 |
| ShoppingCartCoverStore.com Custom Shopping Cart Covers & Car Seat Covers for your baby |
Handmade Shopping Cart Cover $34.99+s/h. Reversible Cart Cover $44.99 DELUXE set which includes a cart cover, tote bag, and pillow for $44.99+s/h. Reversible DELUXE set with a reversible shopping cart cover, tote bag and pillow $54.99 Click Here To ORDER |
| Copyright ©2002, 2003, 2004 Allison Ray. All rights reserved. Updated October 18, 2004 |
 |
 |
|
 |
|
| Birthday Party Ideas for Multiples Ohh fun, it’s birthday time!!!! As a parent of twins and a singleton, I know that having a birthday party for one child can be a challenge. Then you add the extra pressures and stress of hosting a party for twins. Our time is so limited as it is and to have double (or triple) planning is extremely time consuming, even though more than likely you’ll have a party for the twins at the same time. So how do you make sure that each child receives their individual attention? How do you keep a group of children occupied and happy? Especially when most of your/their friends are multiples also! The following are some ideas and tips that I have come across for planning a multiple party. Hopefully it will lessen the pre-party stress and allow you to relax and enjoy their BIG day. *Make sure you have birthday cake for each child. In their favorite color, flavor, style and theme. *ALWAYS have a back-up plan for any outdoor party. It's a good idea to either have a rain date, or make some arrangements for an indoor party in the event of bad weather. * Make sure that whatever you plan for an outdoor party can be easily adapted to an indoor party. * Limit number of guests (childs friends) to one child per year of age. 5 years old would have 5 friends each. * Plan age appropriate activities so the twins and guests wont be overwhelmed. * Sing happy birthday song to each child. * For young children, keep it simple and short. You might even consider avoiding opening presents at the party. I found out that it is easier for everyone if you can open the presents at home at you/your children's own leisure. WHY? It keeps the guests/other children from being bored watching someone else get presents they may not have. Second, if you will have to return an item, for whatever reason, then the giver doesn't necessarily know that. (Just because they children are twins, you don’t necessarily want two of all toys, or items that the twins already have) * Always have extras of everything from food to party favors. It never fails that a parent will bring a guest's sibling, the parents will stay for the party, one of your guests brings a friend, or a guest that did not rsvp comes. It’s always better to have food left over than to not have had enough to feed everyone. * Remain flexible and keep your sense of humor! * Don't let the party span into naptime. Planning Schedule Some of the planning might not include you children based upon their age and communication skills. It may help to check off as completed 6 to 8 weeks before the birthday _____ Help child select a theme or select theme _____ Decide on the number of guests _____ Ask a few friends or family members for help on party day I recommend 1 adult per 4 children (serve/cook food, play games, write list of gifts received, take pictures, pick up etc…) _____ Write guest list _____ Decide on location at home or outside of home (park, grandma’s, chuck e cheese, etc…) _____ Indoor or outdoor party _____ Choose a date and time. Think about usual nap times and plan party around so twins usual schedule won’t be interrupted. _____ Hiring an entertainer? Call to book them. 2 -3 weeks before the party _____ Buy invitations, thank you notes, and stamps _____ Write and mail invitations _____ Keep a list of invitees near the phone for RSVP's _____ Select 4 - 6 party activities (age appropriate) _____ Collect prizes and items needed for activities _____ Decide on food to be served. Keep is simple _____ Order cake’s (if you aren't baking one yourself). _____ Remind helpers that the party is soon 1 week prior _____ Order activities keep in mind attention spans and little ones getting hungry and tired . _____ Play or read instructions on any games or activities with which you are unfamiliar. Again keep it simple! _____ Check out any books, music, or tapes you are borrowing from the library. 2-3 days prior _____ Call any guests who have not responded. _____ Shop for groceries or other food being served. Buy candles. _____ Purchase any candy for favors, piñata, film. _____ Prepare any craft activities (cutting, copying etc…) _____ Stuff the favor bags. _____ Charge camera/video camera battery. The day before the party _____ Put away any items that may be dangerous or fragile. _____ Bake or pick up cake. _____ If you are taking my advice and keeping it simple, call today to have the pizza delivered. _____ Confirm entertainer _____ Confirm mom’s helpers 4 -5 hours before party _____ Cut up any fruit or veggies, make dips, etc… _____ Clean party area. Don’t bother trying to clean day’s ahead especially with twins or twinadoes as I lovingly refer to my children. _____ Set up decorations _____ Set up tables or stations for activities _____ Put candles in cake and put matches in safe place. _____ Go pick up balloons _____ Tie some balloons to the mailbox or front of house to make it easy for guests to find your home. _____ Place crafts and prizes near the activity locations. _____ Put notebook and pen near gift table for helper to log gifts as opened. This will make writing thank you notes much easier 1 hour prior _____ Putting any pets in an area away from the guests. (allergies) _____ Get Twins dressed _____ Get siblings dressed _____ Get husband/significant other dressed _____ Get yourself dressed _____ Set up coolers with ice for drinks _____ Set out food _____ Have mom’s helpers arrive Have a well planned, stress free, fun party!Inexpensive and unique party Favor Game Ideas I buy my party stuff wholesale from www.orientaltradingcompany.com Usually if your order is over $60.00 the shipping is free. What I do is talk to other moms and we all order our birthday and holiday party things together to combine the shipping costs. Another source for great party favors are the dollar stores. My favorite is dollar tree. They seem to have good quality items for only $1.00. Watch out for those so-called dollar stores that charge more for different items. Party in summer: Gave each child a small beach bucket with attached shovel, inside the bucket put sunglasses, a deflated beach ball, bubbles, and a plastic watch. On the outside of the bucket use a "paint pen" and write the name of the child and draw water or fish. Cost about $2.50 per child. Thank you cards: Take a picture of the twins at the party Make doubles at wal-mart usually only .13 per picture and put it in with the thank you note from the twins. “Thanks for making us smile on our birthday” “Thanks for making our birthday special” Take a picture of each child/friend/family member and send a picture of that person in the thank you note. Everyone loves pictures of their own kids or themselves with the twins! A table centerpiece: Buy a plastic fish bowl Make Aqua or light blue Jell-O in the fish bowl. As the Jell-O cools and is semi-solid, drop some gummy fish into the bowl. The usually will sink about halfway down. Finish chilling and you have a great table centerpiece which the kid’s can dig into and eat during the party. Casual Party at the park Ideas For party favors: Chalk, small balls, bubbles. Take kites, bats, gloves, and balls, Frisbee’s, jump ropes for everyone to play with. Cook hotdogs; serve chips, cake and soda Fill piñata with boxes of raisins, pencils, crayons, and stickers Party books to check out of the library The Penny Whistle Party Planner by Meredith Brokaw & Annie Gilbar (Simon & Schuster) Birthday Parties, Best party Tips and Ideas by Vicki Lansky (The Book Peddlers) Birthday Parties for Kids! Creative Party Ideas Your Kids & Their Friends Will Love by Penny Warner (Prima Publishing) Children's Party Ideas by Margaret Dunne (Berkley Books) Fifty Fabulous Parties for Kids by Linda Hetzer (Crown Trade Paperbacks) Successful Children's Parties by Julia Goodwin (Ward Lock) Birthday Parties for Children - How to Give Them, How to Survive Them by Jean Marzollo (Harper & Row) Twins First Birthday Party Invitations: Put ink on the bottom of one of each of the twin’s hands and print onto piece of paper. Write the child’s name under their handprint. Make a master copy and print out invitations below or above the handprints. Baseball party Invitation. Cut circle from white card stock. Print or write out the party details, then glue craft rickrack to make it look like a baseball. Goodie bag: Fill an old-fashioned popcorn box with major-league treats. Bubblegum hotdogs, baseball wrapped candy, baseball pencils, etc… Cookie decorating party Invitation: make a recipe-like invitation. Print out on white cardstock Cookie Decorating Party Ingredients: You & 10 more fun children Candy sprinkles & sugar 2 birthday girls – Maddie and Mary Lots and Lots of frosting 6 lbs of cookie dough Fun, Fun, Fun 1. Meet at 1234 Nowhere Lane, Saturday, September 7 at 2 pm 2. Roll up your sleeves and gather around the table. 3. Bring your imagination to make the cookies of your dreams. Goodie bag: Buy bakery style boxes and print each guests name on them so they can pack their cookies to take home. Tea Party Goodie bag: Cut rectangle shapes from wax paper. Cut small tags from card stock. Staple the small tags to a piece of string then staple to the wax paper bag. Write each guests name one the tag. Fill with lady like goodies. (Stickers, bracelet, lipstick, button candy, hair bows, candy necklace) Activity: Dress up of course. Coloring Party Invitation: Print a label with all the invitation information and stick it to an inexpensive box of crayons and put in envelope to mail. Goodie bag: Coloring sheets that you print off the Internet and a package of crayons. (www.crayola.com free pages) Activity: Purchase a roll of white paper and roll it across a table and put buckets of crayons on top for the kids to color. Kids Fun Recipes To Make |