Archive for General News
Gingerbread Houses Aren’t Just For Christmas
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I love gingerbread houses. They get me into an excited party mood as soon as I see them. They bring back memories of Hansel and Gretel. I always wondered what that witch’s house tasted like. This is as close as I will ever get to finding out.
Traditionally, gingerbread houses are made at Christmas but can you imagine what a great birthday cake they would make? Your children will love them.
Gingerbread houses look so difficult to make but if you use the silicone Gingerbread House Mould from The Chef’s Toolbox, it is actually quite easy to do. I recently made a Chocolate House using the same mould and it turned out really well.
I set mine on a small base but if you are going to create a chocolate or gingerbread house for a party, you could use a bigger base and create a delicious edible garden around it.
Just have a look at this Christmas version for inspiration. Everything in the garden is ready to be plucked and nibbled on.
You could theme your cake, too. Think Alice in Wonderland with a garden full of animal shaped lollies, or Mary Poppins with matching gingerbread/chocolate kites to eat.
Let your imagination run free like it did as a child.
Hansel and Gretel would haved LOVED a house like this.
Are Girls Toys Just for Girls?
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Did you know that it wasn’t until the 1940s that pink was the traditional colour for boys and blue for girls? In fact, The Ladies’ Home Journal in 1918 said, “The generally accepted rule is pink for the boy and blue for the girl. The reason is that pink, being a more decided and stronger colour, is more suitable for the boy, while blue, which is more delicate and dainty, is prettier for the girl.”
Still society driven gender lines are hard for some parents to shift away from. So why do so many parents jump in to say “No, Jack, those dolls are for girls!” and are these biases heard more from fathers than mothers, or is it the other way around?
There is no denying certain differences between boys and girls and it is true that most boys will lean towards playing with superheroes, trucks, cars and dinosaurs, while girls may naturally favour dolls, tea parties and mini kitchens. In fact I’ve seen many a four year old boy have a near seizure just from passing by the hot pink ‘Barbie’ aisle in the toy store.
But there are many benefits to encouraging children to play with toys that are ‘marketed’ towards the other gender. Dolls bring out the nurturing side of children and can be particularly helpful for little ones who are preparing for a new baby to join the family. Mini kitchen
and chef sets are becoming more popular with boys through the popularity of TV shows like MasterChef. This may be no surprise considering the three judges are men.
Equally girls who are encouraged to play with dinosaurs, building blocks and trucks are more likely to do better in subjects like science, maths and engineering which traditionally have been dominated by boys.
Play is serious business and vital for the development of children. Encouraging a mix of textures, experiences and opportunities in play will only increase their ability to empathise, communicate and flourish within their community.
“Children need the freedom and time to play. Play is not a luxury. Play is a necessity.” – Kay Redfield Jamison
Games for an Elephant Themed Birthday Party
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Inspired by our gorgeous range of Elephant themed birthday party paraphernalia, including cupcake toppers, your guests will love these elephant themed birthday party games!
(Please note these games are specifically designed so children under 5 can play but we are sure even the older kids will want to join in!)
The Trumpet Game
Have all the children sit in a circle and practice together making an elephant sound. Choose one child to stand in the middle of the circle with their eyes closed. While the child’s eyes are closed, you walk around the outside of the circle and pat one child on the head and that child then makes the elephant sound. The child in the middle can then open their eyes and guess which child made the sound.
(If the children are older than 4, you can have all the children make any animal noise and only one child make the elephant sound. The extra noise makes it more challenging!)
The Elephant Walk Game
Split the Group into two teams. Have each team line up single file. The first child has one arm forward like an ‘elephant’s trunk’ and puts his second arm under his leg like the ‘tail’. The child behind the leader grabs hold of the ‘tail’ with his ‘trunk’ and has his other hand under his legs as the ‘tail’. This continues down the end of the line. On the word “Go, elephant, go!” each team must race to the designated finish line. If at any time the elephant chain breaks they must return to the beginning and start again.
Elephant Scavenger Hunt
Once you’ve downloaded a couple of pages of this elephant sheet we’ve created, all you need to do is cut out the images of the elephants and then using blue tack or sticky tape, stick these around the party room or backyard. On the word “Go, elephant Go!” the children then race around to find the hidden pictures. The one who finds the most wins. Click on the link and when the picture appears just save it to your computer.
Elephant Race
This game sounds simple but is a lot of fun and more challenging than it sounds. The object is simple – roll a peanut across the ground to the finish line. The fun part is the peanut must be pushed with the nose! (Double check with parents first for peanut allergies and replace with an M&M)
How to prepare a pirate party for less than $100.
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Sweetcheeks Cookies and Cakes
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You and your child have come up with a suitable theme for the birthday party. You have purchased the decorations and written the guest list but what about the cake? For those based in Melbourne and Sydney, Sweetcheeks Cookies and Cakes can come to your aid.
Whether you have something particular in mind or wish to do an original design, the staff at Sweetcheeks are more then happy to assist. If you are hosting a pirate party then they can do a wicked pirate cake to match. Yo Gabba Gabba and Elmo fans need not worry because they are catered for,too. If you are looking for a more generic themed party, check out their amazing topsy turvy cake.
Cakes can be made to represent your child’s favourite sports team or television character. For those looking for a more simplistic option, an ‘aged’ birthday cake can be designed to suit your particular theme or colour scheme.
Standard cakes, however, are just one of the creative tasty baked goods on their site. They also do a range of mini cakes and a wonderful selection of cupcakes. For those hosting a “Wonderland” party, they offer a simple cupcake with the words “Eat Me” on them. Character cupcakes are also offered and examples include Hello Kitty, Elmo and Cookie Monster.
Speaking of cookies, they also offer a range of cookies suitable for the birthday table and my particular favourite is their range of cookie wands suitable for party favours. Cookies can be posted Australia wide and therefore you are not limited by your destination only your imagination.
Jelly Bean Books
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An invitation comes home with your son or daughter to attend a birthday party. The dilemma – what to buy for that child? Choosing a gift can be difficult particularly if you are not quite sure what they may own or indeed what they like. Books are one gift which not only entertain but also educate and as a parent myself, it is certainly a present that I like my children to receive.
Jelly Bean Books is an Australian based website which offers children’s books with a twist. Their range of books can be personalised for the child and mentions their name, age, friends and the location in which they live in the story itself.
Out of all the books I owned as a kid, the only ones I have kept and passed on to my children are my personalised books. My kids love to read the books featuring their mum. Even as I began to grow up, these books were still my favourites.
Jelly Bean Books features a wide range of stories for all ages including Mother Goose, Three Little Pigs, Ballerina Princess and Dinosaur Land. They also carry a range of licensed books including Batman, Barbie, Garfield and the characters from Sesame Street.
The standard sized books cost $21.50 including postage and their books are a very cost effective gift for a child. Children love being the centre of attention and this gift enables them to feel special well past the end of the birthday party.
Essentials for the Costume Box
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Kids (and adults!) love to dress up. This type of imaginary play is not only good for creativity and self expression, but it is heaps of fun. It will absorb your children for hours and keep them away from the TV on a rainy day. More importantly, it will come in handy whenever you have a themed party that your children need to attend.
What are the essential items you need in a costume or dress-up box? Well, to start with a really good, sturdy box to put all the items in. It could be a strong cardboard box, a clear plastic storage container or even a wooden chest. It needs to be easily accessible and quite resilient as hopefully it will be the dress-up box for years and years!
What you put inside will be an ongoing process, something you can add to whenever you come across something new:
- Regular adult clothes – raid your wardrobe for old shirts, skirts, scarves, shoes, hats, a fuzzy jumper, an old evening gown as well as bags, purses and wallets.
- Thrift or second hand stores – keep an eye out for really bright, outlandish clothes made of silky fabric, sequins, gloves, fake-fur, velvet, vests, and uniforms – anything eye-catching and interesting.
- Bargain shops – this is where you will get cheap jewellery, bangles, necklaces and other items such as a tiara, princess wand, pirate patch, angel wings, feather boa, wigs, and plastic glasses.
- Costumes – you can also get a ready-made costume such as a fireman outfit, knight’s costume, cowboy, fairy or doctor costume to round off the dress up box.
The thing to remember is – anything goes! Have fun adding to the box regularly and have your camera ready as you watch your children become completely absorbed in their own fantasies and imaginary world of make believe.
Fruit Slushies
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It doesn’t seem to matter what season it is, kids love slushies. Those slushies from corner stores look as though they are full of sugar and food colouring but they still sell quickly when the school kids walk past.
Slushies can be relatively healthy and make a great party drink in the warmer weather especially for pool parties and outdoor events. They stay cool for a long time (even if they lose their slushiness).
This recipe came from the Sunbeam site and it sounds delicious as well as healthy. Tuck this one into your party recipe book for summertime.
Fruit salad slushie – Serves: 2
Ingredients:
500g frozen fruit salad
200g tub 97% fat-free frozen passionfruit yoghurt
2 cups mango nectar
Method:
1. Place all ingredients in the jug of a blender. Blend until just smooth and combined. Serve.
The Pirate Party
Posted by: | CommentsThe Pirate Party is simple and fun to do and can suit both boys and girls. Since the “Pirates of the Caribbean” movies were released the demand for pirate goods has increased.
A good pirate party has touches of adventure and fun. We have a great range of pirate products to make setting up your adventure very easy. Here are just a few.
