Have an Indiana Jones Party For Kids

With the recent release of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, the Indiana Jones theme has become a popular birthday party request from kids these days. There are some kits you can find, but this article will provide you more ideas if you want to throw an Indy party.

To provide a theme for your party there are some basic elements: the plates/cups/napkins for the table, banners and other decorations, the cake, mylar balloons, pinatas, games to play, background music, goody bags and party hats. Here are some specific ideas for an Indiana Jones birthday party.

Plates/cups/napkins: These can get pretty expensive. If you can find the theme you want at Target, they will have the best prices on these items. To do the party economically, just get cake plates with the Indy theme, colored plastic cups and brown napkins. Even at a somewhat pricey party supply store, you can get 8 cake plates for less than $4. If you are serving food, use regular plastic or paper plates which hold more and are much less expensive than theme party plates. Party supply websites offer kits which have plates, cups, napkins, balloons, hats, etc... and this is a useful option though not the most economical way to go. The most bang for the buck will be to use decorated cake plates, but everything else "standard issue" but color coordinated.

Banners: A regular Happy Birthday banner will do or perhaps you can make one with your printer if you have banner software. You may be able to find a birthday banner for $1.00 at the dollar store.

Other decorations: One thing you can do to decorate a table is to get a package of plastic snakes and scatter them around the table. The party supply stores (like Diddams) have packs of snakes and other places like Target do as well. You could also find a wig form (styrofoam) and spray paint it gold for a table decoration. If you are able to find something ark-like, you could put your goody bags inside of it.

Mylar balloons: You can find mylar Indiana Jones balloons on Ebay or at a party store.

Pinatas: If you want a pinata, you may find these with the party theme kits online. There are Indiana Jones pinatas. Many pinatas these days are the pull string kind.

Games/events: One idea is to have a treasure hunt in the format of either follow-the-clues to treasure, or a scavenger hunt. If you have a sandbox, you could have a fossil dig with items you buried before the party. If you are having an indoor party, you could play Indiana Jones bingo with cards you make yourself. You can find Indiana Jones Bingo kits on Ebay which will give you an idea you could copy.

Goody bags: To avoid the total junk, try your local dollar store. Some of them have Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull activity books. You could also get a survival tool, with compass, flashlight and magnifyer (again at the dollar store). For obvious reasons, whips seem like a really bad idea for a party favor (you know kids will love them until someone gets hurt). Instead of whips, you can find some nice jump ropes that can stand in for a whip but aren't quite as dangerous.

Party hats: Instead of the traditionally cone shaped hat, you can find Indiana Jones paper hats. They are not that common, but they have been ordered from Toyhunt.com. You may be able to get them as part of a party pack from some online party sites.

Hat for Mom/Dad: You can find Indiana Jones hats pretty commonly right now. One was spotted at Diddams made of leather-look stiff cloth for $20. (Very stylish too!). Mom or Dad can dress up like Indy with a hat, a whip (or jump rope) and a bandana.

Cake: There are Indiana Jones cake kits available and Safeway (and other bakeries) sell the cakes made to order with the Indy decorations. The decoration is a holder for a large ball (about the size of a tennis ball) which rolls toward an Indiana Jones action figure. You can find these decorations on Ebay and Amazon. You could also use Indiana Jones actions figures or Lego kits as a cake decoration. With the Lego kits you (or your child) will have to put it together ahead of time, but it will be a fun toy to keep.

Music: Download the Indiana Jones movie music and play it on your ipod connected to a stereo if you have one (set it to continous mode). The Indian Jones theme music is very nice for setting the feeling of the party. You may be able to find an Indiana Jones movie music CD that you could play as well.

Put it all together and you will have a very fun Indiana Jones party! Your child is certain to get a few Indiana Jones Lego kits, adding to the fun.

Ideas For Party Planning - Tips on How to Have the Best Birthday Party Celebration

When it comes to throwing a children's birthday party, a lot of parents would do everything in their power to get the best ideas for party planning to organize a lovely event with plenty of entertainment and a unique theme. There are many ideas to choose from that you'll get quite confused on which to put into application. You must base your decision on the child's age and their preferences. When you have decided on the theme, move on with the list of guests, the invites, decorations and supplies required for the event.

You can check a lot of well-known birthday celebration ideas on Internet websites. Most of the ideas come from specialized websites that provide inspiration and a great approach to parties. You will learn how to plan, organize the budget and also make a list of the supplies. The most well-known ideas include themes such as circus, Sponge Bob, superheroes, safari, pirates, princess parties and much more. Such websites can really help you by significantly minimizing the pressure of the organization of the event.

Next on your party planning list should be the safety of the kids in the event. All of the supplies, food, drinks and forms of entertainment should match the children's age. The menu or food that you'll be serving to your guests is quite essential. You can purchase alcohol-free bubble champagne, order a birthday cake that matches the theme of the party and serve all kinds of drinks. Remember that kids can be thrilled to find out something fun even if they're just sitting by the table. The decorations should capture the interest of the visitors, and therefore, such decors should match the theme of the party.

Be creative enough when it comes to thinking about the activities and games. Keep in mind that music isn't enough to make the kids have a great time. Besides dancing, there should be party games, a clown and a couple of entertainers dressed up to match the party's theme. As one of the best ideas for party planning, you can always log on to the Internet to search for the best recommendations for the activities and games that you can have for the party. The important thing is that you'll be having fun with your child, and he or she will be appreciate your effort well.

John Deere Farm Birthday Party Ideas

Every little boy loves tractors! There is something about those big green machines. So, for this birthday GO Green! Invitations: Use a template of a simple tractor using green construction paper and outlining with a black marker. On a separate sheet of yellow paper, write the title "Our little Deere __ is turning __, so join us for some good old farm fun!" Plain white invitations can be made quite festive with the John Deere clip art or stickers. A picture of your child on a tractor would also be a wonderful invite and can be copied quite easily and cost effectively using a colour printer or at your local photo center.

The Venue: How about an outing? You could visit a petting zoo, a pumpkin patch, a pony riding center or a local farm. Your one step ahead if you already live on a farm! An old fashioned family bonfire is a wonderful back drop for this kind of event. No worries though, even if your a city slicker you can easily transform your home or backyard into a "farm house" worthy of a John Deere Birthday Party! Decorations: Green & Yellow of course! A wide range of John Deere licensed goods can be purchased through my website or your local party center. Throw in a barnyard feel with hay bails, saddles, scarecrows, pitch forks, cowboy hats and farm animals. Ask the kids to come in their finest denim farm clothes but provide them with a straw hat and bandanna when they arrive.

Activities: You can't have a John Deere Party without a tractor! So, if you don't have a real one for tractor rides, turn a regular old wagon into one with 2 large cardboard pieces, the tractor template, green paint and some imagination! The little ones will love their imaginary tractor rides. If your party is indoors or for some additional decoration, use a bunch of farm animal colouring sheets. Cover a full wall with butcher paper or large white paper roll. Make a farm scene by painting on some grass, a fence and blue sky. Have the kids colour the pictures and then cut and paste the pictures onto wall. Or you can even have the kids colour right onto the paper wall. The kids will have a blast decorating the life sized farm scene.

Games: Needle in a Haystack - Hide objects in a loose pile of hay. Use needles for older party guests and small toys for younger ones. Have them wear work gloves for safety. If you cannot get your hands on some hay you can use several bags of raffia or dried grass clippings. Young or Old, everyone loves a game of Horse Shoes - the younger the child, the closer the shot line. Do I Moo? - Attach an animal sticker or picture to each child's back. Each player must identify what kind of animal they are by asking "yes" or "no" questions. For example, "Can I fly?", "Am I pink?", etc. Catch a Pig - Grease up 1 pink balloon with baby oil for every player and place the whole bunch about 20 feet away from where the kids are lined up. On "GO" have them run and try to catch a pig and place it back in its pen. The pen can be any box or container. It is hilarious and not that easy! Have an area set up where you can practise your cowboy skills by roping some cattle. A simple rope works great as a lasso and a sawhorse from Dad's garage works great as an animal target. Chicken Egg Hunt - Reuse your plastic Easter Eggs by filling them with some neat toys, trinkets or candy and hiding them around the party yard or party room. Herding Cattle - Colour some black cow spots on white balloons.

Using a broom, the object is to swat 8-10 balloons from one side of the room to the other. Use a stopwatch to see who can herd the cows the fastest. Hoe Down - play some Country Music and form a square dancing line or have a line dancing lesson! Menu: A good, old, down home barbecue of hamburgers, hot dogs, chili, potato salad, watermelon and corn on the cob. Serve the snacks and salads out of mini galvanized buckets and fill a wheel barrow with ice to keep your drinks cold in. Have plenty of wooden picnic tables on hand for seating. The cake can be any shape or size but must have bright John Deere green coloured icing. Use a decopac set or simply use your childs favourite toy tractor for the center of the cake. Be sure to sit the tractor ontop of a mud or soil pile! A mud/soil pile is made by crumbling up some dark cookies. Corral the tractor and hill in with a pretzel stick fence.

Loot Bags: All kids love to dress up - a cowboy hat, a bandanna and a pair of kids work gloves would be the perfect gifts to take home with them. You can also purchase John Deere stickers, toy tractors, launchers & keychains for plastic lootbags. Plastic farm animals and candy eggs would be a great addition! All farms have gardens so why not provide each guest with a small pot and a few easy growing seeds like bean, radish or sunflower and have them "sow their seeds." They can take their plant home and watch it grow.

Birthday Party Candles For Life's Celebration

People burn candles for the most fundamental reason: to have or to give a source of light. Perhaps there was a power shortage and the people of the 21st century rely again on candles "to shed light in the darkness". Looking back as far as 3000 BC, history will tell that it was the Cretans together with the Egyptians who were the pioneers in producing candles out of beeswax. Colza oil, rapeseed oil and even the oil coming from sperm whales known as spermaceti are all used for candle-making.

Religion is probably the very first thing that could be closely associated with candles. People burn candles as part of their expression of faith. Candles are burnt during vigils, in times of a stormy weather, when asking for special petitions or wishes and also a form of thanksgiving and remembrance for the faithful departed.

Nowadays, candles are not just seen at churches, cathedrals, monasteries, temples and other places of worship. They could be found adorning the center table of one's living room, as an accent on your bedroom's side table, a perfect, eye-catching centerpiece at the dining table or an added piece of decoration in the bathroom.

Now of course, let's not forget that candles are most particularly present during birthday celebrations, and where else could they be most visible but on the top of the birthday cake standing proudly and brightly. And would you believe that the real reason why candles are put on a birthday cake is to somehow measure the strength of the celebrator? That is, on how he or she can blow really hard and well just to ensure that all burning candles will expire.

Birthday party candles are one those party needs that you shouldn't be missing and shouldn't be regarded so plainly. Candles after all are symbolical most especially the part when the birthday celebrator will make the ceremonial blowing of candles after silently making a wish for one's self. It is highly regarded that candles play an important part in the possibility of having one's wishes granted.

Party candles normally come in the same elongated, usually thin shapes, but in various colors and designs. There are also some candles shaped as numbers so that in case the celebrator is way past 30 already, the family and friends of the celebrator will not worry on getting a cake big enough to accommodate 30 candles.

Now ever heard of candles for the athletic types? Well, there is what you call sports parties that cater to people who are either keen into sports or simply just want to attend parties of this type. A sports party for any kind of game always turned out to be a spectacular one and one of the sports party supplies that should not be missed are the sports candles who will somehow provide the "softer part" of the party no matter how tough or manly rugged your choice of sports is. First birthday party candles will surely lit up not only the big birthday cake you're thinking of giving your child, but as well as the smile in your child's face and eyes.

Now, theme party candles would also add color to one's party as they would rightfully blend with the party's atmosphere. Specialty stores located in most department stores always have available stocks for such special types of candles, and one could always place an order. Just provide the necessary specifications and expect to have candles that will suit well your party. The same thing also goes for character party candles that can be considered as the perfect choice for those kids celebrating their growing up years. You could bet that with all those fun characters from popular companies/brands such as Looney Tunes, Pixtar and--whose child will not appreciate--Disney, kids would surely have a grand time partying.

Lastly, for the new set of parents who would like to treat their firstborn to a memorable birthday party, careful planning and wise decision making are needed to guarantee that your eldest child will have a party that he or she could tell and retell to future friends and cherish as he or she grow up.

Fun Kid Birthday Party Ideas - Creative Themes

Theme parties are always great fun for any child's birthday party.

Does your child have a favorite movie, book, TV show, favorite character, or maybe your child likes animals or has a favorite sport or past time. Well how about using one of your child's favorites as the theme for their birthday party.

Planning Your Party

If your child is old enough, sit down with them and ask what kind of theme they'd like for their party. Then, keeping your budget in mind, as well as space limitations and preparation time, choose a theme and start making plans.

Once you've decided on a theme for your child's birthday party, you'll find that everything begins to fall right in place.

Kid Birthday Party Invitations

You and your child will have lots of fun putting together a creative invitation for their party.

When wording your invitation, try getting into your theme and have some fun. Use words and phrases that fit your theme.

If you're having a Princess birthday party, you might make it a "Royal Invitation from the King and Queen."

For a Pirate birthday party, write your invitation on a piece of brown paper bag crumpled up to look like old parchment. Draw a map to your house and have "X" mark the spot. Then write something like this, "Aaarrrhh, we be celebratin the birthday of Captain (your child's first and last name) and ye be invited."

Interactive invitations are lots of fun and help to get your invited guests involved in your theme right away.

For a Dinosaur birthday party you can send along a small box with a small plastic dinosaur "buried" in glacial ice (wrapped in cotton). Then the recipient can "dig up" the dinosaur.

For a Princess birthday party you could have your invitation rolled up, tied with a purple ribbon and hand delivered by someone in appropriate costume.

Be creative and have fun with your invitation. Remember, it's the first impression your guests will have of your up-coming party. Get them excited so they can hardly wait!

Kid Birthday Party Decorating Ideas

With your theme in mind, you can keep your decorations simple by using balloons and streamers and by putting pictures on your walls that you've cut from magazines.

Or you can be a little more creative by turning your living room into your theme location.

For a Dinosaur birthday party put blue and white helium filled balloons on your ceiling to form a sky with clouds. Then hang dark brown, light brown, green and orange streamers from the ceiling to the floor to make a jungle. Wrap some of the streamers together to make your jungle thicker.

For a Princess birthday party create a special throne using a chair and decorating it with bright red and purple balloons and streamers. And maybe even use a colorful pillow.

Again, be creative and have fun.

Kid Birthday Party Game Ideas

Most party games can be slightly modified to fit your theme. For a Blue's Clues birthday party Pin the Tail on the Donkey can become "pin the tail on Blue."

For a Princess party, Musical Chairs becomes "The Royal Musical Ball" and you can play appropriate music.

And speaking of music, music that is appropriate to your theme is perfect to use during your games. Simply start a game when your music starts. You can easily find CDs for most movies and TV shows.

Kid Birthday Cakes

There are a lot of great recipes available for theme birthday cakes, or you can easily pick up a frosted cake then add "edible cake toppers" for your theme.

Using edible cake toppers is a great way to create a colorful, professional looking theme cake for your child's birthday.

Kid Birthday Party Food Ideas

If you're serving food or snacks, keep your theme in mind and be creative.

For a Princess birthday party, serve finger sandwiches, candy sushi, royal colored jelly beans, grapes, sparkling apple or grape juice or a "royal punch."

For an Incredibles birthday party, label your food. Ketchup becomes "super sauce", carrot sticks become "energy sticks" and you can even have a mini "hero sandwich."

If you're using an underwater theme like Finding Nemo, serve "peanut butter & jellyfish" sandwiches, Gold Fish crackers and "tuna fish" sandwiches.

Be Creative

Even with a limited budget you can be creative and come up with lots of fun kid birthday party ideas... Put just a little effort into your plans and your child will fondly remember this birthday party for years to come.

And don't forget to take lots of pictures and shoot lots of video of everyone having fun.

Teen Birthday Cake Ideas - A Perfect Package For Your Sweet Sixteener

For a teenage girl, it is only a delightful experience to be given a sweet sixteen birthday party! This is the time which marks the start of the development of her sense of independence as she begins her journey of getting absorbed into the adult world.

For today, the sweet sixteen birthday party is kind of extravagant and elaborate. Due to the term "sweet sixteen", most teens today think of none other than but a candy themed birthday celebration.

With this, the color schemes to be adopted could be the pastel ones such as the light pink or blue. Apart from all these, the teen birthday cake idea that has to be adopted should be something that could create a statement.

As your daughter would prefer a candy themed party, candy canes may be used to highlight the design of the birthday celebration. They may be glued together so that a heart shape is formed. The personalized candies and chocolate bars mark a wonderful decoration.

Another teen birthday cake idea that maybe considered is the tropical design. Of course the theme of the event should also bear the connection of the tropical design. If you'd rather adopt this, the venue may be decorated with palm trees, some bright colors, and the tiki lamps too. You may serve the guests with daiquiris and non-alcoholic pina coladas. The party would be best if it is held in a backyard, beach, or park.

If your sweet sixteener would rather have a casual celebration, a bowling alley or skating rink may be rented where snack bars and other arcades may be available for easy access. The traditional blowing of the teen birthday cake and the singing of the happy birthday song may be devoted with a little time whereas majority of the time in the event is dedicated to enjoying the available amenities and activities.

Theme parks are also fun especially when her birthday falls on a summer month. Usually, the theme parks pose discounts in the afternoon.

Moreover, whatever kind of party your child wants to push through, it is the role of the teen birthday cake idea to adjust to the party theme. It needs to get coordinated with the actual theme because it would serve as a miniature of the event.

There are shops that specialize in these teen birthday cake ideas and you could let them take care of the best cake you want your daughter to enjoy.

Kid Birthday Cake Idea Collection - Cake Decorating Without Fear

Our kid birthday cake idea collection makes cake decorating fun and fearless. You don't have to be a pastry chef to create a professional quality cake for your child's birthday or other special event. Learn unique and easy cake decorating ideas to make spectacular homemade cakes.

PARTY CAKE CONCEPT AND DESIGN

The most important kid birthday cake idea is choosing a cake concept which fits with your party theme. You can start with a simple sheet cake topped with small toys or figures, or piece the cake itself to form a unique design.

For example, a Construction Party cake could be topped with tiny toy dumptrucks and bulldozers pushing a chocolate chip mountain. Or, the cake itself could be cut, pieced and frosted to look like a dump truck.

For a Train Party, set a miniature choo-choo train on licorice tracks atop your cake, or line up several brightly colored frosted loaf cakes to form train cars.

For a Luau party, a simple round or sheet cake can be festooned with a silk flower lei, or form a string of cupcakes in a circle and adorn each one with silk or frosting flowers. Connect with a licorice string to make a cupcake "lei".

Baking cakes in an oven-safe glass bowl or in a special 3D sports ball pan is great for making any kind of perfectly round ball cake, or the dress part of a Barbie doll cake. A wonder mold cake pan makes small single serving doll cakes and other cute creations!

Think of the design you'd like to make and what shapes you need to make it - round, sheet, loaf, cupcakes, or a combination.

Peruse cake decorating books for a kid birthday cake idea which fits your needs. Many books provide templates forcutting and piecing cakes to create any number of popular designs. You decide just how simple or challenging your cake will be.

For a no-fuss kid birthday cake idea, apply an edible cake art image to the top of a frosted cake. Many popular themes and copyrighted images such as Disney are available to provide a professional looking cake design.

Themed cake pans are another popular cake decorating option. They provide the shape and visual design to follow for an impressive finished cake. Popular TV and cartoons characters are well represented in cake pans, as well as teddy bears, butterflies, pirates, Tigger,Mickey Mouse, and lots more.

FROSTING CHOICES

Homemade Frosting - Dig up that famous family recipe or check out one of the many online recipe sites and make your cake frosting from scratch. Be sure to plan ahead how much of each color will be needed for both basic foundation and decorative trim.

Canned and Tube Frostings - Easiest and quickest, prepared canned frostings are available in grocery stores in the baking aisle with the cake mixes. They generally come in white, chocolate, and a handful of other popular flavors. Keep a few ready-to-use tube frostings on hand in various basic colors to add the finishing touches.

Fondant Frosting - Gaining in popularity in this country in recent years, fondant frosting gives a beautiful smooth finish to your cake decorating creation. Fondant can be rolled out and draped over a cake, poured on as a glaze, or sculpted into shapes. It is easily tinted, and can be flavored as well. Ready-made fondant is available through party supply outlets. There are also many recipes online for homemade fondant.

CAKE DECORATING WITH CANDY AND SMALL TOYS

Cookies, candies, and other materials can be used for special and impressive effects. Frosted sugar cones can serve as the fins on a space ship cake or the turrets on a castle cake. Make a surprise cake filling with jello.

A wide variety of plastic stand-ups or cake toppers are available in craft stores. Or, simply use a toy which fits in with the party theme as a cake topper and give it to the party child when the party is over. Action figures, small dolls, animals and cartoon characters all make good choices.

Add cool candy accents with M & M's, licorice pieces, licorice whips, animal crackers, oreo cookies, paper umbrellas, pretzel sticks, tootsie rolls, jimmies, gummies such as worms, bears, etc, gumdrops, mini marshmallows, colored coconut, jellybeans.

THE LATEST CAKE DECORATING FADS!

There are many novel choices for placing the finishing touches on your party cake. Dress it up in style with one or more of these unique special effects:

Spray Color Mist - is a fun addition to your baking repertoire. Frost your cake white, then spray on edible color from an aerosol can. Available in many colors, it can be used with stencils to make unique designs, as a highlight to whipped topping - even on your child's mashed potatoes!

Luster Dusts - are an edible food safe "dust" which can be used on any frosting recipe that dries hard and firm to the touch. Brush it on white frosting for a metallic-like glossy sheen or layer it for interesting color effects.

Cake Stampers - can be used along with brush-on color for fondant icing. Simply stamp shapes and designs into the finished fondant and tint with brush-on color.

Cake Stencils - Place stencil on iced cake and sprinkle edible glitter, confetti sprinkles, or use spray-on color mist.

Edible Color Markers - These unique markers are used just like an ink marker. Draw fun designs on cakes, cookies, fondant frosting, even cheese, fruit slices and bread. Decorating marker kits are available for children.