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Play Cupid with Valentine's Day favors and other party supplies from Birthday in a Box!
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Happy New Year from Peppers and Pollywogs!
The holidays are officially over, but the planning doesn't end there!
When I thumb through my calendar, I already see the Super Bowl coming up, and then all
things turn to red, pink, and white as the season of chocolate and
cupid rolls in! In the meantime, kids celebrating birthdays need some
wintry ideas too...how about taking to the hills and enjoying an
afternoon of sledding? Really, any winter sport can serve as
inspiration...hockey, ice skating anyone?
Beyond thematic parties, if you are just looking for some fun time
with your kids this season, check out an easy Winter Treasure
Hunt...the clues can be used at a birthday party or just on a slow
afternoon.
Whatever you're up to as the New Year kicks off, make sure to have some fun - for both you and your kids! |
Kindling, wood, ash and soot, sit close by and I'll warm your foot! If
you guessed fireplace, you will have a great time organizing a winter
treasure hunt. Set forth treasure clues around your home for the
kids to find and
collect, if looking for snowflakes, use something like white tissue
paper to cut them out. Once all the treasures have been gathered, enjoy
a cup of frothy cocoa as a wintry treat to top off the fun.
[check out more treasure hunt clues...]
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Sledding Party
Well, it is January, and in the Northern Hemisphere of the world
that usually means snow! This year is a bit of an exception with warm,
snow-barren hills abounding, but you may just find that ol' man winter
soon pays a visit. Try to have your destination hill be close to a center of some sort so
that kids and parents (if they stay) can take refuge from the cold and
also where you can set up some snacks and treats for the guests.
Make
sure the hill that is chosen is spacious and away from anything
dangerous like water, utility poles, and roads. Request that guests
come with their own sleds so you are not meant to supply everyone with
equipment. Make sure to ask the guests in the invitation to dress
appropriately. You could even make it a contest, "Who can stay warmest
the longest?"
Your party menu can be very simple, make sure to
have Hot Cocoa on
hand. Beyond that, bite-sized donuts, cookies, a batch of brownies will
all do as an additional afternoon treat. If you are planning on serving
lunch, you will definitely either want to do this back at your home or
in the nearby venue. Menu ideas for this cold party would include some
hot food, like
Sloppy Joes, french fries, a pot of chili or favorite soup with warm
bread, toasting marshmallows, a cheese fondue served with veggies and
bread.
The activity will be sledding, that will keep everyone busy the full length of the party. [check out more sledding party ideas...] |
Spectacular Superbowl
 In anticipation of Super Bowl Sunday, this is a great time to throw a party and include the kids.
To decorate your home, use football confetti to throw on the party
table, as well as place around the room any football "stuff" you have
in your home, jerseys, knee pads, shoulder pads, other memorabilia.
Depending on your numbers, you will certainly want to arrange your party
area and furniture to accommodate everyone. This is an especially good
time to set up a separate kids' area if possible. Set up a kids table
decorated with a football tablecloth and a balloon tied to their seats,
perhaps in the color scheme of the teams whom are playing or the team
you are favoring!
When guests arrive, make the word "football" the quiet word, and hand
out a safety pin for each person to wear. When someone says the word
"Football" a person who catches him, collects the safety pin. The
person who has the most safety pins at the end of the game, wins! Assign a party referee ~ an older kid may love to do this! Have a
guest wear a referee shirt, and throw a yellow flag for the following
offenses:
- Party Foul: Double dipping anything!
- Holding: Holding on to food for too long!
- Illegal use of hands or language
| Read about superbowl food and drink ideas...
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 From Our Sponsor - A Superbowl Party
Here comes the Super Bowl! Parents and children will both enjoy a
super football party with these fun and easy planning ideas from Birthday in a Box.
Decorating
Use any football gear you
already own to decorate your party space. Turn the party table into a
sports field by using white tape to mark the field on a green table
cover. Place a football helmet on the table as your centerpiece, and
place a basket of footballs near the TV. Inflate lots of balloons in
your favorite team's colors, and anchor groups of five around the party
space. Use plates, cups and other party supplies featuring a football pattern.
Food
The adults at your party
will enjoy chili, submarine sandwiches, mini-meatballs, hamburgers, or
hot dogs. Add a variety of chips, dips, a vegetable tray, and several
salads. The children will prefer chicken tenders and hot dogs, plus
popcorn and chips. Cupcakes, brownies and cookies are always popular,
and can be made ahead of time. Frost them with colors representing the
two teams competing in the Super Bowl, or use a football-shaped cake pan for a beautiful dessert!
Party Activities
The children attending your party will need activities besides the TV
to keep them occupied. Provide crayons and coloring books on a low
table, and make up an easy sports quiz for them to complete.
When they need another challenge, organize the children into teams and play Word Lightning. The
object of this game is to come up with the most sports words in 2
minutes. Separate the teams so they don't overhear each other, and
supply each team with paper and a pen. Choose a player (or an adult) to
write down each team's answers, and recommend that everyone whisper.
The team that lists the most sports words during the 2-minute time
limit wins. Play several rounds, if desired. Visit Birthday in a Box
for more fun and easy sports-themed games and activities!
Super Bowl Party Favors
Thank
the children for attending your Superbowl party with fun party favors
like football stickers, football whistles, small foam footballs, and
mini trophies. At Birthday in a Box, you'll find a large selection of
sports-themed party favors, and if you want to add candy, they offer lots of sweet treats that kids love, too!
Our sponsor this month is Birthday in a Box, which offers a wide variety of children's party supplies including colorful partyware, decorations, party favors and personalized items in more than 100 party themes. | |
Traditional Valentine's Ideas
Well, it is little over a month away, but it you are planning a
Valentine's Day party this year, your mind has already turned to
planning your "hearts galore" celebration.
This is a party celebration
that can take place either at home or in a school, daycare, or play
group setting.
For an invitation, use red construction paper,
doilies, red pipe cleaners, pink and red glitter, and make and decorate
large homemade hearts that can be delivered to your guests. If you are
hand-delivering, you can send these invitations tied to candies or a
red balloon to kick off the festive party.
For Decorations: Fill your room with red, pink, and pearly white balloons. Add in a few thematic Mylar balloons for added fun. Have a pair of Glitter Heart Glasses at each place setting ~ the kids will love wearing these! For the Party Menu: Use a heart shaped cookie cutter to make small sandwiches, cut up fruits, and make red Jell-O Jigglers. Make Valentine's Roll Ups, using strawberry cream cheese, lunch
meat, lettuce, and a slice of cheese, place each ingredient into a
flour tortilla and roll them up.
For Activities: Bake a batch of heart-shaped cookies and have the kids decorate with pink frosting and candy toppings. Enjoy a Valentine's Scavenger Hunt.
For the Goody:Make a Valentine's Day Paper Cup, and fill it with all types of festive candies, heart stickers, blinking heart necklace, lip gloss, etc. [More invitation, activity and food ideas...]
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Valentines Slumber Party 
For the pre-teen set, Valentine's Day may be the perfect opportunity
to host a fun sleepover party, especially for girls. If you don't mind
staying up all night as you host a group of pre-teens at your home,
this will be a great party to host. For ideas, have a look:
Given that they have the whole night, let the kids make their own
decorations. Supply balloons, red and pink construction paper, glitter
glue, markers, pipe cleaners, cotton balls. The kids can make
Valentines, blow up balloons, make paper chains and cupids to decorate
the party area.
Play a game of Valentine's charades.
Watch some fun movies, that are related to Valentines. Let the kids choose, as long as you agree as the host parent!
Make mini heart shaped pizzas for dinner. Using ready made pizza
dough, have the kids cut the dough into the shape of a heart, place
their favorite toppings on the pizza, and bake.
Enjoy a full evening of chocolate, with chocolate fondue, chocolate dipped pretzels, hot chocolate with whipped cream and chocolate shavings, small wrapped chocolates.
In the morning, enjoy a batch of heart-shaped pancakes served with strawberry syrup and a cup of fruit on the side.
Send home pink and red lip gloss, nail polish, hand soap, facial
scrub, chocolates, and bubble bath into a small red pail with the kids
name on each one for the kids to take home!
Check out more Valentine's Party Ideas.
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Tip: Valentine from Loveland, CO
What's all red and rosy ~ your kids' enchantment at the upcoming
special Valentine's Party of course. Well, it is mid-winter and so
having something bright and cheerful to look forward to is sure to have
your kids excited.
Here's a tip: if you are mailing your guests Valentine Party invitations, you may want to use the Loveland, CO Valentine Re-Mailing Program.
Just bundle up your pre-addressed, pre-stamped Valentine Invitations
(or even your Valentines) and send them off to Loveland, CO for the
official Loveland stamp!
It's popular and if you plan ahead, a lot of fun for your party guests!
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Peppers and Pollywogs Newsletter 
