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Great Scott
It's a Birthday Party!
Tips for Planning Your Child's Birthday Party
Drop the Clothespin Into a Can
Make their Own Place Cards or Placemats
Hi. Since you’re reading this, you are undoubtedly in the process of planning a Birthday party. As you may already know, this can be a lot of fun– and it can also be a lot of work. That all depends on you. If you’re like most people these days, you surely have enough other stresses in your life. So, why not make the planning of this party a fun event.
As you get ready for the big day, use this booklet to help get prepared. It’s full of tips and tricks for making your birthday party a smash success. If you follow it, you’ll find that things will get done at the time they need to be done. You’ll also find some great ideas for simplifying the whole event while still providing all the fun and excitement desired. Also, if you're planning a magic birthday party, you'll find some great tips here as well. A magician at a birthday party is a great way to entertain your guests. And, if you live in the Milwaukee area, Great Scott may just be available.
So, don’t just sit there. Get reading. You’ve got a fun party to plan. Have a wonder-full party.
Great Scott
262-364-6524
Copyright 2004
All Rights Reserved.
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
□ Brainstorm party theme ideas with your child. This birthday party is for your child, and while surprises can be fun, this is actually an excellent time to involve your child. He or she will be excited and motivated to help get ready for the party. So, take advantage of that exuberance, and let your child’s creativity flow.
□ Set a budget. This is always important. It helps you not get caught up in the frenzy of adding “just one more thing.” If you know you only plan to spend $400 total, then you won’t be as tempted to add those last minute extras either.
□ For parties outside the home, choose a location. Your theme might help determine this. For instance – for a swim party you need to reserve the use of a pool or perhaps a picnic area by a beach.
□ Research entertainers if you plan to hire one. You want to find out what the entertainer has to offer. Don’t be led by price alone. Most performers have “gut” feeling for what they are worth. So that $70 birthday magician may sound like a good deal. But if you pay $70 to bore the children for an hour, you really haven’t gotten a bargain. Have you?
□ Create the guest list generally ranging from friends at daycare, school or the neighbors, then add close relatives.
□ Order specialty items that may rent or sell out quickly. If you are in the Milwaukee, Wisconsin area try our party store.
□ Pick the party date and time. Parties are generally 2 ½ to 3 ½ hours long.
□ Book any entertainment you may want at your party. Some of the best and busiest performers in the Milwaukee area book parties many weeks in advance. So, call a milwaukee birthday magician now!!
□ Order party supplies, decorations, party favors, activities and prizes for games. Be sure to order enough tableware for the adults that will attend, as well. If you want to buy birthday party supplies online or through a catalog, get started now.
(NOTE: Simplify here. Two different colored streamers, balloons, and a Happy Birthday banner will dress up your house wonderfully, and it will keep the costs low at the same time.)
□ Gather supplies and begin any large decorations you plan to make yourself.
□ Create your own or buy invitations at a store if you haven't gotten them already. For magic related invitations, you can find some great clip art of rabbits and top hats--all the traditional magician emblems.
□ Decide on activities and games to play.
□ Consider the age of the children and plan games and activities accordingly. Plan more games than you expect to use in case you run out of activities before the party is over. (See party games later in this book for ideas)
□ Plan your menu. When you do this, think simple. Kids love pizza, carrots, fruit punch, chips, etc. Just a few “fun” foods are great. And try to avoid too much sugar (Kids have enough energy already). Concentrate your efforts on making the day fun and safe. That’s hard to do if you’re in the kitchen preparing food the entire time.
□ Arrange for extra help on the party day from friends or relatives. If you have more than a few children at the party, you will be glad you did.
□ Send the invitations. It is best to ask guests to RSVP to get an estimate of how many children to expect. But be prepared for a few “drop ins.” At a children’s party, unexpected siblings can appear. Or some parents that did not RSVP will decide to bring their child anyway.
□ Order cake from a bakery if you are not baking your own. Otherwise, bake the cake and freeze it. (See Amazing No Bake Cake) This will help make the day prior to and the day of the party less stressful. Milwaukee
□ Make any other foods that can be made ahead of time and store foods in the freezer.
□ Write out a final schedule of activities for the party.
□ Confirm any orders placed for party supplies.
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□ Let siblings invite a special friend over for the day so they won't feel left out. They can even be helpers. Make it a magic time for all.
□ Buy remaining food for the party. Buy film and/or videotape.
□ Check batteries for the camera and/or camcorder. If you are hiring a magician to entertain at the birthday party, be sure to ask first before video taping.
□ Get an exact guest count. Call those who haven't responded.
□ Arrange to have balloons filled with helium to pick up the day of the party. It is fun to have each guest go home with a balloon.
□ Double-check with your entertainment (milwaukee area magician?) to make sure the date and time is on his calendar accurately. A good entertainer should have already contacted you with a letter of confirmation though.
□ Finish decorating the cake, or pick up the cake from the bakery.
□ Make sure you have plenty of candles and matches.
□ Child-proof the party area. Are all the breakables out of the way? Is there plenty space for children to move?
□ Decorate any indoor areas (save outdoor decorating for the day of the party).
□ Prepare food that can be made ahead of time.
□ Pick up helium-filled balloons.
□ Prepare foods and beverages that could not be made ahead of time.
□ Take plenty of pictures and videos to commemorate this special day.
□ Be prepared to pay any entertainer (Great Scott the Milwaukee Birthday Party Magician?) that has been hired.
For four to eight-year-old parties, groups of 8 to 10 kids work best. It has been our experience that today, most parties have between 10 to 15 kids. Children may have more fun without their parents along, but be sure to enlist at least one adult helper.
Be sensitive to the emergence of peer pressure and self-esteem issues as kids get closer to middle school age (ages nine to eleven). A party with a few best friends may be more enjoyable for your child at this age than a huge blowout that doubles as a popularity contest.
Magic Treats
Here are a couple ideas for innovative treats for the party. Magic makes a great theme for any child’s party. And making these treats are a great way to involve your child(ren) in the excitement.
(Makes 16 Wands)
Ingredients:
1-2 16 oz package(s) of semi-sweet chocolate chips; 16 pretzel rods; 1 oz paraffin wax; 1/4 cup ready made Vanilla Frosting.
Directions:
Line cookie sheet with foil. Fill the bottom of a double boiler with water and place chocolate chips and paraffin wax (for even coating)in top portion of double boiler Heat over range top until melted (The double boiler will keep the chocolate from melting).
Dip each pretzel rod in melted chocolate, turning to coat completely. Place on foil lined cookie sheet. Refrigerate or freeze for 30 minutes or until chocolate is set.
Place sheet of foil on work surface. Place vanilla frosting in small microwave safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH for 10 to 15 seconds or until softened. Dip 1 inch of each coated pretzel in vanilla frosting; place wands on foil. Let stand about 4 hours or until frosting is set.
Milwaukee Magician Playing Card Treats
(Makes 8 treats)
Ingredients:
8 (4 section) graham crackers; 1 1/4 cups ready-made Vanilla Frosting; 10 drops red food color; 1/4 cup ready-made Chocolate Fudge Frosting.
Directions:
Remove 1 section from each graham cracker; reserve single sections for another use. Frost graham crackers with 1 cup of the vanilla frosting.
Place remaining 1/4 cup vanilla frosting in small resealable plastic bag. Add red food color; seal bag and squeeze bag until well blended. Cut off 1 bottom corner of bag to form small hole. Squeeze bag to pipe frosting onto 4 graham crackers in heart and diamond patterns.
Place chocolate frosting in another small resealable plastic bag; seal bag. Cut off 1 bottom corner of bag to form small hole. Squeeze bag to pipe frosting onto remaining 4 graham crackers in club and spade patterns.
This is as much fun to make as it is to drink.
Directions:
Freeze several of your child’s favorite Kool-Aid® flavors (berry, orange, lemon, lime, blue raspberry, grape, etc.) in ice cube trays. Fill trays half-full so more colored cubes will fit in each glass. When it’s time to serve, place ice cubes in a large bowl and let each child fill their glass (tall clear cups work the best). Pour clear soda or juice over the colored cubes. Your guests will love watching as it turns into Magic Rainbow Punch.
Your guests are sure to be intrigued when you tell them this cake was "baked" in the freezer!
Ingredients:
24 chocolate chip cookies, 3/4 cup quick oats, ½ cup melted butter or margarine, ½ gallon ice cream or frozen yogurt (one or two flavors), and some colorful candies for decoration.
Directions:
Soften the ice cream in the refrigerator. Crush 16 cookies (place them into a plastic bag and use a rolling pin). Place crushed cookies in a bowl, add ½ cup quick oats, and stir in 1/4 melted butter. Press mixture evenly into the bottom of a 9 1/2-inch springform pan. Spread 1/4 gallon of softened ice cream evenly over the crust. Crush the remaining cookies, and combine them with the remaining quick oats and melted butter. Spread mixture over the first layer of ice cream. Then, add the second layer of ice cream and decorate as desired. Freeze until party time.
For added fun with a magician theme, make a magician's top hat out of black paper. Create the “hat” as an empty tube by leaving off the top piece. Be certain the hat is large enough to fit around the cake without touching it. Just prior to serving, place the hat over the cake, with the brim up (as if you will be pulling the cake out of the hat). Bring in the cake. Tap the hat with a magic wand, and say "Abracadabra!" as you lift the hat to reveal the cake.
Birthday Party Games
Change the traditional pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey game to fit a magical theme. Go to www.greatscottmagic4u.com and print out the picture of the Great Scott from “FREE Stuff” page. If you want a larger version, take it to Kinkos and have them enlarge it. Then cut out strips of white poster board about ½" wide by 12" long. Color in the middle section of one side on each strip so that it looks like a black magic wand with white tips. Next affix a piece of double-stick tape to one end of each “wand”. When you play, blindfold each child in turn and let them try to place the wand in the Great Scott’s hand.
Drop the Clothespin Into a Can
All you need for this game is a coffee can with a lid on it, and a few clothespins. Cut a hole into the plastic lid appropriate to the age child who will be dropping the clothespins. Then decorate the can to match your Theme. To play, the children take turns holding clothespins at a specified height above the opening in the can, and then attempt to drop them into the can.
Purchase a set of bean bags (or make a set from scrap cloth if you can sew) and two sheets of poster board. Glue the sheets of poster board together, and draw a “themed” design on the board. Allow for, and cut, a few holes in the poster board for the bean bags to fall through. Use a large box as a base, and attach the poster board to one side of it. You don’t need to keep score, but the kids will enjoy just throwing the bean bags into the hole.
These are some treasure hunt ideas: You can scatter coins in the lawn and let the kids hunt for them, much like an Easter egg hunt. You can hide each child's goodie bag and then give that child a piece of paper with a hint for finding it - it could be a simple map drawing for a young child, a word or two, or a riddle for older children. You can also let the children do a paper clue based hunt as a group - with the goodie bag for the youngest being the first found, along with the clue to the next goodie bag, and so on.
This activity can be an activity the children can go to between other activities, or the main focus. A big bag of pony beads, some elastic cord, scissors and an adult to help when needed, and they can make their own jewelry. Be sure to supervise this one, so that necklaces and bracelets are not made too tight.
Make their Own Place Cards or Placemats
This activity could be as complex or simple as you want - children can decorate 3x5 cards or construction paper with a variety of stickers, cut outs (use an old beanie baby magazine for a source of a hundred or more beanie pictures), crayons, and colored pencils. If you have enough help to cover the placemats after they're done with clear contact paper, they will last a long time.
Fill a jar with candy. Have children write their name on a small piece of paper and their guess as to how many candies are in the jar. The child who guesses the right number, or comes closest, gets a sucker. The candy in the jar is then divided among the children, or the winner takes the jar of candy home.
When the children come through the door tape a farm animal or item/object to their backs. Through the course of the party they may ask each other yes and no questions about what they are. Explain that the first question they may want to ask is "Am I an animal or an object?" At the end of the party each child takes a turn saying what they think they are. Suggestions: cow, pig, sheep...pitchfork, saddle, horseshoe, hay, milk, barn, tractor, etc..
You whisper in each child’s ear a name of a farm animal. Tell him or her that there is at least one other person that is the same animal as they are. Throughout the party they may ask each other yes and no questions to try to figure out who their "Farm Friend" is. At the end of the party tell everyone to go sit by who they think their Farm Friend is. Go over the clues with the kids until they figure it out and everyone is sitting next to the correct buddy.
Players sit in a circle. The first player starts by saying, "At my birthday dinner I like to eat hamburgers". The next player must repeat "At my birthday dinner I like to eat hamburger..." and add another dish. This continues all the way around the circle with each player reciting the dishes in the exact order they have been given and then adding a new one. If a player makes a mistake they slide out of the circle and the game continues. The person left who can perfectly recite the birthday dinner menu wins.
A child is chosen, and closes his or her eyes as a coin is given to another child to hide behind his back. The “chosen one” then has three chances to guess which child has the coin. To make it harder, have all the children hid their hands behind their backs too. (This goes great for a Magic theme party. Magicians do tricks with coins and they sometimes pretend to “read people’s minds”. The chosen child can be given a cape and a blindfold and then try to determine who has the coin.”
Scavenger hunts are great fun and loads of entertainment at a party. Make up a list of items (perhaps items related to your theme), and hide the items in your yard or designated rooms. Then have the children go as a group to find the one-of-a-kind items.
For a magic theme you might try the following list: Magic Wand, deck of cards, a half dollar, piece of rope, stuffed rabbit, plastic top hat, white gloves, silk scarf, a business card from your favorite magician and a book of beginner magic tricks.
Play this just like Duck, Duck, Goose, except you use the word abracadabra. Abra, Abra, Abra, Cadabra. “Cadabra” is now “it” and must race around the circle of children trying to tag the tagger before he or she can sit down again “its” spot.
Just like "hot potato", but use a toy stuffed rabbit. Set a timer for about 30 seconds and start the bunny “hopping” from child to child. The child who has the bunny after the timer goes off sits out the next round, but becomes the official time keeper and sets the timer for that game.
Use music from a favorite show or music that matches the theme for the day
For a magic theme replace the usual "Simon" with Merlin the magician’s name. Children need to listen carefully and do only what "Merlin" says. (Or perhaps Great Scott?)
Create two, evenly-divided teams out of the guests. Each team forms a line with its members by stretching their arms out and holding the hand of the person next to him or her. Have each team face the other with about a 20-30 feet gap between the teams. The teams then take turns calling, "Red Rover, Red Rover, send (guest name) over." The player that was called then runs from his or her line and attempts to break through the opposing teams line. If successful, s/he takes one opponent back to the other team. If unsuccessful, s/he must join that team. Set a time limit, and the team with the most players wins.
This is an old favorite. Let one child stand at the front of the group. You then whisper the name of an animal to that child. S/he must act out what the animal does without using any words. Everyone else tries to guess the name of the animal.
If you’re having a swim party, this may work well. You'll need plenty of water balloons stored in a bucket full of water. Have the children break into pairs. Then have the pairs form two lines facing each other about 5 feet apart. Each pair is given one water balloon. On a signal, the water balloon is tossed to the partner on the other line. If the balloon breaks, that pair moves out of line. The remaining pairs each take one step backward. And the process begins again with the gap widening after each successful toss until only one water balloon remains unbroken.
All the children hold hands and form a circle. Everyone moves into the center, and when the signal is given, the children begin to blow. As they blow, they expand the circle larger and larger until they can’t hold hands anymore. Then they all yell "POP", and everyone falls to the floor. Toddlers and young children love this game!
Purchase large balloons, stuff with a prize such as a whistle, then inflate and tie. You will need one balloon for each guest. Divide children into two teams and place each team behind the start line. At the other end of the room are the balloons. On your mark a child from each team runs to the other end of the room, grabs a balloon and sits on it, bounces on it, lays on it, anything they can do to make it pop.
When the balloon pops they collect their prize and run back to their teammates. The game continues until every child has retrieved their prize. If one team falls behind parents are allowed to help. Make sure you've got the movie camera rolling, you won't want to miss the action or the expressions. If you don't have time for a relay yell, "GO" and let every child grab a balloon at the same time and try to pop it.
Blow up balloons. Take a sharpie magic marker and write questions on the balloons and place then inside of a large dark-colored garbage bag labeled “Questions”. Let each of the guests reach in and pull out a balloon on their turn. If the question is answered correctly, the child keeps his or her balloon and stays in the game for another 'round. If the question is incorrectly answered, the child must first somehow pop the balloon, then pull a balloon out of the “Do This” bag. The child must do what it says..."Perform a Cartwheel", Crow like a Rooster" etc. If this is completed the child returns to the game. Otherwise that person sits out and cheers on the remaining players. The game ends when all the questions have been answered.
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.
Here’s a trick that the birthday person can perform for everyone at the party. Since it is a birthday party, your child’s gift to everyone else could then be to teach this to the other guests. (Or perhaps he’ll want to keep the secret to himself.)
Performance:
Find five pennies with different dates on them. Place the pennies in a hat and ask one of your friends to pick a penny and look at the date, but not tell you what it is. Then, let all your friends pass the penny around to look at the date. After everyone has seen it, have the penny dropped back into the hat and shake up the pennies. You then reach into the hat and pull out the chosen penny without even seeing it.
The secret:
The Magician knows which penny was chosen because copper absorbs heat, so the penny everyone has handled will be warm.
Designate someone to be your photographer. Plenty of pictures will ensure that you and your child will have some fun visual memories of this special party. If you have a Polaroid camera, you can give out pictures as party favors because they capture the fun instantly. Or with a digital camera, have someone print pictures and give them away that day as well.
A helpful hint when using regular film: 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.
