Showing posts sorted by relevance for query balloons. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query balloons. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query balloons. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query balloons. Sort by date Show all posts

Plan a Fun Party for Kids with a Balloon Car Theme for Boys or Girls

Struggling to find a unique theme for a boy's birthday party at home that is a fun party for kids? Why not have a Balloon Car theme. 

There are tons of things to do with Balloons. Here are a few for your next party planning checklist. Have the best party birthday party ever with these fun ideas for things to do with balloons.
Cute Birthday Party Balloon Clip Art Printable
Cute Birthday Party Balloon Clip Art.
Arvind Gupta makes toys from trash on his fabulous website offering many recycle crafts for kid, arvindguptatoys.com  He offers a great how to make a balloon car tutorial printable pdf.

how to make a balloon car tutorial printable directions for fun party for kids
Visit Arvind Gupta Toys for the tutorial.
Michael Floyd of BalloonHQ offers a balloon car tutorial for making a car out of balloons for a kid's birthday party. Not sure Id' have the patience for this one!

balloon car ballon party for boys birthday
Balloon Car from Michael Floyd 
 looks like Barbie might like to take a ride in this one.
My favorite site for balloon art has to be The Balloon Pastor he has balloon pictures of full-size car costumes for kids including a Tow Mater. You'll have to hop over to check them all out. Here's an example of his work, Lightning McQueen balloon car.

Finally, PBS Design Squad has some great balloon science projects which are fun for a kid's party or perfect for a homeschool project. Show your magic trick skills with this unpoppable balloon trick or 2-wheel balloon car tutorial.

ballon balloon trick science for kids party
Unpoppable Balloon Party Trick from PBS Design Squad.
How to make a 2 Wheel Balloon Car  from PBS Design Squad.

Recommended Reading:

Phineas Costume Mask

More Balloon Clip Art

These are a few of MY favorite things: cute pictures for Pinterest

My Favorite things include adorable baby bunny picture and Christmas tree in snow

Not necessarily in any order, (I've been suffering from writer's and crafter's block lately, so if I have to organize them it will turn into the post that wasn't). My favorite things include baby bunnies, a spider, and Christmas Trees. Enjoy!


Christmas tree in snow with colored lights for Pinterest.
Christmas tree in snow with colored lights.

1. Snow covered Christmas Lights on Evergreen Trees.LOVE how the light glows under the snow.




Cute puppy for Pinterest.
Can you smell the puppy breath?

2. Puppy Breath. 'Nuf said.




Book by Robert Kraus How Spider Saved Halloween.
Book by Robert Kraus, How Spider Saved Halloween.

3.  Halloween! Inspired by my favorite book ever. I LOVE the illustrations. I love the story about bullying. Kraus writes several books in the Spider series. Check my pages above for more info.




Santa painting for kids to make.
Jake's journey in art started here.

4.  Inspired Art. My son comes from a line of artists, but art isn't his thing. He is a straight A+ student- except for an A- in art. When my daughter and I paint and craft, he plays computer games. The other day, he sat down and painted this portrait of Santa!  


He used the entire page. It is truly amazing - "A Kid's Perspective of Santa". His Uncle designed the characters and worked on 'Call of Duty' Black Ops for Activision (among other things).  

If the Presidency thing falls thru, I think he might just have a back-up plan. I  LOVE that it isn't just a picture of Santa in the middle of the paper.



kitty paws for Pinterest.
Kitty paws.

5. Kitty Paws. Especially, touching my chin.



Hot Air Balloon photos.
Hot Air Balloons.

6. Hot Air Balloons. 
Here is a local Balloon Voyage anyone can experience.



Bunny ears, I adore this picture! :)

7. Toddlers. I think we are 3 and 5 here. Wow, 4 and 6 is so different. See that Balloon in the background? It's the Energizer Bunny which brings me to...




Easy no sew Joseph and Mary costumes from choir robes.
Cute Baby Bunny.

8. Bunnies. I just LOVE them. I miss my sweet fuzzy, cuddle bunny. Kids, cats, turtle, bird = no time for baby bunnies.  Maybe when the kids leave the nest. Wait, I'll be how old? 


Reminiscing is good too.


*This is one of my very first POSTS. If any of these images are yours, please let me know so I can give proper credit. 


Recommended Reading:


Birthday Party Game for Kids

Leo the Late Bloomer*

A Wish to Be A Christmas Tree*







ADS DISCLOSURE: We've partnered with some wonderful advertisers who may sponsor blog posts or send us samples to test. Some companies pay us to review their products.

*We also use affiliate links, if you make a purchase we get a tiny commission. Kids Creative Chaos participates in the Amazon LLC Associates Program*, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a mean for blogs to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon properties, including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com. We also offer Tapinfluence, Google Adsense, SoFab, and Izea ads here. Thanks so much for helping us keep the lights on! :)


Christmas Games for Parties: Have the Best Party Ever with these Christmas Party Games for Adults (Tips to adapt for children's parties too)

Are You Ready for the Best Christmas Party Ever? 

Here are some fun games for your holiday party for kids or adults: For many years, I was a party planner. The office Christmas party got me started, and then I became a catering and special events manager. I had to come up with creative, innovative ideas for icebreakers and party mixers. We also have some fun ideas for New Year's Eve with the kids. Scroll to the bottom for Cotton Ball games that you can swap out for Marshmallow games. Enjoy!

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience.*


Christmas Games for Parties: Have the Best Party Ever with these Christmas Party Games for Adults (Tips to adapt for children's parties too)
Shh... I paparazzied Santa during a summer picnic. 
He was wearing this discreet disguise.

This skill came in handy when I later began teaching summer camp and afterschool enrichment activities for kids. What's cute for little ones is silly for adults and embarrassing for teens. Want to have the best party ever? Pick a few games for parties from the list below.

Click the link to find ideas for the best slumber party ever.




Games for Christmas Parties:


  • Gift Wrapping Game

Divide groups into pairs. Each pair of people stand around a table in front of a piece of wrapping paper, a roll of tape, scissors, ribbon, and shirt gift boxes. Each pair of players stands with one arm around the other person. Say "Go!' and the players must race to wrap their box with one person using only their right hand and the other person using only their left hand. (Keep the other hand wrapped around the partner's waist.) The first pair to wrap their gift box wins!

  • Toothpick Tower Marshmallow Game
Supplies: Toothpicks, mini-marshmallows, and adult supervision or use uncooked spaghetti noodles to make an edible game for preschoolers.  

Who can build the tallest marshmallow tower? It may sound simple, but you have to be super fast and some what creative to win. Suggested for ages 10 and up. Game details and instructions 



  • Shaving Cream Santas
Supplies: Shaving Cream, plastic spoons, and paper towels.

Divide into pairs. Each pair decides who will play Santa. The Santa covers his face with shaving cream. The other player is Santa's barber. Jingle a bell to start! The teams race to "shave" their Santas. The winning team is the first to have a clean shaven Santa and sit their spoon onto the table. To signify they are done, Santa lets out a loud "Ho ho ho"! 


Tip: Make this an edible game for kids with Non-dairy whipped cream.



  • Balloon Stomping Game
Grab a bag of Dollar Store balloons and give one to each player with some curling ribbon. The players blow up their balloon and tie them to their ankles. Now blow a horn or ring a holiday bell to start the stomping! Each party guest has to stomp the other player's balloons. The more you stomp, the better your chances of winning the game. The last person to have a balloon wins! Use masking or painter's tape to mark a circle of play area on the floor.


  • Little Known Secrets Game
Before the party collect little known surprising facts about 5-10 employees or party-goers. Collect photos of them as a toddler. On a colorful poster board, tape photocopies of the baby pictures and write the secret fact underneath the photo as a caption. Label the images from 1-10 (or how many co-workers you chose). Hand out paper and pens as guests arrive. Point them to your board and tell them to number the paper from 1-10.  Can they guess who is who?Winner is the one who gets most correct wins. If several get all the answers correct, place their papers (with their names) in a Santa hat and draw for a winner!


  • What’s in your Stocking
Before the party, fill several stockings with two or three non-breakable items. Tie the stocking closed with a ribbon. Divide party-goers into teams. Have them spread out into different corners of the room to work. Now, each team must guess (by touch alone) what is in their stocking. The winning team wins the contents of all stockings! 

  • The Amazing Maze Game

This is a fun party idea for a  child's party. Choose a variety of Christmas curling ribbon colors in a single roll or ball. One for each player. Tie a prize or party favor to one end of each ribbon. Hide the end with the gift on it somewhere in the house. Now, unwind the ribbon and wrap it all over the room, all around furniture, over tables, under doors, anywhere it will be a fun challenge. Tie a candy cane to the other end of the ribbon. Repeat for each player, tangling the ribbons if necessary. When the guests arrive, give each one a candy cane and have them follow the ribbon to untangle it (wrapping it around their candy cane as they go). Let them know it leads to a surprise! Then, let the chaos begin!



  • Christmas Wrapping Pin the Bow
Wrap three large boxes. Line players up single file behind each box. Give each player a giant sticky bow, spin them around and jingle a bell to start. They must walk around the box and then pin the bow on top, return to the opposite end and sit down before the next team member goes. The first team sitting down wins.



  • Find Santa's Reindeer

  • Buy some cute Dollar Store holiday plushies Reindeer, Angels, Santas, etc. Hide them around the house. The reindeers must be found to drive Santa's sleigh. Attach a clue to each stuffie of where the next one can be found. When they find a reindeer, they line it up next to the Santa stuffie. There are 9 reindeer to be found. When all reindeer are placed next to Santa you announce the winner. The winner is the one who 
    found Rudolph and/or placed him in the lead position next to Santa. They win the stuffie of their choice!


    Cotton Ball Games for Parties Fun Adult or Kid's Activity




    Cotton Ball Games for Parties fun Adult or Kid's Activity
    We have lots of games with cotton balls 
    which are a great sensory activity for kids.


    • Shoveling Snow – Cotton Ball Game
    Supplies: Vaseline, bowl, cotton balls, stop watch, camera

    How to play game: Everyone sits in a circle on their knees or around a table. Place a dab of Vaseline on the tip of each player’s nose. Place a bowl in front of each player with a pile of cotton balls next to the bowl or scattered in front of them on the table. 


    The object of the game is to have them use their noses to pick up a cotton ball and then somehow get the cotton ball off their nose and into the bowl without using hands. Hands should always be clasped behind their back. After 1 minute, the player with the most cotton balls in their bowl wins! The prize can be a wrapped surprise gift or a stocking full of goodies.



    • Sticky Cotton  - Another Cotton Ball Game Fun for all Parties

    Supplies: Bag of cotton balls, two large bowls, a blindfold, and a large wooden spoon or ladle. 


    Blindfold your guests and place them in front of two bowls, one empty bowl and one with cotton balls. Give the players a wooden spoon. They must move as many cotton balls as they can from one bowl to the other using only 3 spoonfuls. Tally the number of cotton balls per player. Have them go to the end of the line when done. Everyone gets two chances! The person with the most cotton balls in both turns wins! 



    • Cotton Ball Relay Races

    Supplies: Bag of cotton balls, two large bowls, a blindfold and a wooden spoon (Note: these are the same for another game above, you could play both at the same time.)

    Divide the co-workers, family members, or kids into groups. Place a bowl of 10 cotton balls at a starting line (Use painter's tape on the floor) and the other bowl 15 to 20 feet away. To begin the cotton ball relay game, player number one takes the spoon, selects a cotton ball, and walks it down to the bowl on the other end dropping it in. When the player drops the cotton ball into the bowl, they must race back to the start. When they touch the bowl, the next player takes their turn, and so on. If the cotton ball falls off the spoon, the player must return and start over. No hands allowed! The first team to empty their start bowl and fill their finish bowl wins. 



    • Cotton Ball Spoon Race

    Supplies:  Bag of cotton balls, bowls, wooden spoons


    This is similar to the game above, but in this one there are no teams just individual players. 


    Set your start line, halfway point, and finish line with painter's tape of chalk. Divide the players and put them on opposite ends of the halfway point. Give each player a cotton ball and a spoon. Ring a bell to start the race. Players must place the cotton ball onto their spoon, and race to the halfway point and return to the start without losing their cotton ball. They cannot touch the cotton ball after initially placing it on the spoon. If it falls they must return to the start line and begin again. The winner is the one who returns to the start line first.



    • Snowman Building Contest 
    Supplies: White trash bags, recycled items, plastic grocery bags, duct tape, etc.

    Get white trash bags and have the teams/players stuff them with recycled plastic grocery bags or old paper (shredded office paper). Get a basket to fill with office or recycled items (you choose what you have on hand). Ask a trivia question about the holiday, your boss, your company, or team members. The team who answers correctly first gets to choose an item from your basket. These items will then be placed onto the trash bag snowman with duct tape. When all of your items are gone the team with the best snowman wins! 



    • Cotton Ball Straw Race
    Supplies: Cotton balls, drinking straws, space 

    Use a long dinner table or the floor for this fun, competitive, sensory game for kids or adults. Hint: Teens love it!


    1. Set a Start and Finish line (10 to 15 feet apart.) 


    2. Give each player a drinking straw and a cotton ball.


    3. Let them know they must move their cotton ball from the Start to the Finish using only their Straw. (Keep hands clasped behind back)


    4. Tip - Do not demonstrate how to play. They can use it like a hockey stick, folded as chopsticks, or as a straw blowing air toward the cotton ball.


    5. The first one across the finish line Wins. You can make a dot on each cotton ball with a marker so you know who is what color. This will eliminate any confusion as to who won.


    *This cotton ball game can also be played as a relay race. 



    • Cotton Ball Target Drop - Easy and fun game for toddlers.


    Supplies: Cotton balls, bowl or jar 

    This is an easy games for the little ones. Toddlers and preschooler will enjoy this party game just as much as teens or adults!


    1. Player stands on a step stool.


    2. Give each player five cotton balls.


    3. They are to hold the cotton ball to their nose and let it drop into the bowl below. 


    4. Each player gets five tries. Give a party favor for each cotton ball that makes it into the bowl. If playing with adults or teens, the team with the most balls in the bowl wins.



    • Cotton Ball Snowball Scoop Up Game

    Supplies: 1 or 2 bags of cotton balls, bowl, spoon, blindfold 

    This is a simple game. Players form a circle. Blindfold the first player and sit them in the middle of the circle to scoop up as many cotton balls as they can within thirty seconds. The middle of the circle is filled with snowballs (cotton balls). Hand the bowl and spoon to the player once they are seated. Jingle a bell to signify the start. The player with the most snowballs in the bowl wins. 
    Enjoy! 



    Recommended Reading:






    Look for more Christmas Party Games in our site. In the meantime, add some Christmas Stories to your kids' holiday party.














    ADS DISCLOSURE: We've partnered with some wonderful advertisers who may sponsor blog posts or send us samples to test. Some companies pay us to review their products.

    *We also use affiliate links, if you make a purchase we get a tiny commission. Kids Creative Chaos participates in the Amazon LLC Associates Program*, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a mean for blogs to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon properties, including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com. We also offer Tapinfluence, Google Adsense, SoFab, and Izea ads here. Thanks so much for helping us keep the lights on! :)



    Make a Chicken Puppet and Chicken Craft Ideas

    How to Make a Hen Puppet with a Paper Bag

    Looking for chicken craft ideas for a Minecraft birthday party? These chicken crafts do double duty. These paperbag puppets are also silly and fun for a The Little Red Hen puppet show. To make a chicken or rooster puppet, you'll need paper bags, balloons, crepe paper, and construction paper. It is easy when you follow these instructions: how to make a chicken puppet


    This post may contain affiliate links for your convenience.


    Make a Chicken Puppet and Chicken Craft Ideas




    Valentine's Day Party Ideas for Tweens Tutorial

    Tween Valentine Party Activities Tutorial

    Wondering what to do for a Tween Valentine Party? These Valentine's party ideas for tweens will keep kids busy afterschool. Invite their friends over for a fun filled Valentine's Day party with craftivities galore. Girls and boys alike will have fun making their own one of a kind snowflake hearts and Duct Tape Valentine Snack Treat Box to use while watching their favorite movie. Enjoy!

    Valentine's Day Party Ideas for Tweens Tutorial
    Heart Craftivities for a Valentine's Day Party for Tweens.


    Your tweens may not enjoy exchanging classroom valentines or making valentine's mailboxes for school, but they probably enjoy eating fun food and having a party. You can make this as a surprise valentine treat for kids or you can have them help make the Valentine crafts as an afterschool activity.

    Tween Valentine Party Activities Tutorial
    Tween Valentine Party Activities Tutorial.

    To decorate for our Valentine's Day party, we made a few heart crafts that are fun for kids of all ages.

    First, we made paper snowflake hearts. Want the full tutorial? Click the link:  How to Make Paper Snowflake Hearts.

    Once the snowflake hearts are cut out, glue them to a colorful background paper and cut them out. Use these lacy hearts as decorations hanging from the ceiling, placemats, or write fun sayings on them and hand them out as Valentine classroom exchange cards.


    How to Make Paper Snowflake Hearts
    Make paper snowflake hearts to decorate for a Valentine's Day party.

    Using colorful cardstock, make heart sculptures. Cut out two hearts and then cut halfway up the bottom of one, and half way up the top of the other. Slide the hearts together (upside down) to form a 3D base for balloons. Punch a whole in the top of them, and slip a ribbon through to attach a balloon bouquet. They make fun, whimsical table decorations too- no balloons required.


    3D heart sculpture table decorations.
    3D heart sculpture table decorations.

    Next, make heart garland to hang vertically in the window. These are a good scissor skill activity for younger kids. They also work fine motor skills. Fold paper in half, draw half a heart at the crease line of the paper. 

    After the heart is cut out, keep it folded and cut two- 1" slits 1-2" apart. Open the heart and weave ribbon or string through the slits.

    Using a glue stick (it works just fine) or hot glue gun, attach a pom pom to the end of the garland to give it a whimsical finishing touch.


    How to make heart garland for Valentine's Day party decoration.
    How to make heart garland for Valentine's Day party decorations.

    Surprise the kids with snack treat boxes made from recycled cereal boxes. Make these ahead of time or let the kids choose their own patterns and make their own. 

    At the Dollar Tree, we purchased duct tape in various colors. Not only does this decorate the box, it also makes the box sturdier giving it protection against spills or greasy food. 

    While shopping, we found little red cups that make perfect Valentine treat holders. Fill them with dip for veggies or yummy candy treats. Ours are filled with Valentine candy conversation hearts.


    Valentine snack treat boxes for movie time or after school snacks.
    Valentine snack treat boxes for movie time or after school snacks.

    Start with a cereal box. They are the perfect size for sitting on your lap. Cut out a large flap for the main course and then cut out two smaller wholes for the mini snack cup and a juice pack or drink holder. Trace the bottom of the cup and juice box to insure you cut out the perfect fit.


    Things to do with a recycled cereal box.
    Things to do with a recycled cereal box.

    Carefully wrap the box in designer duct tape. When going around round the cut-outs, score the tape (cut a slit in the tape before folding it over), this allows for a cleaner, more attractive edge.


    Snack box decorated with duct tape.
    Snack box decorated with duct tape.

    Once your box is covered in tape, attach a heart on the inside of the flap. Personalize it with your child's name or candy heart sayings like, 'Be Mine', 'Your the Bomb', 'Hers', or even 'Happy Valentine's Day'.


    Snack treat box for Valentine's day or movie time.
    Treat box for Valentine's day or movie time snack.

    Place colorful plastic wrap or tissue paper inside the food flap. Then, fold four flaps over on a paper plate to form a square, paper bowl. Fill your food section with popcorn or a mini heart shaped pizza. Click the link for the full pizza recipe tutorial.


     Mini heart shaped pizza for Valentine's Day.
    Mini heart shaped pizza for Valentine's Day.

    These cute Valentine glasses were a steal at the Dollar Tree. They have lots of fun designs. If your tweens are too grown up for juice boxes, make a special drink for Valentine's Day. Keep scrolling for our easy Valentine's Day drink recipe.


    Make a special tween drink for Valentine's Day.
    Make a special tween drink for Valentine's Day.

    Ever heard of a Shirley Temple? It is a non-alcholic fun, fizzy drink. To make a simple Shirley Temple, fill a glass with lemon-lime soda and then give it a splash of Grenadine. Grenadine is sweet, so a little goes a long way. For a fun version of the Shirley Temple, just add a bit of pink cotton candy. Don't forget to put a cherry on top!


    Add a layer of plastic wrap or tissue paper to protect the inside of the box.

    How fun was that? Kids will love getting invited to such a fun filled Valentine's party. Once everyone has their snack box, head over to the living room and watch a fun, Valentine's theme movie

    Peanuts is always a good choice. Charlie Brown never gets the Valentine he hopes for.


    Valentine treat box complete.
    Valentine treat box complete.

    Tween Valentine party ideas and activities.
    Tween Valentine party ideas and activities.

    These activities are so easy, if you don't have Valentine's Day plans, you can prep for this party in about 2 hours. So, go make your own fun! Hope you have a fabulous Valentine's Day!


    Recommended:

    Fill your treat box with Homemade Heart Shape Pretzels.

    Valentine's Day Movies for Kids*





    ADS DISCLOSURE: We've partnered with some wonderful advertisers who may sponsor blog posts or send us samples to test. Some companies pay us to review their products. *We also use affiliate links, if you make a purchase we get a tiny commission. Kids Creative Chaos participates in the Amazon LLC Associates Program*, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a mean for blogs to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon properties, including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com. We also offer Tapinfluence, Google Adsense, SoFab, and Izea ads here. Thanks so much for helping us keep the lights on! :)


    15 Slumber Party Games and Activities for Teen Girls: Best Sleepover Ever

    15 Fun for Teen Girls Activities: A Sleepover, Slumber Birthday Party

    A teenage girl sleepover party with fun games, activities, and swag bags is the best slumber party ever! Don't just read these titles and think, been there done that. We've added a little twist to each birthday party activity.


    This post contains affiliate links for your convenience.
    UPDATED for 2020 with BONUS BIRTHDAY ACTIVITIES.


    15 Slumber Party Games for Teen Girls: Best Sleepover Ever
    Slumber Party Sleepover Games and Activities for Teen Girls.



    1. Balloon Charades. Grabs some stationary and write down ideas for Charades. What are charades? How do you play charades? You know, when you act something out, pull on your ear for "sounds like", put two fingers in the air to signify two words, but you never speak. Yeah, that game. So, fold the paper up into skinny rectangles, slide it inside a balloon, blow it up, and use it as a party decoration. When you are ready to play charades give each guest a balloon. Have her pop it - sitting on it is the most fun, read it, and act it out for the other guests to guess. Super Fun!

    Yeah, you can do this with "Truth or Dare" too, but oh how I loathe Truth or Dare. Shouldn't it be called "Humiliation or Bullying?"




    Bonus Activity: Giant Cupcake Balloon for Party
    Want a cool photo op for your social media? Make this Balloon Cupcake with your friends and then use it as a backdrop for your photos! Click here: How to Make Giant Cupcake from Balloons!


    Giant Cupcake Balloon for Party



    2. Sleeping Bag Switch. For this game, each girl brings a sleeping bag or sleeping pad to the party. To start the game, the girls unroll their bags and lay them out on the floor. Then, one girl goes out of the room and the remaining girls pick someone else's bag to hide in. The girl then returns and tries to guess who is who or who is where. You can also have only two girls switch, and see if she can tell who switched. Fun times!
    3. Crazy Makeovers. Time to pull out the make up, and let the girls give each other makeovers. No peeking until it is done. The beautician can choose to make a crazy makeover or a beautiful, glamorous one. The girl getting the makeup has to guess which type of makeover she got before the big reveal. 



    4. Spin the Nail Polish Bottle. Each girl takes a turn picking out a color and spinning the bottle. This works best on a table. Who ever the bottle points to when it finishes spinning paints a nail with that color. Then, she chooses the next color to spin. When everyone has 10 nails painted, take a picture and share them with your friends on Instagram. Make sure you have lots of color choices!




    Nail polish for nail polish bottle spin game
    Choose a variety of colors for Nail Polish Spin the Bottle game.


    5. Make your Own Glitter Body Scrub. Find small jars that seal tightly, fine glitter, (white is nice) coconut oil, (a wonderful moisturizer for the scrub) scented extract, and sugar or coarse salt. Sugar is best. Salt is great for exfoliating, but bad if it gets in your eyes. Choose an extract: Peppermint, Almond (my favorite) Coconut, or Vanilla. Add a few drops of extract to the sugar and glitter to make a paste. Now you have your own moisturizer and exfoliator. When purchasing coconut oil you want this kind, extra virgin coconut oil.





    Coconut Oil for Glitter Scrub.
    Coconut Oil for Glitter Scrub.

    6. Dress Up Divas. Go to a thrift shop and find evening gowns or formal wear and fancy heels the girls can use to dress up. Place the gowns in a large bag. Before you let the girls see the gowns, have them make blindfolds that double as beauty masks. Once everyone is blindfolded, have them choose a dress by touch alone. After they model the dresses, they can trade and have a fashion show or make up a reality show. Don't forget a full-length mirror.





    Make a sleeping mask or blindfold.
    For a blindfold or sleeping mask tutorial visit Henry Happened blog.

    7. Pillowcase Decorating Activity. Purchase pillowcases to decorate. Grab fabric makers, tacky glue, and ribbon. You can also find fun, iron on transfers to embellish. If you plan in advance, you can decorate a large gift bag for each guest. Load it up with all that Birthday Party Swag! 



    8. Pillow Fight. A classic game. As part of the swag bag items, create mini-pillows. You can often find little pillows at the dollar store or use travel pillows. Decorate them as mentioned above. When it is time for bed, be a cool party host. Tell the girls to grab their mini-pillows. On your mark, set, pillow fight! Just watch out for the lamps! You're going to need a big full-body pillow for this pillow fight!

    Bonus Activity: Easy Colorful Cupcake Frosting
    Make this easy, colorful cupcake icing and decorate cakes or cookies with your friends! Share on Instagram or other social media with #cupcaketime Get the recipe here: Easy Cupcake Frosting.


    Easy frosting for Birthday Cake Cupcakes #cupcaketime



    9. Flip Flop Decorating Activity. Find out the Flip Flop shoe sizes of each guest before the party. Get some yarn, baubles, Sharpie Markers, and cloth scraps. Decorate to your heart's desire. Toss them in that swag bag to take home.



    10. Cup Stacking. When you are buying party supplies, get some extra cups for the party guests to stack. Take turns to see who can get the most cups stacked in a minute or who has the most creative tower. Even better, everyone can start at the same time. This makes it more nerve wracking and chaotic! Hey, don't knock my tower down!


    Minute to Win it Games for a Birthday Party.
    Minute to Win it Games for a Birthday Party.

    11. Minute to Win it Games. Imagine the possibilities! Just like cup stacking, come up with several activities that can be completed in one minute. Everyone grab one of those cups. Set it in the middle of a table, grab a Ping Pong ball, and with only one bounce allowed, bounce the ball into the cup. Hurry! The clock is ticking. Tick Tock. You can also use the a cup to fill a bucket with water (use a colorful sand pail). 



    Bonus Activity: Toothpaste Slime
    Trick your friends with this toothpaste slime. You'll need 1 C. Blue Hair Gel, 1/2 C. Cornstarch, Water, Super Fine White Glitter.

    Slowly add water to 1/3 C. Cornstarch by the spoonful, stir until all is mixed well and becomes pour-able. Then, slowly stir cornstarch mixture into the hair gel. When it all has a thick toothpaste consistency, sprinkle in the super fine glitter. Voila! You have fake toothpaste. See if you can trick your parents with it. Of course, this toothpaste slime isn’t edible!! 


    Did you know real toothpaste isn’t edible either? You should always spit it out after brushing. Don’t forget to brush your teeth with real toothpaste every morning (even at a slumber party!) 

    Parents,  if you’ve got one of those kids, who doesn’t like to go to the dentist, ABC Children’s Dentistry offers more valuable tips to help you and your child when it comes to oral hygiene. Dental hygiene is something that should be taught at an early age. Why not make it fun?  Here’s a neat sensory toothpaste activity for preschoolers by Still Playing School.




    fake toothpaste slime recipe for party activity


    12. Dance Off. Time for the girls to get their dance moves on and have fun. This is great to play after the Dress up Diva game. She who dances the longest wins. Ha! You thought it was a game of skill. Nope. It is a game of "get them tired so they don't put your panties in the freezer!"  Sweet Dreams. What's that? You're dreaming of popsicles?


    13. Board Games. Don't think "bored" games. These board games are fun because each girl makes her own game to play or collaborate on one super, cool game. Cereal boxes, paper plates, and the white side of the wrapping paper are great ways to make a board. Paper plates make game spinners. Old, recycled business cards make excellent playing cards or game cards. Stickers are fun too. Fold paper and cut it into a cube pattern to make your own dice. Still boring? Take those balloons and fill them with game topics. For example, "Make a game about Rock Stars" or "Make a Mall Shopping Card Game" or "Make a game of questions." Let your imaginations run wild. This can be especially fun for preteens and tweens.




    14. Classic Board Games. Find out who your moguls are when you pull out the Monopoly game or start up the giggles with Trouble. But that's boring, right? Pass around a basket of accessories. Think grandma glasses, nerd spectacles, giant clip-on earrings, men's ties, satin gloves, and cowboy hats. Now, play those games in character with silly accents.

    15. Slurpin' for Worms. Gummy Worm Game Grab a bag of gummi worms or gummi bears and a can of whipped cream. Place the worms on a paper plate and cover them with the cream. It should look like a fake pie, you know, the kind you get in the face? Yeah, you might want to wear a raincoat for this one, and Mom might want to lay down a painting drop cloth. Players must keep their hands behind their backs at all times. Dive in. This is a great game for "Minute to Win It" too. Who can slurp up the most worms? Who can eat the most?



    Recommended Reading:


    Outdoor Beach Theme Party

    Happy Birthday Mad Libs

    Group Games for Tweens and Teens

    Teen Camp Songs

    Balloons for Your Party

    Minecraft Birthday Party Activities

    Marshmallow Party Games and Activities