It’s summer and that means plenty of people will be vacationing at the beach this summer.  It’s a perfect time to plan a birthday party on the beach or throw together an impromptu beach party with your friends that adults and their kids can both enjoy together.  To keep the kids happy and occupied during your beach party, keep the following tips in mind.

1. Have plenty of sun tan lotion and visors on hand to keep sunburns from happening.  Make sure to slather it on throughout the party.

2. Organize a series of sand contests and activities.  These include: sandcastle building, burying parents in the sand, sand relay races, etc.

3. When the children are in the ocean, even if only wading, make sure there is an adult supervising the kids closely.

4. Create a Beach Scavenger Hunt.  Provide the children with a list of natural items to find on the beach and give them a set amount of time for the kids to find the items.  Make sure adults are designated to hunt with each team for supervision.

5. Pack beach picnic lunches in sand pails including sandwiches cut into castle shapes, mini carrot packages, granola bars, gold fish crackers, and juice boxes to make serving easy and thematic.

It doesn’t take much to organize beach games, snacks, and fun while at the beach.  The main tip is to have plenty of supervision on hand.

~ Lisa Kothari is the creator of Peppers and Pollywogs, a Party Expert and author of Dear Peppers and Pollywogs – What Parents Want To Know About Planning Their Kids’ Parties.

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A great summertime dessert that the kids are bound to love at your beach party is a Beach Pail—and it is easy to make too! This is also a treat you could send in to school with your child to celebrate the end of the year and beginning of summer.

Take a clear cup and fill it with banana pudding, vanilla pudding mixed with bananas, and wafer cookies. Top it off with some crushed Wafer cookies (for sand), gummy sea life, and a paper umbrella.

Enjoy this simple and yummy treat – at your birthday parties and beyond!

~ Lisa Kothari is the creator of Peppers and Pollywogs, a Party Expert and author of Dear Peppers and Pollywogs – What Parents Want To Know About Planning Their Kids’ Parties.

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“Some Pig,” “Terrific,” “Radiant,” “Humble”: all words Charlotte spun in her special web to describe dear little Wilbur, the runty pig a little girl stood up for and cared for. This sweet and classic childhood story takes Wilbur through an entire year, as he is born a “spring pig” and wants to see the snow and not the smoke house! It recently came to life beautifully at the movies and is sure to be a favorite story to base a special kids party on.

For the Invitation:

Send out a red barn invitation with flaps that open, and provide the party details inside. If you are hand delivering your invitations, purchase chocolate carrots and attach them to the cards for added festivity.

For the Decorations:

When decorating, make up a barnyard scene. Put some bales of hay on the path leading to your front door, and cut out large farm animals from poster board, such as geese, cows, sheep, pigs, and don’t forget the rat!

Post signs stating “Somerset County” and “Welcome to Zuckerman Farm!” Make sure to hang spider webs throughout the party area.

Charlotte’s Web uses lots of different colors. The storybook has mainly pastel colors, such as blues, greens, pinks, and creams. If you are celebrating a first birthday, this may be the color scheme you choose. Wilbur is also taken off to the Somerset County Fair where carnival colors pop. Bright blues, greens, yellows, and reds would be very appropriate if you build a Charlotte’s Web party around the county fair scene.

For the Games and Activities:

When the children enter the party, have a large piece of butcher paper spread across a table. Have them draw a barnyard scene of their own. Provide crayons, finger paints, glitter glue, etc. When the paper dries, hang it up as an additional decoration.

Provide each kid with their own “netting” for a spider web, and give them different words, such as “pretty,” “happy,” “unique,” etc. Have the kids try to make their webs reflect these words. Discuss how hard it must have been for Charlotte to embed words into her web! The children can take these webs home at the end of the party.

Play Hot Wilbur just like Hot Potato with a small stuffed pig.

Play Wilbur Says as you’d play Simon Says. Have Wilbur ask the kids to act like pigs, grunting, rolling in the mud, eating their food quickly, etc.

Enjoy a barnyard obstacle course, and help Wilbur get out of his barn. Set up a maze either in your basement or backyard, and have the kids run through while holding a little stuffed pig. Each child can take a turn walking around chairs, climbing through tables, jumping over footstools, etc. Whatever is fun!

Play Charades. Have the kids act out different barnyard animals.

For the Party Menu

• Make “pig slop” by cutting up vegetables and fruits and serving them with Ranch or caramel dip.

• Use piggy cookie cutters to cut out little sandwiches.

• Make a batch of piggy sugar cookies, and decorate them with pink frosting for an added treat

For the Party Favors:

Make each guest a T-shirt with an iron-on from the official movie site and send them home with their handmade webs too.

~ Lisa Kothari is the creator of Peppers and Pollywogs, a Party Expert and author of Dear Peppers and Pollywogs – What Parents Want To Know About Planning Their Kids’ Parties.

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On May 12, 2010, Oriental Trading rolled out their new and free Oriental Trading Rewards program. Basically members earn points based on how much they spend and will receive a $5 Rewards Certificate for every 1,000 points earned. These certificates can be used to purchase party supplies, crafts, party decorations and toys through Oriental Trading. I’ve used them numerous times for birthday party favors and birthday crafts.

They also have a special offer for members’ during their birthday month. Probably a birthday discount of some kind. Hopefully they’ll respond soon to my requests so I can provide more information about it.

Points can also be gifted to your family, friends, teachers or special organization, which I think is pretty cool. I’m sure teachers would really appreciate it considering so many spend their own money on birthday and holiday crafts.

To learn more and join, visit: Oriental Trading Rewards

Enjoy and Happy Birthday!

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Haagen-Dazs is scooping out free ice cream on Tuesday, May 18, 2020 in celebration of their 50th birthday! Stop by your local Haagen-Daz shop between 4p – 8p and get a free scoop of one of their three original all-natural ice cream flavors: Haagen-Dazs Chocolate, Coffee or Vanilla.

Mark this on our calendar! You don’t want to miss out on Haagen-Dazs’ Free Flavor Day!

Happy 50th Birthday Haagen-Dazs!

Enjoy!

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Robin Hood is about to be released in theaters across the country and it’s the latest version of this classic tale, which looks sure to please audiences with action and adventure through the entire show. A great birthday party idea would be to host a movie birthday party and organize a few of your birthday child’s friends to see the movie together. If, however, you would like to throw a Robin Hood party for your child and his friends this would be a great theme, especially with a renaissance flavor too.

Robin Hood Party Invitation:

Create a small wooden crossbow and using moss green heavy card stock, cut the paper out in the shape of an arrow and write all of your party details on the arrow.  Place the invitation card on the crossbow using a small piece of tape on both ends.  On the invitation, request that the guests bring their wooden crossbows with them to the party.

Robin Hood Party Decorations:

This is a great party to have in the springtime when the action can take place outdoors either in your backyard, a woodsy area or a park. Use colors like green, brown, and rustic yellows for balloons, streamers, and tableware. Place banners around the party area and make up a “family crest” to place at the front entrance to the party. Spread chocolate coins around the party table as festive confetti.

Robin Hood Party Games/Activities:

When the kids arrive, have them make swords out of cardboard and tin foil. You can also hand out simple felt hats with a feather sewn in. Green smocks would also be added fun. Other options include: face painting and moustaches for the guests.

Play Tug o’ War.

Have a “helper” dress up as a “gypsy” and tell the kids’ their fortunes.

Enjoy Tax Collecting. Divide the kids into two teams, one group is soldiers and the other group includes Robin Hood and his gang. Hide coins all over the party area that are ready for collecting. Robin Hood’s gang tries to find them before the soldiers. Have the hunt and see who collects the most taxes!

Tagged by the Sheriff of Nottingham. Designate one kid to be the Sheriff. When he tags someone, he becomes one of the Sheriff’s men and seeks to tag others as well. Play the game until everyone has joined the Sheriff!

Robin Hood Party Menu:

For the party menu, serve medieval chicken, chicken wings with ranch sauce and celery, jewel salad made with dried fruits and greens, mini loaves of bread, chunks of cheese, and dried fruits.

Robin Hood Party Favor:

Send the guests home with green felt loot bags filled with chocolate gold coins tied off with brown twine.  Additionally, the kids could take home their hats, smocks, and homemade swords.

~ Lisa Kothari is the creator of Peppers and Pollywogs, a Party Expert and author of  Dear Peppers and Pollywogs – What Parents Want To Know About Planning Their Kids’ Parties.

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In celebration of their two year anniversary, on Thursday, May 13th, all Arizona Krispy Kreme locations are offering $2 per dozen donuts (limit 2 per person while supplies last) and everyone in line by 5:30 a.m. when doors open will receive one 365-card good for a FREE coffee and FREE doughnut every day for a year.

Doughnut Dan reintroduced Krispy Kreme to Arizona two years ago with just one store and now there are eight in Phoenix and three in Tucson. Needless to say, Doughnut Dan is a hero to many!

$2 donations for Homeward Bound are also being accepted which will help benefit homeless and domestic violence families with children.

Doughnut Dan’s Krispy Kreme stores also offer a birthday freebie: one FREE dozen glazed donuts if you visit them on your birthday and provide proof of birth. This offer is available to kids as well as grown-ups.

If you’re on FaceBook, friend Doughnut Dan to learn more about his Krispy Kreme stores at: www.facebook.com/DoughnutDan

Enjoy and Happy 2nd Birthday Arizona Krispy Kreme!

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Jen Shears

of Jen Shears Designs

Thank you all for participating in Yoplait’s Go-Gurt “Simplify Your Life” giveaway!

Be sure to either bookmark FreeBirthdayTreatsBlog.com or subscribe for future updates so you don’t miss out on our weekly giveaways.

Special thanks again to Yoplait who, through My Blog Spark, provided this prize package along with a package for myself and information about this promotion.

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To all the moms out there, I wish you a day of ordinary miracles!

Ordinary Miracles

Today…I wish you a day of ordinary miracles –

A fresh pot of coffee you didn’t make yourself.

An unexpected phone call from an old friend.

Green stoplights on your way to work or shop.

I wish you a day of little things to rejoice in…

The fastest line at the grocery store.

A good sing along song on the radio.

Your keys right where you look.

I wish you a day of happiness and perfection –

Little bite-size pieces of perfection that give you

a funny feeling that the Lord is smiling on you,

holding you so gently because you are special and rare.

I wish you a day of Peace, Happiness and Joy.

~ Author Unkown

Another birthday freebie! As of May 4, 2010, Dunkin Donuts is offering a new birthday perk….a free medium beverage on your special day! Enroll in their Dunkin’ Perks® and get a  coupon for a free beverage just for joining and they’ll mail you another coupon for a free beverage in your birthday month.

If you’re already a Dunkin’ Perks® member, you’ll need to login and add an address to your profile so they can mail you a free birthday beverage as well.

What other birthday perks make people happy? Dunkin Donuts conducted a poll of 500 people in April with these results:

• What’s your favorite birthday perk? Forget the present or the cake. 63% of people said they enjoy celebrating their birthday most when their spouse, kids, family or friends do something special for them. Only 22% said opening presents makes a birthday special, and only 11% cited birthday cake as their favorite birthday perk.
• Singing “Happy Birthday To You” doesn’t make a birthday happy. 37% of people said that having people sing “Happy Birthday To You” is their least favorite part of their special day.
• Retailers, a happy birthday is on you. The most wanted “unexpected birthday perk” would be receiving something free from their favorite store or restaurant (29%,) followed by a surprise party (20%) or surprise visit from an out-of-town friend or family member (20%.)
• Bosses, let them eat cake! People enjoy a cake break to recognize a colleague’s birthday, as 70% of respondents believe that birthdays should be celebrated in the workplace.
• Celebrate your birthday proudly! Not many of us try to hide our birthday or forgo any recognition of the day, as 80% of people admit that they enjoy celebrating their birthdays.

After several years of gathering information about birthday freebies and discounts, I have to agree that the singing of the birthday song is not a highlight for many when dining out, however, the free birthday meal is!

Enjoy and Happy Birthday!

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