Invitations By You Blog

Birthday Parties for “Ones”

2008-06-25T10:18:00.003-05:00

At our site we do a lot of invitations for 1 year old birthday parties. Of course, we all know that a one year old usually has not much of a clue of what is going on, though he or she knows what to do with the cake! 1 year old birthday parties are more for the parents and grandparents and other family. I treasure the pictures of my daughters and grandsons on their first birthdays.

If you let your 12 month old feed herself or himself cake, you’ll probably need to plan a bath afterwards. Often icing and cake go in the hair, get smeared on face, clothes, high chair and anyone within reach. If you’re lucky, only face and hands will be covered. We have pictures of my first grandson tossing cake to the floor – the universal “I’m done” signal.

I’ve recently discovered there are first birthday highchair kits – they include a mat, bib, party hat, and a banner to decorate the highchair. Pretty cute. Eventually we’ll be offering them at our new site Parties and Games, which we’re working on now. There are lots of cute 1st birthday party themed tableware out there – we have some at Invitations by You and will be offering more at Parties and Games.

I also recommend that presents be done before the cake or after the cleanup. Your little one will need help opening packages. Often older children like to help with this process, but you have to watch out that they don’t take the toy or gift away from the baby once it is open.

Here are some resources if you’re planning a 1st birthday party:

First Birthday Party from the Berkeley Parents Network

Five Ways To Have A Successful 1st Birthday from lifetips.com

Planning Your 1st Birthday Party from amazingmoms.com

1st Birthday at kidspartyfun.com

1st Birthday Party Ideas, Activities and Tips from birthdaypartyideas4kids.com

Teen Hollywood Party

2008-06-17T11:20:00.002-05:00

I just read some really creative ideas on Yahoo answers for teen Hollywood parties and thought I’d share them with you:

- One girl created a DVD with spoofs of movies (Indiana Jane, The Incredible Hulkette, Legally Strawberry Blonde, etc.) – sounds very fun.
- Another girl had great decoration suggestions including: “Now Playing” posters made from pictures cut out of magazines advertising movies, red fabric draped as a carpet, and silver stars cut from wrapping paper on the wall, flashlights angled against large Hollywood lettering in a window.
- Someone else suggested playing the Hollywood game with questions and answers about celebrities.

Here’s a whole Hollywood party scenario from teenpartyideas.com.

I found a helpful article on an “American Idol Teen Birthday Party” at suite101.

The article “Lights! Camera! Action! Birthday Party Theme” by Denise Witmer on about.com had some great ideas.

Don’t forget the idea of doing hair and makeup and taking glitzy “head shots” of your guests, too.
There are some fun Hollywood themed invitations and paper products out there, as well. My favorites on our site are the Director’s Cut Tableware.

Beach Weddings

2008-06-13T15:19:00.003-05:00

My daughter’s friend wanted to get married on the beach in Hawaii – unfortunately, that didn’t work out – but what a fun thing to do if you are an ocean beach lover.

So what do you need to think about if you’re planning a wedding on the beach?
Your guest list
Obviously, if it is a “fly to” location for most of your guests, that will probably cut down on the number of people able to attend.
If your ceremony is actually in the sand, walking for elderly or disabled guests could be an issue.
Season
Unless it is a “tropical” ocean beach, weather is definitely going to be an issue. I’ve spent most of my beach time on the Oregon coast and even in August it’s not really warm. (The warmest—and driest—time is afternoon.)
Seating
If you plan on providing seats for the ceremony and/or reception, those will need to be hired and set up, unless there is an open air venue on the beach you can rent.
Attire
High heels, well most shoes for that matter, are not the most practical in sand. Keep that in mind when choosing what the wedding party will wear.

Here’s a “Beach Weddings” article with additional thoughts. I really like their idea of a beach theme wherever the actual ceremony is held.

More Resources

We have some cool invitations for beach weddings in our Themed Weddings section.

And here are some sites with beach theme wedding favors:

Wedding Favors to Go

Bellenza

Camp Mail

2008-06-10T09:22:00.002-05:00

For kids going to camp, it’s often like going to a week long sleepover party. Yeah, there may be classes and sometimes the food isn’t so great, but there’s all that outdoor play, new friends to make, campfires, whispered exchanges after lights out, etc. Often camp counselors are young college age guys and gals that are way better than “parents.”

However, even for only a week long camp, some kids get a bit homesick and writing letters or receiving mail can be a help. I remember the tension of “mail call” and wondering if I was going to get anything or get too much! At our camp if someone got a lot of mail in one day they often had to do something silly like run around the dining hall while repeating some phrase at the top of their voice.

Letters to or from home might not have a lot of content, but can be fun anyway, so be prepared when your kid goes off to camp. First, provide writing paper, envelopes, pens or pencils and stamps for your child to take along. We have some cute Camp Writing Kits on our website – some are fold and seal; others are the more traditional kid style stationery and matching envelopes. Send your mail to camp early in the week so your son or daughter gets a letter early. Keep your message(s) light and upbeat. Don’t emphasize to a kid with a tendency to be homesick how much you miss him or her. (Or how much you’re enjoying them being gone!)

You might want to save those letters you get, too—they could be a nice treasure years later.

Wedding Etiquette

2008-06-04T15:42:00.004-05:00

There are standards of good behavior at weddings and receptions. However, for some reason a number of movies that show bad etiquette come to my mind (The Wedding Crashers, 28 Days) and one where the bridesmaid/maid of honor was way overbooked (27 Dresses). So guess the movies don’t help us much.

This Wedding Etiquette Quiz might prove useful.

And this blog with an entry called Weddiquette : The Ceremony

This article even had tips on How To Acknowledge the Death of a Parent at Your Wedding

Planning a destination wedding? Destination Weddiquette might be the article for you.

Or for a Jewish wedding, this resource weddiquette: keeping kosher could be very helpful.

But I’ve saved the best for last: The Weddiquette Blog is chock full of information. The recent entry that interested me most was on joint bachelor/bachelorette parties. Fun idea!

Birthday card idea

2008-05-30T14:14:00.002-05:00

My family has a number of birthdays in June and sometimes finding just the right card – especially milestone birthday cards, when you don’t want “put downs” – can be difficult. So this week I got the bright idea of making customized birthday cards using invitation/announcement cards from our IBY site. Not only did I write my own text, but I personalized each card with the person’s name. I can’t wait to hear how each one liked her card.

You can do the same thing either by buying single card stock and printing yourself or by using a printer (like us), who has no minimums and either no set-up fees or minimal setup fees. If you are ordering over the internet, order a number of cards at once, so that the shipping charges don’t make the cards too expensive. Ask for an electronic proof (free on our site and probably free on many sites) to make sure the card looks just the way you want it to.

What to say? Make it as personal as you can. Talk about the person’s exact age, or things that happened when he was born, special memories of her, relate it to his favorite hobby or her avocation, or even what is happening this year.

The only thing I suggest not printing is your name. Sign the card as usual.

4th of July – a whole day to celebrate

2008-05-27T11:51:00.007-05:00

Now that Memorial Day is behind us, the next holiday on all calendars is Independence Day. At IBY we are already having people order their party invites for July 4th and several have chosen one of our brand new patriotic cards.

This year the holiday is a Friday, which means another 3 day weekend – woo whoo! 4th of a July is another good time for family gatherings, summer activities, and, of course, fireworks. I prefer the professional fireworks. A couple years ago, I got to watch them while listening to a concert, which was great fun! Though probably the most memorable was watching them with the Statue of Liberty as a backdrop.

When our kids were young, the town where we lived put on a 4th of July parade. Kids could participate by dressing up in any holiday related theme. Once our girls marched as cowgirl and Indian partners. The other years we were merely spectators, but that was fun, too.

One year I made a rectangular chocolate cake, used whipped cream for the icing, then decorated it into a flag using blueberries for the blue section, and strawberries for the red stripes. Looked and tasted good!

Thought you might be interested in some ideas to make your day even more fun, especially if you don’t have a parade to attend.

from FamilyFun

4th of July Parties, Printables & Games

Party ideas from 123greetings

Want something a little more unique? Check out these articles:

How to Go Green for the Fourth of July from ehow

How to Plan a Spectacular 4th of July Menu! from ehow

Fourth of July Recipes and Menus – includes a Red, White and Blue Menu – from Busy Cooks

A Toast to June Weddings

2008-05-23T11:58:00.003-05:00

June is often considered the beginning of the wedding season. My sister managed to put college graduation and wedding in June on top of it being her birthday month. Weddings are definitely occasions for parties: engagement parties, bridal showers, couple showers, bachelorette and bachelor parties, rehearsal dinners, and of course, what is a reception but a big party?

If you’ve seen the movie The Wedding Planner, you see her feeding the best man what to say as he makes his toast. But most of us don’t use a professional wedding planner, so today I wanted to share some articles I found that offer help for wedding toasts.

Great “how to”s and tips:
How To Write and Give a Great Wedding Toast

Father of the Bride

Galleries of good wishes:
Samples of Wedding Toasts

Wedding Toasts

These 3 have quotes to use for a specific purpose:
Best Man Wedding Toast

Sister Wedding Toast

Reception Toasts

The above articles have links to other helpful sites, too.

Schools Out – Hurray!

2008-05-20T17:13:00.002-05:00

At least that’s what the kids say. Sometimes the parents aren’t so positive, although with all that happens the last month, I usually found it a relief. Here in Kansas schools get out this week. I know in Washington state they go another month.

At the start of summer vacation kids usually are just so pleased to sleep in and play, play, play, that they’re pretty content. But it’s also fun to give them the anticipation of a party, say at the pool, or lake, or park.

Encourage your kids to plan the party themselves (of course, adults always have veto power over any ideas). Have the kids pick a theme—whether it’s a food theme (i.e. ice cream sundaes) or an activity theme (i.e. pool party)—decide on the guest list, the food, decorations, if any, and make or choose invitations. Fill-in party invitations are quick and easy, yet are another task to occupy the kids while they enter all the info. Of course, you’ll want to remind them, that part of party duties are the clean-up, too!

Need party ideas? Check out these sites:
more4kids.info
home.ivillage.com
wilton.com
healthy-kid-recipes.com

And here’s one with Slumber Party Ideas:
Summer.about.com

Memorial Day Parties

2008-05-13T17:02:00.003-05:00

When I think Memorial Day parties, I start thinking of the food. Barbecued burgers, or pork ribs (I prefer boneless) or chicken, and potato salad, watermelon and/or cantaloupe, chips, carrot sticks, deviled eggs. With all that, dessert isn’t need in my opinion, but many in my family wouldn’t agree.

Memorial Day is a good time to invite someone over for a casual “dinner” party. Depending where you live, eating outside may not be an option, but we’ve barbecued when it was snowing, because it just tastes so good fixed outside over a grill.

IBY carries invites (both fill-ins and printables) that fit this kind of event. My favorite is the one below.
I can almost smell it cookin’! Guess I’d better start thinkin’ whom I’m inviting…

Mother’s Day

2008-05-06T16:16:00.001-05:00

Today is Nurse’s Day and Teacher’s Day, and, of course, you are probably all aware that Mother’s Day is this coming Sunday!

Many years ago I used to be a telephone operator – Mother’s Day was our highest volume call day of the year. Nice restaurants will be swamped as families take their moms out to breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner. Flower shops will be busy on Saturday. This whole week people will be standing before card racks looking for just the right card to send to their mother. And don’t forget the gift shopping.

I look over my time as a mother and some of my most memorable gifts are the personal words written in a card that meant more to me than any gift. Personal notes may not be as elegant or cutesy as what you’ll find in a card, but if you say them with your heart, express something particular about how important your mother is to you, she will appreciate it very much.

Okay, I know some of you aren’t satisfied with a gift of words. I really like gifts of service and maybe your mom would, too. Some I remember fondly are home cooked meals where I didn’t have to lift a finger (or decide what it was going to be!), massage certificates, pedicure and/or manicure certificates, coupons for specific housework items being done for me or for time without children. Of course, physical gifts are good, too, especially if you put some thought into what your mother would like. Gift certificates to her favorite store or restaurant can be a success, too.

I’d like to share a funny from last year. My daughter and her family were spending the weekend at our house. Sunday morning my husband whispers to her five year old son, “It’s Mother’s Day. Go tell your mommy ‘Happy Mother’s Day.” His answer was, “She knows!” Yeah, she does, but she does like to hear it, too!

Tea Party

2008-05-02T15:54:00.001-05:00

Somehow little girls learn early about having tea parties. Pretend tea parties with dolls and stuffed animals. Pretend tea parties with friends. Of course, it always makes it special when the adults allow them to have real food with their tea parties. I remember my daughters never having tea to drink, but they loved using a little teapot and cups for water. Specialty foods were banana slices with sprinkles on them, cookies, sandwiches cut small and without the crust. We served them on the girls’ tea plates. If you have a little girl in your life who doesn’t have a tea set, I strongly recommend you get her one. ArsaToys has some really cute ones – see my favorite set.

Big girls (grown ups) like tea parties, too. I’ve gone to Mother’s Day teas for moms and daughters (every woman is a daughter, so no one is left out). I’ve gone with friends to a special tea shop either for lunch (with tea, of course) or for afternoon tea.

When my husband and I visited England, we were introduced to “cream tea”—a pot of tea, scones with Devonshire cream and strawberry jam, and cream for your tea, if you desired. I could eat that every day! And now I have a number of scone recipes that we really enjoy at home. My personal favorite teas are English breakfast tea and Lifeboat tea.

I’ve also had “afternoon tea” in England and in Canada. Along with the scones, cakes, and cookies, small sandwiches are served.

One of my friends is so known for serving tea, writing tea columns, etc. that her grandchildren call her “Grandma Tea.”

The best part of a tea party, whether formal or informal, is the chance to sit down and relax. Time to take your ease with friends or family, sip and chat, be soothed by the food and the tea—quite a contrast to grabbing a bite at a fast food restaurant.

So want to pamper your girlfriends? Plan a tea party. Make it extra fun by sending invitations.

Ordering Invitations - What You Need to Know

2008-04-29T16:33:00.002-05:00

Questions you should ask when getting invitations or announcements printed.

1. What is included in the printing fees?
2. What fonts are available? Is there an extra charge for specialty fonts?
3. What color ink is available? Is color extra?
4. What’s the minimum order requirement? (i.e. Is there a minimum number of cards I have to order?)
5. How long is the processing time?
6. Can I get a proof? If so, how?
7. If ordering online, you’ll want to ask about shipping options.

Checklist of information you’ll need when preparing your invitations
- What kind of party or event
- Who the party is honoring, if applicable
- Date and time
- Location – may need to include address
- Special instructions, such as what to bring or wear or pick-up time for a kid’s party, or “dinner following”
- RSVP or Regrets only and contact info, whether phone, email, or both

I know this list is pretty basic, but it is surprising how many invitation orders on our site leave off time, location, address, contact info for RSVP.

Other things you might want to know about invitations. Invitations can be flat printed or can be raised printed. Raised print is also called “thermography.”

Have other questions about invitations? Ask me at info@iby.com or via commenting to this entry. I’ll answer here. And if I don’t know, I’ll find out!

Party Plates

2008-04-22T10:44:00.003-05:00

For every party, you must decide whether you are going to use plates you have on hand (or can borrow), or plastic or paper plates. Some of the paper plates out there are simply beautiful. I’ve been adding paper tableware to the IBY site and keep thinking, “I want that one, and that one, and that one. My grandsons would like this one. This would be cute for a baby shower…”

When my kids were young, getting special party tableware to match the party theme was always fun. Sometimes we did large plates for the meal portion, small plates for the cake and ice cream portion, large & small napkins and cups for both. The few left over supplies we had were always fun reminders of the special occasion until they ran out – though I’ll admit the cake usually ran out first…

For small adult parties, I have glass party sets handed down to me from my mother-in-law. You know, the kind that have a place to set the cup that can either hold a hot or cold drink. (I don’t get them out any other time.) Or I might use my china, or other special plates, with my goblets. But if my party is too big for that, I like buying some pretty paper plates and napkins. For my youngest daughter’s graduation party, we simply used the school colors for solid color plates and napkins.

If at all possible, I prefer not to use plastic-ware for forks, spoons and knives, but when I do, I like buying the sturdy ones that don’t break easily.

Teen parties

2008-04-18T11:02:00.002-05:00

My husband sent me this link to a 1950s instructional video on teen party planning – you’ll only need to watch a minute or 2 to get the idea. I’ll admit I watched it all the way through - mainly for laughs about how different it was then. Such as “soon after the food is served, it is time to go home.” Talk about rigid!

The basics the film covered were: guest list, invitations, refreshments, and entertainment. At that time matching up the number of girls and guys invited to a party was considered important—not something we find so necessary these days. The other three are, of course, something to consider any time when planning a party.

Also, covered was party etiquette. So I thought I’d share this just-for-fun quiz that addresses etiquette issues.
Can you be the life of every party? Teen Quiz

Free Fun Quizzes at FunQuizCards.com
http://www.funquizcards.com/quiz/teen/can-you-be-the-life-of-every-party.php

Now I’d like to see a quiz like this written by teens. If you know of one, give me a shout.

Spa party food

2008-04-15T13:43:00.002-05:00

When planning food for a spa party, first you need to decide whether you want healthy or indulgent foods. When I think of healthy spa foods, I’m reminded of two movies where the main character ate the cucumbers off of her eyes (“Last Holiday” and “The Day in the Life of Miss Pettigrew”). I’d rather have mine off a plate, thanks very much.

But if you’re going for healthy, finger foods, such as veggies, obviously come to mind. Whole grain crackers or breads, low fat cheeses and dips can be a nice addition. When choosing foods, keep in mind ones that don’t become sticky if hands are damp.

If indulgent, my vote would be for anything chocolate, petit fours, mini-cheese cakes. If you don’t want all sweets, bite-sized appetizers and fruit make a nice addition. Appetizers can be warm or cold depending on your situation.

Note for either style: if you’re doing manicures, choose fork friendly foods, that don’t require cutting.

I’d suggest offering teas and coffees, especially for the indulgent menu. You may also want to make a punch. Here’s an easy and pretty punch recipe.
1-2 frozen cans of lemonade
1-2 frozen cans of cranberry juice*
Carbonated water to reconstitute the juices.
Mix well.
Float some lemon or orange slices on top to make it look pretty.
And/or freeze juice as ice cubes to keep your punch cold.

*Use whatever fruit juice combination you like.

We have some fun spa invitations in the Girl Time section at IBY. This one is my favorite:

Elegant Pool

Pinning for Nursing Excellence

2008-04-11T14:15:00.001-05:00

A pinning ceremony celebrates the completion of the degree by awarding each graduate a nursing pin. Nursing pins are designed specifically for each school's program and no two school pins are alike.

“Pinning dates back to 1880. It signifies the integrity and tradition of badges worn by the healers and crusaders of care,” Colleen Conway-Welch, Ph.D., Nancy and Hilliard Travis Professor and dean of the School of Nursing.

Here are two traditions that might be included in a pinning ceremony:

Nightingale pledge

Nurses Prayer for Pinning Ceremony

A pinning ceremony is often in addition to graduation.

Party games for preschoolers

2008-04-08T16:28:00.001-05:00

If you choose a venue with “big toys” as my grandsons call playground equipment, the kids usually don’t need game suggestions, they’ll just climb, run, slide, swing, jump, etc. If you want some organized games, don’t forget the old standbys of “duck, duck, goose,” “musical chairs,” and “red light, green light.”

Here’s an article from Today’s Parent to keep in mind as you plan: “Preschool Party Games: Games are a birthday party tradition that often backfires for preschoolers.”

A few resources for game ideas:

Birthday Party Games from ABC Home Preschool

Party Station from Preschool Express

Another article: “Preschool Party Games” by Rachel Paxton from Christian Parent

Do you have fun preschool games you’d like to share with us? We'd love to see them.

Outdoor preschool birthday parties

2008-04-04T11:56:00.001-05:00

We have a bunch of parents gearing up for outdoor birthday parties for their kids. They’re ordering the Farm Scene, Barnyard or Barnyard 2 cards for events set at local kid-friendly farms.

In our area we have the Deanna Rose Farmstead in Overland Park, Kansas that makes a perfect place to have a birthday party for preschoolers. The only cost for the farm itself is if you want to feed the animals, which, of course is a blast. Besides the animals there is an old schoolhouse, fishing area, hayrides, pony rides (these latter 3 for a fee), mining area, milking area, playgrounds, and more. The outside playground has a covered area with tables that would be a good place to do cake and presents.

With my kids and their friends I remember preschool birthday parties at farms, zoos, aquariums. Some have entrance fees; some are free. In all cases entertainment is easy, parents come along for crowd control, and everyone has a great time.

So what is available where you live? Check it out and you might find a wonderful place to have a party for your children.

P.S. Feel free to share your ideas by commenting, too! We'll all benefit.

Slime Time

2008-04-01T11:21:00.002-05:00

Need a party idea for those elementary age kids, especially those ones who like icky slimy stuff? What about a Slime Party? One place you can buy slime is at Arsa Toys: SLY1130 -- Slinky Toys FunLabs Power Putty Slimes Kit (For Ages 8 and Up). There’s even a recipe to make your own slime here. Or for younger kids, Arsa has an appropriate snail game: Speedy Eddy.

And IBY has an invitation that fits the theme. It’s appropriately called Slime Tim e.

Party favors could include slug or snail themed items. I found a Snail Puzzle at The Jungle Store that would work well as a prize. I’ve seen slug candy, and there’s always gummy worms that would mix in well with this theme. A cake could be made to match the slime theme, too.

RSVP

2008-03-28T13:51:00.000-05:00

Sometimes you’ll see “regrets only” on invitations instead of RSVP. RSVP came from the French "répondez s'il vous plaît" and simply means "please reply." The response gives hosts and hostesses the chance to be sure they have enough food and drink for a party or event.

Often an RSVP date is set a week or so ahead of the actual party or event date. However, if a caterer is involved, invitations may have an RSVP date of several weeks in advance. This is very common with wedding receptions.

The RSVP lettering, date and contact info, whether phone or email, are often on the invitation itself. For a more formal invitation, or an invitation where food choices are requested, a response card made be sent. These smaller cards come with a self-addressed envelope to be returned to the event’s host.

If you want information on RSVP etiquette, check out this site.

Graduation Party Time

2008-03-25T15:34:00.001-05:00

When you have a high school or college graduate—or you yourself are a graduate—it’s often nice to have an “open house.” With this style of party your invitations give a span of time when people can drop in. Family, friends and neighbors of all ages can come, visit with the graduate and others, enjoy refreshments, and leave when they are ready to go. Sunday afternoons are often a good time for an open house.

Make your food easy to replenish and self serve. I’ve been to parties where the offerings are appetizers and finger foods, others with sandwich platters or plates with sandwich makings to “build your own,” desserts or a large sheet cake, or combinations of these. Beverages have ranged from punch or sodas to tea and coffee. Whatever food items you choose, you don’t want to have to spend a lot of time during the party with food preparation. Instead enjoy visiting with your guests.

Decorations can be as simple or as elaborate as you desire. Balloons are always festive. It’s nice to set out some graduation pictures, if the party is after graduation. Or how about the high school yearbook for those high school graduates with pages bookmarked where their photos are found. I’ve also seen baby books or photo albums on display. They make fun conversation starters.

I’ve not seen games at these type of parties, though I have seen a room set up for the younger set with toys and videos playing.

We’re featuring some of our graduation invitations on the front page of our website. For more click here.

And if you’d like to read about Graduation Announcement Etiquette, check out this article.

Easter

2008-03-21T15:17:00.000-05:00

Easter is so early this year that I’m sitting here and suddenly realize, oh, my gosh that’s THIS Sunday. Today is “Good Friday.” You’d think it would have connected in my brain. Last Sunday at church they announced the service times for Easter, but I still didn’t think about an entry for my blog. So it’s way too late for me to give you Easter party ideas. Maybe next year.

At our house Easter is family time. When my kids were little we always decorated eggs ahead of time. It’s fun to do Easter egg hunts with the kids. Maybe have some Easter baskets with chocolate. My children were taught though that Easter is more than bunnies and Easter baskets. Someone shared the Resurrection cookie recipe with me a few years ago—I would have loved to have done these with my children.

I can’t find the original source, but here is a very readable site with the recipe for Resurrection Cookies.

Have a Happy Easter

Party games for elementary age kids

2008-03-18T14:01:00.001-05:00

I remember when my daughters had evening birthday parties – often a sleepover – one of the games they loved to play was Sardines. With all the lights out in the game area of the house, one girl is "it" and hides. The other girls search for her and when they find her, they smoosh into the spot with her. They stay there quiet as they can until the last girl finds all the others. It’s amazing how quiet they can be for a game! This is a good game to calm things down before bed. Well, if they actually go to sleep...

More Kid Party Games

“Top 8 Outdoor Party Games for Kids” by Kimberly L. Keith at about.com

Some Traditional Party Games for kids

Party Game Central has 182 kid games

Party 411 has a whole section on Sleepover Party Games

Adult party decorations

2008-03-12T08:19:00.001-05:00

Adult parties often don’t have themes, so how to decorate? You can always focus on the honored guest, if there is one. (i.e. Her hobby or passion. His job or how he likes to spend his spare time.) Party stores have almost anything you can think of to go with a décor theme.

Another option is to decorate to match the food you plan to serve. (i.e. Mexican food would have Mexican décor).

Yet another choice is to decorate using the theme of the closest holiday.

Then there’s always a bouquet of flowers, a few balloons, and some lit candles.

I’ve also seen someone decorate to match tableware, whether it be their own dinnerware or nice paper plates. Which reminds me, IBY is adding Tableware. I’ve been having a blast looking at a huge catalog and choosing paper plates in round, square, octagonal, prismatic, metallic with matching or coordinating cups, napkins and tablecovers for about any kind of occasion. The new products should be up in the next week or so.

Game for Teens and Adults

2008-03-06T13:46:00.000-06:00

Recently I came across a fun game idea called: I've Done Something You Haven't Done. It’s an Ice Breaker and Get Acquainted game that takes some thought, but could be lots of fun.

Here’s how to play:
1) The first person introduces themselves and tells the group “something they have done that they think no one else in the room has done.” This could be theme related or place related (i.e. somewhere I’ve been) or limited by senses (seen, touched, tasted), depending how you want to set up your game.
2) If someone else has also done it, they call out “Done It!”
3) Person one now needs to come up with a new something, until they succeed at mentioning something no one else has done.

One variation is to have each person start out with tokens (or pennies, etc.) – say 3 a piece. Whoever calls out “Done It!” first gets to claim the token. The game winner is the one with the most tokens. You could even make your tokens a donation item, such as bring 3 cans of food for a game—the winner gets to decide what charity receives the food.

Bachelorette parties

2008-03-03T10:47:00.002-06:00

Often put on by the bridesmaids or close friends of the bride, this party can be a fling before the wedding. Or just a fun female celebration. Here are some resources:

14 rockin’ bachelorette ideas from theknot.com

Bachelorette party icebreakers

An article – “Ideas for Throwing a Bachelor or Bachelorette Party” from about.com

Bachelorette Parties from bridesmaidaid.com

Welcome to Bachelorette Party Tips from lifetips.com

IBY has a Bachelorette Party Invitations section, too.

Women only parties

2008-02-28T08:49:00.001-06:00

Baby showers and bridal showers are often women only. But I’ve been to just for fun women’s parties – most recently Bunco parties. The ones I went to had prizes for the winner, the one with the most buncos, and whoever ended up with the necklace. To pay for the prizes we each contributed $5. The loser got their $5 back. Different gals brought food and the hostess provided beverages. We had a lot of fun, got to get acquainted with ladies we didn’t know before, and of course, enjoyed talking and snacking.

Here are some other games that might be fun – haven’t personally tried them, but would like to:

Visual Eyes Game by Buffalo Games
- Shake 19 dice to display thousands of combinations of simple icons. Now Quick! - take down all the words and phrases you can spot before your opponents. Creativity counts.

Buffalo Games Imaginiff Game
- Imaginiff is the hilarious party game where your opinion matters and you find out what people really think of you. Assuming you want to know, of course. The object of the game is simple! Just imagine what the other players are most like. Keep choosing the most popular answers to win the game. iMAgiNiff your boss were an animal? Would he be a Sheep dog?... or maybe a Bull?

Last Word Game by Buffalo Games
- The ultimate creative party game. Be the first Player to advance to the Finish by creatively connecting Subjects and Letters, while racing a Random-Interval Timer and the other Players! For example, Subject: "Vegetables"... Letter: "C". Players yell out... Carrots! Cucumbers! Corn! Cauliflower! 'tick-tick' ... The player with the Last Word before the timer sounds advances.

Here are more “Games for women’s parties” at Diva Girl Parties.

IBY has a whole section of “Girl Time” invitations. This is my personal favorite: Girls Night Out Banner

The goody bag

2008-02-25T08:56:00.002-06:00

I remember the days of looking for inexpensive ideas to fill goody bags for my children’s birthday parties. I wish I’d had so many internet choices as we do now. One of my favorite places to shop these days is the Jungle Store. And I found out they had a whole goody bag section! So if you want some animal themed items check them out.

A good place to go in person is dollar stores and dollar sections in stores like Target.

Sometimes though instead of a good bag per se, it’s fun to do a craft project together and each child gets to take their craft home. Here are some fun ideas from Arsa Toys.

For Girls
-Bracelet Kit for $15 by Fashion Angels - Wrist Pix
-Fashion Angels has a jewelry kit to make all kinds of fun jewelry - Bead Party! Jewelry Workshop

For Boys
-Fast Car Race Cars Pull Back kit - only 3 cars come in this set for $15 – but what a cool project.

For Either
-When I was a kid we only got to do spin art at the county fair, but you can have your own machine for only 20 bucks! My Art Spinner - Alex
-Mask making using a small paper plate – adults may want to cut the eye holes – but then use miscellaneous craft items to decorate. If you need a good supply of craft material – check this out: Giant Art Jar - Alex
-Makit and Bakit Sparkling Decorations
-Foam Craft Workshop- Scratch Art

Some of the birthday invitations that have been ordered quite a bit lately on our site are related to science experiments--another fun activity at a party. I think this one is my favorite: Mad Scientist, but this one is fun, too: Slime Time

St. Paddy’s

2008-02-21T10:34:00.002-06:00

How are you planning to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day? One year a friend of ours introduced us to the traditional Corned Beef and Cabbage and Boiled Potatoes meal. Makes me hungry just thinking about it. Cook the cabbage in the broth from cooking the corned beef and it is very tasty. Of course, adding butter to the potatoes is good, too.

Restaurants and bars often have green drinks or foods in honor of the day.

Want some recipes for celebrating? Food Network has a whole section.

But maybe you want to plan a party for the fun of it. Here are some resources.

For the Younger Set
Kid’s Party Fun has St. Patrick’s ideas for kids.

St. Patrick's Day Games and Activities for Kids at Kaboose

St. Patrick's Day Games & Party Ideas for Kids, Family & Classroom

St. Patrick's Day Crafts, Activities & Recipes from Family Fun

For the Older Set
Some Irish Drinking Toasts and more

Creative Homemaking has even more ideas.

Invites
Plus check out the fun invitations we have at IBY that are designed for the day.

Teen birthday party themes

2008-02-18T10:44:00.002-06:00

Teens may or may not want a party theme, but it sure makes decorations easy if you have one. Sometimes a theme can be sparked off of something the teen loves, does, or wants to do. It might be inspired by a food, an invitation, or from a list such as one from the references below.

Love to Know not only has good ideas, but some questions to consider

Discovery Center has an article on “Teen birthday party ideas.”

About.com offers an article called “Teen Birthday Party Planner.”

The Teen Party Ideas website has a whole section.

Another article “Birthday Party Ideas for Teen Girls: Throw a Party They'll Love” focuses on girls.

Boardman’s Birthday Party Ideas site also has a teen section.

Of course, doing matching invitations is fun. IBY.com now has a teen birthday section. And remember you can customize the wording to fit your teen and party.

Calligraphy markers & Fill-in Invitations

2008-02-14T14:31:00.001-06:00

Can’t afford printed invitations? But don’t want to use fill-ins because you don’t have good handwriting? Don’t despair! Get fill-in invitations and buy calligraphy markers—these special pens turn regular hand-printing into special printing. They are easy to use and come in different thicknesses of marker. Calligraphy markers can be found at Office Supply stores and Art Supply Stores and are less than $10 for a package of 5 or 6.

And we have tons of fun fill-ins to choose from. Here are some of my favorites.

Fairy Fill-in
Fish Bowl Die Cut Fill-in
Kitty Die Cut Fill-in
Party Bubbles Die Cut Fill-in
Robot Die Cut Fill-in

Fill-In Thank Yous for Kids

2008-02-11T11:30:00.000-06:00

It’s good to teach kids how to say thank you, but it can be painful for them to have to write a note. IBY has a cute and simple option – Fill-In Thank You Cards. http://www.iby.com/Fill-in-Items/Thank-You. They come 8 or 10 to a package. See some samples from our many themes below.

Princess Die Cut Thank You Fill-in
Trophy Die Cut Thank You Fill-in
Boy Circles Fill In
Ice Cream Stretchie Thank You Fill-in

Some of my coworkers wish they could use these, too…

Couple Showers

2008-02-07T16:49:00.000-06:00

When I got married, bridal showers were the only option for brides. But five years later when I had my first baby I was introduced to the concept of “couple showers” when a baby shower was given for both my husband and myself and our baby (back in 1980 we didn’t know what she’d be!). Now I see couple showers for weddings and babies. And why not? Both are going to enjoy the gifts given. Both can have fun at a party. I think one of the things I like best about couple showers is that most of the really dumb games have been dumped. Food, friends, and presents are enough for a good party for adults.

Fun birthday party idea

2008-02-04T14:12:00.000-06:00

A friend just told me about a Puppy Party for young elementary age kids or preschoolers. The mom has ordered a variety of stuffed animal puppy dogs from The Jungle Store. Each child at the party will get to pick a puppy and name it. Mom has prepared “birth certificates” for these stuffed animals. Plus, as a craft the children will be making collars for their puppy. (The puppy picture is $8.)

I could see this being done with a variety of animals. And invitations that might compliment this party idea come in fill in variety and printables.
Poodle Fill-in
Girl Dog Die Cut Fill-in
Spot the Dog
Puppies and Kittens

Bridal Showers

2008-01-31T10:41:00.000-06:00

Bridal showers come in as many varieties as brides. Some are hosted by family or friends or coworkers. They may be held in a home or a restaurant or even at a spa. I’ve been to ones that were a specific product party – where you purchased presents for the bride at the party and if you wanted anything for yourself, she got credit for those items ordered, too. Bridesmaids or close friends may do a lingerie shower. There can be kitchen showers, bed and bath showers as well as general showers.

At IBY we have some fun invitations to go with about any kind of bridal shower you can imagine. Here are some of my favorites:

Recipe Shower
Vintage Shower
Gathered Shower
Wedding Shower
Lingerie Shower
Bridal Scrapbook
Elegant Affair

Of course, any invitation can be personalized to fit the theme you are planning.

The Wedding Cake

2008-01-28T14:40:00.000-06:00

Or cakes. Traditionally, there was the bride’s cake, which sometimes had sheet cakes to back it up. As a child I remember groom’s cake which was individually wrapped small pieces of cake—haven’t seen that in a very long time. The bride’s cake or wedding cake seemed to be always yellow or white cake, often with white icing as the base and then colored icing (in pastels) decorating the cake. I don’t remember thinking how good the cake tasted.

Things have changed. And for the better. I’ve been at weddings that served carrot cake or chocolate cake or cake with flavored fillings. I’ve seen primary colors decorating cakes. I’ve eaten ones with cream cheese frosting.

My youngest daughter and her fiancé chose to have two cakes – from two different bakeries. They liked a chocolate cake at one bakery. At another they liked a white cake with a strawberry filling. Both were lovely. Both were tasty. Guests got to choose which kind of cake to have.

So like with the food for the reception, do what you want! It’s your wedding and your reception. You might as well enjoy the cake or cakes, too.

Wedding Reception Food

2008-01-24T14:13:00.001-06:00

When my parents got married, the ceremony and reception was at my father’s parents’ house. Most wedding receptions for my generation seemed to be simply cake, punch and/or champagne, plus nuts and mints either at a church or community meeting room. My children’s generation’s wedding receptions are often much more complicated and often include sit down dinners—some buffet style and some served individually—at expensive venues that must be booked months in advance. I don’t think it just is a matter of “trying to impress” others, but that we are now a more mobile society and people often have to travel long distances for the weddings. You hate not to feed someone who has come so far. It’s also a good way to get to spend time with family and friends you haven’t seen in a while. And, yes, many of us are more affluent than our parents were.

Personally, I think families shouldn’t go into debt for weddings and receptions. It’s still okay to have the cake and punch reception. If you want a meal, consider:
- a nice buffet style meal that you prepare yourself (get friends and family to help)
- ordering finger food and sandwiches from the warehouse stores or large grocery stores
- seeing if a local restaurant has space you can reserve for a meal and if necessary limit it to close family and friends
Any of these options are a lower cost than having a catered dinner for the entire guest list.

If you do choose to have it catered, however, make sure you know what you want before you commit to anything. You can discuss pricing and options with several caterers and compare. You can ask a caterer for pricing on more than one option. If you’ve decided what you want, don’t let them sway you. For my daughter’s wedding, she and her fiancé wanted Italian food served. They picked out some variety – it covered those with vegetarian and dietary needs. The caterer was worried that not all people like Italian food. We couldn’t think of family members or friends who wouldn’t be happy with something on the menu the two had chosen, so held firm. It was a very lovely dinner and we heard no complaints about the food. Most important of all the bride and groom were very happy with their special day.

Often when doing a dinner reception, brides and grooms order response cards, so they know how many will be attending.

New products

2008-01-21T15:10:00.000-06:00

We are so excited about new cards we’re adding to our site. See New Arrivals for a sampling. Whether you are looking for birthday, wedding, baby, holiday, engagement or graduation cards—something new has been added in each category. And, we’re in the process of adding more!

Plus soon we will have tableware – plates, cups, napkins, tablecloths. I’ve been picking out designs and am very pleased with the variety of choices our vendor is providing. We’ll let you know when they are up on our website.

Invitation Tips

2008-01-17T12:56:00.000-06:00

Whether you are designing and printing invitations yourself or having us design and print, here are some tips to assist you.

Wanting to do a formal invitation? Then spell out your numbers – see examples below:

Thursday, the seventeenth of January two thousand and eight at eleven o’clock in the morning…

Less formal? Possible choices of formatting:

January 17, 2008 or January 17th (if you use the day of the week, put it first, followed by a comma: Thursday, January 17, 2008) at 11:00 a.m. or 11 a.m. or 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Need help with wording? Some cards have sample wording you can use. Or you may like the wording on one card sample and want to use it on a different card. Feel free. We’ve recently added a link on our website that gives you ideas for wording by category; browse Verse-It for just the right text.

Pesky prepositions. Wondering whether you need to say “on” Thursday or “at” Jungle Jane’s? If you break up lines, the prepositions are unnecessary:

Thursday, January 17th
11:00 a.m.
Jungle Jane’s
123 Wild Street
Animaltown

Is there a better way to say it? We also have customers ask us for advice on wording they have created. Don’t be afraid to ask when placing your order. If designing your own invitation, ask a friend for suggestions.

Have questions we haven’t addressed here? Email us at info@IBY.com and we’ll post the answers in a future blog.

For Two

2008-01-14T16:31:00.000-06:00

Planning something special for your Valentine? How about a party just for two. Make it special with a personalized invitation. We can print a single invitation at IBY. Pick a design, tell us what you want it to say, choose font, and color. You can ask for a proof, or we can just ship it straight out to you.

And if you need help on what to say, check out romantic quotes and love poems. Lingerie Diva has them in English and Spanish!

Planning a Valentine’s Day Party?

2008-01-10T12:17:00.000-06:00

Today’s offering is a collection of resources for you.

For Children

Valentine's Day Party Ideas and Party Games for Kids

Valentine Crafts for Kids

Valentine's Day Party For Kids

Valentine's Day Games and Activities – with printable resources

Valentine Party Games for Children

For Children, Teens and Adults

Valentine's Day Party Ideas for Kids, Teens and the Young At Heart

Games with a Valentine Spirit

Valentine Fun

Everything Valentine’s

And, if you need invitation ideas – click here for a selection of Valentine related Invitations.

Beach party ideas

2008-01-07T09:52:00.000-06:00

If you’re lucky enough to live near a beach in a warm climate, it’s always easy to plan a beach party. But if you live in a cold climate, you might want to warm up your winter with a beach scene of your own. Check out these resources for ideas.

Birthday Party Ideas has tons of beach party theme ideas

Surf Party Theme (For Adults)

Beach Party Ideas for Teens – beach not required

Beach Party food

And if you need invitations, here are some fun beach ones:

Beach Party Festival Fill-in

Beach Chair Die Cut Fill-in

Making a Splash! Pool party Ideas for kids and teens.

2008-01-03T14:08:00.000-06:00

Have access to an indoor pool or live in a warm climate? Then plan a pool party!

Games
A fun pool party game is Marco Polo. Whoever is "it" has to swim around the pool with their eyes closed trying to tag other players. When "it" calls out Marco, everyone else has to yell "Polo." "It" tries to find people by sound.

Of course, there’s always Pool Volleyball and Pool Frisbee or races with floatable water toys. Here are some Game Resources for you, too.

Swimming Pool Games for large groups

More Swimming Games

Sharks & Minnows How To

Fun and Games for the Swimming Pool

Resources for pool themes and ideas

Kids Pool Party Ideas

Pool Party Ideas for Older Kids and Teens

Pool Party Ideas for Kids – this is aimed at summer parties, but many of the games and décor ideas could be used for an indoor pool

Pool Side Party Ideas - themes

Pool Birthday Party – tons of ideas

Here are some invitations that are great for pool parties, too.

Thanks to M Connors for the pool photo from morguefile.com!

Party prizes and favors

2007-12-31T10:03:00.000-06:00

Party prizes don’t have to be some big object, but can be fun awards or edible treats or gag gifts.

Awards
Purchase preprinted awards or ribbons from a party store or office store
Make your own on your computer or draw them yourself
Print ready-mades: MAGIC PARTY GAMES has free downloadable game prize awards

Edible treats
Individually wrapped homemade cookies or brownies
Individually wrapped candy
Microwave popcorn
Hot chocolate packets – there are specialty ones with unusual additions or flavorings, or you can make your own

Gag gifts for prizes
Dollar and bargain stores are good sources
The Jungle Store sells inexpensive foam animal masks, starting at $1 a piece

Of course, nice prizes are fun, too. Here are some ideas:

Ideas for adults
Gift card for a restaurant, local coffee place, bookstores, mall, online store
Movie gift card
Table centerpiece
Specialty candy
Gourmet coffee or food item
Candle
Sports event ticket

Ideas for teens
Poster of the latest, hottest bandGift certificate to video rental store
DVD
CD
Baseball, football, or soccer ball
Itunes gift card
Movie gift card

Ideas for grade school children
Local ice cream shop gift certificate
Gift certificate for a local skating rink
Tokens for the video game parlor
Movie gift card
Book store gift card
Small toys – places like Oriental Trading are a good source I’ve used when you needs lots of inexpensive prizes
$5.00 or $10.00 bill
Figurines to fit the party theme – Schleich ones are nice – take a look at the figurine categories at Arsatoys – some toys stores sell them, too
Stationery – here are some fun kid-friendly stationeries

Ideas for preschoolers – depending on the age, you may need participation prizes, too!
Mylar balloons
Stickers
Small age-safe toys
$1.00 bill
Coloring books or paint with water books
Books

Wrapping prizes or bagging favors can add to the fun, too.

New Year’s Eve Parties

2007-12-27T09:01:00.000-06:00

Many New Year’s Eve Parties are more about drinking than anything, but they don’t have to be. I’ve been to a lot of family and children oriented parties. The smaller children often watched videos while older kids and adults played board games, card games, etc. And, of course, we had all kinds of snacks and beverages to keep us going until midnight. Once we saw the New Year in with noise makers (kids love wooden spoons and pans to bang on as well as horns, etc.), perhaps some fireworks, and New Year wishes and hugs, those driving home could go safely without having to worry about blood alcohol content. The next morning there aren’t hangovers either!

Check out these resources for more ideas:

New Year’s Eve Party Games from Party Games Central.

E-How has links to ideas for different types of partying for New Year’s Eve.

I-Village offers 4 Fun and Fresh New Year's Eve Party Themes.

Crayola has some kid focused ideas for coloring and crafts for New Year’s.

Party411 has New Year’s Eve party themes – scroll to bottom of page.

There’s a New Year’s Fun Guide at FamilyFun.

We have some fun party invitations for New Year's on our site, too.

Merry Christmas

2007-12-20T09:54:00.001-06:00

“The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other.” ~Burton Hillis

We wish you the gift of time with family and friends.

IBY staff

Gifts don’t have to be monetary

2007-12-17T10:46:00.000-06:00

Do you have one of those hard to buy for people in your family? And now it’s last minute and you still don’t know what to do?

What about sharing some good memories of this person? Or fun stories that you enjoy telling about them (obviously not “put down” stories). Write them up; put them in letter format or make a small booklet, which could include snapshots. Or do a list format, such as “25 great things about . . . “ If you have children, this latter is a great project to get them involved in. If you have a video camera or a way to record sound, you could make a video or audio recording of these stories or memories for them.

Another idea is “service” coupons. Make a gift certificate for something you know they need or enjoy. For some of my family and friends I could give “2 hours of computer help” or “I’ll put 50 of your pictures in a photo album.” I’d personally enjoy gifts like “2 hours of housecleaning” or “afternoon tea with . . .”

Do you have digital photos or videos they’d enjoy, but don’t have? Make a CD or DVD. I’d love to have copies of home movies my in-laws took of my husband when he was little.

Have technical skills? What about downloading podcasts in a format they can enjoy. There are great podcasts out there, but many aren’t even aware of them. (This one might take more time to find those good ones than you have this year before Christmas, but save the idea for a birthday gift.)

Perhaps they'd like personalized stationery. Or calling cards.

Be creative! Your gift of time may be treasured and remembered longer than any other gift.

Creative Ways to Wrap Presents

2007-12-13T08:51:00.000-06:00

Starters:
As a child I remember one year when all my presents were wrapped in the Sunday funnies. Colorful. Inexpensive.

I also remember receiving gifts wrapped in fabric scraps.

What about using reusable containers? Fabric bags, decorative boxes.

Paper bags that you decorate with stickers and/or stamps? I also remember as a kid getting to use a stamp on paper to make my own wrapping paper--wouldn't be surprised if we used newspaper end rolls--again not very expensive.

I also like going to the dollar store for decorative paper bags.

Try these websites for more ideas:
ehow.com
fun.familyeducation.com
theromantic.com

Books from the library can provide helpful suggestions, too!

I think you might find this site useful. It may take a little while to load but it has photographs and tips in the form of a slideshow.

Adult Mixers—people, not drinks

2007-12-10T10:00:00.000-06:00

Sometimes you need something to get people relaxed with each other at a party. People Mixers or Ice Breakers can work. Here are some suggestions:

Memorable Mixer for a small group
Ask each person to bring some object that is important to them. At dinner or a set aside time, each one gets to show and tell. You may be surprised at what they bring and the stories that come out! We did this once and not only was it fun, but we really learned interesting things about each other.

Online Resources:

How To Mingle at a Dance Party Mixer for Singles – a lot of these ideas are not just limited to a singles party

Icebreakers Games for different age groups, including adults.

Ice Breaker Party Games

Ring a Bell Icebreaker

Icebreakers for All Occasions

Warming Up Your Next Party with Ice Breakers

Christmas Party Games and Activities

2007-12-06T09:15:00.000-06:00

White elephant gift exchange. At an annual department party for my husband’s work we did various types of exchanges. But the most awful gift (true white elephants – those items no one would really want) was one of the most fun. These items should either be something you have in your house or something that costs very little (thrift shops, dollar stores, discount stores are good sources). We always played the game by drawing numbers. Number 1 got to choose a package and open it. Number 2 could either steal number 1s or take a new package and open it. If number 2 steals number 1’s gift, number 1 chooses another gift. Gifts can only be stolen twice. After the last person has picked a gift, number 1 gets their chance to steal.

I've also seen this game played with nice gifts.

FOR ALL AGES

8 Christmas Party Games

40+ Christmas Party Games

20+ Christmas Games and Activities – especially appropriate for school parties

43 Christmas Party Games

Or what about sharing a Christmas Story? Here’s a site with lots of stories, plus links to more stories.

ESPECIALLY FOR KIDS

3 Children’s Christmas Party Games

5 Children’s Christmas Party Games

“Ideas For Your Kids' Christmas Party” by John Lenaghan

Christmas Party Games for Kids 4-8

ESPECIALLY FOR TEENS

Christmas Party Games for Teens

ESPECIALLY FOR ADULTS

Christmas Party Games for Adults

These Christmas Party Games include Christmas Movie Trivia, The Bacon Factor, and more, plus Party Starters.

Christmas Party Ideas

2007-12-03T09:37:00.000-06:00

Want to invite friends to celebrate the season with you? You can make your time special by planning ahead. This article by Julie Henry “Christmas Party Ideas” has some great suggestions. So do these 2 articles by Coral Nafie: “Plan a Memorable Christmas Party” and “Gearing Up for Holiday Guests.” This article, “Christmas Dinner Party Ideas” by Susan Crowley, has a variety of ideas.

The Invitations

Want a unique wording for your Christmas party invitation? What about using a quote about Christmas? Or a quote may inspire what you want to say. Here are some Merry Christmas Quotations for you.

Ideas for Children

Or maybe you want to plan a party for kids. Here are a few resources:

“Christmas Party Ideas For Kids” includes Christmas party games and ideas for a classroom or home party.
“Planning Your Child's Christmas Party” by Kimberly L. Keith
Christmas Party Ideas for Kids

My best advice for any party, is do as much prep as you can ahead of time so that you can enjoy the party, too!

Later this week I'll blog on Christmas games and activities.

The Festival of Lights

2007-11-29T10:43:00.000-06:00

Chanukah or Hanukkah – there’s no exact English representation of the Jewish pronunciation – you’ll find other spellings as well.

Chanukah Basics – this comprehensive site not only has the basics, but also has history, videos, how to, and more.

The Food Network site has a brief history.

Happy Hanukkah – find out more about it from Family Fun.

Celebrating Hanukkah is an article by Donna Pilato.

Planning Resources

Hanukkah Party Decorating Ideas, an article by Gail Leino

Plans and Activities for Hanukkah

How To Throw a Hanukkah Party

How to Throw a Hanukkah Party for Preschoolers

Hanukkah games
From familycrafts.about.com and party411.com

Fun Hanukkah Party Games, Toys and Music - Kids Party Ideas for Chanukah

Chanukah Games and Crafts

Food

Hanukkah Party Menu Ideas for a Traditional Celebration

Hanukkah Recipes

Another article by Gail Leino, Chanukah Menu Ideas for a Happy Chanukah Celebration

Invitations

Favorites from iby.com
Menorah
Shooting Star

And one final resource. Wondering what’s permissible in public schools, regarding Chanukah or Christmas, etc. ? This site has links for a variety of categories.

Company or Office Christmas and Holiday Parties

2007-11-26T10:21:00.000-06:00

Now that Thanksgiving is over, our thoughts turn to Christmas. I’ll first start with some talk about work Christmas (or holiday) parties.

I’ve gone to company parties at museums (Museum of Natural History and Museum of Flight in Seattle), at convention centers, on board ship, private homes, and more. There’s been food, music, dancing, casinos (with play money and an end of evening auction to spend play money), prizes, photos, etc. Obviously, the bigger the party the sooner planning must begin. Top places can get booked as early as January. Bigger companies can obviously offer bigger more elaborate parties. Sometimes even in a big company, groups do their own special holiday gathering, such as a potluck lunch.

Here are a few resources for your party planning:

Company Christmas Party Planning and Ideas

International Social and Business Etiquette Quiz

Company Christmas Party Games

Christmas Office Party Games

Some of my favorite Christmas and Holiday invites from our site.
Christmas Cocoa Die Cut Fill-in pictured above
Rudolph
Peppermints
Pretty Packages
Ornament Distinction
Did you know you can order as few or as many as you want?

Even just one for the office bulletin board!

Thanksgiving fun

2007-11-20T10:05:00.000-06:00

Just found this site yesterday of Thanksgiving poems and songs. Thought you might enjoy them and perhaps it could be something you could use in your Thanksgiving celebration!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Picture courtesy of Mary R. Vogt, morguefile.com

Why do we celebrate Thanksgiving?

2007-11-19T15:50:00.001-06:00

I just saw this question on Yahoo Answers. For many, of course, it is a tradition. For others, it is a time to thank God for what He's given them. I thought that the first two people gave very interesting answers to the background of thanksgiving and wanted to share them with you.

Enjoy

Mixer games for children’s and teen parties

2007-11-19T09:25:00.000-06:00

Preschoolers and early elementary age kids don’t usually need an icebreaker per se, but just need an activity where they can get involved and soon they’ll make friends. As they get older, or if they are in a group where they don’t know others, sometimes an ice breaker is needed. Be careful though when choosing your activity to think about what will not be offensive or embarrassing. I remember my teenage daughters being upset about activities that they were “made” to do. You don’t want anyone in tears.

Here are some resources for mixers or ice breakers:
Icebreaker Games for different age groups.

Icebreaker Games – I think the frozen Tshirt would be a great outdoor icebreaker

Ice Breakers – you have to scroll down to see the games after you click.

At Party Games Central, you can customize game lists by age, indoor or outdoors, type of party, etc.

Toddler/Preschool Parties

2007-11-15T09:15:00.000-06:00

Toddler or Preschool parties can be very stressful on little kids, especially the younger they are. The non-birthday child attendees often don’t understand why they are not getting presents. The birthday child doesn’t want to share his new toys. One of the ways I dealt with this issue was doing all the fun and games first, have cake and ice cream, then open presents right at the end of the party, and immediately handing out goody bags to the attendees. I also recommend keeping toddler and preschool parties to a small number of children. The younger the child, the shorter the party. Also, most parents stay for a preschool party, but you need to make that clear on your invitation.

Here are some helpful resources:

Birthday Parties for Toddlers and Preschoolers

One parent’s Birthday Party Menu Pictures – Bug theme, plus comments and references

Planning the Preschool Birthday Party: 12 Ideas for Children Ages 5 and Under
- I especially liked the gift opening idea this article had, but it also had great thoughts about party favors.

Going along with the previous article’s party favor idea. What about a book for each child to take home? Make it extra special with a bookplate with each child’s name and the event.

More resources:

Toddler Parties from FamilyFun

Toddler Birthday Party Games from Love To Know

Toddler Birthday Party from For Parents By Parents

Fun Toddler Birthday Party Ideas article

The last thing to remember: the simpler a toddler party, the more fun for you.

Teen Party Games

2007-11-12T10:31:00.000-06:00

Looking for some games for a teen party?

Let me share a couple of my favorite teenage games:

One game I remember from my teen years is “If you loved me.” The person who is “it” goes up to anyone in the group (everyone is sitting in a circle) and says, “Honey (or Baby), if you loved me, you’d smile.” The second person must say without smiling, “Honey (or Baby), I love you, but I just can’t smile.” “It” can use all kinds of facial expressions, tone of voice, to try to make the person smile. I remember my friends getting pretty creative with this one, i.e. a guy jumping on another guys lap and the laughter erupted.

Another game I remember teens loving is Train Wreck. Works well in a big room, although I will warn that folding chairs can be at risk when you have big guys. Line up chairs in rows with one less chair than people. The person who is “it” gets to choose some feature (i.e. hair color, eye color, clothing item, age, girls, etc.). They say it aloud and everyone fitting that category must jump out of their chair and find another chair. Or “it” can say “Train Wreck” and everyone needs a new seat. “It” races to a chair, too. Whoever is left without a spot to sit is the next “it.”

Just thinking about these makes me want to play...

Here are some resources, too.

Party Game Central – Teen Parties

Eventwise had great collections of games. Here are a select few categories: Teenager Party Games Teenager Party Games Part 2 Sleepover Games for Teens

And from another site – Teen Party Idea for Movie Lovers

Check out these articles:

Birthday Party Ideas for Teen Boys
Birthday Party Ideas for Boys Who Want to Be Men

Birthday Party Ideas for Teen Girls
Throw a Party They'll Love

Teen Friend Birthday Party Problems

2007-11-08T10:30:00.000-06:00

What do you do when you have friends who don’t get along with each other and you’d like to have both celebrate your birthday?

Nothing says you can’t plan more than one celebration. Here are some ideas.
- You could do something special with one friend* and invite the others to a party. i.e. “I’d love to go see that new movie or go to so-&-so’s concert, but can’t afford to invite a bunch of friends, so would you go with me to celebrate my birthday?”
- Would your parents let you have two parties? If you keep the costs down by doing home parties and help with set-up and clean-up and explain why, you mom and dad will probably go for it.
- If your family parties aren’t too lame, maybe one or two friends can join you there.*

These ideas work well, too, if you have a friend who doesn’t know your school (club, church, etc.) friends.

Another possibility, if your parents allow, is to invite more friends. If there are enough people at the party your friends don’t have to spend time together and it won’t be obvious. But if you DO decide to invite them both, I suggest you speak to each one privately. Could say something like, “I know you don’t get along with ‘Janie,’ but she’s my friend, too, and for my birthday I’d really appreciate it, if you two aren’t disagreeable. I’m asking ‘Janie’ to do the same thing with you, too.”

*Where I work you can order as few or as many invitations as you like. How fun for the special people to get a special invitation. Here are a few of my favorites: Pajama Time, Indy Race Car, Circles of Fun & Make a Splash. Remember the wording is up to you!

Thanksgiving Activities To Make Everyone’s Day Fun

2007-11-05T14:19:00.000-06:00

I have several specific memories that really standout from my childhood Thanksgivings. The first one I was about 8 or 9 and my older brother (20 or 21) brought his fiancé home from college for Thanksgiving dinner to meet us all. At the dinner table a basket was passed around for us each to draw an after dinner activity. I think Dad’s was “take a nap.” Mom’s was probably “play the organ.” Mine was “read a book.” All were fun things except my brother and my future sister-in-law’s—theirs said “do the dishes.” In reality, all the slips said “do the dishes,” but the rest of us had been cued into make up some activity. Of course, we confessed to what we’d done. But I don’t remember whether that was before or after the dishes were done…

Anyway, you could use this idea several ways:
- A basket of Thanksgiving ideas, where each person draws out a slip and has to respond (i.e. someone you’re thankful for, what’s the best thing that happened to you this year, some thing you’re thankful for, your favorite part of Thanksgiving, your favorite Thanksgiving food, etc.)
- A basket of Thanksgiving chores divided up so no one person has to do all the cooking or cleanup
- A basket of after dinner activities with fun ideas

Here are some more ideas:

Thanksgiving Dinner Table Games & Activities

A Thanksgiving Game the Whole Family Can Enjoy

Kid’s Table Ideas

If you like me are traveling for Thanksgiving, have a safe and enjoyable trip!

Thanksgiving Parties

2007-11-01T10:33:00.000-05:00

Many of us celebrate Thanksgiving with family, but sometimes it’s nice to do a party, too. And, if you’re going to invite people who don’t know each other well, party games and activities can be fun mixers.

Here are some internet resources:

Thanksgiving Party Ideas from 123greetings.com

Be sure and scroll down as well as click on tabs to see all the offerings here.

Holiday Spot – Thanksgiving Party Ideas – check out the links, too.

How To Throw A Thanksgiving Party, Man Style

Kids often get to celebrate Thanksgiving at school or in clubs or church groups. Here are some resources specifically for kids parties:

Kid’s Thanksgiving Party Fun

Classroom Party Ideas

Kid’s Party Ideas

Crafts for Thanksgiving Classroom Parties

Thanksgiving Party Ideas for Kids from Holidaypartyideas.com – choose by age and/or by theme

Thanksgiving and Autumn Harvest Party

And if you need some invitations, check these out.

Bat/Bar Mitzvah Parties

2007-10-29T08:58:00.000-05:00

I’ve only been to one Bat Mitzvah and the party afterwards had food and dancing and talking. So I thought I’d go to the web for more ideas.

(In case you don’t know, the Bar Mitzvah is for boys turning 13 and the Bat Mitzvah for girls turning 13.)

Bar Mitzvah / Bat Mitzvah Planning and Resource Guide. This is a great resource with lots of ideas. The site also has info for Jewish Weddings.

Partyspot has good ideas on how to pick and apply a theme

Party411 one has some themes for a Bar/Bat Mitzvah

PartySpot.com announces Bar Mitzvah Party Trends

Bar/Bat Mitzvah Planning Guide from That’s a Wrap

Here's my favorite Bar Mitzvah card from our site.

Elementary-aged Kid Birthday Parties

2007-10-25T08:39:00.000-05:00

Wow, are there tons of possibilities for this age.

Hands on style are lots of fun. I remember my kids doing:
- Craft parties – making the craft is the main activity and taking the finished craft home can be instead of a goody bag.
- Build your own pizza parties – provide the pizza dough, sauce, cheeses and toppings and let them at it.
- Scavenger Hunts – in your back yard, a local park, or you can even hide items in your house.
- Fashion Show – provide lots of different dress-up clothes (check your closets for those out of style clothes you hung on to, visit garage sales and thrift shops for fun items), use a digital camera to take pictures of the models and the printed pictures can be take home gifts.
- Charades – have a basket of starter ideas and be prepared to explain this to children who have never played. Camera shots of the skits can be fun take home items.

Outside the house parties:
- Sports – swimming at a local pool (I found the high school pool had times you could schedule a birthday swim at a reasonable price), roller skating, ice skating, laser tag, bowling, etc.
- Movie – matinee prices or a discount theater to save you money, tell the kids upfront what you’ll pay for as far as treats (can do movie gift certificates) – just make sure you double-check movie times and, of course, pick an age appropriate movie. (I’ve heard horror stories of 8 year olds being taken to R movies!) Here are some fun invites for this theme.
- Video game parlor – Give tokens to the kids and tell them when they’re gone, they’re gone.
- Museums – check the museums in your area to see if they offer children’s birthday parties.
- What’s coming to town? Circus, carnival, dog show, air show, a fair? These can get expensive, so you may want to limit the attendance list to 2-3 friends.

More Ideas from the Internet
Buggy Birthday Party

Birthday Party Games Lady

Parties for School-Age Children

Boardman's Birthday Party Ideas

I know I’ve mentioned this one before, but it just is too good of a resource to not list again.
Birthday Party Ideas

Have a great time!

Halloween Movies can provide an alternative for a party or to a party

2007-10-22T09:21:00.000-05:00

Whenever I think of Halloween Movies, I always think of the classic It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. A movie I saw recently where I loved the witches was Stardust (may still be in theaters) – probably okay for more elementary age kids and up. I’m not much into horror, but one I saw that is probably out on DVD that was scary was The Prestige with Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman. I’d say for teens and adults. The Seeker, in theaters now, was a tense and scary kids movie – couldn’t believe the one family that brought preschool children to it, as it is definitely not aimed at that age! Upper elementary and up could probably handled this move. The movie is based on The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper.

I figured the best I could do for everyone is give some sites that have resources for Halloween movies.

All Family Resources provides a family friendly list of Halloween movies. Two they mention that I love are the new Phantom of the Opera and Little Shop of Horrors.

Kidz World offers a list of scary movies. (Some on previous list as well.) Be sure to click on More Scary Movies, which mentions some fun ones like: Night at the Museum.

Top 10 Haunting Halloween Movies for Kids (for the little guys) has a description of each movie.

Top 7 Halloween Movies for School-Aged Kids – by the same writer, Carey Bryson, as the above site.

Halloween Movies for Kids – animateds from Kids’ Turn Central.

Here’s a review of a Goosebumps movie. Links at the bottom to more movies.

Top 10 Horror Movies for Teen Parties

Have fun watching!

Glow in the Dark

2007-10-18T08:20:00.000-05:00

This week online I saw someone asking about Glow in the Dark party supplies. What a fun idea for a Halloween Party! Or a disco party – just add mirrors and flashing lights.

I bet you can find glow in the dark material at craft and party stores, but in case you don’t I’ve provided some online resources below. The only place I personally have ordered from in this list is Oriental Trading.

Resources

The Glow Inc site includes terminology, painting techniques, and projects to make.

Glow in the dark jewelry, part favors, etc. from these websites:

Glow Source

Happier.MakesParties.com

Cool Glow

Oriental Trading Company

Glow Stick Factory

And here’s an article just for fun: How does glow-in-the-dark stuff work?

Halloween Songs

2007-10-15T08:15:00.000-05:00

I recently saw someone asking on the internet about Halloween songs. Of course, the Monster Mash comes to mind. Bill Lamb lists and comments on “Top 10 Halloween Pop Songs” including MM. But what if you want some sing-a-long songs, too?

So I went searching the internet and thought I’d share what I found!

For younger kids

Cute preschool songs – one even has actions – here.

Download 3 Halloween songs for free for early elementary age at Songs4teachers.com

These at lessonplanspage.com are sung to familiar old tunes and also have guitar chords to help out.

These songs unfortunately did not have tunes, but were Halloween songs from different countries which made them interesting.

Below the poems on this site you’ll find some songs.

For older kids, teens and adults

The songs at this site have familiar tunes – they’re all set to Christmas music! Lyrics are fun and the music plays when you click on the page.

Same idea of lyrics set to Christmas music at theteacherscorner.net.

And a 3rd site, alphabet-soup.net, using the same music, PLUS some other familiar tunes for their Halloween Carols.

Halloween Decorations

2007-10-12T15:48:00.000-05:00

If you have kids, they are probably making some fun items at school that can be used. Traditionally, people use harvest items such as pumpkins, dried corn stalks, hay bales. And you can’t go into any department, discount, or grocery store without seeing all the black cats, ghosts, witches, fake spider webs, etc. There are even pumpkin lights, sound machines, creatures that move, inflatables, etc. You know what I’m talking about.

I went searching on the web to see if there are any unique ideas. Can’t say I was very successful.

This site had some interesting decoration projects. The one featured on the page was done by a family in my area of Kansas. Click on the other images to see interesting work done by others.

Larry’s Halloween Pages has projects you can build, if you’re really into making special effects yourself!

Reader’s Digest Living has some cute ones under: 8 Scary Halloween Decorations

See what I mean? Nothing terribly unique. (And these 3 were just a small sampling of what I saw!)

Okay, so down to business. Can’t we get away from the same old same old?

What about a party or house set up for trick-or-treaters that had a unique theme. I’m thinking instead of the customary Halloween trappings, of house “costumes.” What I mean by that is décor where your guests are suddenly transported to somewhere or somewhen else. Ideas include: fairy land, the zoo, a tropical beach, a pirate ship, a spaceship or outer space, a farm, under the sea, Antarctica, a desert, the Titanic. You can find items in party shops, online, or make your own. The results might create more fun and get you more compliments just because it’s different.

Halloween Treats

2007-10-11T07:48:00.000-05:00

When I was a kid we had this one friend who made homemade maple bars that she gave us on Halloween. I remember my mother making popcorn balls. In both cases, they were not given to strangers. Of course, it was a big deal about not taking anything but store-wrapped candy from strangers. There were warnings about having your parents check what you got. Rumors of razor blades in apples, contaminated candy, etc. Is it true or not?

Unfortunately, yes, there is some risk regarding sharp items. Read this write-up for more info.
Poison, not so much; read this one. For further info you can check out a book called Made to Stick by Chip Heath & Dan Heath. And the FDA has advice here.

But enough yucky stuff. Let’s talk about yummy stuff. I’ve pulled together some sources for recipes to make your Halloween party fun and tasty.

My favorite at Halloweentreats.com was the Crunchy Eyeballs (under cookies)—quite impressive looking. Other categories include drinks, snacks, candy and cakes, although at the moment only one punch and one snack is listed in those categories.

This site is a motherlode of recipes. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have pictures, but there are more than 70 different recipes that include sweets, snacks and beverages.

Wow, the Vampire Kiss Martini is something else. This site says it has “frighteningly good” recipes and has good pictures of the results.

Forgot to mention that the previous site had some breakfast items. So, too does Rancid Recipes. They also include the following categories: Sickly Soups & Salads, Atrocious Appetizers, Delightful Dinners, Ghoulish Goodies, and Potion Sickness. Don’t know how tasty they’d be, but I sure like their titles! No pictures, but their descriptions make the results pretty clear.

Allrecipes.com has an Eerie Entertaining section. Some have pictures. I’ve used recipes from this website before with good results.

Signing off before I get more hungry!

Halloween Party Games

2007-10-09T09:01:00.000-05:00

One of the Halloween parties I remember from when I was a kid, was a haunted barn. It was dark inside and our guides told us a story about a dead cat and put our hands in bowls. This is the cat’s eyes (peeled grapes), his guts (cold spaghetti), etc. I also do remember bobbing for apples, both in a tub of water or hanging from a string (which is nicer as no one gets wet), and wrapping someone in toilet paper to make them a mummy, but I really can’t remember much else.

So I did some web surfing and came up with a bunch of resources for Halloween party games.

Children’s Halloween Games

Classic Ghoulish Games – as stated, those classics.

Everything Halloween: Games – this says games, but they also include party theme ideas.

Great Adult Halloween Games

Halloween Party Games from 1 Halloween net

Halloween Party Games from Pumpkin nook

Halloween Party Games for Everyone! – this site has suggestions for all ages.

Kids' Halloween Party Games – many of these ideas are good for school parties.

Halloween Costumes

2007-10-04T08:38:00.000-05:00

Going to a costume party later this month? Or need a costume for your trick-or-treater? I thought I’d pull together some online resources for easy costuming alternatives from what’s in the discount and party stores (i.e. latest popular movie themes). And now would be the time to order to you get your costume in time!

Animal themed costumes

The Jungle Store has animal costumes and masks for all ages.

An inexpensive costume can be made by using a mask or face paint with a headband, sweats in the appropriate color and a tail. i.e. White clothing and the owl mask below would be quick and easy.

The Jungle Store’s costumes are not limited to animals. Check out these two!

Small kid themes

ArsaToys has some cute frilly girl costumes.

Costume Hub had some cute costumes for either boys or girls.

Adult costumes

Lingerie Diva has some fun adult costumes for women. Though some are very risqué and you should reserve for the bedroom! Warning: many images on this site are definitely R rated! Here’s some G rated examples.

The PhillyBurbs site has men's costumes organized by themes. Reading the reviews on the costumes is half the fun. As far as I can tell each costume has a link to a site where you can buy the costume if you desire. Here’s a sample costume.

If you’re into making your own, fabric stores have easy patterns. I’ve also found pieces and parts of costumes at thrift stores (SHOP EARLY) for costumes for myself and kids.

Have fun!

Murder, you wrote

2007-10-01T15:10:00.000-05:00

Ever thought of writing your own murder mystery script for a party? Halloween is still almost a month away, so there’s time. Or it could be an unusual birthday party idea. Try this site for help on the “how to”s.

Of course, you can buy mystery party materials. This site looked interesting.
And this one was especially aimed at kids.

Here’s a helpful article: “Host a Murder Mystery Party for Your Tween or Teen.”

And I know you can also buy mystery jigsaw puzzles. You put the puzzle together to solve the mystery story that comes with the puzzle. If you can’t find them at local toy store or bookstore, try this site.

This fill-in invitation might work for a mystery party.

The Kindergarten birthday party

2007-09-27T09:16:00.000-05:00

My grandsons have birthdays coming up in October, November and December. They’ll be 6, 4 and 1. The one year old is easy. And the 4 is pretty easy, too. But now that the oldest is in Kindergarten he has all these friends he wants to invite, too, so a simple family party isn’t enough anymore.

When my own children were young, I limited their number of guests to their age. At 6 that meant 6 friends. Other parents were not so restrictive and their children were allowed to invite their entire class or an unlimited number of friends. I always figured my kids didn’t need that many presents!

Okay, back to my topic. Parties with schoolmates for kindergartners.

At this age, they are pretty easy to please. There’s so much that they are interested in--superheroes, princesses, animals, professions (police, firefighters), cartoon characters--that there are lots to choose from. Party stores have all kinds of decorations and small toys to fit these themes.

Kids this age enjoy a party at a fast food play place, or a park, and are old enough for activities at entertainment venues. They are also content with at home parties, especially if some fun activity is planned.

When planning a party for this age think about:
- Will the guests’ parents hang around like they do for preschool parties, or will you be left in charge of these children, some you may have not met before? What is expected by other parents can vary from community to community, so clearly indicate on your invitation whether parents are welcome to stay, don’t need to stay, etc.
- If you aren’t having parents stay, request an emergency contact number with their RSVP or when you meet them. (Of course, you’ll meet the parents when they drop their children off.)
Keep the party short. 2-3 hours is plenty long.
- If serving a meal, besides cake and ice cream, keep it simple. Expect to have someone not like what you are serving even if it is something as universally liked by children as pizza or hotdogs. (I had a daughter who didn’t like the latter!)
- Planning, supervision, and clean up at an outside venue can be easier, since the restaurant or play place does most of the work. However, it will probably be more expensive than a home party.
- It’s customary to do goody bags so each child goes home with something. Give them out as kids leave and you’ll avoid things being lost.
- Kids will want to play with your child’s new toys. Sometimes the birthday kid has trouble sharing at this point. One solution is to open the presents right before parents are scheduled to pick up their children. Another solution is to have an exciting game planned immediately following, though it may be hard to drag them away from all those new toys.
- If you’re activities will be messy, warn parents ahead of time. Nothing worse than having party clothes ruined by paint, or torn on the homemade obstacle course, etc.

Articles for further thought:

This article title implies one answer, but that may not be the case. Read the full article: "Bashes for little darlings get bigger and bigger"

"Birthday Parties: Kid's Dream, Parent's Nightmare"

"All You Need to Know About Birthday Parties"

Activity and game ideas:

- Duck, duck, goose
- Cup cake decorating – one to eat now and one to take home!
- Pin the tail on the donkey
- Pinata bash
- Yard scavenger hunt, where everyone is a winner
- Water balloon toss or smash – an outside event

Resources for games and activities:

Ecology Theme brings nature to kids’ birthday parties

This list goes beyond birthday parties, but a number of the ideas could be used as a party activity. Each idea has a clickable link with more details.
Kindergarten Learning Games and Activities

And the best resource of all—THE BIG LIST: Birthday Party Ideas where parents have shared what they’ve done for a variety of parties. Click on an idea and it’ll even have what age they did the party for.

Halloween or Harvest party?

2007-09-24T10:25:00.000-05:00

Some parents are not comfortable with taking their children trick-or-treating, or are looking for alternative ideas to the witches and goblins, etc. of “All Hallowed Eve” on October 31st. Some adults may just want to try something different from the “same old, same old.”

Planning a party is an obvious solution, but it’s nice to have a source of ideas. We’ve gathered together some suggestions and resources for you here.

If you want guests to wear non-scary costumes, you can plan a theme based party that will gently guide your attendees. Ideas include:
- wild animals
- pets
- robots
- a specific movie or book theme (though be sure the villains in these stories aren’t too villainous looking)
- a good guys theme such as superheroes (no enemies welcome)
- a Biblical story (i.e. Noah and the ark – for kids; the Garden of Eden – for a risqué adult only part)
Of course, you’d want to carry your theme through with decorations, food, and party favors.

Teenage or adult parties could be different with these themes:
- masked ball – think of the 18th century Europe and their highly decorated face masks
famous historical or political figure costumes
- tree theme – have materials around for guests to decide what kind of tree they are (strong like an oak, ornamental like some flowering trees, etc.)
- for adults only – a wine tasting

Think outside. What’s fun to do in your area in the big outdoors? You may find community events or fall festivals where you want to invite a group to share in the excitement.

You can do breakfast events, too.

A few resources to check out:

15 Fun Fall and Harvest Outdoor Party Games for Children

Autumn Outdoor Entertaining

A Fall Harvest Party

Halloween Drop-In Party Ideas

Teen Parties: Setting the Rules

And don’t forget to get your invitations at IBY.com – Invitations by you! Here are some fall themed invitations we have available.

More ideas for invitation wording

2007-09-20T08:28:00.000-05:00

How about starting with a movie quote?

Take this one from the The Godfather, "I'm going to make him an offer he can't refuse."
Change it into an invite:
I’m going to make you an offer you can’t refuse.
See you at my party next Friday, 7 pm.

What lines do you remember from movies? Play with them and see what you can come up with.

If you need movie quotes, at this site you can download 100!

If you want to continue with a movie theme for your party, this theater invitation could be fun.

Help! What do I say?

2007-09-17T08:55:00.000-05:00

Don’t know how to word an invite? Try a simple poem.

Some easy types are:

Cinquain – a short, unrhymed poem of five lines. The first line has 2 syllables. The 2nd 4. The 3rd 6. The 4th 8. And the last 2 again. Want more info? Here’s another method: http://www.canteach.ca/elementary/poetry5.html

Haiku – 3 (or fewer) lines of no more than 17 syllables total – go here for a good explanation on how to write one: http://haiku.cc.ehime-u.ac.jp/~shiki/Start-Writing.html

Light Verse – usually brief and humorous – check this site for more info: http://www.absolutewrite.com/specialty_writing/attempt_light_verse.htm

Limericks – you’ll probably remember these from your childhood – here’s a how to link: http://www.poetryamerica.com/Limerick.asp

Or change one.

Take a familiar poem and alter the last two lines:

Roses are red,
Violets are blue,
Sugar is sweet,
And so are you

Roses are red,
Violets are blue,
Party time, we said,
You’re invited, too!

If you want more info on writing poetry, go to this site: http://www.poetry4kids.com/

If you get frustrated trying to create your own, here are some poetry sources. Note: Poets really appreciate it if you give them credit for their poems—this protects their copyright. You can do so at the end of a poem or under the poems name.

http://www.funnypoets.com/

http://www.poemsforfree.com/

And, of course, we do have some suggested wording on our site. Just look up an invitation by the specific occasion and see if something appeals to you. Then match it up with the design you like best.

Here's an example of a fall or halloween poem on one of our invitations.

Teen Birthday Party Ideas

2007-09-13T10:36:00.000-05:00

I have to admit that girl teen party ideas are easier for me than guy teen ideas, since I was a girl and had teenage daughters myself. So besides my list of ideas for either single or mixed gender parties, I’m giving you some resources where you can find more ideas.

Gaming. What’s one of the fun spots in your area? Like a game themed restaurant or entertainment center? Ideas include: laser tag, video gaming, miniature golf, paint ball. Obviously, this costs money, but it often means no prep or clean up at home, since you can have the cake and present opening there.

Hiking. Most areas have cool places to go, even if it’s just a park. Combine it with a scavenger hunt that requires each team to have a disposable camera or (if the teens have camera phones, they can use them) to “capture” items on the list.

Mystery Meal. This is an at home party, and you’ll need a few volunteers to help you serve. Assign “new” names to each food item, each piece of silverware, napkins, toothpicks, beverages and make a menu using these “new” terms. Names can be nonsensical or fit a theme (motorcycles, movie idols, music artists). Each teen sits at the dinner table and is provided a menu of enough items to make 3 to 4 courses. A waiter or waitress takes each person’s order for the first course. In the kitchen the serves know what the code is and load up the plates appropriately. One guy’s choices give him a glass of juice, a toothpick, and a fork. The girl beside him receives dessert, salad, and a napkin. Kids find what they get pretty hilarious. (Menu items can only be ordered once per teen.) Mystery meal invite idea.

Bike Rally. Bicycle that is. Teens have to go in pairs. Each pair is given different directions (i.e. turn right at the T in the road, or turn left after the fifth house on the left, or at the swimming pool, go west). One partner has the odd numbered directions and the other the even number, so they must stay teamed. The goal is to see which pair can get to the destination in the shortest time. Of course, you want the actual “mileage” to be similar for each route. You may also need some adult spotters at key locations to make sure the teens are on the right route. Of course, an adult host should be at the arrival point, too.

Concert. Many areas have free concerts—they’re the bands who haven’t made it big yet, or the concert may be a benefit for a community food bank. For afterwards find a nearby restaurant where you can bring in your own cake and just buy beverages.

Lights, Camera, Action. Have a video camera or two and have the teens make their own videos. It could be a new music video for a favorite song, a commercial for some item, a short skit. Provide them with some starter ideas, some costumes and/or props. If you want something different than what you have around your house, thrift shops are a good source (except near Halloween). You can even take the teens to a thrift store or dollar store and give them each a few bucks to buy whatever they think they’ll need. And don’t forget the popcorn! An invite idea.

Teen Birthday Party Online Resources

Ideas for teen boys.

Ideas for teen girls.

Article of ideas for either gender.

Diverse list of birthday party themes.

Expert Teenage Party Tips.

Tailgate Party Ideas

2007-09-07T14:11:00.000-05:00

The summer pool party season has wound down and it’s time to move on to other things. Like football and tailgate parties.

Family members who aren’t football fans? You can always plan a dual themed party at home – one room (or the deck or driveway) with the game on the tube and another room with card or board games. Everyone can meet together at the food “locker.”

Here are some resources:

How to Throw a Tailgate Party
http://www.ehow.com/how_11148_throw-tailgate-party.html

Official Tailgating Check List includes: Must Haves, Would Be Nice and Now You Are Just Showing Off.
http://www.tailgatingideas.com/2007/08/13/what-every-tailgate-party-needs/#more-5

And how about a football themed invitation?

Enjoy!