Birthday Invitation – Dinosaur Themed Party

October 30th, 2009

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Holding a birthday party for your child? Stuck for ideas on how to make it interesting and at the same time easy to organise? Want a fun, colourful theme that children will love? Well look no further. This article gives you information on how to organise a dinosaur themed party that is sure to be a great success.

Your dinosaur birthday invitation

Invitations are essential for communicating the key party information, for creating some anticipation and for establishing your party theme.

Unlock your and your child’s creativity and produce some really vibrant birthday invitations. You can download dinosaur images from the internet, cut them out and stick them on the birthday invitation. Why not make some foam dinosaurs out of craft sponge to accompany the birthday invitation? Or you could deliver the birthday invitation with some chocolate dinosaur eggs. Another great idea is to deliver the invitation in person in a balloon so that when the balloon gets popped the message inside is a wonderful surprise! You’ll need balloons with a wide neck so that you can fit the birthday invitation inside the balloon. Roll up the birthday invitation and ease it through the gap, then blow up the balloon and tie the neck. Then you are ready to deliver the birthday invitation.

Dress the house and the garden and yourself

Put lots of dinosaur pictures around the house and garden. Use lots of greens and browns to establish your key theme colours around the house. If you make the house look like a jungle you’ll be spot on. You could make a nest of eggs out of balloons with a weight inside to ensure they do not blow away, or you could buy plastic eggs.

Use your imagination when it comes to dressing up, but perhaps a word of caution if you decide to dress as a dinosaur. A six foot human in dinosaur fancy dress roaring out of the front door can be a little intimidating for some children and may result early tears, so this is perhaps best avoided.

Your birthday party activities

The key thing to point out here is that you should not attempt to reinvent the wheel when it comes to activities. The old favourites are so popular because they work. They are easy to set up and you should keep your party firmly anchored around these proven winners. By all means come up with your own ideas, but mix them in with the old favourites.

Plan for more activities than you will need – this will allow you some flexibility as you go along. Make sure you mix up the creative activities with the energetic ones, so that you can moderate energy levels. For example, after a relay race, you could try a painting activity.

Make a dinosaur cake, or ask your local cake shop to make one for you. You can get aluminum cake pans in a wide range of shapes and you should be able to find a dinosaur shaped pan or egg shaped pan by doing an internet search. Frost your dinosaur or egg cake with bright colours. Use your imagination to make the dinosaur interesting. For example, for a triceratops, you could make the bony back and tail plates out of orange slices.

‘Pin the Tail on the Diplodocus’ is a variation on ‘Pin the Tail on the Donkey‘. You can draw your diplodocus or get an image off the internet by searching Google for images.

‘Hunt for the Dinosaur Eggs’ is a variation on the basic treasure hunt game. Hide lots of chocolate dinosaur eggs around the garden and then have the children find them. You could also hide plastic dinosaurs to add variation. You can number the dinosaurs so that each is exchanged for a prize. You can give clues if you wish. Set the children to work in pairs, or as you wish.

‘Dinosaur Musical Chairs’ is another old favourite adapted to theme. Try to use music from a dinosaur film e.g. Jurassic Park.

You can then set up a calming activity, Paint a Dinosaur.

As your finale, just remember that you need to go out with a bang and leave your party goers with smiles on their faces when it comes to going home time. You could have Dinosaur Relay Race, followed by a prize draw (where everyone gets a prize). I have used this combination and it works well. Give each child a dinosaur balloon, and their dinosaur themed prize.

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Pirate Party Games for a Swashbuckling Kids Party by Dee Schrock

September 3rd, 2009
Click here to see the pirate party supplies in our online store ‘Its All About Kids’
Pirate party games are simply instant hits when it comes boys birthday parties. Among the classic party themes is the pirate theme, and if you are planning on making this the theme for your kid’s upcoming birthday, you can rest assured that you are one great step on the road towards making a wonderful time for your children. To make a swashbuckling fun party, however, you need to be prepared with pirate party ideas. Here are some of the best ideas for you.

Two-patch Captain Game

No pirate party theme is complete without an eye patch. In this game, you will need two eye patches that are to be placed on the player’s two eyes. Once the ‘blind captain’ finishes counting 1 to 10, the game begins. Essentially, the goal is for the blind captain to catch somebody. Once he catches somebody, the person caught is the next blind captain. To ensure that the game is extra fun, the game is best played by seven or more children. The ideal location for playing the game is also a smaller than usual room, which will make the game more difficult and consequently, more fun.

Pirate treasure hunt

Another of the great pirate party games that you can opt for is a pirate treasure hunt. A classic treasure hunt game is transformed to swashbuckling pirate fun in the pirate treasure hunt. Begin the game with pieces of parchment where the first clues to the game can be found. The treasures should have been hidden in advance, of course, and in each step that the little pirates perform and in each reward that they discover, another clue is given until they reach the ultimate pirate treasure hunt. To make the game much more fun, make sure that the children playing the game are all dressed in pirate attire and that they all use pirate language. The pirate birthday party supplies should also be in line with the theme.

Pirate ship chase

If your little pirate is a fan of speed as well as of water, another great pirate theme party game that can be played at the party is the pirate ship chase. The setting for this game is a swimming pool, or at least an inflatable pool set up in the backyard. Give each player a remote operated toy boat. At the count of five, all the players should be seated at the pool side, and once the game begins, the little ships will try to chase the gold ship. The gold ship is the toy boat that is controlled by the parents or another person who is not a player. The first pirate ship to chase the gold boat wins the game.

With a wide variety of pirate party games to choose from, one of the best themes to be chosen for a child’s birthday party is the pirate theme. Play one or all of these games and you can be sure that your children and their friends are in for some major fun. Just remember to get some nice drinks and snacks to accompany the games for the best pirate experience ever!

 

About the Author

For more pirate party games and pirate party theme ideas, visit http://www.fun-theme-party-ideas.com/pirate-theme-party.html for tons of popular theme party ideas, including decoration, costume, game, and party drink ideas, as well as printable invitations

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Steps To Organizing A First Birthday by Melissa Fishman

September 3rd, 2009

 It is hard to believe that a year has gone by. It seems as if it was only yesterday that you were bringing your baby home. But, you are now on a mission to give your little man or your sweet princess a very special first birthday party. At this age, children love things like color and noise. Remember that this birthday party is not one they will remember but one you will. With that here are some steps to consider.

• First pick the date, time and location. Determine about how many people (adults versus kids) will be there and an appropriate location for the party. At home is fine, outside is great. Larger venues work for lots of guests. Don’t pick nap time or right before as your baby is not going to be the star of the party for the right reasons here.

• Select invitations. Choose a theme that you enjoy too. Again, it’s more about what you like here.

• Send invitations out at least three weeks in advance, four if possible. Make sure to make a checklist so that you can count those that are coming and call on those that haven’t let you know.

• Décor! Here is where you can do a lot of fun things with color, themes and decorations. Balloons (Make sure no one chokes!) paper plates, tablecloths and banners work well.

• Games. If you will have other children there, include some fun games. If not, consider a collage of pictures to entertain your guests with.

• Foods should be easy to prepare, handle and eat. For just a few guests a full scale meal would be okay. Don’t forget the cake.

• Pictures. One of the best things to do now is to take lots of pictures during your party. Plan to do this so that you have ample opportunity to share and for scrapbooking.

To make your child’s first birthday memorable, consider hiring a professional planner to do the work for you!

 

Melissa Fishman Children’s Birthday Parties

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Birthday Party Ideas by Michael Malega

September 3rd, 2009

As we recall parties, how can we forget the funky birthday parties we enjoyed so much as kids! Kids really love play with their friends, eat their favorite foods and obtain presents at their birthday parties. Here are some tips and ideas that you could use for simple birthday party events given below, to make your child’s birthday wishes come true.

It is advisable that if you are preparing a birthday party, you would better of to make plans preparation in advance. Decide whether you want to keep the bash simple or do you want to devise a real exciting event. If you decide to throw a theme based birthday party, then decorations, food, entertainment, activities as well as party dress up code are just a few things that you need to keep in mind.

First, you have to decide what kind of theme of the party you will have. Here are some of the coolest birthday party ideas for themes are as follows:

* Pirate Party-Ahoy Matey! Prepare for a swashbuckling adventure on the high seas. Be warned, these pirate child birthday party ideas are sure to blow your guests out of the water! This is a great theme if you want to throw a poolside birthday party.

* Princess Party-You can arrange for a lovely mask ball for your little princess and use lovely colours like pink, lavender or soft peaches for decoration.

* Tinkerbell Party-Just behind this idea, sits a small little fairy , with her soft smile face, just ready and waiting to wave her wand and spread her charming fairy dust on your daughter’s next tinker bell birthday party!

* Superhero Party-“POW”, “KABLAM”, “BAM”! Call for all the little super heroes to help the birthday boy/girl keep our planet (and your backyard…) safe, with these highly exciting birthday party ideas.

* Safari Party-With these safari birthday party ideas, your guests are in for a ROARING time! So, get your pith helmet on, and be prepared for a crew of stampeding kids looking to have a wild time at your child’s safari party.

* Bratz Party-Girls RULE!! So join Cloe, Megan, Jade and Yasmin for a styling a birthday party idea. Your trendy little guests will go mad as they show their passion for fashion.

* Luau Party-These luau party ideas will help you create a beautiful tropical island retreat (in your backyard..) so, say “Aloha” and get ready to entertain a bunch of little hula dancers and hang-ten surfers.

* Circus Party-Ladies and gentlemen, kids of all ages, be prepared to witness the biggest show ever. There will clowns, stunts, and even animals along with many more activities in this exciting circus party.

* Spongebob Party-If a sponge bob birthday party is what you want , then plop like a fish…. Sponge bob, Patrick and Squid ward expect to help turn these birthday party ideas into Krabby Patty Bait!

* Dinosaur Party-These dino-mite dinosaur party ideas are precisely what you need to help you throw a prehistoric birthday celebration for life in your “childosaurus” and his/her “friendosauruses”.

Tips for a Perfect Party Giver:

* Try to allow more time for yourself, especially on significant occasions when you have to front the whole show. You will be more effective if you feel at your best, and more probable to delight yourself.* For example make an appointment at the hairdresser’s to have your hair cut or trimmed a week or so in advance. If it is a special party style than make an appointment on the day.* Decide in advance what you are going to wear with plenty of time in your hand and make sure it is dry cleansed or pressed if necessary and ready to put on.

* If you decide to plan for a facial, book it for a few days in advance or it can leave your skin looking blotchy on the day. Think having a restful massage the day before, when plans are virtually complete.* Always allow deal of time for your personal preparations, including that necessity soak in the bathroom or long, refreshing shower.* Plan to be dressed comfortable and at ease and sipping a cool, non-alcoholic drink Thirty minutes before you expect the first guests to arrive. You need to be well organised about getting the whole show up and running. And once the guests chill out, merrily they will entertain themselves.

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Baby Shower Planning Basics by Timothy Millar

September 3rd, 2009

Planning a baby shower is the loveliest gift that you can give to a mother-to-be. When planning the baby shower remember that its meant to be fun, so don’t get all stressed out about everything being perfect.

Planning

When you are planning to throw a baby shower, there are a lot of preparations that must go into the celebration. There are two main keys to planning the baby shower, making lists and delegating some of the work. Here are several mistakes common mistakes to avoid when planning your baby shower –

Not considering if you have too many guests – can the location, food or activites cater to so many people?
Keep a watchful eye on the budget its no fun looking the bill at the end of the day that will break the bank.
Avoid the temptation of trying to mix too many different themes together in many cases it doesn’t work.
Make sure that the food sufficent – nothing can be more embarrassing than running out of food mid-way.

Do remember that baby shower involves planning, invitations, decorations, themes, color schemes, and so much more.

Theme

Just make sure that when choosing a baby shower theme, once you pick something – stick with it. As mentioned, you should try to avoid the temptation of trying to mix too many different baby shower themes together. Unless you are confident in pulling it off, avoid at all cost – in many cases it doesn’t work.

Decorations

From the gifts, to the decorations to the food and drink, it is important that all the elements of the baby shower reflect the joy that the expectant mother is feeling. After all, it is the baby shower decorations that will set the right theme for the entire baby shower.

Baby shower decorations range from simple to extravagant depending on what you are looking for. When it comes to planning a successful baby shower, the importance of baby shower decorations simply cannot be overstated. Lots of balloons, streamers, banners and colorful decorations make the baby shower party area livelier. Whether the baby shower is held in someone’s home or rented hall, try to make sure that all the decorations are all baby related.

Location

Typically the person throwing the baby shower hosts the party at their house or at an alternate location such as a park or reception hall. Anything you plan to use to spruce up the location of the baby shower falls into this category. Use them outside the party location to direct people to the event.

What one should also take into consideration when inviting people, is whether or not the location of the baby shower can accommodate only a few or a large group of people.

Invitations

The baby shower invitations can be mailed 4-6 weeks before the actual date for out of town guests and they can be mailed 2-3 weeks before for local guests. There are many baby shower invitations available, you can go to specialized stores, order them online or use free baby shower templates that are available on the Internet.

Favors

The baby shower theme you choose will dictate the type of cake you purchase, the decorations, the games, the party favors and so on. And there are so many baby shower favors that choosing the most suitable one can be pretty confusing. But offering your guests baby shower prizes and favors that they can take home with them to thank them for their gifts and commemorate the special day is a gesture that is well worth the time spent in preparation.

Games

Baby shower games are generally inexpensive and just require a little planning. It’s important that you organize games that everyone can play. So it’s vital that the games also have to be designed so that the male guests do not remain spectators and observers during the entire celebration.

Foods

Finger foods are simple to prepare and can fit around any theme. For an early afternoon or early evening party, appetizers, salads and finger foods will suffice. The baby shower menu can be anything from a selection of finger foods and scrumptious desserts to a full course sit down meal. Of course, choosing foods and drinks that are free of alcohol, caffeine and other substances that could harm the baby is an important consideration. If you want to keep the food a bit simpler you can plan to serve a variety of appetizers, baby shower finger foods and desserts.

 
The Author is the owner of the Baby Shower Informative Guide.
Please visit the website for more information on Tips and Resources on Baby Shower Planning, Themes, Favors, Hosting, Gifts, Games etc. at the Baby Shower Informative Guide.
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5 Great Ideas for Safe Halloween Celebrations with Kids

August 25th, 2009

All kids love Halloween, but many parents don’t because of worries surrounding trick-or-treating.

You don’t want your children to be out on the street on their own; you’re not keen on the quality of the treats they bring home; and you may even be worried that someone could put something in a treat bag that would be unsafe. …but all your little munchkins want to do is get out there and have some fun! What can you do?

Well, there are a whole range of options available, and 5 of the easiest are right here for you:

1. Organise a trick or treat tour.

The TOUR element is the important bit. Choose a route with a number of pre-arranged stops, and agree with the householders at those stops what to give as treats and how much. It’s a good idea if you can do this with other parents in the area. Make sure that the kids know that there is a plan and they have to stick to it – or else forfeit their treats! Make sure that there is a chaperone available to accompany the kids on their rounds too.

2. Tell ghost stories around the fire.

If you don’t live in town or near other families with kids to help you with a tour, have some old-fashioned spooky fun at home. Have an open fire or gather a few candles on the table and take it in turns to tell gruesome ghost-stories. After each story toast a few marshmallows on skewers. The person voted spookiest story-teller wins a prize.

3. Have a competition to keep the gang busy.

Got a few kids you can pitch against each other and keep them busy? Great! Have a competition to make the best Halloween creature. A ghost-making competition is a good one, as all you need are a few old sheets (from a charity shop if you don’t have any) and the colouring and craft supplies you probably already have at home. Think of a prize to give to the winner – and to forestall arguments, make it something that is big enough to share with all the others. The great thing about this sort of competition is that it works for any number of kids from 2 upwards.

4. Host a Halloween party.

We don’t often see old fashioned Halloween parties nowadays and more’s the pity. Some traditional tricks and games will keep kids (and grown-ups!) happy all evening and won’t break the bank either. Think: apple bobbing; find the eyeballs (pickled onions in a big pan of water and tea-leaves – which feels disgusting!); and the finger in the matchbox. Ask your own parents and grandparents for more ideas – they will remember doing all of these things as children.

5. Find alternative activities in your area.

If you want a quiet life, have a look in your local area for organised activities that you can take your children along to. Organised activities can be more expensive than doing it at home, but you don’t have to worry about arranging it yourself. Schools and youth clubs may be organising parties, and visitor attractions may be doing something special for Halloween this year. Check online listing sites and local newspapers and magazines for details.

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Baby Shower Ideas, Throw The New Mom A Surprise!

August 25th, 2009

Many moms go through many changes during pregnancy. Once the baby has arrived, they are going to go through even more changes. However, there are a variety of ways that you can celebrate a new baby coming, and that is having a surprise baby shower. This is an exciting party that you can throw for the new mom where you eat tasty food, play games, enjoy good company, and bring mom gifts to help out with her nursery decoration.

Having a surprise baby shower is a great option for a brand new mom who hasn’t had her baby yet. It can be tough to buy everything needed for the nursery décor, and the shower allows others to help her out a bit and it definitely is a great surprise. Not sure where to begin when hosting this type of a party? Here are a few great tips and ideas to help you host the most amazing baby shower for the new mother.

Pick a Date. The first thing you need to do for the baby shower is to plan a good date. Since it is a surprise, you’ll have to find out from her husband or a family member whether or not the date you are thinking about is a good one for her. You’ll also need to arrange it so she’ll be prepared to go out but she’ll have no idea about the party. Check with all the people you want to invite too to make sure that you pick a date that works well for everyone. Choose a good time for everyone as well.

The Invitations. The invitations are going to be important. They should be given out about 2-3 weeks before you plan on having the shower. Just make sure that those you give the invitations to keep them well hidden from the new mom. When you are picking out the perfect invitations, consider something that goes with the baby theme, such as invitations that include pictures of nursery décor, or other baby items on them.

A Baby Gift Registry. Many mothers will have a gift registry at various stores or even online. This is a great way that they can pick out the nursery decoration that they want and others will be able to figure out what kind of gifts she wants. If the ideas are expensive, several people can go together to purchase one gift. Check with those that know the new mom well to find out where she is registered. This way you can pass on this information to the reset of the people that are coming to the surprise baby shower.

Great Decorations and Favors. Of course you are going to want to have some beautiful decorations and favors for the big party. Go with decorations with a theme. If you know the mom is having a girl, go with decorations that reflect this. The same applies if she is having a boy. Another way to choose a theme for your decorations is to find out what kind of nursery décor she is using. If she is going with Disney Characters in the baby’s nursery, consider using this for a theme for your decorations. You’ll also want to purchase favors for all the guests. This is to thank them for taking the time to attend the surprise baby shower. While you probably can’t afford a lot on the favors, make sure that they are beautiful and useful.

Keep the Guests Hidden. When you are throwing the surprise baby shower, make sure that you keep the guests hidden away. Have them all park somewhere else so that the mom isn’t suspicious about what is going on. When she walks in the door gently surprise her, just don’t go too crazy. You don’t want to be the ones that end up inducing labor.

Having a surprise baby shower is a wonderful way to help out a new mom and surprise her. No doubt she’ll be thrilled with the party, the friends, and the nursery decoration gifts that she receives.

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Creating An Active Birthday For Tiny Tots

August 24th, 2009

If your tiny-tot has a birthday soon, celebrate the event with a party. The little people at this starry-eyed age are easy to please with a variety of activities.

One of the most attractive birthday parties our small one ever attended was held from three to five p.m. This gave Tad plenty of time to have his nap so he went to the party well refreshed. Because of the youth of the guests we parents were invited too. However, when we arrived our individual responsibility ceased for the afternoon.

The dining room which joined the living room had been cleared of as much furniture as possible. Small tables and chairs borrowed from a nearby church nursery were scattered about. Large sheets of brown wrapping paper for would-be artists were piled on the end of one table. Nearby were plenty of crayons. Bright-colored magazines (old ones) and plenty of round-pointed shears – also borrowed from nursery school – were handy.

A big box of nursery blocks and all available toys owned by the small host were in this same room. Everything was ready when the small guests arrived. This was the children’s room – the parents stayed in the adjoining living room, close enough to oversee the youngsters yet far enough away so the youngsters felt free.

It was fun to watch the small fry. The little chairs were inspected first. One or two such chairs at home were no novelty but here was a whole roomful. They needed to be looked over, sat in and moved about. Soon even the shyest child was busy playing. The older tykes began drawing or cutting and soon the younger ones were following suit.

After a period of free play the young host’s mother produced a tiny bell and asked the children if they wouldn’t like to play “Ring Bell Ring.” All the children bowed their heads in their laps while Johnny, holding on to the bell clapper, ran and hid in the next room. When he was safely hidden the hostess called out, “Ring Bell Ring.” The children then pointed in the direction of the bell ringer. This simple game delighted the children and had to be repeated again and again with a different bell ringer each time.

Then the hostess told a story about Mother Kitty and Baby Kitty. She chose a little lass to be Mother Kitty. Then Mother Kitty and all the baby kitties went fast asleep. While Mother Kitty slept four of the babies awakened and tiptoed away to hide. When Mother Kitty awakened and found her babies gone she cried, “Meow.” The little lost kittens cried, “Mew.” Mother Kitty had to locate her babies by sound. After her every “Meow,” the babies answered, “Mew.”

“Policeman and Lost Child” next delighted the youngsters. One child was Policeman, and Mother worriedly asked his help in searching for her lost child. The Policeman asked Mother to tell him what her lost child was wearing. Mother then described in detail the clothes of her lost child. The Policeman looked about at the children and brought to Mother the child answering the description.

Keeping kids active during a birthday party is a key to having a successful party. As you know, young have boundless amounts of energy and will not be satisfied sitting still. They’d much rather play these fun party games.

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Why Kids Stationery Is A Great Gift For A Child

August 24th, 2009

Are you looking for a gift for a child and not sure what to get? Kids stationery is a surprisingly welcome gift for a child of any age, something most children are not even aware that they want until they get their own. Believe it or not, kids buy stationery products for themselves all the time – notebooks with cool covers, stickers, novelty pencils and pens. Boys and girls both love unusual stationery gifts, but most of them never think of buying kids stationery sets for themselves. Why is kids’ stationery such a great gift for a child? Here are some reasons that kids will love a gift of stationery on many different occasions – with suggestions for special stationery gifts by age group.

Kids love to express their personalities.

Walk down the stationery aisle in any store and take note of all the stationery products aimed at kids. You’ll notice dozens of different styles of notebooks – decorative covers, unusual shapes, different colored papers – as well as memo pads, pencil boxes, novelty pens and rolls of stickers. Kid’s stationery sets are an inexpensive way to give a child a gift that says you see and appreciate the unique personality that they are.

Kids HAVE to write thank you notes.

The process is much less tedious when they have fun and unique stationery on which to write. You can help encourage a lifelong habit that will stand them in good stead as they get older. Did you know that hiring managers in hundreds of companies say that an applicant that takes the time to send a thank you note after an interview stands out in their mind as more qualified? Just think – the gift you give can help a child get a job in the future.

Personalized stationery makes writing letters more fun for kids.

Writing letters is not, as many would have you believe, a lost art. It’s an art well worth learning, because letters bring joy to so many people. Personalized stationery in a design that expresses their personality will encourage kids to write letters to friends and family.

Stationery gifts that include writing paper, a matching pen and stickers are just fun.

Girls especially love stationery kits that include matching pens and stickers. There’s something very grown up about a boxed set of stationery that includes writing paper, matching note cards and post cards.

A gift of personalized, professional stationery is an excellent gift for a high school or college graduate.

High quality stationery engraved or thermal printed with name and address is an excellent gift for a graduate getting ready to enter the job market. Professional looking stationery is a gift that says “Welcome to the adult world, kid”.

Ages to 5 - Yes, you can buy stationery for children even in the preschool range. Littler kids love ‘writing’ to grandma and favorite aunts and uncles long before they can write. Choose a ‘grown-up gift’ of boxed stationery in a design that has a colorful border, and add a box of crayons. Younger kids will love having a built-in picture frame for their masterpieces, complete with matching envelope so that they can send them to their favorite people.

Ages 5-8 – Remember the dreaded thank you note ritual? You can make it far less painful and help instill a good habit with stationery that makes it fun to write. Pick stationery that matches the child’s personality – there are literally hundreds of prints and styles available, so it’s not hard to find puppies and kitties for the cute enthusiast or basketballs and baseball bats for the sports lover.

Ages 9-12 – Encourage the habit of writing by giving children in this age group personalized stationery. Kids in this age group love things printed with their names, from mirrors to bike tags. There’s something magical about stationery printed with your very own name. This is also the time to encourage writing letters for more than ‘thank you’ notes. Encourage them to write by writing letters to them yourself so that they learn how very special it feels to receive a hand-written note addressed to them.

Choose printed note cards with matching envelopes for this age group. They’re much less intimidating than trying to fill a whole sheet of note paper with a note.

Teens - Teens tend to fall out of the habit of writing letters as they learn other ways to communicate via text messages, online instant messengers and email. This is a great time to reinforce the habit of thank you notes with personalized thank notes. Girls and boys alike will find many uses for fold-over personalized note cards and post cards, and a gift of personalized stationery will encourage kids away at summer camp to take a few moments to write home while they’re gone.

Stationery may seem like an old-fashioned gift in these computerized and connected days, but it can be surprisingly welcome. Next time you’re looking for a gift for that special child in your life, wander through an online stationery catalog and see what you can find.

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Planning a party for children

August 24th, 2009

When you start planning a children’s party you need to think it through thoroughly, otherwise thing may now go as smoothly as you had thought and anticipated. Depending on the age of the child you are planning the party for; there are many different games and activities to choose from. Just remember to have time put aside for other things as well. Planning the whole occasion around fun and games is all good, but children often have many other ideas amongst themselves, and would probably want to play for a while without the direct involvement of any adults.

In addition to games and activities, there are a few other things to consider: Location – Where will you be hosting the children’s party? Not everyone has the option to host a party at their house and then you need different options. The same goes for food and drink. Are you serving lunch, a birthday cake, cookies and lemon? The multitude of options are endless, just make sure the children do not spend the whole time sitting and eating. As was mentioned previously, children want to play more than they want to sit still as a rule, which is probably the most important thing to remember.

How many and whom should you invite to the party. How many can you fit and are you inviting the siblings (if there are any) as well? Should the parents stay during the party? You have to consider all these issues; otherwise you may end up with people not having anywhere to sit or, in the worst case scenario, that you do not have enough food to go around.

When planning the children’s party, one of the most important factors is to make sure you have a lot of activities for the children to partake in. If you are lucky and have access to a house with a garden as well as nice, warm summer weather, being outside is much easier. On the other hand, if you are hosting the children’s party indoors, having a couple of somewhat calmer games planned can be a good thing; things tend to get a little intense and noisy at times.

Children are very inventive and have a large imagination, and seldom need adults to get the games started. In spite of this, having planned games and play can be quite comfortable for the adults, because they can easily take control of the situation again should it get a little out of hand. There are always a few children who will get loud, scream and so on, and this can be a good time to gather everyone around for a game of the calmer sort.

The question of presents will always come up when you are planning a children’s party. Children often have a very clear picture of what they want, but it is always a good idea to give your guests a few more alternatives to choose from. Not everyone is on the same budget, so just asking for expensive presents can easily result in putting someone in a rather tough spot. No one should ever have to feel that they were the one who bought the cheapest present, that does not improve the general mood the least.

Article Source: ABC Article Directory

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