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.

Yes, could get tough, especially towards the end when you're trying to get the last few.

You could have a bear too Moonlight? Can you still buy actual Carebears?

bythemoonlight - can you not acquire a small carebear from somewhere for pass the parcel prize?

Slightly embarassingly, DD has won pass the parcel at the last 2 parties she has been to - one book, and one cool bouncy ball + pack of sweets.

Blathers you just have to cheat - when it lands on someone who has already had it you pounce, saying brightly "oh, you've had a go, haven't you - look, X hasn't yet, so let's pass it to him/her..." DD's peer group are now so well schooled in this that you have to tell them when everyone has had a go and it is time to go back to random-ness

Ah, parallel wrapping! Very clever.

I was already planning on at least 2 colours of paper so layers were obvious plus special paper for the prize so we knew when we'd got there. I was thinking of watching to make sure everyone got a little prize and then making the big prize random. I was thinking of a mini bag of gummy bears in every layer...?

I should have more adults than kids on the day so supervision shouldn't be an issue.

I really need to get a trip to costco sorted now. I'm planning on getting the sweets for the cones, the adults plates and cups and now the PTP wrapping from there this month and the cake and possibly some food next month.

I'm going to have to go smile sweetly at my friend with the card

I have to say that my DS had a joint party last year so lots more children and we had two parcels going at the same time and it was very stressful! But mainly because the grown ups were too busy chatting and weren't really helpful.

Oh - one more hint - count out the gummi bears (or, in our case, freddo frogs) before you start and put any spares away, because you will lose count of how many layers you have done, so you can keep track by how many packs of gummi bears you have left (can you tell this is always a late night in-front-of-the-TV job for me ?)

Just had a moment of madness, considering doing football cake pops then came to my senses, slapped myself and moved on! I can't make a decent fairy bun, never mind a cake pop!

Moonlight the carebears dvd is less than 4quid on amazon. Is that okay as a pass the parcel prize. I doubt they'd have it already, having said that my dh got a copy for his 30th!

I cant believe pass the parcel got so complicated. In my day the excitement was about not knowing when you'd reached the end, with a random lolly on occasion. My worst modern example was my sil who bought stacks and stacks of peppa stuff for her dd. Then went mad when her dh didnt fix it to land on her. Never in my life had i heard of rigging the game to ensure the birthday child won!

I have all girls and just one boy at the party

All the prizes inside the pass the parcel are care bear related (bubbles and colouring book with crayons on alternative layers) so I was going to stop these on the girls.

Then I need to find a main present and a present for the boy (as I din't think he would want care bear related)

Does that make sense? I am complelty overthinking this but here goes:

1. Will he want something carebear related?
2. Am I over doing it by putting bubbles / colouring books and crayons inside the layers?
3. Can't order main prize online as party is Sat so what could I get? Would a boy like a teddy?

How old is the boy, if we're rigging the game lets find him something good.

He's 2.5 DW

Georgecat asda have got those teddy hats and scarfs. Bear related but not so carebear? Gender neutral too.

direct.asda.com/george/boys/accessories/bear-fleece-scarf-set/GEM75603,default,pd.html

Says girls but cant say it looks girly:
direct.asda.com/george/girls/accessories/bear-hat/GEM74439,default,pd.html

George at asda not cat! Sausage fingers on my ipod.

Oh I love that little hat in your second link DW!

Me too but when it said girls i thought i'd better keep looking. But i'd let my son wear that. Good for this time of year too.

FWIW my little boy loves his teddies and would probably have loved something carebear related at that age. But some boys are more boyish I guess. That hat is also very cute!

P.S. I don't think you are overthinking, just being very thoughtful.

I love the hat!

I may need to visit ASDA :)

Do you think he will be disappointed it's not a toy? Should I put a little toy with it?

Noooo i think its nice. My dd would want to wear it all day she wouldnt consider its not a toy. For my prize ive got gruffalo toothbrush, expandable flannel and bath fizzers. Not a toy, gender neutral and broad in age range.

Great toys Dw - my dd1 would be over the moon at getting a new toothbrush and even happier when she put the fizzers and the flannel in the bath!!

Not that a new toothbrush is a rarity in this house I hasten to add!

Why oh why did I decide to cut out 20 mini teddy bears by hand!?

Owch!