Bouncy castles are showing up at birthday parties all over the country, making party entertainment easy for parents and a blast for kids. Did you know that there are inflatables available for older children’s parties that go beyond the bouncy castle? We turn to a pro to walk us through all the inflatable choices. (Pun intended…)

Tom Whittam from Air Inflatables tells us about the different types of bouncy castles that are available today.

If you plan to throw a fantastic party in 2013 then why not include something special ensuring your guests are thoroughly entertained making your party a hit. Some people don’t like the idea of a bouncy castle and maybe a generic one isn’t for you but there is a great selection of awesome inflatables that could really get your party going. Here are some fun options that may take your fancy.

Jumbo Slides

Jumbo slides are great for a bigger party, especially if you have a mix of children and adults. The slides are supplied with a height up to fifteen feet and every age group can enjoy them. The slides feature a set of steps running up the side that are built in to the inflatable but most of the jumbo slide is dedicated to the actual slide itself. The incline is reasonable, which is great as it gives children the excitement and feel of a high drop without worrying about the slide being too steep, this makes it fun and safe for everyone (and reduces any unwanted tears).

Rodeo Bulls

This party piece is packed with adrenaline and guaranteed to spin your guest’s wild. The idea is to keep on top of a mechanical bull and whilst it spins and rocks you do your best to stay on for as long as possible. This game may not be the most glamorous but it can definitely give you a lot of fun! Supplied with the rodeo bull is an inflatable base making sure no one is injured when they fall and if the weather is slightly problematic you can get hold of inflatable rodeo shelters keeping your party guests dry too.

Obstacle Courses

We love inflatable obstacle courses; they bring a great challenge and element of competition to parties. Everyone can be involved with them and it’s the perfect way to bring your guests together and helping them to have fun and bond over games and races. Luckily there is a selection of courses available; you can get obstacle inflatables which are under cover and can be included with two or three sections. There’s also plenty of choice over the types of obstacle you want, whether it’s to crawl, dive or even climb through, this really is the ultimate all round party inflatable.

Sporty Inflatables

Sporty inflatables are a great addition to a boy’s party and you can get lots of different types in an arcade style. Two of our personal favourites are an inflatable soccer challenge, where you kick soccer balls as accurately as you can through certain targets to score points. Or a basketball game where you compete against others to score as many points as you can in a set time from a specific distance by throwing balls through the hoops. Both of these games are a great addition to any boys party and we find that even girls love to get involved with them too.

Bungee running

This is a great game consisting of a ten foot long inflatable including two side by side runs. Two people go head to head, both attached to one end of the inflatable by a bungee cable and they have to race as far down the inflatable as they can possibly go before getting yanked back. This game can be so much fun, especially if you get your guests to make teams, our favourite way to get the guests bonding is a classic girls versus boys which always helps to spark lively conversation!

A bouncy castle really may not be for you, but you can still have great fun with an inflatable without bouncing around on one – there are so many great alternatives that keep guests entertained and safe. Our favourites are listed above but we definitely recommend having a look at as many options as you can as there are so many great alternative inflatables to choose from.

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What Now?

• Have you used a bouncy castle or other inflatable at a party? Tell us about it in the comments.
• Do you know someone who is planning a party and would like this information? Send them this article.

The post Move Over Bouncy Castles – Here are 5 Amazing Inflatables for an Older Child’s Party appeared first on Playtime and Party.

Our Girl’s Easter Shirts

 
Click on your favorite design to see all the shirt styles and sizes available in our Playtime and Party Shoppe.
 

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Parties are getting more elaborate and more costly. Here are a few ways social media can help you plan your party and even save a little money.

It’s unbelievable how much the humble birthday party has changed.

When I was a kid birthdays were celebrated with the family or perhaps with a slumber party with one or two friends. I don’t recall any birthday parties where the whole class was invited. (My grandmother baked a layered cake and inserted coins for good luck and one piece of straw for bad luck. That was considered an out-of-the-ordinary birthday cake back then!)

When my kids were little, most families had the usual pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey, eat cake & open presents party. I was considered a party maven with my month-in-the-planning birthday extravaganzas like a Survivor Weekend, cowpoke party and birthday luau that are quite common now.

Today the sky is the limit when it comes to birthday parties! There is every theme imaginable, anywhere kids go can be a venue – and when you want to stay home, you can rent a party to come to you.

Brainstorming

Finding a Venue

Parties are held at every restaurant, the movie theatre, at kid’s programs like gymnastics and dance studios, the bowling alley and more venues than can be listed here. You can even have the party come to you with bounce house or petting zoo.

To know what is available in your area just type “birthday party” (or whatever you’re celebrating) and your city’s name in the URL bar or in the search box on Google.

You’ll find places and get ideas that you never thought possible with only you budget limiting your choices.

Finding a Party Theme

Pinterest is one of the best ways to discover new and interesting party themes. Check the Holidays & Events boards for the latest that others have pinned, and don’t forget to check with our Pinterest Inspiration Boards too!

Don’t forget to set up your own Pinterest board to save the ideas you find. If you use Chrome as a browser, download the Pin It Button so you can add things you find on the internet too.

Getting Ideas for Your Party

Once you’ve narrowed down your party theme to one topic it’s time for more brainstorming!

• Go to Pinterest and type your theme topic + “party” in the search box in the upper left-hand corner.
• Do the same at Google and check the first few search responses. To filter it further and save you time, check the Google images that came up in the search next.

Finding Helpers

You can’t have just one or two adults and a dozen kids. No way! You definitely need helpers. The best way to throw a party is to have a helper for each station or event and leave yourself free to move from one area to the other or have that person be your assistant to deal with the rowdy ones so there’s no distractions or mutiny.

While you’re planning your party activities, think about who would make a great helper for that particular event.

• Need someone to take photos of everyone acting crazy in the photo booth?
• Need someone to help kids do a craft or decorate cookies?
• Do you know someone who’d be great at organizing races or games?

If you have someone specific in mind, shoot them an email right away with the date of the party and details of what they’ll be expected to do.

If you don’t have someone, use social media to get volunteers!

• Email family and friends with a list of what you need them to do and the party date.
• Click the Facebook New Messages tab, type in the specifics of your plea, send to all your friends that you think would be willing to participate and ask them to “reply all” when they respond so everyone on the request list will know if you get enough volunteers. It’s also a great way to remind volunteers the day before the event.
• Create your own hashtag such as “#JaneWBirthdayParty” and keep in touch with everyone on Twitter to keep them in the loop, give them reminders, etc.

You can use Instagram to post photos of the items you have for each volunteer’s station at the party or to explain exactly what you want them to do – tutorial style – in case they show up late on party day.

Invitations

Today very few party invitations are sent through the post office. It’s the day of hand delivering 3D special invitations to those on the guest list. (Of kids hand out their invitations at school too.)

Save yourself time and money – and keep track of the RSVPs – with social media.

• Email or send an ecard to guests that are in your email address book.
• Create a Facebook Event by clicking on the “create event” button and filling in the information fields to make sure they know the date, time, venue and other pertinent information. Add an interesting picture. Make sure you use the “Invite Only” selection in the privacy section or you may end up with more guests than you anticipated!

Party Photo Album

After – or even during the party – you can create a social media photo album to share with all the guests who attended and family members who weren’t able to attend.

• Upload your photos to Flickr and tag them all the same with something like “Jane’s Awesome Birthday Party” or create a set so you can have a slideshow of all the party pictures. Click the “Actions” button and then the “Add Note” button and then you can share your funny insights on what’s happening in the photo with readers when they put their cursor over the photo.
• Create a party album on Facebook.

Social media pumps up the fun in party planning, can save you a little money by helping you find deals and save on postage and printed invitations, and can help you keep in touch with guests and volunteers so everything can run smoothly and efficiently.

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What Now?

• How do you use social media for party planning? Share your tips with us in the comments!
• Do you know someone who is planning party and would like this information? Send them this article to stir their imagination.

The post How Tech Savvy Moms Use Social Media to Plan a Party appeared first on Playtime and Party.

Guest Blogger Jenny Franklin knows that when our finances fluxuate there are times when money is tight and we may not be able to throw the birthday party that our child wants. She suggests a joint birthday party with a friend, and gives us tips on how to make it work for both children.

Meeting your child’s expectations for their birthday party is a noble goal, but one that may seem out of reach for many parents. Between the cost of the perfect venue, food, and entertainment, and the amount of work involved in planning or hosting a kid’s party, it can seem inevitable that your child will be disappointed.

Combining the celebrations for two children whose birthdays are close together can bring a whole world of possibilities into reach. It allows two families to shoulder the costs and the work required for an awesome kids’ party. However, a joint birthday party does have its pitfalls, and not every child is going to be okay with sharing the spotlight on their special day. Here are some tips to make a joint party go more smoothly.

Guests

When your children are young, it is traditional to invite all members of their class to the birthday party, meaning that combining parties for kids in two different grades can make your guest list explode. At later ages it is important to discuss with both children who they would like to invite, ensuring there won’t be any conflicts, no one will feel left out, and you will be able to manage the size of the party.

Timing

Making sure that neither child feels like they were forgotten, then just stuck onto someone else’s birthday party is very important. One way to do that is to schedule the party for a day that isn’t either child’s actual birthday. This may be a little tricky, but it’s much better to have the party on an unrelated day than to suffer through tantrums and fights because one child feels less important than another.

Location

Having the party at either child’s home puts the burden squarely on the shoulders of that family, and although the other family may come early to set up, stay late to clean up, and help out during the actual party, the work and inconvenience will still be unevenly distributed. Selecting a venue that both children will enjoy and that is outside of the home, such as a bowling alley, park, or pizza place, will place both kids and parents on even footing.

Gifts

When having a joint party it is wise not to open gifts at the event at all. This will ensure that there are no “why did he get that and I only got this” moments. Jealousy has never brought out the best in anyone, but with children it can be one of the ugliest and most destructive of feelings. It will also prevent differences in socioeconomic status from being made to obvious to the kids.

Traditions

Having people sing Happy Birthday and blowing out the candles on their favorite cake is just about the bare minimum that American children expect on their birthdays. It may seem excessive, but providing each child with their own birthday cake, as well as the opportunity to make that ever-important birthday wish will save you a great deal of grief.

About the Author

Jenny Franklin is a mother, a party planner and a blogger. She often writes on the topics of children’s birthdays as a freelance writer for the girls’ birthday party supplies producer, Party Pail.

How Tech Savvy Moms Use Social Media to Plan a Party

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2

Party Drink Calculator

3

The Leave-Nothing-to-Chance & Amaze-Them-All Party Checklist

4

Ice Breaker Ideas to Bring People Together (& Free Hostess Moms to Greet)

5

What Now?

• Have you ever thrown a joint birthday party? Share your tips with us in the comments!
• Do you know someone who is planning a joint birthday party and would like this information? Send them this article to stir their imagination.

The post How to Make a Joint Birthday Party Work appeared first on Playtime and Party.

Want to celebrate April Fools Day with your kids in a FUN way? Looking for a unique April Fools Day invitation that will get your guest’s attention? Here’s how to make a pull-top can that will fool them all!

Turn a regular can of fruit that you’d put on your kids’ lunch into a prank they’ll never forget – or a special invitation for your April Fools Day party – by following these four easy steps.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• can with pull tab – MUST have lip for can opener
• can opener – best type is the kind that leaves no sharp edges because it takes the bottom off the can
• your choice of candy
• sign for inside can
• glue gun

Directions

Step One: Remove the Bottom of the Can

When you purchase your pull tab can, be sure that it has a lip for the can opener to catch on. Most have a rounded bottoms.

Remove the bottom of the can with a can opener. (Our can opener is the style that removes the bottom of the can rather than just the circle inside the lip of the can. This makes it easier to glue the bottom back on later.)

Remove the contents of the can and set aside to eat later. Clean inside can without getting label wet. Dry.

Step Two: Fill Can with New Contents

Put the sign inside the can first with the writing facing down so when they open the pull tab they’ll be able to read it.

• If it is for you kid’s lunch on April Fools Day something like “Surprise! Love Mom” is all you’ll need.
• If it is intended to be an April Fools Day invitation, decide if you want to make one sign or create layers with a couple signs. The first sign can say “You’re invited” with a layer of candy and then another sign with the date, time and place, another layer of candy and then the name of party host on the very bottom.
• If you want it to be a prank, the sign could say “You won” with a layer of candy and then another sign that tells them they got punk’d.

Next, fill the can with candy. We chose marshmallow bananas because its funny to have candy fruit inside the fruit cocktail can.

Step Four: Glue Bottom Back on Can

With the inside side of the can bottom facing you, put a bead of glue around the inside edge with the glue gun.

Carefully pick up the bottom, turn it over and put it on the can. (Tin could be hot from the glue, and the glue is definitely hot.)

*Our tip: have a bowl of cold water handy to dip your fingers in – just in case you touch the hot glue.

When the glue has dried, remove any excess that is showing by rubbing it with your finger or using knife if necessary.

Voilà! Now you have a fun way to bring a smile to your kids – and prove that you’re the world’s greatest mom to them and their classmates – or a fantastic April Fools Day invitation that will get your guests wondering what they should expect at the party.

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What Now?

• Do you usually put some sort of prank on your kid’s lunch for April Fools Day? Tell us all about it in the comments!
• Want more April Fools Day ideas? See our Pinterest Inspiration Board.
• Do you know someone who loves to celebrate April Fools Day with their kids? Send them this article to stir their imagination.

Source:
Making Memories Chocolate Emergency Valentine Craft

The post April Fools Day Can of Tricks for Surprise on Kids’ Lunch or as Invitation appeared first on Playtime and Party.

Today’s guest blogger Marie Sumner shares her ideas for an Avengers Party. I know there are many moms planning a superhero party this year and will love her ideas!

The 2010s may very well prove to be THE decade of the Avengers as their popularity continues to soar after the mega-hit movies their characters have inspired.

Their impact on the culture of arts and entertainment is exceptionally present in cosplaying conventions, birthday parties, and many other gatherings. With sequels of Thor, Iron Man, and Captain America set to be released in theaters later this year you can bet these beloved heroes will have their costumes to be represented at many gatherings leading up to these premiere nights.

Here are some fun ideas for how to make the most of these gatherings whether you are a child just discovering the Marvel Universe or a veteran fan idolizing you favorite hero.

If your son or daughter wants an Avengers birthday party what makes it special is the activities. Superheroes have all sorts of character traits but one thing they all have in common is that they are competitive with each other. Amidst the Avengers themed cake, napkins, plates, and colorful bunting, mix in some activities that allow the kids to compete with one another but as teams. Things like relay races and capture the flag (Tesseract) are great ways to allow the kids to learn strategy and socialization by working with others.

The Relay Race

An idea for a relay race could be to have someone dressed as Thor carry and balance an egg on his prop hammer to another side of the yard. Then Captain America could go through an obstacle course where he must go over and under objects with a military theme. Next, a Hulk could smash a piñata of Loki and end with Iron Man diving down a slip-and-slide to the finish line. This is but a few of the activities and characters you can use to really get the kids into the theme. The important thing is that everyone has fun.

Premiere Night Avengers Party

Another way to host an Avengers theme party or even cap off a birthday themed one is to have it on the same night as one of the movie premieres. Obviously this helps if your child’s birthday is on or close to one but it is a good occasion for the kids to dress up and do something they will all enjoy.

For young kids, attending a premiere is huge as most of them are really late. My 8 year-old nephew is still raving about the night he got to go see The Avengers at ELEVEN O’CLOCK AT NIGHT. You can all eat cake and open presents before the movie and everyone will be fed and ready to go to the show (play this right and they might not even want expensive theater snacks).

Superheroes have and always will be an inspirational part of our culture. Not only is it fun for the kids to celebrate the one they look up to but it is rewarding for the parents to know they helped create such a fun occasion for their child in their youth.

About the Author

Marie Sumner enjoys writing about entertainment and art. She owns more anime than she thinks appropriate to reveal to polite society. She writes for Wholesale Halloween Costumes, which gives her an excuse to talk about cosplay costumes, superhero suits and costumes for Halloween all day.
 
 
Source:
Photo by Pat Loika

The post Some Super Ideas for an Avengers Party appeared first on Playtime and Party.

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