Kids Halloween Party Games

Halloween is only days away and I am sure your kids are all getting very excited about the event. Although Halloween has not been very popular in South Africa, the interest is growing every year. Zimbo has put together a list of great Halloween games you can play with your kids this year. read more

Themed parties for children

Is your child asking for another birthday party at the local pizza place or skating arena?? Are you looking for an inexpensive alternative? It's easy to create a fun and unique celebration with a theme party! Here are some ideas and tips to host a successful themed birthday party for your child:

First, ask your child what his/her favorite characters, interests, etc.. are, once you have decided on a character or a theme that you would like to go with, start jotting down yours and your child's ideas. Don't forget to include ideas for: partyware...decorations...invitations....games/activities...party favors...food to serve... and the birthday cake.

You can either choose to go with already made character ensembles, or use solid partyware and make your own decorations, or a little of both.. depending on how creative you are feeling... Whatever you choose you can make your party simple or over the top.

There are so many themes to choose from... or you can even create your own, based on your child's favorite things. Here are a couple of favorites for girls and boys in the following age categories:

Tea party (ages 3-7) Decorate tables with pretty fabric tablecloths and china or plastic tea service...Gather teddybears and dolls and place in the seats in between other guests... provide hats, gloves, fancy clothes and jewelry for guests to play dress up...serve mini sandwiches, cookies, and decaffeinated tea...hand out faux jewelry, ring pop suckers, and a small teddy bear to each guest.

Train Party (ages 2-7) Decorate party area with large cardboard R/R signs...Obtain large appliance boxes and cut and decorate to resemble an engine, box car, and a caboose...this will serve as wonderful decorations, fun for the kids to pretend, as well as, a great photo op. Set up your child's train table (if available), and allow the kids to play to their heart's content. Make hobo bags for lunches: make sandwiches wrapped in wax paper, bag of chips, and an apple for each. Lay out a bandana. Place these items in the middle of the bandana. Pull all 4 corners up and tie. Tie this to a wood dowel rod for each guest. Hand out an engineer cap and train whistle to each guest.

First birthdays: Polka Dot Party....Sesame Street...Elmo...Bob the Builder...Party Pups...Rubber Duckie...Barnyard...Baby Einstein...Daisies....Classic Pooh....Strawberry Shortcake

General Birthdays: Beach party...WWF...Outer Space Party or Star Wars...Clown Party...Train Party or Thomas the Tank Engine...Horton Hears a Who...Magic Show...Wild West Party...Tea Party...Princess Party...Robots Party Zoo Party or Madagascar Party...Circus Party...Hot Wheels...The Incredibles...Mickey Mouse Party...Pirate Party...batman...Spongebob Party...Scooby Doo...Spiderman...Sharktales...Sports Party...Totally 80's...Unicorn Party...Construction Party or Surfs Up..

Clowning Around is a great place to find everything in one place. You can order a complete 'party in a box', or order ala carte.

Plan A Great Kids Treasure Hunt Party

Kids parties have become the latest craze, and coming up with unique and fun themes and activities for children's birthday parties and other events can be daunting. More and more parents are faced with the need to find new and creative ways to entertain throngs of classmates, neighborhood friends, and siblings of various ages.

One simple, low-cost, and very popular way to entertain children at any kind of celebration or gathering, indoors or out, is with a good old-fashioned treasure hunt. A treasure hunt is the one party game that truly promotes interaction, naturally evokes squeals of excitement, and leaves your party guests with lasting memories of their adventurous day at your child’s party.

What if your child doesn't want a pirate-themed party? No problem! Treasure hunts aren’t just for pirates. Tradition has dictated that pirates are the great treasure hunters, but the fact of the matter is treasure hunts are loved by boys, girls, and grown-ups alike, and make a great addition to any party theme. Treasure hunts can be simply adapted with a storyline and a variety of decorations to fit into any party theme. This is the one area of planning where your child might already have a very clear idea of what they would like, and it would be wise to involve them in this decision, as it makes the party their own.

To adapt a treasure hunt for a princess-themed party, for example, you might announce that someone has stolen the princess's jewels, and whoever finds them by following the clues will be rewarded with a share of the loot. You place a jewelry box overflowing with plastic beads, candy necklaces and rings, and other gem-like treats in the center of the party table, and have someone sneak the treasure away during the party before making the announcement. Other themes and decorations might revolve around the latest TV cartoon characters, superheroes, pop idols, a holiday, or your child might want to create their own theme.

That being said, be careful not to fall into the parent trap of spending a small fortune buying themed party goods. Consider purchasing just a few themed bright and colorful decorations and/or centerpieces, and then either complement them with less expensive coordinating party supplies and decorations, or make your own -- there are plenty of great fun ways to put you and your child's artistic talent to work to customize your party.

Some crafty ideas kids may love making or having at their party include authentic-looking weathered pirate treasure maps, princess crowns and jewelry, spyglasses made from paper towel rolls, pinatas (handmade or bought), cardboard hooks inserted into the bottom of styrofoam cups to wear on their hands like Captain Hook, paper or felt decorated pirate hats, and bejeweled and personalized loot bags, to name only a few.

Although it requires some time, creativity, and resources, you can make and stage your own treasure hunt game to play as a group or competitively in teams. Design and hide 10 clevel clues that lead players step-by-step from one clue to the next, hidden amongst common objects, to ultimately discover the hidden treasure, which might be sacks of “loot” consisting of candy such as chocolate coins wrapped in gold foil, or party favors, toys, and other items valuable to children.

Alternatively, if you're short on time, money, and party ideas like many busy parents and party planners, online sites such as Treasure-Adventure.com offer affordable complete treasure hunts with pre-made custom clues full of rhymes and riddles that kids love to solve, the design of which can be the most time-consuming and difficult part of preparing a treasure hunt.

Use creativity to build your party further around the hunt for a truly fantastic and memorable party that your child and his or her guests will talk about long after the party is over. Although the treasure hunt will likely be the main attraction since it is the most action-packed and engaging, don't necessarily limit other activities that might complement the hunt such as a cannonball toss using bean bags or water balloons, "Walk the Plank" using a shallow pool full of plastic alligators and snakes, pan for gold using gold spray-painted rock nuggets, dress in costumes, hold a peg-leg relay, make a castle or pirate ship out of an appliance box, play "Blackbeard says," etc. -- the sky is the limit!

Treasure hunts are also not just limited to children or birthday parties, but are perfect for family fun night, slumber parties, classroom parties, picnics, and other group events. Treasure hunts bring parties alive with hours of challenging and fun entertainment, with the thrill of the hunt along with the solving of puzzles often being the most enjoyable and memorable part of the day. And don't think you can't top your last party. By using a variety of themes, new treasure hunt clues and decorations, and a little creativity, you can throw many more successful and unique parties for years to come that never go out of style.

“If you're up to the challenge, spyglass and compass in hand, yer prize is in sight, so let the adventure begin!”