Tag: play

Skylanders party

Posted on by
Step onto the Portal of Power and save Skylands from the evil Kaos with a Skylanders themed children’s party!
With Skylanders multitude of characters and plotlines, your party will include something that every single one of your guests can enjoy. Your son or daughter will love transporting themselves into their favourite video game when you accessorise their party with Skylanders themed decorations, food, tableware, and activities. Get ready to choose your elemental category and become a brand new playable character when you have your Skylanders party!
Skylanders Party Planning & Invitations
In order to throw the best children’s party possible, you need to plan appropriately! One of the most important planning decisions to make is where your children’s party venue will be. Your home, your garden, or an arcade would all be great places to host your Skylanders themed party. No matter where you choose, we offer a wide variety of Skylanders dinnerware, decorations, and other accessories for your convenience!
Some items that may go well at your party are:
Your Playstation, Xbox, or Wii along with your Skylanders figurines so that your guests can play their favourite video game during the party
Skylanders plush characters
Skylanders masks
Printed badges of the eight elements so that your party guests can wear their favourite
Skylanders costumes so that your guests can dress up as their favourite character
Invitations definitely don’t have to be boring! Make sure your friends and family know how great your party is going to be by sending them some awesome invitations. Invitations are also a great way to show off your creative side; if you’re feeling crafty, make some of your own Spyro the Dragon invitations using the following steps:
Cut out pieces of paper in the shape of Spyros head
Fold the pieces of paper in half to make a card-style invitation
Colour it purple and orange to match Spyros classic look, or decorate it in whatever way you would like
Include a fun poem to invite your friends to the party:
Skylanders need help It’s time to defeat Kaos At Gina’s Party! Just because you’re not creative doesn’t mean you can’t have fun invitations! If you’re looking to write your own message to your guests, you can buy our Elements Force Personalised Invitations. For easy yet still stylish pre-made invitations, take a look at our Skylanders Invitations and Thank You Set. No matter what your preference is, you’ll be sure to find or make the perfect invitations for you and your party!
Decorate your home with Skylanders signature figurines.
Bring the Skylanders to you! Create your own vines using brown string and brow, golden, and green tissue paper that you can cut into leaves. These can be hung anywhere around your party venue.
Bake your kids favourite type of cake and put Skylanders figurines on top.
For the undead among you, create some Skylanders Undead Bone Pretzels! Simple poke a piece of popcorn on each end of a skinny pretzel stick and dip in melted white chocolate until set.
For a healthy snack, buy some watermelon–after all, it heals and rejuvenates the Skylanders, so it’s the perfect way to give your party guests a boost of energy!
Sheep are included in every Skylanders game, so make sure you include them at your party with these Skylanders Sheep Cupcakes! Frost cupcakes with white frosting and cover with mini marshmallow use a chocolate donut hole for the head and give it eye with frosting.
Skylanders Party Favours
Your guests took time out of their day for you to come to your party. Make sure you let them know how much you appreciate that by giving them each a Skylanders goody bag at the conclusion of your party! We offer a variety of items, both Skylanders themed and not, that would go great in your goody bags! If you’re looking for a Skylanders themed goody bag.
Skylanders favour cups
Skylanders stickers
Skylanders 3D erasers
With all of these options, you can mix and match until you create your perfect and unique goody bag for you guests. The possibilities for your Skylander favours are endless!

Minecraft parties

Posted on by

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

.

  • 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

Posted on by

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.

Stick Man adventures

Posted on by

If you and your little nature lovers are on the lookout for the perfect family walk, these Stick Man trails from the Forestry Commission are the perfect mixture of entertaining and educational. Be sure to download their children’s activity pack to take with you on your travels here too!

Grizedale Forest, Cumbria

Set in the picturesque heart of the Lake District, Grizdale Forest offers lots of fun for every little (and big!) nature lover. As well as walking and cycling trails, you’ll also get to admire the wildlife, amazing sculptures and take in the glorious woodland surroundings and sunshine.

Hamsterley Forest, Bishop Auckland, Durham

Hamsterley, which offers over 20,000 hectares of wonderful woodland, has lots to offer for outdoor lovers! It’s one of the Super 6 mountain biking locations and also includes a lovely adventure play park. New for 2016 are the new Viking themed play areas, including the Ghost Ship, Dragon Swing, Thor’s Workshop and Odin’s keep!

Kielder Forest and Water Park, Northumberland

This breathtaking forest which, at 250 acres, is the UK’s largest forest! As well as the Stick Man Trail, you can also take on the largest mountain bike trail, see some fab art and architecture and more. For rumbling tums, head to the Kielder Castle cafe which offers hot meals, snacks and yummy cake.

Dalby Forest, Scarborough

Dalby Forest, situated on the southern slopes of the North York Moors National Park, offers stunning views and lots to do! Take to the tree tops with Go Ape or have a go on their Segway tours. For those after a relaxing slice of culture, head over to The Lumberjills for some outdoor theatre entertainment for kids!

Guisborough Forest, Yorkshire

With an orienteering course, trim trail, sculpture trail, play area and more, Guisborough Forest is the perfect family day out! There’s also fun ranger led children’s activities and downloadable activity packs for you take with you on your visit! A perfect family day out.

Salcey Forest, Northamptonshire

There’s lots to see and do at Salcey Forest! Try horse riding, cycling and release your inner ninja on their tree Ninja activity, including a ropes course, 6 zip lines and Shock Drop. Be sure to keep an eye out for some of the fab events taking place over the summer!

Haughmond Hill, Shropshire

Offering stunning views of the River Severn and Shrewsbury, and all the way to the South Shropshire and Welsh hills beyond, Haughmond Hill is the perfect place to relax and unwind. Bring along a family picnic, or head over to the on site cafe!

Shops they’ll love

Posted on by

If you’ve got little elves and angels in tow whilst hitting the shops, then why not take them for a peek around a shop they will LOVE?! Here’s a roundup of some of some fun, family favourites!

Lego Store, London

Come along to the largest Lego store in the world, which stocks many amazing fun and educational ranges for little builders to get stuck into. You can also marvel at their Lego creations, which includes Big Ben and a replica of William Shakespeare!

Hamley’s, London

Hamleys, which is the oldest and largest store store in the world with over seven magical floors, naturally offers a toy to please even the fussiest of kids! You’ll find every toy imaginable, from soft toys, children’s arts and crafts and even mini cars!

The Harry Potter Shop at Platform 9 3/4

Visiting this shop is a must for your little witches and wizards who love Harry Potter! Come and try some Bertie Botts Beans, find your perfect wand and browse amongst so many more themed items.

The Disney Store, Manchester

This shop is a must for all Disney lovers (little and big alike!) looking to find their favourite character amongst an array of soft toys, stationery and so much more!

Sylvanian Families Shop, London

For little lovers of Sylvanian Families (or just cute animal lovers alike!) this lovely shop is a must. Kickstart your collection, add to it or have a browse at their latest ranges!

Science Museum Shop, London

Little budding archaeologists will love exploring what the Science Museum Shop has to offer to fulfil their curious minds! There’s also exhibition related gifts, so if you’ve seen a collection that catches your eye don’t forget to take home a souvenir!

Build-a-Bear Workshop

This cute shop, which has various locations all across the UK, is perfect for those looking for a unique take on having their own teddy bear. Choose your bear (or character from a much loved film!), add personalised touches such as recorded messages and clothing, then watch as your very own bear comes to life!

Harrods, London

Come along to marvel at Harrods stunning decor and vast array of ranges on every floor, which includes an amazing toy floor with every gadget, soft toy and more that you could imagine! Make sure to stop by their Disney themed cafe on the fourth floor too

Budget school holiday ideas

Posted on by

Knowing how to keep children amused through the school holidays can sometimes be daunting for parents, especially when things cost so much. Family Lives have come up with some top tips to help take some of the stress out of it, and keep everyone happy without needing to spend a fortune.

Going out and about

During the school holidays, there may be lots going on in your local area that your family can enjoy, often for free. Check the websites of your local council and tourist information centres for local days out, or scan the local papers and community centres to see what’s going on in your area. Visit your local library and look for adverts of events. Many libraries hold events such as story time, and arts and crafts days. Libraries are also a great source of activity in themselves, with plenty of books and computers to keep children busy, plus they often have storytime for toddlers and

parents.

  • Check to see if your local council swimming pool offers free or reduced-fee entrance in the school holidays.

  • Museums and galleries often have new exhibitions and events running in the summer. Many art galleries put on special events for children and families – this could be just the thing to stimulate your child’s artistic streak.

  • Check out your local leisure centre – there are plenty of children’s sports and activities they can participate in.

  • Staying at home

Of course, on some days, you will find yourselves stuck at home, but that doesn’t mean anyone has to be bored. You could take the opportunity to spend some time sharing a favourite game or story with your children or, if you want some more inspiration, try some of these activities for kids.

  • Arrange a movie day – choose a couple of favourite films, get some popcorn and put your feet up with the kids.

  • Get cooking – pick a recipe with the kids, go shopping for ingredients and cook something together that you can enjoy eating afterwards. Depending on your child’s age and interest, this could be anything from a simple sponge cake to a mushroom stroganoff! Dig out the puzzles, games and books and give them a go. Some good old-fashioned entertainment can be really fun.

Have a look in your cupboards and play dress up with your old clothes. Sort through your clothes together and recycle the ones that you never wear and the stuff your little one’s grown out of.

Encourage the kids to put on a play or a magic show. They could even use the dress up clothes and props from around the house. If you have a camera, you can even film it, for great memories.

Build a den with the kids – if the weather is ok, you could even risk doing this outside! All you need is some boxes or sofa cushions, a few blankets, and a bit of imagination.

 

Create a scrapbook together using photos from your family album, or torn from magazines.

The great outdoors (and the garden!)

Sunny days are great for simple activities like picnics and ball games. This can be done as close to home as in the back garden!

 

  • Organise a treasure hunt around your home and garden with clues and treats for the children to find

  • Hold your own mini Olympics with games that require little equipment… a sack race with pillowcases, a tug of war with a dressing gown belt! Use your imagination.

  • If outside is dry, wrap up and go to the park or a nice walk somewhere quiet with the children with a flask of hot chocolate – sure to go down a treat!

  • If you have a tent, you could arrange a camping trip in your garden with the children for one night!

  • Kites are great if it is a windy day and they can be bought from bargain shops very cheaply

    Making your own fun

Be creative – make things together like greeting cards or use beads to make some jewellery.

  • Have an arts and craft day and get some canvas and paints, they can be bought in bargain shops for as little as a pound and use paints or crayons and the kids can hang up their creations in their rooms.

  • Make a list of your favourite childhood games – old favourites such as hopscotch, putting on a show or marbles won’t cost the earth and your children will enjoy you reminiscing!

  • In the evenings get the kids to design a game that you can make the next day – give them ideas to keep it simple such as a paper boat race in the paddling pool or homemade skittles using a tennis ball and empty toilet rolls.

  • Have you ever thought about Origami? All you need is paper and instructions which can be found online, will keeps kids amused and they will learn a new skill

Don’t try and fill every minute of every day. Encourage your children’s imagination and independence – let them play in their rooms or the garden.

Deerpark adventure

Posted on by

What is it? A four-day break in a log cabin on Cornwall’s south-west coast.

Where? A Deer Park in Cornwall but other Forest Holiday Cabin locations include the Forest of Dean; Keldy on the edge of the North Yorkshire Moors National Park; Cropton in North Yorkshire; Argyll on the shores of Loch Lomond and Strathyre close to Callander, both in Scotland.

Description: Take advantage of all that nature has to offer. Funnily enough, the kids won’t miss their computers, their Wii or cable telly one single bit.

Regular Ranger activities include ‘Forest Survival’, ‘Amazing Animals’, ’Woodland Discovery’ and ‘Rove with the Ranger’. Other children’s activities available were rock climbing, archery and canoeing.

At Deerpark, evening entertainment is a little different and consists of Ranger activities like ‘Duskwatch’ and ‘Night Vision’, which involve looking for bats, deer, moths and owls sometimes using nighttime vision equipment.

There’s no childcare onsite.

This is more of an activity holiday than a pampering opportunity. Even though it’s nowhere near as basic as staying in a tent, if you want a sauna, whirlpool and whole range of beauty treatments, you’d better look elsewhere.

Local activities: There are several pretty towns nearby which are worth a visit. The Eden Project is just down the road and there are plenty of other exciting possibilities such as a high zip wire ride, animal farms and a monkey sanctuary.

  • There is no mobile phone reception onsite.

  • Make the most of the Ranger activities and the bike hire. Kids will love these.

Getting There: From London to the site, in Liskeard, Cornwall,  takes about five hours and 15 minutes. Prices range from £12 per person per night, and there are late booking offers as well as advanced booking offers available in all sites.

Centre parcs

Posted on by

Having kids a little bit older means there’s a lot more to take advantage of in Center Parcs, from dirt buggies to falconry to steep water slides, the activities just go on and on…

To experience Center Parcs with slightly older children, to see what they think of the facilities now that they can participate in more family activities.

Center Parcs has brilliant childcare facilities, including kids’ clubs for younger kids and drop-off activities for slightly older ones. You can pay for a babysitter which costs: £15 for two hours.

Center Parcs is famous in that it offers something for everyone. For parents who want to get away from it all in particular, there is the Aqua Sana, where no kids are allowed  and offers a big range of “experiences” such as steam room, sauna, swimming pool and Turkish baths, as well as myriad treatments. Whether you want a facial, an aromatherapy massage or a mud bath, it’s all here.

Take a small backpack for every family member with you if you intend to ride bikes everywhere, otherwise you might find lugging around all your swimming kit etc. around extremely hard going.

Sherwood Forest is located north of Nottingham between the M1 and A1. Prices vary, depending on the type of accommodation and the time of year. You can pre-book a mid-week break, weekend break (Friday – Monday) or a week-long break.

The cheapest break is £239 for a family of four in a two-bedroom comfort lodge during the cheapest time of the year, but that does not include any activities, bicycle hire etc. It all adds up! Other Center Parc locations are in Whinfell Forest, Cumbria, Longleat Forest, Wiltshire, and Elveden Forest, Suffolk.

Brilliant LEGOLAND

Posted on by

The LEGOLAND Windsor Resort has formally invited the mini monarchs and their parents, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, to lend their royal seal of approval by staying at the premium castle-themed family hotel at their earliest convenience, once it opens its doors on 1 July 2017.

Situated right on the edge of the theme park next to the existing LEGOLAND Windsor Resort Hotel, the new Castle Hotel will have 61 magical rooms. Families can choose between two imaginatively themed room types – Knights and Wizards – and enjoy the leisure and entertainment facilities at the LEGOLAND Windsor Resort Hotel plus special benefits including early entry to the park, free refillable drink vessels, unique LEGO gifts and collectables.

Colourful LEGO touches and models large and small will feature throughout from the hotel’s astonishing lobby dominated by a giant LEGO Wizard unleashing LEGO magic from his wand, to the à la carte Tournament Tavern Restaurant, indoor Jester’s Play area and outdoor children’s Playground.

There are plenty of other websites offering great deals for LEGOLAND short breaks. Some offer 1 day free.  Your family will certainly enjoy LEGOLAND as there is something for everyone to enjoy…

Ballerina film

Posted on by

The Royal Academy of Dance have partnered with new film Ballerina, in cinemas on 19th December, and are celebrating the release of the enchanting new film by launching a nationwide series of Ballerina classes to inspire children to get involved in dance through acting, storytelling and characterisation.

Ballerina follows young orphan Felicie, who dreams of becoming a ballet dancer in Paris. With the help of her best friend Victor, Felicie must learn from her mistakes and fight like she never has before, but learns that nothing is impossible when it comes to achieving one’s dreams.

The Royal Academy of Dance’s Ballerina-inspired classes are available exclusively from RAD registered teachers and will explore the themes of friendship and never giving up on your dreams, as inspired by characters in the film. The classes also explore French culture through music and imagery and introduce young dancers to classical ballet repertoire. From acting out Felicie and Victor’s chores at the orphanage to imagining dancing on stage at the Paris Opera Ballet, children will be taken on a creative journey through movement and dance to realise Felicie’s dream of becoming a ballet dancer.

Children’s Storytelling is a wonderful way to inspire children about the world of dance. The Royal Academy of Dance are delighted to be partnering with Ballerina to take children on a dancing journey with Felicie and Victor in a series of nationwide classes.

The classes, which will run through January, will be available for children aged 4–7 and 8–13 across the country. Further details about upcoming Ballerina classes can be found here: Ballerina Classes

Watch the Ballerina trailer at Facebook Ballerina Film UK Trailer