Spit, Spot! Spit, Spot! Mary Poppins is such a classic, and would make for a wonderful birthday party as well. Watching the film, you can come up with all sorts of imaginative ideas to throw a party that Mary Poppins would be proud of.

Read the rest of this entry »

Spring is upon us! The kids are tired of being indoors, drinking hot cocoa, and watching the snow fall. The days are longer, the sun is shining brighter, there’s a hint of flowers in the air, and snow is turning to rain … it’s spring! The vernal equinox is a wonderful time to plan some spring fun with your kids. If you want to mark the entrance of spring this year, either with a spring party or a spring birthday party, here are some resources and ideas to enjoy:

1. Plant flowers together! Head out to the local garden center, and let your kids pick out the flower bulbs they would like to plant. Have them not only plant the bulbs, but water them throughout spring and watch them grow!
2. Give your kids a watercolor set and white construction paper, and have them paint their own spring masterpieces to hang up around the house.
3. Enjoy bird watching! Birds are now migrating north so it is the perfect time to head out to an open field and watch them. Of course, with it being spring, there are many opportunities to feed ducks, watch scampering squirrels, and take in the natural world coming to life.
4. When a rainy day pops up, pull on your galoshes and go splash in the puddles. Make it fun!
5. Enjoy playing Leap Frog!
6. Fly kites!
7. Play Frisbee. To make it even more interesting, play Frisbee golf. Hang buckets from trees, and have the players toss the Frisbee into the buckets for points.
8. Purchase small terra cotta plant holders for the kids to decorate with tempera paint. They can paint bugs, butterflies, or anything else they like!

Read the rest of this entry »

International Women’s Day is March 8. On this day each and every year, women around the globe celebrate unity and strength across geographic boundaries. In addition to this, the day demonstrates women’s commitment to ensuring that girls’ futures are bright, safe, and rewarding. In the U.S., the entire month of March is Women’s History Month.

If you have a daughter, International Women’s Day is an excellent time to encourage her to envision her biggest and most fabulous dreams. Also encourage her to wear purple, green, and white, the colors of International Women’s Day, and to paint or draw a picture of what she would like to be when she grows up.

Read the rest of this entry »

Bright pink, sunburst orange, electric blue … these are just some of the colors you may get splattered with if you are in India in March! The colorful festival known as Holi is THE celebration of spring’s entrance. It’s an exciting and colorful holiday for kids and families alike. People end up throwing color on you as you casually walk around, and kids especially enjoy bursting balloons full of colorful dye. This is certainly a time when you want to be wearing clothes you don’t mind getting messed up!

At Holi, the colors also combine with singing and dancing. Really, people are simply celebrating life and being happy! I love this idea, and a Holi celebration would be a fun way to celebrate spring wherever you are. If you are thinking about trying it out this year, here are some ideas to pull your own celebration together: Read the rest of this entry »

Who are you…Whoo…Whooo…is CSI a part of your TV viewing on a weekly basis? With the show taking place in Las Vegas, NY, and Miami, chances are if you want to watch it, you definitely have the opportunity! Recently, I was asked by a friend’s soon-to-turn 13 kid to write a party plan for CSI-themed party? It disturbed her mother a bit that she was asking for such a party, but there you go!

A CSI party would be an excellent party theme for the tweens and teens…it would be especially good if you held it over 3-5 hours so the kids have time to solve the crime that you stage…or that the kids stage.

Read the rest of this entry »

Every little girl loves to read Kay Thompson’s Eloise series of books. You know, the little girl who lives at The Plaza Hotel in NYC with her Nanny, her little dog, Weenie, and pet turtle, Skipperdee. All day long she runs around the infamous hotel attending weddings, spying on debutantes, and living it up! She always has so much to do. If this is a favorite book for your kid, you may want to consider letting her be “Eloise” for a perfect birthday afternoon with her friends. This is especially appropriate if she is turning 6 year olds, as that is the exact age of Miss Eloise!

Here are some ideas to pull the theme together in typical Eloise style: Read the rest of this entry »

Give a read to The Plain Dealer’s Article Goody Bags Gone Bad.  It chronicles kids demanding good goodies or else!  The stories recounted are not urban legends, but true!  I have plugged Birthdays Without Pressure before and Bill Doherty is found here discussing how goody bags have become their own arms race! 

Alternatively, Response Source out of the UK, discusses setting a trend for Ethical Party Bags.  Ideas include using cotton bags rather than plastic to hand out the goodies, choosing little wooden toys as goodies made from sustainable wood, and recycled notebooks.  It’s all about quality and sustainability.

Read the rest of this entry »