| |
Lady Bugs
Party
Tips and ideas
for the perfect Lady Bugs Party
Party Tips
1. Mail invitations two weeks before
the party date.
2. Plan a
safe, comfortable place for the party where the
children can have fun, but will not hurt themselves
or your home. If planning an outdoor party be sure
to have a backup plan in case of bad weather.
3. Limit the
party time to two hours or less for children under
six years of age. Up to three hours is fine for
older children.
4. Prepare
more activities than you plan to use in advance.
Activities often take less time than planned and you
may want to keep the children busy.
5. Include
the birthday child in preparations as often as
possible. Let him or her stuff the party favor bags,
make suggestions for games, help with the
decorations, set the table, and mail the invitations
- even if that only means putting them in the
mailbox.
Fun Activities
Bug
Gear
As guests
arrive at your party, give each child their own bug
antennae. Toy stores and hobby shops are a good
place to buy them, or you can make your own. To make
antennae, you’ll need a headband, two black pipe
cleaners and two black pom poms, or styrofoam balls,
for each child. Paint them for added fun!
Spotted T-Shirts
Make these
before the party, or plan to have the kids decorate
their spotted t-shirts as soon as they arrive.
Provide a t-shirt for each guest or ask them to
bring their own (red shirts look best). Using black
fabric paint or pens, draw ladybug spots on the
shirts. Allow them to dry completely before wearing.
Birthday Bug Guess
Before the
party, fill a jar with "ladybugs" (red and black
jelly beans). Count the jelly beans as you put them
in the jar, and label the jar "Birthday Bugs." As
guests arrive, give them a chance to guess how many
bugs are in the jar. Write down each child's guess.
At the end of the party, the child whose guess is
closest to the actual number wins the jar of
ladybugs!
Bug
Hunt
This game is
best played outside if the weather permits. Hide
plastic bugs around the yard before the party.
Provide bags for the kids to collect their bugs in,
and set the kids loose on a bug hunt. Encourage the
kids to trade bugs after the hunt is over!
Ladybug Lodge
Purchase a
ladybug lodge and live ladybugs from a nursery. At
the party, provide magnifying glasses so the kids
can get a closer look. When it’s time to end the
party, put a few ladybugs in baby food jars (with
holes poked in the lids), one for each child. Add a
water-soaked raisin for the ladybugs’ nourishment
and encourage parents to let the bugs go the next
day.
Musical Spots
For this
activity, you will need music (party tunes or
children’s music) and a piece of black construction
paper for each child. Cut a large circle (12-15
inches in diameter) from each piece of paper so each
child has their own Ladybug spot. Lay all the
Ladybug spots in a circle on the floor and instruct
the children to stand on their spots.
When the
music begins, tell the kids to hop from spot to
spot. While the music is playing, remove one spot.
When the music stops, each child must land on a
spot. The child without a spot to stand on is out of
the game, and steps away from the circle. Continue
the game until there is only one spot left. The
child who lands on the last spot is the winner!
Spot
Relay
For this
game, use four Ladybug spots from the previous
activity. Divide the children into two teams, form
two lines, and give the first child in each line two
spots. When the game begins, the first child in each
line travels to the end of the room, (or around a
chair) and back. However, the children are only
allowed to hop from spot to spot without touching
the floor! To be successful, each child places one
spot on the ground, steps on it with both feet,
places the second spot down, and then hops onto it.
While standing on the second spot, he or she picks
up the first one and places it in front again. When
the first child on each team is finished, he or she
passes the spots to the next player. Continue the
game until everyone finishes. This game is sure to
keep everyone giggling!
Buggy
Bean Bag Toss
This is a
great activity for kids of all ages! Purchase or
make buggy bean bags suitable for tossing. Make a
target out of a bucket, Radio Flyer Wagon, or a
drawing with holes on a large cardboard box or a
piece of poster board. Place the target about 10 ft.
away, and give each child a chance to toss the bean
bags into the target. Award small gifts or candy to
those who toss three bean bags into the target.
Catch
the Ladybug’s Tail
While the
children stand in a single-file line, tell each
child to hold onto the waist of the person in front
of him or her. The first person in line is the head
of the ladybug, and the last person is the tail.
When the game begins, the head tries to catch the
tail. When the head successfully catches the tail,
he or she stays at the back of the line and become
the new tail. The second person in line becomes the
new head and the chase continues!
Stick
the Spot on the Ladybug
Draw a large
picture of a ladybug, and leave the spots outlined,
but not filled in. Attach the ladybug to a wall or
door at child height. Then, make a round spot for
each guest from construction paper and stick tape to
the back. Gently blindfold each party guest one at a
time, giving each child a chance to pin his or her
spot on the ladybug. The child who sticks his or her
spot closet to an outlined spot, wins!
Delectable Treats
Ladybug Plates
Serve your
guests from “ladybug plates.” Purchase red paper
plates and attach black pipe cleaners to make legs
and antennae. Draw spots with a black marker or use
edible spots by gluing round chocolate wafers,
Junior Mints® or miniature Oreos® to them.
Watermelon Salad
This
refreshing salad is a fun addition to any ladybug
party menu! Use a melon baller to scoop rounded
pieces of watermelon. When using seedless
watermelon, add raisins for a spotted effect. If you
wish, mix in a selection of your child’s favorite
fruit with the watermelon pieces to make a fruit
salad.
Spotted Punch
You’ll need
cream soda, red food coloring and a bag of chocolate
chips for this delightful drink. Put the chips in
the freezer a day ahead of time. Or make “spotted”
ice cubes by dropping 3-4 chips in each water cube
before freezing the tray. On the party day, place
several frozen chocolate chips (or 2-3 “spotted” ice
cubes) in the bottom of each child’s cup. Fill the
cups with cream soda tinted red with a few drops of
food coloring!
Open-Faced Sandwiches
These cute
sandwiches are easy and fun to make! First, use a
knife or large cookie cutter to shape slices of
bread into large circles or ovals. Spread a thin
layer of peanut butter on the bread and cover it
with a layer of strawberry, raspberry or other
red-colored jam or jelly. Add raisins to make
ladybug spots!
Ladybug Fruit Centerpiece
This healthy
snack can be quickly prepared beforehand, or used as
a fun activity during the party! Make one as a
centerpiece, or prepare one for each guest.
To begin,
spread a large leaf of lettuce on a plate. Set a
pear half (canned or fresh) in the center of the
plate to make the ladybug’s body. On either side of
the pear, place a canned apricot half to make wings.
Top the pear with Red Hots®, or pimento pieces to
make spots. Use strings of celery (or thin licorice
whips) to make antennae, and place cherries or
grapes on the ends. To make legs, add raisins or
chocolate pieces.
Ladybug Cake
To begin,
make your child’s favorite cake recipe. Grease and
flour a 2-quart ovenproof bowl; pour 4 cups of
batter in the bowl and bake for 1 hour, 15 minutes
at 350° degrees. Cool in bowl for 15 min. Then,
remove from bowl, and cool completely on a baking
rack.
Make 2 cups
plain white frosting or use ready-made icing. Tint ¾
of the icing red with food coloring and color the
remainder of it brown with cocoa or food coloring.
Measure a semicircle 2 ½ to 3 inches from the edge
of the cake to make the ladybug's face. Use a
writing tip to outline the arch with brown frosting;
frost the area outside the arch with red icing for
the ladybug's body. Use the writing tip again to
draw a thin brown line down the center of the
ladybug's back. Fill in the face with the remaining
brown frosting.
To decorate,
use small, round chocolate mints or cookies to make
the ladybug's spots. Bright candies work well for
the eyes. Use thin black licorice whips for
eyelashes, a mouth and antennae. Enjoy!
Decorating Tips
Spread your tablecover on your
party table. If your child has any theme-related
toys, you can add them to the table for a more
festive display.
Cut several one-to-two-foot-long
pieces of curling ribbon. Curl the ribbon by pulling
it between your thumb and the blade of your
scissors. Lay the resulting curls on your table for
added color. Hang balloons in bunches for the best
effect. If you choose to fill balloons with helium,
wait until the party day to ensure they float well!
Use balloons to mark the party spot; hang them on
the mailbox, near the front door, or tie them to the
birthday child's chair to mark the seat of honor.
Place balloons anywhere that strikes your fancy.
The more the better!
Gather six or eight streamers and attach them to
the ceiling in the center of the party room (or over
the table). Use a light fixture over the table, if
you have one, as the center point for the streamers.
To create colorful two-tone streamers, put two
differently colored streamers back-to-back, twist as
you walk them to the wall, and attach at shoulder
height.
Smile for the Camera!
Be sure to take lots of pictures.
You and your child will want to remember this
special party. A helpful hint: Order extra prints
and send them to the parents afterward. Remember,
it's not necessary to have everyone in each picture.
Focus on small groups and avoid posing all the
photos. Candids capture the laughter best!
©
2002 Birthday Express |
