Mardi Gras. Hunt garage sales and thrift shops at this time of year to find Mardi Gras extras that people will be practically giving away. The reason is simple: one of Mardi Gras’ time-honored colors is (you got it) green! Green Mardi Gras beads are awesome for St. Patrick’s Day party decor. Hang them prettily over lampshades or heck, just wear them. Hats and other pieces of clothing are also indicative of Mardi Gras and may come in green; grab some if you find it. You may also find confetti and other decor in green. Voila! — St. Paddy’s Day decorations at a total cost of nothing, or next to it. Have fun scavenging — you never know, you might just find a pot of gold while you’re in the attic digging around. View More St. Patrick’s Day party ideas Hot Idea: Host a “Coming Out of Hibernation” Spring Party Woo hoo, spring’s here in a couple days! And although some of us may not see T-shirt weather quite yet (though there’s a heat wave in Canada right now), a party is just the tonic to get people in a sunny mood. Here are some easy tips to hold a Coming Out of Hibernation Party at your house: Send invitations that have a springtime theme. This is an easy tie-in at this time of year as the Easter cards are all out in stores. You can also download your own animals, rolling hills, sun imagery, etc. on a document to make your own invites. Or try evites, which should have some pretty, spring like options. Make it a tea party. This is a great idea for children, too. Make yummy sandwiches, cut the crusts off and cut into thirds vertically. Arrange on a pretty plate. For youngsters, make iced tea and have a fruit juice choice available as well. Or if it turns out to be a surprise snow day, whip up some hot chocolate instead! Make a game of it. Organize a softball, baseball or soccer game for the grown-ups. Make sure there will be space at your local park for the party day. Cleanup is so easy when you hold a party at the park, so we really recommend this option. Use last year’s Easter decor. Easter grass is great for a springtime party. Other images of Easter are all about spring, of course; ducks, bunnies and chicks, rolling green hills and trees in bud are all gorgeous spring icons. Hang these Easter images around the party area as coming out of hibernation emblems. Place food in woven baskets around the table. You can get a bunch of these at your local dollar store and save bundles. Have a picnic party indoors. This is so much fun! It’s perfect if your Marches tend to be chilly and/or snowy. Lay a big checkered disposable tablecloth on the living room floor or on a table in the dining room. Load up the table with picnic favorites: sandwiches, fried chicken, salads, chips and ice pops. Use plastic picnic-style plates and forks. Have fun with this party and hang on…spring really is on its way. Super Cool Drink Recipes with an Irish Flavor We all know St. Patrick’s Day involves drinking. But kids love the day too. Here are two choices, one for a grown-up’s St. Patrick’s Day party and one for a children’s soiree. (By the way, no fair dipping into their option, Mom and Dad! Okay, maybe just one sip.) For the Grown-Ups: Emerald Isle Cocktails It’s green, minty and oh so cool and refreshing — your guests are going to love this recipe. Ingredients: 1 oz. Cork Irish Dry Gin (or gin of your choice) bitters, 2 dashes 1 tsp. creme de menthe (make sure you buy a brand that is green, for color) You will also need: a cocktail shaker a cocktail glass; chill this ahead of time Method: Pour all three ingredients into your shaker. Shake well, until blended. Pour and serve immediately in your cocktail glass. Makes one cocktail. For the Kids: Minty McD-style Milkshakes (no alcohol) Mmm, Shamrock Shakes! Think you can’t make them like McDonald’s does? We think it’s the other way around — you’ll never go back to a fast food shake after this frosty and fabulous non-alcoholic treat. You’ll also be the most popular mom or dad on the block. Read on for the easy instructions. Ingredients: 6 oz. any brand mint ice cream, NO chocolate chips; slightly softened 1 oz. 2% or whole milk whipped cream 1/2 tsp. mint flavored candy chips (Amazon carries these if you can’t find them at your local grocery store) You will also need: 1 minimum 2-c. capacity blender or food processor a glass, chilled in the freezer ahead of time a straw Instructions: Place ice cream into your blender. Blend for 5 seconds. Add the milk. Blend for an additional 20-30 seconds, until fully blended but still fairly solid. Pour into chilled glass. Top with whipped cream. Sprinkle mint flavored candy chips on top. Add straw and serve immediately. Makes one shake. Easy Holiday Recipe: Shamrock Sandwiches Say that five times fast! This recipe couldn’t be simpler, yet it looks so incredible when you set it out for guests to grab. We’ve seen a few versions of this recipe floating around the net of late and they’re all delicious. Here’s our favorite. Shamrock Sandwiches (Makes four sandwiches) Ingredients: 8 slices soft white bread 2 thin slices (1 oz. each) orange colored cheddar or other orange colored cheese 4 tbsp. light cream cheese OR other soft, spreadable cheese of your choice 4 large pieces thinly sliced deli ham cilantro OR parsley, about 3/4 tsp. per sandwich (3/4 tsp. X 4 sandwiches) You Will Also Need: a shamrock shaped or leprechaun hat shaped cookie cutter Instructions: Lay out 4 of the pieces of bread. Fold 1 piece of ham on top of each bread slice; don’t go out to the very edges — make it centered on the bread. Lay 1 piece of bread on top of each ham slice. Spread the top piece of bread (4 pieces total) with cream cheese. Lay ½ slice cheddar cheese over one-third of each bread slice, to the left (see picture). Now cut out each sandwich using your cookie cutter. Discard the excess cheddar cheese. Sprinkle the right-hand one third of the sandwich with cilantro or parsley. Serve sandwiches on a tray to party guests or enjoy with your family on St. Patrick’s Day. Experiment with different cheese combinations to find your favorite. Vegetarians: omit the ham and stuff your sandwich with uncooked spinach leaves and a slice of tomato. Yum! Can also be made as open-faced sandwiches (makes 8). Sliante! – Awesome Irish Toasts Salud! What, not Irish enough for you? Then try these Irish drinking toasts this St. Paddy’s Day. Enjoy. “Slainte!” (“Health” or “To your health”): pronounced slawn-cha “Aways remember to forget the friends that proved untrue. But never forget to remember those that have stuck by you.” “May your glass be ever full. May the roof over your head be always strong. And may you be in heaven half an hour before the devil knows you’re dead.” “Here’s to being single, drinking doubles, and seeing triple.” “May your home always be too small to hold all your friends.” “I-rish (I wish) you a very nice place to live, I-rish God’s greatest gifts he’ll give. I-rish you health, and wealth, and more–I-rish your smiling face were at my door.” “May St. Patrick guard you wherever you go, and guide you in whatever you do–and may his loving protection be a blessing to you always.” “May the Good Lord take a liking to you…but not too soon!” “To wives and sweethearts (or: to husbands and boyfriends): may they never meet.” “To your health. May I see you gray and combing your grandchildren’s hair.” “May you live as long as you want, and never want as long as you live.” “May the road rise to meet you, may the wind be always at your back, may the sun shine warm upon your face, the rains fall soft upon your fields and, until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of His hand.” “May the luck of the Irish possess you. May the devil fly off with your worries. May God bless you forever and ever.” Theme Party of the Month: St. Patrick’s Day Office Party In most offices, one of the integral St. Patrick’s Day elements must be absent: beer. However, it is still possible to have a fun party! Start with a potluck of green and/or Irish foods. Irish Boiled dinner, or corned beef and cabbage, is a great meal to share at a work potluck lunch. Try to get someone to cook it as a main dish. Colcannon is another yummy recipe good for potlucks. It serves a lot, and it is cheap! We have the recipes for these two delicious treats on the blog! Serve green drinks, too! Sprite with a bit of food color, or Mountain Dew, or green smoothies. Anything green! For dessert, lime sherbert or Pistachio ice cream hits the spot. Read more ideas for a St. Patrick’s Day Office party … Sales and Coupon Codes for Online Party Merchants Celebrateexpress.com – coupon code MEGAMAR – FREE BANNER with the purchase of $65! Good for 1 (one) Free Standard (18″ x 61″) Personalized Banner when you spend $65 or more. This coupon only applies to standard-size Personalized Banners and standard-size Personalized Photo Banners. Merchandise total of $65 must be after any coupons have been applied and does not include the cost of the personalized banner, shipping, handling, taxes or duty charges. Order the banner, then use coupon code at checkout – your banner will be discounted. Good through March 18, 2012 Shop now Shindigz.com – Coupon code VS3F3D – Save $10 on orders $65 and over! Order is for ground shipping in the continental US, and can not be combined with any other offer. Expires at the end of March 13, 2012. Shop now Next issue in late March. See you then, and Slainte!     Kid’s Birthday Ideas  | Adult Parties  | Sports Parties  | Holidays  | Contact Us

Related posts:

• Party Newsletter – February 2012 New Theme Ideas, Entertaining Tips and Special Offers For All...
• Party Newsletter – January 2012 New Theme Ideas, Entertaining Tips and Special Offers For All...
• Party Newsletter – August 2011   New Theme Ideas, Entertaining Tips and Special Offers For...

This little doll has a rich history that has lent itself to generations of little girls adoring her beautiful looks and fun accessories. So take this fun little toy and turn it into their own little world. Many little girls love dolls and so it’s no wonder that they adore their Barbies. This is the doll that is small enough that little hands can carry her anywhere, and has so many fun clothes and accessories that the sky is the limit in their little minds.

Barbie has been around since 1959 (her birthday is March 9th), when the relatively newly formed Mattel introduced her at the New York Toy Show. The rest is history as this cute little doll made her way into little girl’s hearts and an instrumental part of their playrooms forever!

Create Your Own Barbie Dream House

As part of your  Barbie party, you want to recreate a dream house as the setting. With some creativity and a bit of imagination this can be a lot of fun. There’s two ways to do this – dress up the party area to resemble a glam doll house, or build a house for kids to play in (if it’s a small party).

Party Area Decor – Incorporate Barbie accents throughout the play area, such as a station with a tickle truck so the girls can change into princess clothes and even put on some make up. Cover the walls with purple, white and pink gossamer or tulle (you can find these in 50 or even 100 yard rolls at Shindigz.) Use the gossamer to cover chairs so they look plastic and doll-like. Finally, if you have a toy kitchen or other “just like home” toys, add those as stations for kids to play with.

Party Doll House – If you have a play tent or indoor cottage structure, your party guests will have lots of fun playing house in that. If not, save some old boxes that are large enough for the girls to play inside of – one idea is to go to your local appliance store and grab some large refrigerator boxes. Then use gossamer or tulle to cover the box walls with pink, white and purple. Use your imagination in decorating them to recreate a cute little Barbie scene.

Whatever you decide, the idea is for the girls to have the illusion that they are actually living and playing in their own little Barbie dream world – not that you have to work that hard at it, as kids are full of imagination and will play in whatever the area looks like anyway!

Glamorous and Delicious Barbie Food

This is like a completely glamorized tea party all on its own. So you must embrace it with the most beautiful and delicious Barbie snacks. For example the centerpiece of a good party in this theme must revolve around a gorgeous cake.

You can go for a Barbie fairy cake which is a beautiful and fun tribute. You can even try to recreate a doll cake whereby Barbie sits on the top and the bulk of the cake is her big poofy dress. No matter which direction you go, both will be delicious and of course impressive.

To accompany the beautiful cake, be sure to offer up some perfect little snacks. This is all about elegance and sophistication, but in a little girl style. Offer them pink lemonade in adorned tea cups and even consider pouring from an actual delicate tea pot.

Mix in some pink cookies with pink icing in keeping with the ultra girlie theme. Then throw in some cute little sandwiches that you could even cut out with a heart cookie cutter. It makes for a cute way of serving them and of course the little girls will gobble them up in every sense of the word!

She’s a Barbie Girl in a Barbie World

What do girls love more than anything about Barbie? The outfits and the accessories of course so you want to recreate that whole little fantasy for them and allow them to feel like a doll themselves. This is where you put out as many costumes and fun little accessories as possible.

As the girls arrive you can point them in the direction of the costumes and let them start off by having the ultimate dress up party. Then each girl can get a turn at having you do her hair and some simple make up. Ask for some help with this from other parents so that you set up their own little beauty parlor and you can have fun working together to help them feel beautiful.

Put out some toy jewelry and of course let them pick their very own Barbie to play with. This can serve as their favor from the party and when they are dressed like their favorite doll, this is sure to create memories for some time to come. A true Barbie world that is sure to please every little princess!

Related posts:

• Birthday Parties Served Every Day! My daughter just loves birthdays, and she always asks if...
• Party Favor Ideas for Preschool Children’s Birthday Parties Dr Seuss party favor boxes Goody bags really make a...
• Yo Gabba Gabba! Characters for Birthday Parties Quick – name the members of the Dancey Dance Yo...

Create the Magic and the Fairytale Itself

Every fairytale needs the perfect setting and that will be the party venue if you recreate it in the right manner. This particular story line is centered around two primary things—their dinners and the ballroom dances. There’s a few other scenes that will instantly spell “Belle!” such as having an old rustic sort of environment. Belle actually grew up the youngest of three in a farmhouse, so you could pull in elements of that. Go for vintage looking pieces that you can throw into your home that shows that this all took place years ago. That can do the trick and create the perfect setting for a fairytale meeting if you can pull it off using antique or older items.

The Dining Room

In both the original tale (by Gabrielle-Suzanne de Villeneuve) and the Disney movie, Belle only encounters the Beast at the dining table in the evening. In the book have nightly conversations, with the Beast asking for her hand in marriage at the end, which she always declines. More dramatic, of course, is the famous “Be Our Guest” scene with Belle and the enchanted cutlery and furnishings in the Disney movie!

You may not have a huge, oak table, but just take your dining room table and cover it with a white and pink tablecloth. Add a tulle table skirt of a different shade to make it truly royal and enchanting. Cover the chairs with the same colors, and hang either glamorous streamers on the walls, or hang a stone wall backdrop to make it look like the inside of a dark and forbidding castle. The contrast between gorgeous table and cold stone walls will be fabulous.

Add candles and a tea setting, or electric candles and a plastic tea set for younger, preschool guests. Serve dishes you would find at a princess tea party, such as little sandwiches, cupcakes, fruity herbal tea and cut up fruit and vegetables. Each girl will also have her own napkin to drape across her lap.

The Ballroom

Disney has a few grand ballroom scenes, both before and after the Beast is transformed. Though there is no scene in the original story, the Beast does supply her with an endless wardrobe of gorgeous gowns and jewelry during her stay at the castle. You can find ballroom costumes here.

To recreate this scene, glam up your own “ballroom” with backdrops of gossamer sheets of gold, or yellow streamers from the walls. Hang streamers or tulle from all corners of the room to the center, where you can hang a disco ball or something shimmery to create a magical look (bonus if you already have an actual chandelier in the middle of the room!) Hang electric candles all around the room to complete the look. You can also purchase backdrops of a ballroom for your walls.

Whatever scene you decide on (or both!), don’t forget the most important element – a bouquet of red roses!

Related posts:

• Disney Princess Birthday Party Ideas Every little girl is a princess on her birthday. Make...
• Asian Theme Party Ideas Take your guests on an exciting adventure to Shanghai, Bangkok,...
• Second Birthday Party Ideas Your little darling is turning two and you can hardly...

No other holiday makes for such an occasion for delicious drinks. This is an excellent time to try out some festive recipes and to celebrate this party held all around the world. Here are some of the best St. Patrick’s Day recipes and they will make for a fun celebration and a delicious way to enjoy it.

1. Black and Tan: What better way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day than with beer? This however is the ultimate in beer as it combines equal parts of a paler but rich beer such as Harps or Bass with of course a Guinness. The result? A beautiful combination of two stellar beers that happen to come together quite nicely. Check out Beer Blitz for directions.

2. Irish Car Bomb: Why not combine all the best of Irish culture? This combines the three favorite drinks of the country and makes for a real smash on St. Patrick’s Day. It’s easy enough to mix and of course makes for a nice shot which is what the day is all about.

• 1/2 oz. Irish Cream (Bailey’s)
• 1/2 pint Stout (Guinness)
• 1/2 oz. Whiskey, Irish (Jameson)

Source: Cocktails Wiki

3. Emerald Isle Drink: This will give you that gorgeous green color of a shamrock and so it’s festive. It just so happens to be delicious as well and it’s easy enough to make. Combine the following ingredients:

• 1 oz gin
• 1 tsp crème de menthe, green
• 2 dashes bitters

The result is a beautiful green drink, that has the rich mint flavor you’d expect, and it’s so easy that you can mix it as you go.

4. Irish Kilt Drink: You can’t welcome in the luck of the Irish without a bit of whiskey, right? Even if you’re not a true whiskey lover, this combines some ingredients that take some of the sting out of it. Combine the following ingredients for a nice alternative to straight whiskey that keeps with the Irish tradition this holiday is known for.

• 2 oz Irish Whisky
• 1 oz Scotch
• 1 oz Lemon juice
• 1 oz Sugar water
• 3 dashes of Orange bitters

Source: It’s St. Patrick’s Day

5. Nutty Irishman Shot: This is one of those shots that is actually a bit refreshing and delicious, and so you don’t even taste the alcohol. Dangerous? Yes! Appropriate for the occasion and of course festive? Absolutely!

3/4 oz Irish cream liqueur
3/4 oz Frangelico

From Girly Drinks

6. Irish Pride Drink: It has that symbolic green color and yet it’s a very unexpected taste. If you need a break from all the other drinks, then this can serve well. All you do is mix and enjoy and you’ll be honoring your own Irish pride in no time. (From Seattle Met)

• 3 oz crème de menthe, green
• 3 oz Amaretto
• 2 oz lemon juice

Related posts:

• Celebrate a Magical Occasion on Harry Houdini’s Birthday The date may have escaped you, but March 24th is...
• St. Patrick’s Day Party Theme Ideas If you're Irish, or just pretend to be, celebrate St....
• St. Patrick’s Day Office Party Have a St. Patrick's Day office party! St. Patty's day...

That’s right – this Nintendo classic that was once the height of technology goes all the way back to 1981. And it all started with a gorilla, two carpenters (nope…they weren’t originally plumbers), a few barrels and one very pixelated princess. Looking to host your own awesome Donkey Kong party? Feel free to monkey around with our decor, food and game ideas below.

• Donkey Kong Party Supplies
• Occasions For a Donkey Kong Party
• How to Make a Cool Donkey Kong Party Invitation
• Party Decor and Supplies
• Party Food Fit For a King (Kong)
• Awesome Kong Goody Bags

DK’s 30th birthday got a lot of media coverage this summer, and with the ongoing popularity of related games like Mario Galaxy, Mario Kart, Donkey Kong Country Returns and more, kids seem to be clamoring for a Donkey Kong birthday party this year more than ever before.

Occasions For a Donkey Kong Party

Yay for oldschool! c. 1981.

A Donkey Kong party is the perfect theme for:

• a child’s birthday. So much fun for all age groups.
• an arcade/video game party. Include lots of other games so guests have plenty of choices.
• a retro 1980s party. Donkey Kong is true iconic 80s – play it up!
• Halloween. Ask guests to come dressed as Mario or Luigi, Yoshi, a star, Donkey or Diddy Kong, etc.
• a very unique baby shower. This is perfect for game buffs, and so much of the DK imagery fits well with a baby’s room decor.
• a grown-up birthday or “over the hill” party. In this case, all things retro will really make the occasion and remind the guest of honor that you’re never too old to party.

How to Make a Cool Donkey Kong Party Invitation

Print a barrel image (this one is from Donkey Kong Country Returns) and put your invitation inside.

You know what we always say around here — MIY (make it yourself)! Here’s an awesome and easy tutorial for a Donkey Kong party invitation guests will love to receive. The idea is a gorilla hiding inside the barrel; guests pull the gorilla out to view the party information. Here’s how to do it.

You will need:

• card stock or other heavy printer paper
• tongue depressors or wooden popsicle sticks, 1 per invitation
• school glue
• a computer and your own creativity

Instructions:

1. Look online for images of Donkey Kong (or one of his compadres, like Diddy Kong, Cranky Kong, Swanky Kong; or Princess Pauline for a girl’s party).

2. Select your image and size it to fit within the parameters of one-half page of your card stock. Insert text describing the party: date, time, location and any other information guests will need. Arrange this over the monkey’s belly area.

3. Print your image with text on individual pages.

4. With a magic marker, draw grid marks on each tongue depressor so it looks like a girder.

5. Cut out the shape of the monkey, princess or whatever image you’ve chosen. With a dot of school glue, secure one tongue depressor or ice cream stick to the back of one monkey. Keep gluing until you have enough “monkeys on a stick” for all your invitations.

6. Look online for an image of a barrel. Upload the image and size it so your monkey on its stick will fit inside. Align the bottom of the barrel with the center of the page.

7. Print out the barrel on card stock or any heavy paper. Fold the paper in the center (at the bottom edge of the barrel). Cut out the barrel so you have two sides (keep the folded side intact).

8. Glue the two open vertical sides of the barrel. Allow to dry.

9. Insert the tongue depressor monkey into the barrel. Mail or hand deliver.

Party Decor and Supplies

• Find Nintendo Donkey Kong plates, cups and other party supplies and you’ll cut your party prep time in half.

• Check out these cool wall decals. The birthday boy or girl will love to take these back to his or her room after the party, too.

• Hang racing checkered flags (for Mario Kart) or draw girders on long, thin strips of paper and hang along the walls and in the center of the party table.

• Create a jungle scene with hanging vines (use thick green yarn), faux fruit like bananas and papaya, and print out palm and coconut trees and hang on the walls.

• Print out lots and lots of cheery yellow stars. Cut out the shapes. Punch a hole in the top “arm” of each star with a mini hole punch. String yarn, ribbon or crepe paper through the hole; knot. Hang stars from the ceiling.

Party Food Fit For a King (Kong)

Easy + inexpensive +looks awesome = we have a winner! Image and concept: Thetanooki.com.

For the party food, go wild! Bananas are the obvious choice here. For very young children, cut bananas into slices; serve with a whole banana or two for visual appeal. For older kids, buy chocolate dip at the store; peel bananas and insert sticks (if you buy a chocolate dip kit, these should be included); dip into the chocolate and chill until the chocolate is hardened. Even better: freeze the chocolate bananas…mmm. Here’s some more ideas:

• Pinatas are lots of fun and double as both party snacks and an activity. Ask your local party supply store for Donkey Kong style pinatas. For small children, try a pull string pinata instead — nobody gets hurt and everyone has fun.

• Bake cupcakes and place a Donkey Kong cake topper on each. After the cupcakes are eaten, wash the toppers and send one home with each child in his or her goody bag.

• Buy a star-shaped cookie cutter. Make star shaped cookies (frost in yellow, with brown squeeze icing for the eyes). Another idea: cut out sandwiches with the star-shaped cutter.

• Bake mushroom cupcakes; these are adorable. You can also have this be an activity: present guests with baked, cooled cupcakes, icing and add-ons and have them create their own cute mushrooms.

• Serve chocolate foil covered gold coins.

• Serve gummy bananas or other gummy tropical fruits.

• Cut out melon balls and serve them as “fireballs.” To garnish, cut small stars out of cheese and arrange around the plate. Add some washed grapes and you have a “Stars ‘n Galaxy” platter that’s healthy (shh-don’t tell your guests!).

• Put out activity place mats to keep younger guests occupied as you move from one activity to the next.
  

  A question box full of goodies. This one can be found at Thinkgeek.com.

• Play the Barrel of Monkeys game. If you don’t already have a set, pick one up through Amazon.com or at your local dollar store.
• Play musical chairs to video game midis or clips.

Awesome Kong Goody Bags

…Or in this case, boxes! Buy cheap cardboard foldable mini-boxes in white. On each, draw a dotted question mark using magic marker. These imitate the boxes Mario and his friends jump on to release prizes. These make adorable goody containers.

Fill the party bags with assorted candies, Super Mario temporary tattoos, Mario Brothers hats (check out ebay for deals — search under Mario Hat) and foil-covered chocolate coins. Hand out to guests as they leave the party.

Related posts:

• Mario Kart / Wii Party Ideas If your child loves video games and Mario Kart, have...
• Sock Monkey Party Ideas Celebrate your next occasion with a retro fun Sock Monkey...
• Angry Birds Party Ideas Angry Birds party alert! Here are ideas on how to...