Showing posts with label Activities. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Activities. Show all posts

Monday, April 6, 2015

Frozen Birthday Party Activities

Like every little girl, my daughter wanted to have a Frozen birthday party!  Yeah!!  I'm actually a huge fan of the movie and know practically all the lyrics to all the songs.  That's right, it's me rocking out to the Frozen soundtrack and belting out "Let It Go" in the minivan next to you at the stoplight.

Having a Frozen party is easy now that you can finally find stuff in the stores, although it is ridiculously priced and you can never find everything you need at one store or even at the same time.  I slowly purchased items over the month leading up to her party.  Some plates from Kroger, napkins and cups from Target, decorative wall stickers on Zulily and the rest at Walmart.  Buying supplies is easy when you find them.  However, it's the games your daughter requests that can get tricky.

I allowed my daughter to choose just seven of her closest 5-6 year old girlfriends to our home for her Frozen Birthday...yeah, I know, what was I thinking!?!  Luckily a few of the moms are my friends and they stuck around to help.  But, how do you entertain kindergarten girls for TWO HOURS?  Well, my daughter asked for activity stations, like her older brothers had at their Skylander Party and Pokemon Party.  I love that kind of thing!!  So, I said, "As you wish my baby girl" and away to my laptop I went!!

Activity 1 - Coloring Pages. As we waited for all the girls to arrive, I spread out some Frozen coloring pages I printed out that morning along with our bucket of crayons, on our dining room table.  Our dining room was the center of the party of course, fully decked out in Frozen decorations, including three foot tall Anna and Elsa wall stickers from Zulily.


Activity 2 - Do You Want to Build a Snowman?  Once all the girls arrived, I gave each of them a paper plate with 3 large marshmallows, 2 mini-marshmallows, a dollop of marshmallow fluff with 1 small flat toothpick, 2 small pretzel sticks and 1 small piece of an orange slice gummy candy.  After they assembled their snowman, I went around and drew on his eyes and mouth with black icing and a toothpick.  Then, if they wanted to, the girls were given the time to eat their snowmen.  They had a blast doing this!  I used the image below as the sign for the activity station.


Activity 3 - Olaf Lost His Head!  I lucked out with my daughter's birthday being around Easter because I was able to find Olaf shaped Easter eggs at Walmart.  I bought all the ones they had!  Yep, I was that mom.  Sorry!  I used these little heads for a Frozen version of an Easter Egg Hunt in our living room.  There is a scene where Olaf loses his head and he's chasing it.  I thought that would be a great image to use for a station sign and the heading read, "Help Olaf Find His Head!".  The girls loved it!!  They took turns hiding them and finding them.  However, it got to the point when all the girls wanted to hide them and no one wanted to seek them.  So, we moved on to the next activity.


Activity 4 - Princess Fashion Show.  I don't know about you but, I have gotten smart after the third kid.  The day after Halloween, I hit store and buy all the princess costumes I can in a size up because my daughter, like most girls her age, loves to dress up.  My daughter also gets some amazing hand-me-downs from cousins.  So, having seven extra girls over to play dress up, wasn't a concern.  They had a wonderful time trying on dresses and putting on play jewelry.  They helped each other with their hair, adding all kinds of clips, bows and headbands, along with princess tiaras.  Then they took turns walking up and down our hallway to the Frozen soundtrack.  It was adorable!!


At the end of the party, I was completely exhausted but, my 6 year old daughter was as happy as a clam and I couldn't imagine anything better than that!!

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Pipe Cleaner Crowns

My little girl loves to have "Princess/Prince Parties" with her big brothers. Tonight she had the most wonderful idea: make crowns out of pipe cleaners! So we pulled out all our pipe cleaners and got creative. We even made bracelets and rings. It was fabulous!

Saturday, June 23, 2012

Pool Noodle Fun!

I saw an article in a recent Parents magazine about all the fun you can have by getting creative with pool noodles called, "Use Your Noodle: Pool Noodle Backyard Games".  I was a little worried about the cost, since I'd never bought a pool noodle before but, I found them at our local Dollar Tree for $1.00 and I figure I could do the activities listed in the magazine for $12-15.00.  I am sold!!!  The next time I'm out and about, I'm buying a bunch of pool noodles, pulling out my husband's duct tape and using chopsticks from our recent trip to our favorite Chinese restaurant.  Then we are going to make it a family activity by working together to create our own obstacle course/backyard games.  My kids can't wait!!!






Friday, June 15, 2012

Painting with Shaving Cream

A few weeks back I found a picture online of a muffin tin filled with different colored shaving cream.  I thought "What a great idea!" and I immediately wanted to try it.  However, I thought it would be much more fun for my kids to do in the shower. 


Although a muffin tin would be great for a dry activity, it wasn't my first choice to use in the shower.  So, I used a divided rectangle Ziploc container I had for my husband's lunches.  We can keep it in the shower and not worry about rusting and it's easy for the kids to hold.  Having the separate compartments makes it easier to keep the colors separate but it isn't necessary.  The shower walls and clear shower curtain were a perfect blank canvas for the kids. They had a blast!


This is what you need:
  • Shaving Cream
  • Food Coloring
  • Paint Brushes
  • Container for "paints"
I used my husband's shaving cream which is only about $1.  The food coloring I already had but, it's only a couple of dollars a box of four in the grocery store.  The paint brushes I picked up in a 3-pack for only $1.  You can use anything laying around the house to keep you "paint" in: old yogurt bin, plastic bowl/plate, etc. 


If your shower is tiled, be careful because the food coloring might stain it.  This activity would also be fun to do outside in the summer too.  I think I'll let my kids do this in our inflatable pool!  Be creative and have fun! 

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Mario Kart Wii Coloring Pages

Another activity to do at a Mario Kart Wii party, is coloring!  Here are a few links with free, printable Mario Kart Wii coloring pages:

Coloring Pages

Mario Kart Wii Party Games

Every birthday party needs games.  We will be making Yoshi Eggs for the Yoshi Egg Race that is suggested on this site.  I chose this game because it's something the kids can help me with in advance and it should be a lot of fun!

Yoshi Egg Race
  1. Hard boil eggs and let cool.
  2. Using food coloring, add green dots to the eggs with a cotton swab.  Allow to dry.  (You could also use a green permanent marker.)
  3. Give each child a spoon and an egg to carry in the spoon.
  4. Have all the kids line up and give them a finish line to race to.
  5. The children must carry the Yoshi Eggs on the their spoon to the finish line.  If they drop their egg they must go back to the starting line and begin again.
  6. The winner gets a reward.  I plan to use gold chocolate coins or Hershey kisses.
Another game I plan for us to play is Mario Kart Wii Bingo.  I couldn't find anything online for this so, I made my own bingo cards. 

Mario Kart Wii Bingo
  1. Click here to download and print twelve Mario Kart Wii Bingo Cards.  (Print on card stock to make more durable.)
  2. Print out a Mario Kart Wii Bingo Call Sheet and cut out each picture.
  3. Play Bingo
    1. Give each party guest a bingo card and markers.  We're using Hershey kisses.
    2. Put the cut-out pictures into a bag and shake them up.
    3. Pull one picture out at a time and show it to the children.
    4. If the children have the picture on their card, they cover it with a bingo marker/Hershey kiss.
    5. When a child gets 4 in a row (vertical, horizontal or diagonal) they call out "MARIO"!
    6. The winners get a prize.  I like to use $1 coloring books, crayons, small party favor, etc.
To make your own personalized vof Bingo, visit DLTK Custom Bingo Cards.  They also have premade bingo cards with characters like Pokemon and Veggie Tales.  They also have bingo cards for holidays, baby showers and more.

Saturday, April 9, 2011

Easter Coloring Pages

For a quick Easter activity or for an Easter basket stuffer, click on the links below to print out your very own Easter Coloring pages.

Religious Easter Crafts

I found some great links for religious Easter activity ideas.  They are great for children's ministries, Easter parties or as crafts to do with your own children.  You can use some of these crafts as opportunities to teach your children about the Easter Story.
Click here for fun and thoughtful Easter coloring pages.

Friday, April 8, 2011

Phineas and Ferb Activities and Coloring Pages

Whether you are looking for activities to do during your child's Phineas and Ferb party or just looking for fun Phineas and Ferb crafts to do with them, here are some ideas for you:
 
Activities
Coloring Pages
Learn everything there is to know about Phineas Flynn and Ferb Fletcher at Phineas and Ferb - Big Ideas.

Phineas and Ferb Party Ideas

Inspirational Cake Made by Pros
For my oldest son's birthday this past fall, he had a Phineas and Ferb birthday party.  When we were preparing for his party there weren't many ideas and options for decorating and games related to the theme.  I got creative and made Phineas and Ferb Cupcake Toppers for his class and a homemade Phineas and Ferb Birthday Cake for his party at home. 

Now, I plan to throw a Phineas and Ferb beach party to kick off the summer with my kids this year, so I searched again.  I was pleased to find that since my last search there are a lot more ideas for Phineas and Ferb parties out there.  Here are some great resources to help you plan your next Phineas and Ferb party:  

Party Ideas
Cakes and Cake Toppers

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Free Printable Worksheets for Kids

Since we are pulling our kids out of school for our upcoming vacation, we wanted to make sure they don't fall behind.  I remembered to ask my 1st grader's teacher to send home the work he will be missing but, forgot to ask my preschooler's teachers to do the same.  So I decided to find worksheets for him online.  I checked my son's preschool calendar to see what they will be learning next week and began my search for free printable worksheets.  The preschool will be teaching the letter Z, insects and triangles during the week we are gone.  Here are the worksheets I found on these subjects:

Free Printable Worksheets:
For more free printable worksheets and activities for preschoolers and Elementary kids, visit these sites:

Monday, January 10, 2011

Winter Fun for Kids

With the winter weather in full force and snow storms closing schools, I have had a house full of board kids.  Sure they can play video games and watch TV but, why not do something fun and creative as a family.  I found a few websites with great craft ideas to do during these cold indoor days at home.

Kaboose.com
Crafts




FamilyFun.go.com

For more indoor fun, here are some fun indoor games and activities to play with the kids this winter.

Games and Activities


Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Christmas Snacks, Crafts and Printables

'Tis the season for indoor playdates, family gatherings and holiday parties.  With so many events coming up, I had to do some searching for some fun Christmas snacks and activities fast!  After looking all day, I have finally narrowed it down to a few sites I really like.  Below, you will find lots of ideas to get you and your family ready for the holiday party surge.  Happy Holidays and enjoy!

Snacks
Crafts
Printables

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Thanksgiving Crafts and Printables

Now that the weather is cooling off, we are spending more time inside.  And what better way to pass the time with the kids than crafts and games.  Here are some fun ways to spend time with your children and teach them about the meaning of Thanksgiving:

Parents.com
Crafts
Printables

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Halloween Crafts and Decorations

Family Fun - Jeepers Creepers Pumpkin
You can never have too many Halloween decorations - at least that's what my kids think.  But, this year it seems Halloween decorations are expensive as ever!  I was happy to find a nice selection at our local Dollar Tree but I didn't find everything the kids and I wanted.  So, I searched the internet to find decorations we can make at home.  Here are the websites I like best for Halloween crafts, decorations and snack ideas:

Links
Have fun creating a Halloween of your very own.  I hope you and your little ghosts and ghouls have a Happy Halloween!

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Pokemon Birthday Party Activities

Last year for my son's 6th birthday we threw a Pokemon party.  We had 7 kids over for Pokemon fun!  I found a few crafts online that followed our theme.  The kids had  a lot fun with it and so did the parents. 

Pokeball Craft
  1. Cut out several circles in card stock.
  2. Keep enough whole circles for each guest to have two (for the base of their Pokeballs).
  3. Cut the remaining circles in half so that each Pokeball base has one half circle. 
  4. Print coloring page images of Pokemon on card stock and cut them out.
  5. The kids pick a Pokemon and color it as well as their circles and half circles.
  6. An adult staples the semi-circles on top of the Pokemon ball (covering half of it) being sure to only staple the outer edge.  This will create a pocket for their Pokemon to sit in.
  7. The kids can then color a line down the middle of their Pokeballs with a circle in the middle to resemble a real Pokeball.  There is a similar craft online - Pokeball Pocket Craft.
  1. Click here to print Pokemon Bingo cards, call cards and Pokeball markers in black and white.  (Card stock works best for this project.)
  2. Color and cut them all out.  Be sure you use the same colors on the bingo cards as you do on the call cards or the kids might get confused.  
  3. Each child gets there own bingo card and a bunch of Pokeball markers.  
  4. Put the bingo call cards in a container (I used a sandwich bag), shake them up and pull one out at a time.  Be sure all the see it.  
  5. When a child gets three markers in a row (including the FREE Pokeball in the middle) they call out BINGO and win a prize.  I had $1 coloring books and books as prizes for the winners.  We were able to play 4 rounds!  They had a blast.
Pokemon Coloring Pages

Print several coloring pages of Pokemon and leave out a bucket of crayons for guests.  Prior to the party my son and I colored a few pages and hung them up in the "party room" as decorations.  After the party we hung the pictures that were colored for and during the party in my son's bedroom.  A year later, they are still there! 
(Find more Pokemon Activities on the DLTK's Pokemon website.)