I love this birthday party treat!  Food, Fun, and Farm Life showcases fun, colorful Jelly Boats that she made for her daughter’s birthday party.  The author remembers these sweet treats at her own parties in Zimbabwe as a child. 

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Looking for an edible party activity?  Check out FooDoodler, flavored food writers.  These markers are actually edible so the kids can use them to color cookies, on bread, cheese slices, whatever, and then eat it up.  What a fun activity for a birthday party and a great party favor too…send the kids home with a pre-baked cookie and a FooDoodler marker.  Lots of fun and the site has many ideas for how to use these fun, innovative markers.

They have Holiday Cookie Kits available that come prepackaged with cookies, a set of FooDoodlers, and an idea booklet. 

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Bakerella has come up with a sweet treat…and so perfect for a Puppy party!  Check out these Puppy Pops!  YUM!  And she gives great directions for how to decorate these pups.  So sweet.  

Also, if your kid is into gaming, this (easy!) Tetris Birthday Cake is also worth checking out.  Thanks, Charlene, over at Yahoo! Shine Parenting!

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Ideally, you can get away with just serving cupcakes or cake and ice cream at your party. But sometimes you have to schedule the party at a mealtime, and if this is the case, you’ll definitely have to feed the kids something besides just cake. But keep it simple! Most kids are not exactly gourmet food critics, so feed them things they’re used to eating. (Not to mention – do you have any memory of anything you ate at any party growing up? I don’t.)

• Go with frozen foods you can just thaw and/or reheat. I used frozen Smuckers Uncrustables (peanut butter & jelly sandwiches) for my daughter’s party…no cooking there…my biggest challenge was remembering to take them out of the freezer in time! Those tiny frozen cheeseburgers or bite-sized bagel pizzas would also be a big hit.
• Pre-packaged foods in single-serving sizes are super easy. There’s no prep time for you, and they’re really simple to distribute to the kids. Fruit cups, individual sized bags of chips, crackers, trail mix…you name it, you can find it in smaller bags.
• Cupcakes – They’re all the rage right now, so it may seem like a no-brainer…but seriously…not only are they super-cute – but their true value for us adults is how easy and convenient they are! No messy, laborious cake-cutting, no impatient children as they wait (forever) for the cake to be cut…just hand them out and you’re done.
• Candy or Cereal Bar – I’ve seen this done at parties and it’s super-cute. Different jars with different kinds of cereals or candies in them, and the kids can go through and build their own dishes. But beware – this comes with a SERIOUS sugar high. So provide a “bar” at your own risk!

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You can turn any kids’ food into party food with colored sprinkles.  Keep an assortment in your cupboard to liven things up. They’re great in applesauce, the kids can stir and watch the colors swirl. Put them on anything smeared with butter, peanut butter, on hummus or whatever.

Another tip: the small tubes of decorating gels are great for plain pancakes, rice cakes, or whatever is on your menu.  For additional fun, write a letter or number of the day to brighten up your days with fun.

Looking for gourmet popcorn, baked goods, tasty treats, etc. for kids that may have allergies…and even those who don’t!  Check out Divvies!

According to the site, their yummy goodies are “all made using egg-free, nut-free, dairy-free recipes. Especially great for children and adults with food allergies and those on a special allergy diet. Also perfect for those on a vegan diet.”

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Save scooping time with this little ice cream trick:

A few hours before your party begins, scoop ice cream into cupcake liners. Have your birthday kid decorate these scoops with sprinkles. Place these ice cream cups on a tray and into your freezer.

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