Archive for Birthday Parties
Summer Fruit – Healthy Snack
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When you think summer fruits imagine rich red strawberries, enticing blueberries, plump melons, juicy peaches and sweet pineapple.
These fresh fruits are just one of the many benefits that the arrival of the summer months bring. Did I mention they make great party snacks?
Summer fruit is a healthy treat which can also translate to fun and colourful food for children especially as there are so many delicious ways to serve it up. It is amazing how even the simplest of things can make a dish appealing to kids.
Add an icypole stick into your watermelon pieces and children will be more than happy to nibble their way through a mountain of watermelon. You can even use a cookie cutter to cut the watermelon into decorative shapes.
Or how about piling small scoops of melon in a simple icecream cone? Fruit skewers also allow for a wide variety of fruit to be used depending on the freshness and availability and are always popular at any meal or event.
Kids love icypoles or popsicles so how about trying your hand at making your own? Grab a couple of peaches, a large handful of strawberries, a dash or two of honey, mix with some milk (approximately half a cup) and blend. Freeze and simply serve. And smoothies are definitely a winner in the sunshine months as an alternative to a traditional milkshake.
However by far the most creative thing I have seen done with watermelon are these Watermelon Slice Cupcakes. Both kids and adults will love these watermelon cakes topped with yoghurt and a melon cherry. I doubt anyone will be complaining about how healthy this dish is as they are eating it.
Long live the summer!!
Sparkling Ring Cookies – For Stars!
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When organising a kids’ birthday party, you’re probably always on the lookout for special treats to make the birthday star feel like one. Well, we’ve found one that is sure to satisfy any princess.
These Sparkling Ring Cookies could be just the thing to inject some glitz and glamour into any party. They’re pretty, colourful and sparkly, made to resemble a giant jewelled ring.
They’re very simple to make (using basic cookie dough) and you could even involve your birthday princess in the process. She could then put her own decorating stamp on each one, using different coloured jubes, cashous and even edible glitter.
All you need is a quantity of basic cookie dough with some coloured sprinkles kneaded into it. Take small sections of the dough, roll them into long logs and then shape them in figure 8s with one cirle smaller than the other. Place a jube in the centre of the smaller circle, decorate the whole creation with cachous, more sprinkes, glitter and bake.
These would be fantastic as a replacement for lolly bags, although you’d need to check with the other parents about any allergies. The best bit is that you can make them ahead of time, as they can be stored for up to 5 days in an air tight container.
You could even adapt these as Christmas treats; simply make them into single small circles and serve as a treat to the kids! Or use them as special homemade gifts for friends and family. Or even as edible Christmas decorations.
Happy baking!
Parties For Toddlers
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When planning parties for toddlers then there is one main thing you need to take into account – simplicity. Generally the toddler age range encompasses the first birthday or any other special celebration event prior to the second birthday and for this age group, the simpler the better. They are just learning to walk, may still be a bit unsteady on their legs and have a very small attention span.
These are all things that need to be taken into account when planning the party. Toddlers, although no longer babies, can be overwhelmed by a large number of guests. Keep the guest count low for starters and plan the party around your child’s nap – usually a morning party works well before the midday or afternoon meltdown occurs.
By all means plan a tempting feast but know that the simplest touches like tablecloths and cutlery can become a hazard in little hands. It is also best to avoid balloons at the event as toddlers will not appreciate a popping balloon going off in their hands.
Children of course love presents, however at this age, it is best to open the gifts after the event to avoid further anxiety from the birthday toddler and their toddler friends.
When planning the event – outside is best to avoid destruction and breakage occurring within the house. A backyard or nearby park is great – anywhere that allows the toddlers to run around and play.
Weather depending, you can plan activities for the party although again aim for simple unstructured fun. Fun in a paddling pool or sandpit is a great way for kids to experiment or how about an age appropriate jumping castle? Children of all ages love bubbles and music – toddlers being no exception.
In reality, birthday celebrations for toddlers are more for the parents than the child, but you can still make sure that they enjoy the event as it occurs – even if they don’t remember it afterwards.
Amazing Cakes
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You may be in a slight panic due to the fact that your child’s birthday is coming up and you want to at least attempt to put a home-made cake on the table. Great cakes or even amazing cakes do not have to be difficult.
Take a leaf from Martha Stewart’s book and get inspired. Somehow she manages to make cake making effortless. For girls try this hopscotch inspired polka dot number filled with orange marmalade. Boys will love this rocket ship cake covered in delicious buttercream icing. And for those mums that hate to bake – how about this non-bake rice cereal confection cake. It looks traditional enough for a birthday celebration and no doubt tastes great.
But we don’t have to look abroad to source fun and innovative cake making ideas. Australia’s very own Woman’s Weekly is constantly coming up with amazing and tantalising cakes to appeal to all age ranges which have all been triple tested for your own benefit.
These flower themed cupcakes are perfect for a spring birthday party or for movie night, kids will love this popcorn centred baked treat.
Cakes can also be created at special times of year such as Halloween. This is the perfect time of year to create a spooky raspberry ice cream cake or even spider covered cupcakes.
Whether your child is into pirates, Dorothy the Dinosaur, loves skateboarding or just hanging out at the beach – you are bound to find something that will suit their style and your cooking skills.
If you are unsure about a recipe, it is worth doing a trial bake prior to the big day. This may mean more cost to you initially (for double the ingredients) however ultimately it will mean less stress on the big day.
Bedtime Stories For Sleepover Parties
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Probably the one thought that makes every parent shudder when it comes to planning a sleepover party is getting a houseful of kids to actually go to sleep. After an afternoon and evening of games, food and laughter you don’t want to be lying in bed awake at 3am listening to giggles and whispers.
It is a good idea is to try and settle the kids down with a bedtime story or two. This will make them sit (or lie) still and be quiet and hopefully get them ready for going to sleep.
So what do you read to them when it is bedtime?
Well there are a few things to consider.
• What is the age of the children? Make sure you choose age-appropriate books or they will quickly grow bored and loose interest.
• Select stories suitable for either boys or girls.
• If you have had a party “theme” perhaps continue the theme with the bedtime story.
Here are some possible story suggestions which will entertain them.
• Stories by Enid Blyton have captivated kids for years and continue to do so.
• Harry and the Dinosaurs First Sleepover will be popular with younger boys.
• Classic Treasury of Best Loved Bedtime Stories or similar books like this are full of wonderful stories the kids (and adults) will love.
If you are really stuck visit The Children’s Book Council of Australia website for a list of winners in different age groups for “Book of the Year” award.
Pop into your local library or bookstore and have a browse around. You can also take along with you the birthday boy or girl to help them choose a book they think their friends will love and this can become a special memento of their sleepover party.
Let’s Go Hawaiian
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I love crepe paper and especially crepe streamers. They are so colourful and decorative, adding atmosphere to any party. They are really versatile, too. Here’s a way to use them that you might not have thought about. Let’s make a hula skirt. In fact, depending on the age of the children, they could make their own as a party activity.
You’ll need:
• Crepe paper streamers in lots of colours;
• Scissors;
• Staples or sticky tape (staples work best just make sure the ends are well closed); and
• Ribbon or tape.
Now to assemble the skirts.
1. The first thing to do is to cut long strips of crepe paper in all the different colours. They need to be long enough to reach from waist to knee.
2. Cut a length of tape or ribbon for each child. This is for the waistband so make sure it’s long enough to go around the waist with plenty left over to tie.
3. Now staple the strips to the tape until there is enough to make a good hula skirt.
4. Tie them on!
They look great, are light to wear and won’t damage the clothes underneath. Add a paper lei and some Hawaiian pizza and you have a party on your hands!
Party With The Spotty Napkin
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Football Party
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Like any themed birthday party, you can have a lot of fun planning a football party. Of course when considering the location, where better to have a football party than on or near a football field! This will make the party really memorable and authentic. Alternatively decorate your backyard with streamers and goal posts for a real match atmosphere.
Here are some more ideas for your football themed party.
Party Invitations
Design a “ticket” style invitation and ask the guests to dress up in their favourite football team colours or uniform.
Food
For a football party nothing beats a good old sausage sandwich! Alternatively, set up a takeaway food stand and have hotdogs, nachos, popcorn, pies with tomato sauce and hot chips. And don’t forget the drinks!
For the cake you could make a football field, adding little figurines and green coloured coconut for the grass. Other suggestions include a football shaped cake or a football jersey cake in your team colours.
Games
Organise a mini football match and get the kids running around with the ball. Have a cheering contest where you divide the party into 2 or 3 different groups and see who can cheer for the birthday boy or girl the loudest.
Face painting is a good option for younger kids and if you are feeling particularly creative, try making a football piñata.
Best of all, throwing a football party is a great way to get the dads involved. They might even feel the need to take over the whole party which means you can sit back and be a spectator!
Theming A Party With Colour
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A party with a theme is interesting and often easier to plan than a party with no set theme. One of the simplest and most effective themes to put together for any kind of party is one of colour. Whether you choose one favourite colour, a couple of complimentary contrasts or the colour of your favourite sporting team, once you know what direction you’re heading in, you can become very creative with the use of colour.
Choosing one colour (pink is a good example as this seems to be a popular colour with girls), can have its pros and cons. It might seem a simple option from the outset, but it can present you with some real challenges. For instance, do you choose one particular shade of pink for absolutely everything? Or will you include every single tint, shade and tone in the pink spectrum, so long as it’s pink? Do any of your pink colours clash? Creating a party venue that is a complete melting pot of pink colours may not exactly give your guests the pretty visual effect that you are after.
That’s where it can be good to break it up with a complimentary contrast. Perhaps you could try a combination of pink and white, pink and silver, or pink and yellow? You can still have most of your themed decorations and food in the colour of your first preference, but by adding a sprinkling of a second colour, it can break up the tones and help to accentuate the main colour.
Balloons, streamers, buntings, plates, napkins, candles, cutlery, cups and table settings can all be chosen according to your colour theme, and there are so many fun food and drink options that can be included in your colour plan. Soft drinks and cordials are available in a wide variety of colour, and it is easy to add a couple of drops of food colouring to each cup or glass before pouring drinks to give an instant colour change without affecting the flavour.
Food dyes are easy to add to any type of food – sweet or savoury – to achieve a feast that fits in with your colour theme. Plan your food colour changes carefully because if the food already has a strong colour, you need to be aware of what it will look like once the food dye has been added. For instance if you add a few drops of red food dye to something that is naturally yellow you are going to end up with an orange shade. It pays to practice a bit and select foods that have very little colour of their own if you want to dye them to match your theme. Also keep in mind that although green eggs and ham might seem like a fun idea, most people will hesitate to actually eat them. There are many natural food dyes available too if you prefer to provide a pink banquet for a little girl’s party, without giving all of your guests “the red cordial effect”.
As always, the success of the party comes down to the preparation done before the actual event. It is important to start planning a few weeks in advance to make sure you can get all of your coloured decorations, ingredients and party favours you need to fit your theme. That way you know that the day will run smoothly and you will find that you can relax a little and just enjoy the day.
