Category: Theme

Minecraft parties

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Minecraft has swept into the hearts and devices around the world, and you’re tasked with creating a Minecraft world in your own home for a kids birthday party. But have no fear! Minecraft is a great children’s party theme, with tons of opportunities to make your Minecraft party shine. With such a blocky style, it’s easy to build your party area into a one of a kind world for your birthday gamer.

Personalisation

Personalise your party to show off the special day you are celebrating. Customize messages on invites, labels, activity mats, bag tags and more.

Decorations

Minecraft is a world made of coloured blocks so your decor will mostly contain square-shapes. In the game, there are many different worlds you can create and explore, so getting an idea of which worlds you’d like to include in your party will help you tackle the decor aspect much easier. Whether it’s snow, desert, water, grass, or sand, you’ll find some great tips to throwing a one-of-a-kind Minecraft party in your home or outside.

 

  • You can coordinate solid blue, green, and black tableware and decorations with Minecraft brand elements to pull the whole look together.

  • Make a Minecraft party backdrop by taking square shaped paper plates and sticking them to the wall with sticky tack or non-damaging tape.

  • Use our stone wall backdrop to set the scene.

  • Take or make cubed cardboard boxes and cover with duct tape, construction paper, or tissue paper grass. Poke two small holes in the top and hang them from the ceiling with fishing line.

    Party Favours

Party favours are a part of the party fun, and with a Minecraft themed party, you’ve got lots of options to choose from. You can even make it a personalised gift, with either a themed name tag or another individual character. Carry your theme through your party favours to make it feel complete.

 

  • Use coloured paper bags or boxes and glue or draw Creeper, Golem, or Ghast faces on them.

  • Fill smartie tubes with red, green, and blue bubblegum labelled as “TNT,” “Diamonds,” or “Slimeballs.”

  • Small blind bags of Minecraft collectables also make great favours.

  • Make your own Minecraft boxes to fill with small favour items with this simple template.

  • For older children party poppers labelled TNT make a great party favour as well!

  • Paint or tape Creeper faces on lime green buckets so your attendees can take a character from Minecraft home!

    Party Games and Activities

While your party is in full swing, throw in some fun activities and games to keep the energy going. Keep the hands busy after meal time by having stations or times for different games.

 

  • Make a cookie decorating station for dessert. Use these Minecraft cookie cutters to make a batch of sugar cookies in advance.

  • With adult supervision, have kids make mini swords or Minecraft characters out of Hama beads.

  • Pinatas are a party classic, and making your own Ghast Pinata isn’t too hard!

  • Pin the tail on the pig is another fun game you can make incredibly easily with construction paper, scissors, and tape!

  • If you’re feeling extra handy, make a Minecraft beanbag toss with cutouts like a Creeper face.

  • Set up a photobooth with a few props. Like these Minecraft masks, and swords in front of a stone wall covering.

    DIY Crafts

Minecraft is all about building a world, so why not include some building creativity during the party? Having the kids (and adults) create a make-and-take craft is a great  way to keep them entertained and add one more keepsake to the pile of party favours

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  • Duct tape bracelets are a fun craft that’s quick and easy!

  • Pick up some inexpensive blank T-shirts and have the party attendees make their own Minecraft shirts use heat transfer vinyl or fabric paint.

  • With a little pre-planning, you can make some fantastic Minecraft creatures from simple items such as toilet paper rolls and small boxes.

Have a Shopkins party

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Shopkins are the hottest toys right now and quickly becoming the most popular children’s birthday party theme for girls. What is great about a Shopkins themed party is that there are so many options and ways to incorporate a lot of characters.

Invite your guests to Shop ‘Til You Drop with colourful Shopkins children’s party themed invitations.

Shopkins Party Decorations

Crepe paper streamers are great crepe paper streamer tassels are even better! They are really easy to create and can be made well in advance of your party. One of the best things about these is that you can choose all your own colours, unlike many of the packaged tassels where colors are limited.

Paper lanterns don’t always have to be hung. Use them to add colour and dimension to the bottom of your tablescape which can help complete the overall look.

Decals are not just for walls! Mount the vinyl decals onto foam board and cut around the image. You can place the mounted decals on the wall, on the table, or on the floor as shown above. Once the party is over, carefully peel the decal from the foam board and use to decorate the birthday girl’s room.

Shopkins Party Food

There are so many foods to choose from within the Shopkins theme. Poppy Corn is one of the most recognizable characters so you can serve popcorn in a popcorn box made to look like her.

You can search through the list of Shopkins and find more food to feature. What makes Shopkins so appealing to kids is that they are small, cute, and collectible.

Shopkins Activities & Favours

Create a small shopping area on your table and let your guests go shopping! Here are some fun ideas for your shop:

  • Purple boxes decorated with pink ribbon looks like Miss Pressy

  • Bubble Gum scented nail polish looks just like Polly Polish

The great thing about this activity is that once your guests have loaded up their Shopkins shopping bags, they are ready to leave with favours in hand. Of course another big hit is the photo booth. The Shopkins photo props are such fun and your guests will love them. They could easily double as favours as well. If you want to create an additional activity you can play Who Am I? with the props.

Hand each guest a prop but tell them not to look. Have them hold it up and ask the others questions about who they are. Whoever guesses who she is in the fewest amount of questions wins!

Shopkins Costumes

Help your birthday girl look just like a Shopkin! The Strawberry Kiss costume is adorable and will be the talk of the children’s birthday party. A perfect gift would be matching accessories.

CBeebies at Alton Towers

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Alton Towers Resort has today announced that CBeebies Land will reopen for 2017 season with an extended line up of rides, attractions and live children’s entertainment. The Furchester Hotel Live Show and Go Jetters Vroomster Zoom ride will open on 25th March for the new theme park season and join the existing line up of 12 other attractions in the Land.

As the UK’s most watched children’s channel, CBeebies favourites are brought to life in CBeebies Land. Opening its doors for a brand new live and interactive show, guests can join Phoebe, Funella, Furgus, Elmo and Cookie Monster at The Furchester Hotel. Guests will make their way through the famous revolving doors before being welcomed with furry arms into the hotel. The show sees the hotel prepare for the exciting arrival of Chick Swagger, guests can sing and dance along to the rock-a-doodle-do hit, Tail Feather Shake.

Join Kyan, Xuli, Lars and Foz on a Go Jetters global adventure as little thrill seekers fly around the world in a Vroomster. With their very own controls, youngsters can guide their Vroomster up and down as they launch from the Jetpad to help to find Grandmaster Glitch.

CBeebies Land is a dedicated area at the UK’s number one theme park where children can learn play and meet some of their favourite CBeebies friends to inspire their imagination. The two new rides and attractions join a line-up of existing favourites at CBeebies Land including Postman Pat Parcel Post, Mr.Bloom’s Allotment, Justin’s House Pie-o-Matic Factory and the In the Night Garden Magical Boat ride.

For an extra special CBeebies experience in 2017, stay at the brand new CBeebies Land Hotel. Opening in Summer, the 76 room, fully themed hotel will be home to bedrooms featuring In the Night Garden, Octonauts, Postman Pat, as well as Swashbuckle and Something Special.  Guests can hunt for Postman Pat’s parcels, count the jewels in the Swashbuckle room or stay in one of Mr Tumble’s starry bunkbeds. Find the Pontipines around the In the Night Garden room, and sleep in the Octopod in a themed underwater experience with the Octonauts. Featuring interactive games and play items, each themed room is uniquely designed to give little ones a sleepover like no other.

With a jam-packed kids entertainment schedule for all guests to enjoy, the CBeebies Land Hotel will offer meet and greets with characters Bing and Postman Pat, a Swashbuckle game show and Andy’s Dinosaur Hunt in which children will help Andy follow the clues to find his missing prehistoric items. There will also be the chance to join Bing in a live show and dance the night away with a CBeebies disco. As darkness falls, guests can take part in some stargazing with the CBeebies Land Hotel presenters before a restful night ready for an action packed day in CBeebies Land!

The new attractions in CBeebies Land open on 25th March with bookings now being taken for the brand new CBeebies Land Hotel from 8th July.

Be safe at Halloween

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Treats

Warn children not to eat any treats before an adult has carefully examined them for evidence of tampering

Flame Resistant Costumes

When purchasing a costume, masks, beards, and wigs, look for the label Flame Resistant. Although this label does not mean these items won’t catch fire, it does indicate the items will resist burning and should extinguish quickly once removed from the ignition source. To minimize the risk of contact with candles or other sources of ignition, avoid costumes made with flimsy materials and outfits with big, baggy sleeves or billowing skirts

Costume Designs

Purchase or make costumes that are light and bright enough to be clearly visible to motorists.

For greater visibility during dusk and darkness, decorate or trim children’s halloween party costumes with reflective tape that will glow in the beam of a car’s headlights. Bags or sacks should also be light colored or decorated with reflective tape. Reflective tape is usually available in hardware, bicycle, and sporting goods stores.

 

  • To easily see and be seen, children should also carry flashlights.

  • Costumes should be short enough to prevent children from tripping and falling.

  • Children should wear well-fitting, sturdy shoes . Mother’ s high heels are not a good idea for safe walking.

  • Hats and scarfs should be tied securely to prevent them from slipping over children’s eyes.

 

Apply a natural mask of cosmetics rather than have a child wear a loose-fitting mask that might restrict breathing or obscure vision. If a mask is used, however, make sure it fits securely and has eyeholes large enough to allow full vision.

Swords, knives, and similar costume accessories should be of soft and flexible material.

Pedestrian Safety

Young children should always be accompanied by an adult or an older, responsible child. All children should WALK, not run from house to house and use the pavement if available, rather than walk in the street. Children should be cautioned against running out from between parked cars, or across lawns and yards where ornaments, furniture, or clotheslines present dangers.

Choosing Safe Houses

Children should go only to homes where the residents are known and have outside lights on as a sign of welcome.

Children should not enter homes or apartments unless they are accompanied by an adult.

People expecting trick-or-treaters should remove anything that could be an obstacle from lawns, steps and porches. Candlelit jack-o’-lanterns should be kept away from landings and doorsteps where children’s fancy dress costumes could brush against the flame. Indoor jack-o’-lanterns should be kept away from curtains, decorations, and other furnishings that could be ignited.

Please the kids and the parents too

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1. Blow Up A Storm With Balloon Modelers

Balloon modelling is fascinating to watch, as long thin balloons are inflated then twisted at lightening speeds into anything from a monkey to a jetpack! The great benefit of hiring Balloon Modellers for any kid’s party is that every child gets something to take home, be it a hat, custom-made balloon jewellery, a backpack or a favourite cartoon character.

2. Face Painting For Children’s Parties

Transform your little VIPs into wild animals, butterflies, superheroes with the skill and artistry of expert Face Painters. Professional face painters will only use safe, water-based and hypoallergenic materials, so kids can wear their new look all party long and parents can restore them to angelic normality before bedtime!

3. Memorable Mime Artists

If your kids like Mr Bean, they’ll love live mime. Children just can’t take their eyes off a mime artist, fascinated as they conjure a world from thin air and pure imagination.

4. Meet The Animals In A Mobile Petting Zoo

With a Mobile Petting Zoo, adults and children can get close up to some of nature’s most fascinating exotic animals, ranging from cuddly meerkats and skunks to magnificent lizards, snakes and even giant hairy spiders! These exotic animals create a memorable and educational experience

5. The Best Prima Ballerina Parties Barre None!

Take your child’s passion for ballet to a whole new level with a ballerina party they’ll be raving about for months. A professional ballet dancer will thrill with a real ballet class, a hairstyling session (with lots of sparkles!), tiara and wand props, a special 5-minute performance, and time for photos and questions afterwards!

6. Marvellous Magic With Close-Up Magicians

Magic is really popular for kids, thanks to the new wave of TV street magicians, so a close-up magic show is perfect for a birthday party. Often combining conjuring tricks with an infectious sense of fun, a children’s magician will give your kids a show that’s amazing, amusing and absolutely unforgettable

7. Superb Storytellers

Once upon a time, there was a children’s party where every child was spellbound by the power of a great story. And that party can be yours, a wonderfully relaxing experience for both guests and parents that is hard to find in today’s busy worlds. Now that’s a true happy ending!

8. Children’s Themed Parties

Two hours of sheer delight, transporting kids into a make-believe world of fun and games. Led by professional children’s entertains such as, Children’s Themed Parties and Children’s Entertainers, and with optional face painter, you can choose from popular party packages that delight from start to finish.

Making your own party bags

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Every parent wants to be imaginative and give their little guests an amazing party bag. So why not let the kids make their own party bags at the party?

If you purchase some white paper birthday party bags with handles which are perfect for the kids to draw and colour on with some colouring felt tips or pencils. Children can write their names and draw some great pictures or shapes, you could even use stencils. The coloured party bags have a special shiny coating which pens cannot be used on. Give the kids a choice of crafty bits to add to their bags e.g. fun stickers, peel and stick alphabet foam letters and shapes, die cut card shapes, trimmed fabric piece with fabric embellishments etc. –

Fold over the top of the colour party bags and hole punch. Thread some ribbon through and tie in a bow, makes a lovely finishing touch! You can theme your party bags to suit your kids party theme e.g. Pirate Party, Princess Party, Fairy Party, Under The Sea Party.

You can fill your party bags with your handmade crafts from the party or why not fill a tub full of goodies and ask each little guest to put their hand into (in turn) to uncover a special treat to take home.

Getting the children involved in making their party bags makes them it a bit more special. The children are more inclined to cherish their bags when they get home, making the party even more memorable.

Children love arts and crafts and will happily sit on a craft table for hours rather than running around a children’s party venue trying to create their own fun and generally being a ‘bit silly’. Distraction is the key to a successful children’s party.

Star Wars parties

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Party theme planning

Long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, Star Wars came to life. Today, Star Wars is still every bit as popular as it was in the last century. Several generations love the saga and there are so many fun ways to throw a successful Star Wars celebration that even Darth Vader will be jealous of!

Invitations Ideas

From the classic rectangle invitation with eye-catching graphics to a lightsaber replica made from paper, there are many different styles of invitations to choose from. Another great idea is using your DIY skills and some downloads to achieve a completely custom look.

Unique, homemade invitations can really get you in the party mood! If you have the time, here are a few Star Wars invitation ideas to consider:

Cut a piece of white cardstock into the shape of a lightsabre. Use markers to colour the handle grey and the beam blue or green. Write your party details in silver marker on the beam. Alternatively, fold a piece of cardstock in half, cut out two small lightsabers and cross them together in the middle of the card. On the front of the card, write, “You are Invited to a Galaxy Far, Far Away…” Write your party details inside.

  • Print out movie stills from the birthday child’s favourite Star Wars movie. Write your party details on the back.

  • Punch a hole in the corner of a card-style invitation and attach it to a Star Wars Mask that your guests can wear to the party.

  • Make a simple black helmet to resemble Darth Vader’s helmet out of black construction paper. Write your party details in gold pen.

Include creative wording for your party details, such as:

  • In a galaxy not too far, far away,

  • Michael is having his 5th birthday!

  • So fly your spaceship at the speed of light,

  • To the celebration of our Jedi Knight!

Decorating & Food Ideas

Star Wars Party Decoration Ideas

Aside from sticking to the basic Star Wars party theme colour palette of royal blue, black, white and grey, you can take your party to another level with the details. Choose a couple of accent colours, such as the green, red and blue associated with lightsabers to add a pop of colour to the party. From a cupcake tower centrepiece to a sweet buffet you can definitely make a huge visual impact with your decorations.

Mickey Mouse party ideas

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Does your little one love to sing and play along with Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, and the rest of the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse? Well, make him or her feel like a real Mouseketeer by throwing a children’s party with our Mickey & Minnie Party Ideas!

Planning & Invitations

In addition to basic Mickey and Minnie Party supplies, like plates, cups, napkins, and decorations, you may want to consider purchasing, borrowing or hiring the following items for your Mickey or Minnie party:

  • Mickey Mouse Ears

  • Several pairs of white gloves

  • Air walker Mickey Balloon

  • A Mickey Mouse

  • A piñata

Mickey & Minnie Party Invitations

If you have the time, it can be fun to make your own invitations, especially if you make it a family activity! You can be extra creative with homemade invitations as well, giving your guests a sneaky peak of the fun that will be had at your party. Here are some suggestions:

  • Cut the shape of Mickey Mouse’s head out of black construction paper (big circle face with two circular ears on top). In silver pen, write the birthday child’s name on the left ear and “is turning [age]!” on the right ear. Write the party details on the main part of the cut-out.

  • Print out a picture of Mickey, Minnie, and friends and paste it to the bottom of a section of cardstock. Write the party details above the picture. Run a glue stick around the outside of the paper and sprinkle with red glitter.

Mickey & Minnie Party Decorations

Decorations that match your theme makes a party even more fun and exciting, so for this party, transform your party space into a Disney funhouse!

  • As each guest enters the party area, give them mouse ears to wear! You may even want to hand out white gloves to the boys and big pink hair bows to the girls.

  • Cut large Mickey Mouse heads out of black construction paper and tape them to the walls. To add to this, write one guest’s name on each cut-out in big block letters. This will make all your guests feel special!

  • Set out Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy, and other stuffed animals that your child already owns. Group them together for a great centrepiece or stack them on one corner of a blanket that you set out for free play.

  • Set out large cardboard boxes with door flaps and windows cut out. Let the children decorate the boxes to look like their own clubhouses!

Mickey & Minnie Party Food Ideas

Serving food that fits your theme can be a fun way to keep the party exciting! If you have the time to make some Mickey-themed treats, consider these ideas:

  • Serve Mickey Mouse pancakes! If you don’t have an iron that makes them for you, just make three circular pancakes, one big for the face, two little for the ears.

  • Make a cheese and crackers tray using circular crackers and cheese cut into circles. Lay them out in a Mickey Mouse shape on a platter, with one stack of crackers in the middle and two stacks of cheese circles making ears.

Have fun and use your imagination and create a mouse specular party!!!

Fit for a Princess

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Make your daughter’s dreams come true by throwing her an amazing princess party! You bring the enthusiasm, and we can provide the tips, and together we can plan the party your princess has always imagined!

Before you can dive into planning a fantastic kids party, you’ll want to pick a theme. Although a princess party may seem pretty self-explanatory, there are still decisions to be made! Will this be a fancy dress party? Or maybe centred around your daughter’s favourite princess? There are lots of options to choose from! Talk to your princess to find out which theme will work the best for her.

Your next step will be to set a date. Check your calendar and try to find a date that works for the birthday girl’s friends and family. If nothing conflicts with her actual birthday, you’ve got yourself a date! If not, try to pick a day as close to your daughter’s birthday as possible and make it an extended celebration.

Finding the Castle​

Now that you’ve got a theme and date, it’s time to find a perfect venue for your party. A budget friendly option for location is to transform your home into the princess castle. If you’re looking for a change of scenery, start the search for a local venue that is large enough to accommodate all of your guests and free of commitments on your party date. Keep in mind your potential decorations when choosing your location to make sure set up will be as easy as possible.

The Royal Announcement

With the major details in place, you’re ready to announce the royal event by sending out invitations. These will get your guests excited about your theme even before the party begins! If crafting isn’t your thing, order custom invitations. Whatever your method, be sure to include the basic event info, including the date, time, and location. If you’ve decided on a fancy dress and would like the guests to arrive in their princess gowns, add this information to the invitation. Give it the royal touch by using language such as, “Princess Sofia invites you to attend her 6th birthday party” or “Join us in celebrating a royal affair…the birthday of Princess Sarah.” Send the invitations well in advance (around 3-4 weeks) to give your fellow parents time to RSVP between helping with homework and driving to soccer practice.

Decorating the Castle​

Now for the real fun, decorating your princess castle! Make a list of supplies you’ll need and start shopping early to make sure you’re able to find everything you need. From balloons and streamers to piñatas and tiaras, the decorations ​make the party. Talk to the birthday girl or take her shopping with you to find the perfect decor for your ideal princess atmosphere!

Entertaining Royalty​

Treat your guests like royalty with princess-themed activities! To really wow your guests, have your daughter’s favourite Princess attend the party. Set up a craft table or the princesses to make their very own tiaras. If your guests didn’t arrive in their own princess attire, having a dress up area with gowns and accessories is a great addition to the party! For the full princess transformation, have a royal makeover station complete with faux jewellery, makeup and, of course, glitter! To take the makeover to the next level, book a Makeup Artist or Face Painter to run the station. A favourite babysitter is another great option and budget friendly!

If your location allows, bring in the big guns with a castle bouncy house, princess carriage rides, or pony rides. You could also look for a local farm that hosts pony parties with carriages, as this will generally be a cheaper alternative. Whatever the activities, priceless memories will no doubt be made. Be sure to capture them with lots of pictures! If you’d rather not be on photo duty, book a photographer so that you can kick back and enjoy the fantastic party you’ve put together!

Party Bags

Send your guests home with princess-themed treat bags to remind them of your amazing party! Fill them with everything a princess could need, from tiaras and wands to a makeup or jewellery sets. Bring the birthday girl in on the party bag fun and have her pick out all the treats she’d love to receive at a party.

Animal Party ideas

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Have you ever wanted to pet a kangaroo, or get up close and personal to a monkey? One of the most fun birthday party themes is animals! We all love them, and whether your child is into snake or bunnies, you can add some live animal fun to create a party they’ll never forget!

1. Exotic Animal Petting Zoo

If you’re looking to spice up your party with something a little more exciting, try looking for Exotic Animal children’s parties! You and your guests could be face-to-face with a Sloth, kangaroo, or a giant rabbit before you know it. Learn about the animals in a way that a zoo could never do! To round out the jungle vibe, decorate the tables with bright green vines and bamboo and serve colourful fruit skewers.

2. Reptile Entertainment

Some of us get a little squeamish at the thought of reptiles, but you may have a child who loves snakes and lizards. They’re the next best thing to dinosaurs, so why not bring a live Reptile Show to their birthday? Trained professionals will give an educational demonstration on all kinds of reptiles like snakes, iguanas, turtles, insects, and sometimes even alligators or crocodiles!

3. Farm Animal Petting Zoo

Maybe fluffy bunnies, goats, and baby calves are more your child’s thing? Try a traditional Petting Zoo! Bring the farm to your backyard and let the children spend the day cuddling baby farm animals. Keep the refreshments simple with lemonade and a barbecue. Decorate with table cloths and red or white plates and cups, and buntings and you’ve got yourself an adorable animal farm themed party.

4. Pony Party

If you have a little cowboy or cowgirl on your hands, a Pony Party could be the perfect fit! Some pony parties are mobile and can bring them right to your home (of course that is if you have a huge back garden.) Let the little ones go on slow-paced rides with gentle, friendly ponies and it’ll be a party they’ll never forget. Hand out cowboy hats or handkerchiefs as souvenirs, and have a hot dog and marshmallow campfire!!