It is that time of year again, and everyone is gearing up for the big game. In anticipation of Super Bowl Sunday, it’s a great time to throw a party and include the kids! They may or may not understand football, but they certainly understand the fun and excitement of the big game. And, oh boy, if you are lucky enough to have a football-crazy boy with a late January or early February birthday, half your planning is done for you!

To decorate, throw football confetti on the party table and around the room. If you have any football stuff in your home, such as jerseys, knee pads, shoulder pads or other memorabilia, put it out as well.

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Australia Day is the country’s national day of celebration, much like the 4th of July in the US. It reminds its citizens to remember their origins and celebrate their achievements.

So how do Australians celebrate with their family and friends? Try and translate this one: “Pop over and throw a few snags & chops on the barbie, knock a few coldies down, bring the softies for the ankle biters, plonk your butt and have a natter, it will be a ripper of a day.” Basically, come over and enjoy a BBQ, have some drinks and soda pop for the kids, and stay awhile for a chat.

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Penguins are so popular these days. Many of you probably enjoyed watching March of the Penguins, and perhaps you took in Happy Feet. Whether animated or the real thing, penguins are darling and make a perfect theme for your upcoming winter birthday party. If the theme appeals, here are ideas to help with your planning:

The color scheme for this party is easy. Use mainly black and white for your balloons, streamers, and tableware. Add in a bit of bright orange for the beak and feet as well. You may want to cut out orange web prints of beaks and feet, and place them all over the party room. Near the party area or above the front door, you can hang a personalized penguin banner wishing the birthday kid a happy birthday.

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Love the play on words! If your little one is soon to turn 1 and it is cold and wintry outside, a perfect theme for your party may be a fabulous “Winter One-derland!” It will work well if you are not having older kids attending the party … otherwise, just drop the play on words and host a Winter Wonderland Party. This is a great plan for many ages! If it is December, January, or February and you are sure to be throwing an indoor party, here are some ideas to pull this theme together.

Winter Wonderland Party Invitation:

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My friend wants to have a mall scavenger hunt for her daughter’s 13^th birthday next month, so I’m wondering if you have any great ideas. So far our thoughts are to give them a certain amount of money to acquire the things on their lists, give them riddles or clues rather than straightforward items, and make them bring each item back to us (we’ll be at Starbucks … a central location with coffee) before they get the next clue. We have talked about having the items on the list be the “goody bag” or prizes and possibly awarding points for what they bring … like if they all bring the same thing they get no points but different stores used or something could earn them more points or maybe another winner could have the most change left over. We’re still trying to figure it out. We are also thinking about making them do something but we’re not sure what they could have to do in the mall (and not get in trouble or be really obnoxious). I thought maybe bargain for a better price but I’m not sure the girls could do it, they are still pretty shy. Any great ideas come to mind? We’ve got a month ….

Please note: Make sure to call up your local mall that you plan on holding your Mall Scavenger Hunt and see if this type of event is allowed.  If so, also ask if there are any parameters that you should keep in mind and establish with your group during the Hunt.  You may also want to let the Mall Manager know the time/date of the event as well.

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Well, it’s still winter out there and many people are actually snowed in and/or digging out from under the snow. Your kids may be developing cabin fever, and are probably looking forward to not only spring blooming, but also summer break. You can give them a little taste of the fun to come by throwing their winter birthday at the local indoor swimming pool. This party can be at a hotel, YMCA, or local gym with an indoor pool available for party rental. It should be pretty easy to find a place to hold your event, and easy to put it together!

In your pool party invitation, ask the party guests to bring their swimsuits, a change of clothes, flip flops, and a towel.

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A perfect outdoor winter venue for a party is an ice-skating rink! It is usually quite inexpensive to have a group skate, and facilities typically offer a party room where you can host the lunch/cake/presents. For kids age 6 and up, this is a very good idea. Planning this theme can take as little as 30 minutes as well, so if you don’t have a lot of time and want to hold your party outside of your home, this may be a great idea for you. If so, here are a few suggestions and points to keep in mind as you plan:
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