Are you a subscriber to the Kids Off The Couch (KOTC) newsletter? If not, you may want to sign up, as this group puts together the most amazing adventures that literally get your kids off the couch and into action! I just had to spotlight their newsletter where they discuss the upcoming Iditarod in Alaska, which begins March 1st. KOTC showcases Balto, a great movie to watch with your kids to get them into the mood for the race. They also outline the adventure of following the real Iditarod on the Internet and provide links to the official Iditarod site and ideas to extend the fun, such as more facts, books to read, and movies to watch. KOTC consistently provides unique adventures, and also offers wonderful inspiration for kids’ parties.

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Were you a kid in the 1970s?  Are you now parenting in the new millennium?  It seems a new trend is catching on among the Happy Days’ kids when they are parenting today…it’s called The 70s Route.  A recent blog on the DC Metro Moms Blog discusses how she chose the old 70s route when planning her recent kid’s party.  It sounds absolutely fabulous…very low key, but fun, fun, fun!  I am a 70s kid and never had such low-key fun…my 70s route must have been even more low key! 

Seriously, The 70s Route is a great idea and costs hardly a dime…and how much fun will your kid have?  An awesome trend today!  Take it back to the 70s!  Happy Days!!

Have you heard of KGOY?  It stands for Kids Getting Older Younger, and is a trend that is happening with this current generation of kids.  And in a recent NY Times article, it has hit the kids’ party scene in a big way.  The articles points out numerous examples of children between the ages of 6 and 9 primping at salons, including manis and pedis, pink limo rides, reading grown up magazines at the salon…making themselves over is the big trend.  This is spurred on by TV shows like “America’s Next Top Model” and the celebrity=crazy society we are living in.  Many kids believe they are primping for their own star moment. 

More and more, companies are targeting this age group with makeup for the kids to test out for themselves.  The majority of parents in this article allowed their daughters to attend these types of parties, hoping that they would see it for themselves, i.e. the fact that they are beautiful as they are and can choose to do something else with their time.  Whether this will happen is yet to be seen.

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Great Kids’ Party Tip:

If you are throwing a Cupcake party, or if you are looking for a mini sweet bite for your next kids’ party, check out these awesome Chocolate Cupcake Pops! This brilliant idea comes to us from Bakerella. This great resource has tons of great recipes, including one for Oreo Kisses and Cake Pops.

Yummy!

This is a party theme that is easy to put together, very budget friendly, and often a favorite of kids aged 2 to 3 years old. Essentially, the party is all about the party kid. Given that kids this age are learning and recognizing who they are, having a party that reflects them will be a lot of fun for this age. For you, it is easy to put together!

Here are the tips:

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Are you celebrating a Bar or Bat Mitzvah this year and looking for hot trends the kids will love at this special event? Check out this article, as it is all about what teens love to do today at such parties: dance! With the explosion of popular shows like American Idol and Dancing With The Stars, kids are looking to create their own dances, and DJ’s, emcees, and dance teachers are all part of the package they love to have at such events.

DDR (Dance Dance Revolution) is another hot trend these days and has kids competing head-to-head as they follow dance moves on a video screen. This would be a blast to have at a big event.

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If your kid attends day care, his birthday may fall on a weekday when he is there. Here are some ideas for you if you want to host a little birthday lunch for your child and his classmates. One of the easiest thing that you could do is to make up little lunches for the kids. You can place them in brown paper bags that you decorate with a “Happy Birthday” message. A fancier idea would be to purchase sand pails and pack the lunch in there; then the kids can take home the pails as a goody item.

For the lunch, make up little sandwiches — you can cut them out into different shapes with cookie cutters. Make sure to check with the day-care staff to see about allergies. Include some little packs of crackers & a piece of fruit, such as a banana. For dessert, bake a batch of cupcakes and each kid will get one. Don’t forget juice boxes. With such an easy lunch, there will be no need for utensils, there will hardly be any mess to clean up, and the kids will have fun with their own little lunches.

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