The “Dog Days” of August are almost upon us, and so you may want to consider a Faux Surfing Party for your kids this month. It is a great summer theme, and would be easy to do. Actually, you could do a lot of activities from The Luau Party Plan, but add a few other games/activities to make it more “surfy!”

On non-polished floors, put down two small pieces of carpet. Have the kids stand on the carpet pieces and hold onto a small rubber tire, which has a long piece of rope attached. Recruit some adult volunteers to pull the kids, thus mock water skiing.

If you have sand available, have a sand castle competition. Make Milk Shakes! Don’t forget the beach music….especially the infamous Beach Boys!! [more...]

A great summer-time dessert that the kids are bound to love at your party this season are Beach Pails ~ and they are easy to make too! This is also a treat you could send in to school with your child to celebrate the end of the year and beginning of summer.

Recipe: Take a clear cup and fill it with banana pudding, vanilla pudding layered with bananas and Vanilla Wafers, and then crush Vanilla Wafers for the look of sand. Top it off with sea life, like gummy fishy, and then add an umbrella parasol. . [more...]

Throw your little campers a sleepover party under the stars… in the comfort and safety of your own backyard! Even if your guests are too young to spend the night or sleep outside, you can throw them a fun camping party. Just grab a sleeping bag and a flashlight, and read on to learn how!   

Invite a few of the parents too, to help supervise during the party. You should also gather up extra sleeping bags and pillows, a tent, flashlights or electric lanterns, and a grill for cooking out. Even if you plan to have an indoor “campout,” these items will help set the mood for the party.

Start the festivities with a nature-based Scavenger Hunt. Then, let the kids chow down on hamburgers, franks and beans, corn on the cob, and cupcakes topped with chocolate icing “mud” and gummy worms. Once it gets dark, let the kids make S’mores and play games like Flashlight Tag.

To play Camping Gear, the children sit in a circle, and one child starts by saying, "I'm going on a camping trip, and I'm taking [item]." The next child repeats what the first child says and adds an item, and so on around the circle, challenging the children's memory and generating lots of laughs in the process. This game is a great transition into campfire story time, which will help your guests wind down before bed. Just make sure the stories aren’t too scary! [more...]

The Sponsor tip of the month is provided by Birthday In a Box.

Labor Day is almost here and the kids are ready to head back to school…they may even already be back. Well, even if that is the case, there is still time to have a proper farewell to the summer of ‘07.

Invite your kids’ friends and even their families over for a seasonal send-off fit for summer’s majesty! Use dusty yellow, orange, and red colors for any table ware, and place Citronella candles and perhaps Tiki torches to keep the bugs away!

Throw the party outdoors with a proper cookout! Invite the kids to catch fireflies, have a water balloon fight, run through the sprinklers, serve ice cream sundaes and root beer floats. Games can include a Tug O’ War, Limbo Fun, and wacky relay races, such as a sack race and/or three-legged race, and a Treasure Hunt in a sandbox would be added fun. Hang a sheet between two trees and show a movie as the late afternoon turns to evening  [more...]

Call me crazy, but I was happier in school than with all of that summer time on my hands. So, for me, I think time to celebrate this new beginning. If you are thinking along the same lines and want to celebrate this time of year, deliver a fresh apple with a little tag attached that gives the details as the invitation.

For decorations, have a chalkboard or white board out. Place a desk in the party area filled with books, school supplies. Play Bingo, Trivia Pursuit, 20 Questions, Wordsearch, etc. Also, play Simon Says, Red Rover, Dodgeball, Kickball, Twister. For Crafts, have the kids make book marks or book covers. Food ideas are easy…pack school lunches! 

If you are going to hand off goodies, well send them back to school in style. Purchase paper gift bags, fill with tissue, and add lots of school supplies. [more...]