I love giving parties, do you need some ideas?

[ShirleyKnot]

Hello!

If you don't know me I'm Shirley and I'm a great lover of planning parties. I do a blog about it (which I'm not going to link here, but if you look on the bloggers network for PartySpanner you'll find me)

ANYWAY

If you're chucking a do, I might be able to help - I'm not a business, I don't charge for my ideas or owt, I just love to trawl the internet find good invite ideas, games and food.

Jump in and I'll see if I can help.

Halloween party went well here. I have picked up a vile cold though - damn those schoolkids and their germy ways.

Eggrules - I'll grab you some links tonight - the internet at work is shitola today.

In fact that goes for everyone who hasn't had a response yet!

Thanks Stealth I read upthread that you have done science theme parties. We have someone ready to do an interactive demo type thing. The tea in a paper bag sounds great - what do you suggest as contents? I need to cater for 30 x 4-5 year olds gulp.

Hey Shirley Glad your party went well. I would love to hear more about it.

I have a vile cold too, hope you feel better.

I was inspired by your ideas and had a really traditional Halloween. We had duck and bob apple and food was chilli, wedges, 7 layer dip, salad and bread. Guests brought homemade cupcakes. I will be on the lookout for Christmas party ideas next.

Wow cant wait to hear more on the parties that went ahead. I've bought my gumpaste ready to make a gruffalo. Its 25 days til party so i'm gonna make all the characters one by one then assemble onto leaf/grass covered cake.

That gruffalo table is haunting me. Keep thinking how i can do such a nice set up but because im catering for so many adults too not sure its feasible. Also i noted that table has about 9 sandwiches and the rest is cake! As dd's birthday is the actual day before party i think im gonna have to grab whatever party food tescos has in and chuck it on the table.

All my efforts are going into decorating the kids seating area and the birthday cake obviously.

Oh and i saw inverted balloons on pinterest and thought they would make a great green canopy hanging from ceiling but it says weight them with marbles. I've got horrible pictures of random balloons popping and marbles hitting toddlers on the head. What else can i use to weigh balloons straight when hung upside down?

Egg - in the lunch bags i'd be going for the stuff you get in a cafe lunchbox. Like sandwich. Cheese block. Fruit. Maybe you could make individual jellies with something obscure set in them? Then serve cake etc after? Thats a hell of a lot of kids to cater for. I've got ten 1-3 year olds and cold sweats.

Right I'm joining in! I've been lurking since the beginning of this thread, and love love love all the ideas.

I have also name changed recently, but I am a regular (Don't think this is the type of post which normally requires a name change - no sensitive information here!)

Anyhoo - TheDW - have you thought of little rolled up balls of play-doh for the balloons? As long as you hold the neck open it shouldn't stick as you put it in, and I would have thought they'd not cause too many problems if the balloon burst.

And Egg - I agree with TheDW - little sandwich, a babybel type thing, a banana, carton drink with a straw, and of course a packet of pombears... I like the idea of a science-y jelly. They'd be cool in a test-tube shaped container but would be hard to get the jelly out to eat! Could you do some test-tube decorations with food colouring in lemonade, so they look like bubbling experiments and wouldn't be toxic if accidentally drunk!

I'd love some ideas for a ROCKET party for 3 yo ds. Most of the space things I've found are a bit NASA and grown up. I've a few ideas and I'll write a proper post with my ideas and see what you think when it's not time for supper and feeding the 3 yo!

Oh, and Shirley (you once sent me a lovely love bomb when I was a different name! ) I adore the owl cakes.

And I noticed you tagged at the bottom on the page tits in batter which made me laugh. A lot. For quite a long time. Genius.

playdoh is a genius idea for weighting balloons - you could roll the balls in cornflour to make them less sticky?

Space party - we did it for 5th Birthday - I shall rack my brains as to what we did when I am not trying to cook supper, Blastoff.

Eggrules if you have any outside space then this made an amazing climax to science party - we made it into an "experiment" by seeing which sort of nasty cheap drink would go furthest.

I think if you served "bag lunches" that would keep the little darlings quiet long enough for you to then bring out jellies for pudding.

Ok. So the rocket party is for about ten 2-4 year olds but mostly all are around the just 3 mark. I have hired a hall because the house isn't big enough for all the children and parents, and a few siblings.

I am going to hire a bouncy castle (it's a big hall) and ask a few friends to bring along some ride on toys, and we have a couple too.

I am planning on having a table with some space themed pictures to colour and / or black paper with space stickers, glue, stars etc.

I was thinking of baking some gingerbread rockets and have some icing to stick on edible stars and smarties (as the windows etc) and put it out on a table (like the colouring) for them to do in their own time, if they fancied, but not sure if this is too much.

I will have pass the parcel and thought I might do a basic treasure hunt. That is give them each a paper bag and they have to look for and collect chocolate coins (or would be better if I could find some rockets or moons/ stars) to take home in their bags.

In terms of food... Not sure if I should do a number three and have space themed candles or attempt a rocket. I've not done anything like this before so it's a bit scary!

For party tea I'll do usual sandwiches but use rocket cutter to make them rocket shaped. I saw a rocket themed cupcake stand which came with rocket flags to put in the cakes and I could put silver edible states on them. I'll obviously do usual standards (carrot and cucumber sticks, mini sausages etc). Wondered about rebranding Pom bears as astronauts!

How does this sound? Appropriate? Any other ideas either for simple games/ decorations/ space themed food ideas. I think they mainly just want to play at this age so hope they won't want more entertainment.

Goodness, sorry about monster post!

Playdoh. Genius. Got tons of it as dd's mixed all the colours and doesnt likevit now. Falling playdoh wont kill a kid will it. I'll do that.

Fab ideas for space party. What about space raider crisps rather than pombears. Shirley had a great colour change lemonade earlier on the thread which would be great for a space or science party. Jwllies could be like those alien egg stocking filler things.

Pass the parcel with tin foil = pass the asteroid

We did a meteor shower - let down a net of balloons with cardboard moons and stars mixed in which they had to find.

We also did relay races collecting "moon rocks" - they had to put on a plastic space helmet and oven gloves, run over, collect a moon rock (scrunched up foil) with tongs, and bring it back - but that is way too old for 2yos.

Some variant of musical planets - different planets printed out, ideally laminated, stuck to the floor with blu tack - then they play musical chairs, basically.

Having said all that - ignore all of the above for pre-schoolers - colouring with black paper and chalks, and a bouncy castle, is all you actually need

Oh, and if you can find a good deal on it, spaceman food (freeze dried ice-cream) would be fabulous for party bags!

forget that - I just looked - it's way too expensive

Just remembered - we also made space monsters, from polystyrene balls and pipe cleaners. That was fun.

Shirley - have you got any inspiring ideas for a Club Penguin party? It's my DS2's choice for his 6th birthday party later this month. So that I am not just promoting the website to all and sundry, I have decided to play up to a snowy theme and have found stuff online like fake snowballs, snowy plates, strings of snowflakes to hang etc. Am planning to make an igloo cake with a Club Penguin figure on it . As there is an inventor on Club Penguin, DH says he will dress up in a silly costume and do some daft experiments - fake snow in a can springs to mind. Lots of lovely snowy stuff to buy here. Maybe I can transform the room into a snowy scene and we can have fake snowball fights?

I was going to hold the party at home, but we can only seat 8 and that will involve not inviting several children who should be invited, so I have decided to hire a church hall instead.

Any ideas (eg games) gratefully received!

Carebear party is looming on Saturday and I would appreciate suggestions?

Thanks Doctorswife and Blast.

I have ordered silver paper bags for food and will keep it simple. Cheese sandwich, cheese, cake, crisps and juice box.

Clear bags for party bags with a thank you sticker to seal.

I may do a bit of food for adults?

Looking forward to Shirley getting better soon.

FUCKING WORK BASTARD AND HOMELIFE POOP ARGH!

Quick links:

Carebears Ignore all the selling gumpf, there's some nice party game ideas and food at the bottom

No idea about club penguin - sorry! some ideas here though

BlastOff - HA! Glad you got a lovebomb off me, that was a lovely thread. Um, you seem pretty sorted now partywise?

Eggrules - you seem ok too?

MrsMerryberry - your DH's 40th - how about a night in a hotel and alovely meal out? Or a show or tickets to a fave band/comedian/sports events. How about a night out a local comedy club?

So, ToffeeFudgeCake, for "club penguin" can we read "penguin" (I know nothing of Club Penguin and plan to keep it that way for as long as I can)?

Penguin party could be fun - musical icebergs, pass the egg (need to think through that one), fish hunts (collect as many paper fish as you can), or catch the fish (dangle chocolate fish on strings and they have to catch them with their mouths, hands behind backs), pin the penguin on the ice flow (with lots of seals waiting to eat the ones that miss) - am I even vaguely in the right area?

Sorry I've not been around for a while. I've not been in the mood for parties this week.

But I'm back now and DD is asleep and I'm cutting Y's from gingham card :)

bythemoonlight, I'm doing a teddy bears picnic for DD's party, are there any of my ideas you could pinch?

Penguin party - could you do a game where you pass an egg beanbag between knees along a line? No hands allowed. They'd end up waddling like penguins I think.

There might be ideas here for the care bears party...

Sorry moonlight we got sidetracked with space, science and now penguins. Carebears is hard as its sooooo long since even glanced at one. How has the theme arisen, is it back on TV or is it from a DVd etc? I ask because will all the DC's know of Carebears or can you turn it into teddy bears as Blathers suggests? Not sure how Carebear aware kids of today are! Carebear aware?!! It's like the Carebear stare but for the modern times ha ha.

If I know nothing about Club Penguin, it is still a million times what I know about Care Bears - sorry. We have a million bears in this house (in fact, might try and talk DD into teddy bears picnic next year since we could fill the hall just with our bears ) but not a single Care Bear [ignorant]

Thanks for the ideas Shirley great thread and advice from all. I am sorted for now but will need ideas for a kids Christmas party and suitable games

Thank you TheDW, space raider crisps are a brilliant idea - I'd completely forgotten about them!

stealthsquiggle I think I will make pass the parcel something like pass the asteroid or planet or moon - great idea, thank you.

I was wondering about the a balloon drop, but I think I might have enough already for pre-schoolers. I'll have a think about it. I wonder if they may prefer to have balloons all the way through to play with. Hmmm. Will have a think.

Actually, yes thanks Shirley, I think I am pretty sorted now. I had more than I thought, and writing it down really helped crystallise things in my mind.