Halloween dressup

Halloween is just around the corner and we're now scratching our heads on what costumes to make for the kids. I'm not sure baby H would appreciate us putting anything over his head - he was never a big fan of hats or caps - so that would rule out dressing him up as a pirate or cowboy (these were my initial ideas cos i could improvise with what we already have). Daddy wants to dress him up in a skeleton suit, but i'm not about to dish out good money on something he will only wear once. So if no bright idea comes to mind, I'll tie a cape on him and make him Superbaby :-)

Girls are much easier - little C can dress up as a fairy, a princess, or a little gypsy girl!

C's Princess Party

C's princess party was a blast. Although there were only 2 princesses among the many princes, everyone had fun. We started the party by having the kids colour their loot bags and design their very own crowns.

Then we had the kids scrambled about the garden to search for the king's missing jewels (we used glass marbles and scattered them among the garden pebbles, flower pots, etc). It was then lunch time. Everyone washed their hands and sat down for lunch. It was also rest time for the adults to catch up and mingle :-)

After lunch, it was games time again! We played 'Princess Walk' in which teams had to balance a bean bag on their head and walk the length of the garden without dropping the bean bag. The little ones were busy playing with home-made glitter playdough. The kids also made wands - we used the same wands for both boys and girls, and were initially worried that the boys may not want to participate. But kids have such great imagination. The boys happily made the wands and played 'wizards' with them.

 

Then it was cake cutting time. Poh-Poh made this really cool pink castle cake for C. After chomping down the cake, we gathered the kids around our hand-made castle pinata. The kids were so excited and we had to keep them from pulling the ribbons before everyone was in position. Upon the word 'Go!', it was raining candies, chocolates and lollies, and the kids were happily stuffing them into their goodie bags :-)

When it was time to say goodbye, C got rather upset that her friends were leaving, but we managed to distract her by getting her to open her presents. And we finally got to sit back and relax, and gave ourselves a pat on the back for yet another great party!

Birthday Story

I remember hearing this in a little girl's birthday party and found it really special. Later I found out this is actually something practised in Waldorf Inspired Schools and copied down a version of this 'Rainbow Bridge' story. You can include a personalised version of this story in your kid's birthday celebration. It truly makes him/her feel special.

This is how the story goes:

Once upon a time there was a little child named _____ who was still with the angels in heaven and he/she was very happy there. He looked at the beautiful colors and listened to the lovely music, and that was where he belonged. But one day the clouds parted in heaven and _____ saw the beautiful green earth below with all the people happily playing and working and he suddenly longed to go there and see what it was like. He saw all the rainbow colors of the earth, He saw butterflies visiting flowers and birds flying in the air. They seemed to be beckoning him. He saw fish swimming in the sea and all the different plants that covered the earth. He saw children climbing trees, running and jumping in the meadows and walking through sand and leaves. It was all so beautiful!

So he said to his angel, Please, may I go down to earth now? But his angel looked at him and said, No, it is too soon. You must wait a little while yet. So the child went and was happy and soon forgot about the earth. Then one day again he saw a glimpse of the earth through the clouds again. He saw mothers and fathers doing their work. He saw bakers and engineers and writers and farmers. He saw mothers and fathers loving their children. Then he saw a beautiful mother with love and longing in her heart for a child and he asked his angel now, May I go to her?

The angel said, You must go through the land of dreams first.

The next night the little child had a dream. He dreamed that he met a man and a woman and they stretched out their arms to him and asked him to come be their child. The child told his angel the dream. The angel said, It is now time for you to go.

So the child asked, So may I go now?
You shall see. Said the angel.

That night the child went to sleep into dreamland and while ten moons waxed and waned he rocked in a little boat. And at the end of that time a beautiful rainbow bridge stretched from heaven to earth and on it came the child as a tiny baby and slid into his mother and father's waiting arms. His parents loved him the moment they saw him and they called him _____. And it was a cool, clear, morning when he was born and the sun smiled down its greeting warm and glowing upon him. And everything about him was beautiful.

[Light a candle]

And then _____ was one. He was a shining golden child with long blond hair and bright blue eyes. He rode snug in Mommy’s starry sling. And he ran around the yard shouting “Dig! Dig!” and eating strawberry tops. And he loved to sail high into the sky on his swing hung from the big tree in the back yard.

[Light a candle]

And then _____ was two. And he moved to Massachusetts and played in the creek and rang the chimes in the lilac. He helped plant all the flowers.

[Light a candle]

And then _____ was three. He narrated everything he was doing. He could walk all the way to the big rock and back. He could even climb it too! He sat up high on the pile of suitcases on the train to Pennsylvania and made all of the other passengers laugh.

[Light a candle]

At the end of the story, let the birthday child blow out the candle(s).

Count down to C's Princess Party

Little C is turning 4, and unlike previous years when we just had a few kids over to play in our yard, this time round she asked for a Princess Party. Somehow we kind of expected that. Every little girl dreams to be a princess, no wonder Princess Party has always remained in the top ten favourite theme parties for kids.


We have 3 weeks to the party day. Good thing is C's now old enough to help out, in fact she's so excited she insisted to check on the princess party supplies just to make sure we're not just saying we have them all ready already. Bad news is we're trying to find more little girls to make up her party guest list. So how do you throw a princess party with more than half your guests being boys? We are still thinking about this...

Fun Partners wanted!

Hey all you moms out there. We are now opening up our portal www.partyinabox.com.my to genuine home based businesses or entrepre-moms. If you'd like to turn your hobbies or talents into dollars and cents, do drop us an email. We can provide you with an online presence, free of charge! There is no catch, we can't do it all, and would like to work with like minded partners who share the same passion, that is to make kids happy by giving them a memorable birthday party :)

What are we looking for?

• Homemade cakes and cupcakes
• Homemade party food for catering
• Freelance entertainers, e.g. magicians, balloonists, etc
• Freelance photographers, videographers
• Handmade party accessories and gifts

Please note that we may not be able to accommodate every request, and will need to qualify all potential 'vendors' in order to protect our customers.

Fun Pirate Project 4: Shiny Cutlass & Hook

This is the last project from our Fun Pirate Project Series. I'll get Aunty LE to try them out with the kids in her kindy, I'm suggesting she do a Pirate Week, that will be fun!

Ok, for the final project, we will make a cutlass and hook. This will be the highlight as I'm sure your kids (the little boys especially) will go nuts over these new toys!

What you need:

• Cardboard
• Glue
• Kitchen aluminium foil
• Brown paper
• Shiny stickers

To make a cutlass:

1. Using the template, trace the cutlass on a piece of large cardboard. You need to draw and cut out two cutlass shapes


2. Spread glue on one side of each 'blade', and press onto a piece of kitchen foil. The blades need to face each other, and be careful not to stick the handles onto the foil


3. Cut foil around the blades, leaving about 1/2" border. Then make slits around the border and bend the foil over to wrap around the blades.


4. Spread glue around the edge of each blade and glue them both together


5. Line up the edge of the handle with the edge of a piece of brown paper. Draw around it, then turn it over and draw around it again. Then cut out the shapes


6. Glue the paper shapes onto the handle. Then decorate the handle with shiny stickers

To make a hook:

1. Using the template, trace the hook on a piece of large cardboard. You need to draw and cut out two hook shapes


2. Follow steps 2-6 above


3. Use a blunt pencil to draw watery swirls and leaf patterns on the blade

Fun Pirate Project 3: Money bag with silver coins

Treasure, treasure, treasure! Send you little pirates on a treasure hunt by hiding these DIY silver coins in your yard. They can then keep the coins they find in their little DIY money bag :-)

Silver coins

1. Lay a 50 sen coin on a piece of thin cardboard and trace around it. You need 2 circles to make one coin. Cut out the circles


2. Glue the circles onto a piece of aluminium foil on the non-shiny side. Cut around them, leaving a border, and fold the foil over the circles


3. Using a blunt pencil, draw a picture in the middle of each circle (on the foil side), then glue 2 circles together to form a coin

* In keeping with the pirate theme, draw pirate related pictures on your coins, e.g. treasure chest, skull and crossbones, pirate ship, cutlass and hook, etc.

Money bag

You can let the kids make their own money bags during the party. It's a good ice-breaker activity, also a good way to keep the kids busy while waiting for their friends to arrive.

1. Trace a large circle on a piece of felt and cut it out


2. Punch a series of holes around the circumference of the circle, approximately one inch in from the side


3. Thread a piece of elastic through the holes


4. Pull the elastic tight to gather in the bag. Then tie a strong knot in the elastic, being careful to ensure that the elastic is loose enough for your little one to get the coins in and out, but tight enough to make sure that the contents won't spill out. Then tie the elastic onto a belt or wrist and cut off any loose ends

Images courtesy of Kids Craft Weekly

Fun Pirate Project 2: Eye Patch

Your little pirates also need their eyepatch to complete the look!

What you need:

• Black colour felt or cardstock


• Black elastic thread

Instructions:

1. Draw a circle on the felt or cardstock big enough to cover one of your eyes, cut it out (you can use the template below)


2. Optional: Make a cut in the middle, from the bottom right up to the center. We are going to create a bulge by overlapping one edge over the other. You can use glue or double sided tape to fix it


3. Cut a piece of elastic thread that will go around your head


4. Make 2 small holes, one on each side of your eyepatch. String the thread through the holes and secure it with a dead knot


5. You may also decorate the eye patch by painting on a skull using white acrylic paint

Fun Pirate Projects

Ahoy Matey! Take a leap into the swashbuckling world of pirates as we show you simple pirate projects you can do at home with your little ones. Not only will you jazz up your pirate party, we guarantee you and the kids heaps of fun!

Project 1: Pirate hat
Project 2: Eye patch
Project 3: Money bags with silver coins
Project 4: Shiny cutlass and hook

We will start with making a pirate hat. No pirate party is complete without dressing up your little buccaneers. To look the part, wear a red & white striped t-shirt with your hat :-)

Project 1: Pirate Hat

1. Fold a large piece of black paper in half. Crease the fold well. Turn the paper so that the fold is at the top


2. Bend the paper over so that the short edges meet. Gently squeeze the middle to make a mark, then open it out again


3. Fold the top left hand corner down into the middle, then crease it flat. Then fold down the top right hand corner too


4. Fold up the top layer of the bottom of the hat. Then turn the hat over and fold the other layer in the same way


5. Cut a circle from white paper and draw a skull & crossed bones on it. The glue the circle onto the hat

How to make a pirate cake (video)

How to make a pirate cake

How to make a castle cake (video)

How to make a castle cake

How to make jungle animal cupcakes (video)

How to make jungle animal cupcakes

Make your own Lion Pinata

Having a pinata brightens up your party - not only does it add to the theme decoration, it is also a hit with children. We wanted a pinata for baby H's jungle party and decided to make one ourselves. It looks way harder than it really is but everyone can do it, even if you don't have crafty fingers.

What you need:

• Balloon
• Tapioca flour to make glue
• Newspaper or magazines
• Cardboard or used carton box
• Orange and brown crepe paper
• Double-sided tape
• Paint
• Ribbons

Instructions:
1. Making the lion head

• Dissolve little tapioca floor in water and stir the mixture over low heat to form a glue paste
• Inflate the balloon and prop it up using a container / bowl
• Tear newspaper or magazines into 1 - 1.5 inch strips
• Smear glue onto newspaper strips and paste them on the balloon. Cover the whole balloon except for a tiny opening at the bottom. Make sure you overlap the strips, and have enough layers to form a strong shell (2 layers at a time to allow ease of drying, 6-8 layers minimum)
• Once the paper mache lion head's complete, allow it to dry completely
• Use a piece of cardboard or old carton box to draw on a pair of ears for the lion (you can draw a circle and cut it in half). Cut them out and stick them on the lion head using double sided tape

2. Decorating the lion head

• Paint the lion head and ears orange
• Cut the orange crepe paper into squares, and stick them onto the lion head and ears, covering every part
• Next, cut the brown crepe paper into 1 inch wide strips. Fold each strips by looping them (like making a fan) and staple the ends together to hold the loops. Use double sided tape to stick them on the lion head to form its mane
• Finally, draw a set of eyes and mouth on the cardboard, cut them out and stick them onto the lion's face using double sided tape

3. Making the hanger and latch

• Prick a hole at the top of the lion head, string a piece of ribbon or yarn through the hole and knot it to form the hanger
• Using the cardboard, draw a circle (the same size as the opening at the bottom of your pinata), and four rectangles touching the side of the circle (top, bottom, left and right). This will form the latch for your pinata.
• Cut out the latch, paint it orange, and stick on the remaining orange crepe paper squares
• Make a hole in the middle of the latch, string the ribbons through the hole and make a knot to secure the ribbons
• To cover the pinata, fold the rectangles inwards and push the latch through the hole. You can use masking tape or cellophane tape to secure the latch if required

Fill your pinata with candies and little goodies and let the fun begin! We thought it would be rather nasty to have the kids bash up the lion, hence the pull string pinata. As most of the kids are rather young, we let them pull the pinata together. But you can always make it into a game. Some people make multiple holes on the latch for the ribbons. Most are loosely stringed except for 1-2, which are knotted. Each child gets a turn to pull a ribbon, the lucky child wins and shares the goodies with his friends :-)

Party Games for Toddlers

Toddlers are happy just to play alongside one another. Don't worry about them getting bored. In fact, they aren't quite ready for organised games, and you'll be surprised how much fun they can have just by running around with their little friends.

Play dough
We had a good mix of kids for baby han's birthday. Aunty Leanne made these candy coloured 'Rainbow Dough' for the little ones to play with. Play dough is a hit with kids of all ages and suits just about any party theme. We gave the kids animal shaped cookie cutters for baby han's jungle party. But you can use anything you have in the kitchen for the kids to use as 'tools'. If you are doing a princess or fairy party, add glitter to the play dough and the little girls will be thrilled!

Bubbles
All kids love bubbles. Provide plenty of these and your party will be a hit!

Water play
Water play is another hit with young children. Put out an inflatable pool with your kid's bath toys, water balloons and all kinds of bottles or containers (big and small) and allow the kids to play freely. Just remember that adult supervision is required when there is water play. Try to set the pool out on the grass so that the kids are less likely to slip and fall. And even if they do, the soft grass patch will cushion the fall. And don't forget to ask parents to bring an extra set of clothes for their kids.

Music & Movement
Gather the kids into a circle, play your child's favourite CD (preferably songs with actions), and lead them with actions and movements! Songs like 'Hokey Pokey' or 'We're going on a bear hunt' are perfect for kids. Hear them laugh and giggle as they move & groove to the music!

DIY Favour Bags

Plastic loot bags just aren't our cup of tea. For baby H's first birthday, we made these cute little favour bags out of brown luncheon bags (you can get them in most convenient stores). All you need are:

• A hole puncher



• Yarn, strings or ribbons



• Animal pictures (we cut them out from an animal gift wrap)



• Glue

Fold the top of the luncheon bag in and punch holes for the handles. Tie the handles on, and glue on the picture. Ta-da! You now have a cute little favour bag that not only matches the jungle theme but is also environmentally friendly :-)
This is what we gave out to our little guests - a little stuff jungle animal in our little DIY favour bag.

How to make Jungle Animal Cupcakes

I came across this recipe while looking for inspiration for baby H's jungle party. The cupcakes are just too cute for words.

Recipe:
Prepare Frostings

• In small bowl, mix 1/2 cup chocolate frosting with black food coloring to make black frosting. Place in resealable food-storage plastic freezer bag; cut small tip off 1 bottom corner of bag. You will use black frosting to decorate lions, tigers, monkeys and zebras.
• For Lion and Tiger Cupcakes: In medium bowl, mix 1 cup vanilla frosting with enough yellow and red food colors to make orange. In small bowl, mix 1 tablespoon orange frosting with 3 tablespoons white vanilla frosting to make lighter orange for muzzles.
• For Monkey Cupcakes: In small bowl, mix 1 tablespoon chocolate frosting and 2 tablespoons vanilla frosting to make light brown.

Decorating the Animal Cupcakes

• Frost 12 cupcakes with darker orange frosting. For muzzle, spread or pipe small circle of lighter orange frosting on each cupcake.
• Lion Cupcakes: Place caramel corn around edges of cupcakes for mane. For eyes, add brown candy-coated chocolates. For whiskers, break about 1/2-inch pieces off each end of pretzel sticks and insert in cupcakes. For ears, add cereal pieces. Using black frosting, pipe on mouth and nose.
• Tiger Cupcakes: Use black frosting to pipe on stripes , nose and mouth. For eyes, add brown baking bits. For ears, add gumdrop halves.
• Monkey Cupcakes: Frost 6 cupcakes with chocolate frosting. For muzzle, spread or pipe circle of light brown on each cupcake that starts in middle and extends to edge; pipe small tuft of hair on opposite edge. For each eye, attach brown baking bit to marshmallow half with frosting; place on cupcakes. With black frosting, pipe on nose and mouth. For the monkey's ears, add mints.
• Zebra Cupcakes: Cut small horizontal slit in top of 6 cupcakes near edge of paper cup. Insert edge of vanilla wafer cookie into each slit to create elongated face, adding small amount of vanilla frosting to cookie before inserting to help stick. Frost cupcakes with vanilla frosting. For muzzles, frost cookies with black frosting. With black frosting, pipe on stripes and mane. Add brown baking bits for nostrils and eyes. For the zebra's ears, add black gumdrop halves, cut sides down.

This was our attempt (or should I say Grandma's attempt)... hehe... and they turned out great! Not bad for a first timer eh?