Birthday articles and resources

How to Decide on What Birthday Party Favors to Have

Author: Raymond Plona

August 1 2008

Party favors are tokens of appreciations from the host to theguests. A party favor need not be expensive. It should be goodif it can arouse delighted feelings when you give it both kidsand grownups. Birthday party favors should also be economically friendly for the hosts. It's useless to give out somethingexpensive but pointless.

These are some of ideas for deciding on birthday party favorsfor you to consider.

1. What is your party's theme?

2. The age of the recipients, on average.

3. What is your budget for the party?

Since you are putting some effort into getting birthday partyfavors for your child's birthday, it is quite likely that thisparty is a themed one. Then of course, the favors should complement the theme of the party. For example, you may getlittle toys that can match the character(s) of the theme. Maybe a little purse with the face of Barbie can be a favor for the Barbie themed birthday party. Sometimes, you can make your own favor, like a picture of the character that you have printed out with your computer to put into the picture frame that you bought.

Then again, there are some party favors that can pretty much go with any theme, especially if the children are very young ones.Candies make popular birthday party favors for very young children. These can be as cheap as you can appropriately go, or be a little more exotic such as the classic candy canes.

Your party favors may include little games for the children to play with. As you can see, party favors can be decorative, serve as play-things or be edible. But do select ones that are appropriate for the guests; they should be reasonable for you,but exciting enough for the children. If you don't have that many guests on your invitation list, it's a good idea to give them something a little better. With a small number of people, it wouldn't hurt your pocket to give them something a little pricier.

Other ideas for giveaways are candles that can come in a varietyof flavors. They can be scented or not, in wax or gel form, etc.There are also unusual shapes of candles, though this depends onthe theme of your choice. Children may find tiny and colorfulrubbers cute. Stickers too, may be given away, as well as fancymagnets. There are a lot of interesting knick knacks if you keep your eyes and imagination open.

If you are game for more fun, how about party theme confetti? Surely the children will like novelties like this. Besides, confetti need not be expensive. In fact, you can make your own party theme confetti. Consider printing out the character(s) of your theme or something related to the theme and then cutting them into tiny pieces. If this sounds like some work for you,why not share the fun and get the children to help out? Even the baby can do this, by tearing the papers into tiny bits, if he could not handle the scissors. The confetti can also be stuffed into balloons and the kids can get lots of enjoyment form popping up the balloons later. Just imagine their excitement when the balloons burst and all the confetti showering them.

If that's not enough, they have theirgreat party favors to bring home to remind them of the great fun they just had at your party. You should use your creativity and imagination in how to manipulate the confetti to make your party a splendorous event.

To have your guests enjoy your party is not that hard. You can use your creativity in assisting and making sure that they have the most fun at your party. Shower them with fantastic gifts and confetti, you will surely be the best host around.

About the author:As the owner of a birthday party supplies store, Raymond Plona has vast experience inplanning and executing a successful party using various items such as personalized theme party banners, birthday party candles, baby shower party favors and so on. Visit his site for more information.

Things to consider while organizing a kids birthday party

Author: Olga White

Every parent has organized a kids birthday party. So, it's no
big deal, right? Wrong! It is a big deal, because however common
it may appear, and even though it comes every year, every
parent, especially the mother, is concerned about having the
best children's birthday party for her child. And some parents
are not just concerned - they are downright worried!

So, lets start with basics. How many kids do you invite?
'However many you can handle' may seem like the right answer,
though listening to some expert advice will do no harm. While
one recommendation goes that you should invite one party guest
for each year of the child's age (6 years = 6 children), this
seldom works.

A more tested and practical recommendation is:
Age 3: 6 to
8 guests, and no more than 10. Party is usually free play.

Age 4: 9 to 12 guests, and no more than 15. Some activity needs
to be planned.

Ages 5 to 7: 15 or less, and no more than 18 guests. Games
become common at this stage.

Ages 8 to 10: Parties are decided more by the kids themselves,
with their own ideas and guest list.

Will parents stay at your kids birthday party? At ages three
and four, most parents stay at the party with their child; even
siblings may attend. At five and older, few parents stay at
children's birthday parties, preferring to drop and pick up
later. As a birthday mom, do you want some parents to stay to
assist in 'crowd control', or do you consider parents a burden
to entertain? You decide, and you can even let other parents
know in the invite.

Where do you have your party - and what will be the activity?
You can depend on a lot suggestions from friends, and even
online help to find out about party ideas, themes and kids
indoor playgrounds. The 'torontoparentsguide.com', for example,
provides practical help for parents in search for children's
birthday party places s like kids indoor playgrounds in Toronto
and its surrounding area.

And finally, how you say thank you? When opening up presents,
write the name of the giver on the box. Your child can later
either dictate, or do a paint handprint, or, if older, write out
the 'thank you' and his/her name. A thoughtful 'thank you' is
always
appreciated.

About the author:
Author's Bio: --Olga White is a consultant and organizer of kids
birthday parties in Toronto. For more information of kids birthday party visit: www.TorontoParentsG
uide.com

Throwing a Dora the Explorer Party

Author: Jared Winston

9/22/2006
Dora the Explorer has proven to be a phenomenon of mass
proportion among young children. As with most things popular
with children, Dora makes a great theme for a birthday party. Of
course, planning and throwing a party is no small task, and a
Dora the Explorer party is certainly no exception to that rule.
However, the process can be made quite a bit easier (not to
mention a good deal cheaper) with a bit of planning and
creativity. The end result will be a Dora the Explorer party
that your child and all of their young friends will remember for
years to come.

The first aspect of planning a Dora the Explorer party, as is
the case with pretty much any party that relies on a theme, is
to work out how you are going to represent your theme. In the
case of Dora, this can be accomplished fairly easily. You should
be able to find paper plates, cups, and napkins that are Dora
themed at any party store, or even the paper products isles of
some grocery stores. This level of availability is one of the
large advantages of working with a theme that is so popular with
such a large group of children. Along with the supplies for the
food, you may also be able to find other Dora themed items, such
as piñatas, balloons, and even small party favors that you can
give out to the guests at your child's party.

Beyond the simple supplies and favors, you should also work out
decorations that go with the Dora theme. For instance, printing
out treasure maps and hanging them on your walls (or fences, if
you are holding the party outside.) Try creating some simple
scenery out of cardboard or felt to make your home or yard look
like a forest or jungle sort of area with added trees and such.
Alternately, you may be able to get some of these props at party
stores.

The highlight of your Dora the Explorer party, though, will
mostly likely be your party games. This, obviously, is the area
that children look forward to the most (with the possible
exception of cake and ice cream) when going to a party. As such,
you should be careful to live up to their expectations.
Thankfully, young children are, for all their oddities, fairly
easily entertained, so you should not have too much trouble
keeping them busy.

The concept that fits most perfectly into your Dora the Explorer
party would probably be a treasure hunt of sorts. Take a number
of fairly distinct objects and attach index cards to each of
them. Number the index cards, and then 'hide' the items around
the house or yard. Hide is a loose term, as they will have to be
fairly easy to find, and the numbered cards should be obvious,
but try to make the objects at least feel a bit hidden. Then,
print out treasure maps that show the way to the items (marked
with their numbers.) Of course, the maps do not have to be
particularly accurate. Then, give each child a number to find,
and when all the items are found, have them come back to a
treasure chest (or, more likely, a painted box) of Dora the
Explorer party favors for everyone.

Copyright © Jared Winston, 2006. All Rights Reserved.

About the author:
From its origins as a cartoon series to its release of <a
href="http://www.dorafansite.com/dora-explorer-dolls.php"
target="_blank">Dora the Explorer dolls</a> and other assorted
merchandise, one thing cannot be denied: Dora has become a
blockbuster hit. If you're a fan of Dora or would like to learn
more about her, stop by our <a href="http://www.dorafansite.com"
target="_blank">Dora the Explorer fansite</a>.

10 Great Ideas For A Baby's First Birthday

Author: Roy Dietelzieg

A baby's first birthday is a memorable event filled with fun and
joy for family and friends. The growth and development of a
young child takes place too fast, so take special thought and
planning for such a major event to make it memorable for years
to come.

Here are ten tips for your baby's first birthday party to make
the event a fun time for everyone and help your family cherish
the event for many years:

*Plan The Big Day - Plan the event at a time that is best for
your child to avoid missing nap time as it leads to a fussy
child. Remember that the little friends at the party also have a
short attention span, so keep the party and games limited to an
hour or two.

*Send Fun Invitations - Do your best to make the invitations fun
and interesting. Try turning a baby picture into a puzzle, each
guest receiving a piece. As the guests arrive, the puzzle comes
together for a complete picture. Have extra pieces in case a
guest cannot make it!

*Have a Party Theme - Decorate your home with a specific party
theme. Online party stores will have plenty of decorations for
just about any theme you can think of, from Winnie the Pooh to
Sesame Street.

*Have a One-Year Scrapbook - Put together a scrap-book of the
"Baby's Firsts" from the day you brought the baby home, the
baby's first Christmas right up to the baby's first birthday.
Everyone will have the opportunity to see how much your child
has grown.

*Play Fun Games - Have games planned so that the adults can
assist the youngsters by creating "baby artwork" or rolling a
soft ball to have lots of fun.

*Provide Food - What's a party without the food? Try to have
snacks for the adults to enjoy while also having plenty of food
suitable for the young birthday child and guests. Cake is a must
and it is usually best to have two different cakes, one for the
babies to smash and make a mess and one for the adults.

*Make Memories - Take plenty of pictures and feel free to record
every moment of your child's party. Photos can include the
party's events, your baby's room and toys and even the cake
remains. Just remember that you can't take too many pictures!

*Make a Post-Birthday Scrapbook - Put everything in your child's
scrapbook that will help remember the fun times at the party.
Place your photos in chronological order. Even save a napkin or
party invitation to make it special.

*Make a DVD - With the wonderful world of technology at your
fingertips, you can now put together a special photo parade of
the day's pictures or you can even turn your videos into a DVD
keepsake that will make the memories last for everyone.

*Send Thank You Notes - When you send thank you notes to the
guests, include a fun picture of the baby with cake all over his
or her face or your DVD. This is a gift that everyone will
cherish for years.

About the author:
Roy Dietelzieg has a vast experience on weddings planning and
event preparation, Roy now writes about event planning and
Baby Birthday