Do you remember the movie A Christmas Story from 1983? It’s the tale of Ralphie Parker who desperately wants a BB gun for Christmas. Ralphie has to beg his parents, and his Mom is never quite convinced it’s a good thing while his Dad thinks boys will be boys. Ralphie has lots to handle during the holiday season, including a bully that may or may not get him to Christmas day and his BB Gun.

Of course, during the story, everyone tells Ralphie “You’ll shoot your eye out” with a BB Gun, but it doesn’t dissuade Ralphie from wanting his very own.  If you have school-aged kids, perhaps they would like to watch this tale.  Since 1983, it’s not so fashionable to have a BB gun on hand, but the movie is still popular.

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Eric Carle’s books are so fabulous! Where would any of us be without The Very Hungry Caterpillar to kick off our excursion into the wonderful world of books, words, and colors? If your kid loves the book and you want to make a party theme out of it, check out the official website for some ideas.

There are several additional activities that would go along well with this theme, especially if your party is indoors. These activities are best for kids around the age of 1.

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Spending time with family is an essential part of the Thanksgiving holiday. When you’re not cooking up a delicious meal or sitting around the table, why not play games kids and adults can enjoy together? Like family game night with a Thanksgiving twist, these activities from Karen Perkins of Celebrations.com Karen Perkins encourage interaction and bonding. A few of them may even help work off some of the turkey, stuffing and pie you’ve just consumed!

Thanksgiving Games & Tips

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Did you love Roald Dahl’s Fantastic Mr. Fox book as a child?  I loved this book, especially his craftiness in getting dinner for his family!  It’s a timeless classic that is now being released as a movie on November 25, 2009.  What a great Thanksgiving movie outing with your children and their friends.

If you want to carry Fantastic Mr. Fox fun to a party theme, what a great idea!  Even if you are just looking to keep your kids busy during the holiday weekend and their cousins and friends too, Mr. Fox certainly can inspire some crafty ideas.

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There are many kids who are little chefs in disguise … and even if they aren’t, come Thanksgiving, when everyone is in the kitchen, the kids will appreciate helping you out!  It’s a great way to get them involved in the excitement of the big meal.  Kids will appreciate contributing in any way that they can.

When thinking about some tasks they can do, keep in mind both the kid’s age and the amount of time a task takes to do.  Make sure that the kitchen fun is age-appropriate, i.e kids should not be using knives or other sharp objects preparing food, and these types of objects should be out of reach so no accidents take place.  You may want to provide an apron to your little sous-chef, to protect clothes and help them get in the mood. Also, remember that kids will not want to be in the kitchen the whole day, as there are parades to watch, the football to throw, perhaps a turkey craft to do.  So, keep their time in the kitchen limited to keep them excited, but not bored and restless.

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Are you a fan of Modern Family – the breakout comedy of the current TV season?  If you love the show and also like the topic of kids’ parties, then the upcoming episode of Modern Family (to air on November 25th) is for you.  Described as Nothing is too big when Phil and Claire decide to throw Luke the biggest and best birthday party a boy could ever want. And Phil certainly spares no expense with this party full of a zip line, repelling wall, bouncy house, clown (his Uncle Cameron dressed up as), and more….

Modern Family reflects reality today.  It’s an extravagant bash to be sure.  Are your kids attending parties like Modern Family shows off?  Tune in and watch this birthday party take off!

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A family Adoption Day event is a way to honor the day your adopted child came into your family. This is celebrated on the anniversary of your child’s adoption, which may fall on National Adoption Day (November 21 this year).

Many families have come up with other creative names to mark the anniversary of their child’s adoption: Family Day, Love Day, Arrival Day, or Family Anniversary.

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