|
|
|
Go all out |
|
Do all of the above, adding other bugs to the hanging décor. Also,
using a large cardboard box (one from an appliance or a moving company would
work well), make a “roach motel” or “ant trap.” It should be open at
both ends so the kids can crawl through. Attach some contact paper, sticky side
up, to the floor of the box.
As the children arrive they can decorate the
outside (stickers, markers, etc.) and then crawl through the trap. Finally, if
you have a “black lite” go ahead and use it, the kids will love it. |
|
|
|
Entertainment/Crafts
and Activities |
|
Remember to keep the length of the party and the age of the
guests in mind when planning out your activities. Pick and choose, your child
may prefer some ideas to others.
HINT:
Always have an extra game or two on hand (they can be ones that don’t need
much preparation). You can always eliminate an activity, but there is nothing
worse than having a house full of youngsters with nothing left to do!
|
|
Easy
|
|
One of the easiest and most fun things to do is to hire a
professional animal trainer. There are several that come to parties with a
variety of animals and you can specify those of the “insect” family. The
kids will love touching a big tarantula and hearing the hissing cockroaches! |
|
|
|
Play pin the legs on the
spider
On a large piece of posterboard draw the black body of a spider. Have strips of
black construction paper ready for legs. Hand the blindfolded child a leg with a
piece of tape (or funtack) on the end, spin child three times and head them
toward poster. (With very young children you may reduce or skip the spinning
entirely.) Continue until each child has had a turn. For older kids, you may
declare a winner(s) and give some prize or treat. Personally, I like it when
everyone is a winner. |
|
|
|
Another good “on arrival” activity is to have a table ready with
crayons/markers, scissors and a variety of insect stencils. They can then draw
and cut out their own bugs (remind them to put their initials on back). Attach
them to some ribbon and send home with the goody bag. |
|
|
|
The following games are particularly good if played outside,
but with enough room can be played indoors as well. Hint: if you are indoors choose one; they may get too excited and
then you’ll have mayhem!
Spiders and Flies
This is a form of freeze tag,
it’s very active and the kids really love it. One child is the spider
(“it”) and the others are all flies. The spider say’s “I’m hungry for
some flies” and runs around trying to catch as many “flies” (who are also
running around) as he or she can. When a fly has been tagged the child must
freeze, with legs apart, and can’t move again until released by another fly
crawling through his or her legs. Set a time limit and try to let each child
have a turn being the spider.
Bug Hunt
Give each child a paper bag, or,
better yet, a net bag, in which to place the captured prey. Set them loose to
find plastic bugs (spiders, roaches, etc.) that you have previously hidden
around the yard (or house if indoors). The older the children the more difficult
the hiding places should be. When they’re done, each child gets a candy treat
for each bug they caught, to keep in their bag and take home later. |
|
|
|
Moderate |
|
Make stick puzzles
Buy
a bag of craft sticks (the kind that look like tongue depressors) at a craft or
party store. Plan on 6-8 sticks per child.
In advance of the party take six
sticks, lay them flat vertically right next to each other, and then tape them
together with masking tape run horizontally across the sticks. Leave an inch or
so of tape overhanging each side. Make one of these for each child. When it’s
time to do the activity give one to each child with the taped side facing down
onto the table.
Mark the child’s name or initials on the back. On the face-up
side each child can draw the bug of his or her choice. Make sure the drawing
extends across all the sticks. If you don’t mind the mess they can use glue
and glitter in addition to markers.
When done (dry), remove tape and each child
will have its own bug puzzle. Place in a plastic snack bag with the child’s
name on it and send home with the goody bags. |
|
|
|
Play Insect IQ
Have children sit in large circle on the floor. Give each
child a pad and pencil. In the center of the circle, on a towel or other mat,
place a number of different bugs such as a spider, a roach, a grasshopper, a
fly, a butterfly, an ant, etc. (you can buy plastic novelty bugs or pictures
from magazines).
Tell the children to look carefully at all the bugs, give them
20-30 seconds (more if very young), then cover the bugs up with another towel or
blanket. Give them 60 seconds to write down as many as they can remember, then
uncover the bugs and let them see how they did. If you like, you can declare the
child who remembered the most as “winner” and give some treat or prize. If
you have time you may continue to play as follows.
The kids shut their eyes
(watch out for peeking!) and you remove one bug and put it out of sight. Change
the positions of the remaining bugs then have the kids open their eyes and try
to guess which one is missing. This can go on as long as it holds their
interest. |
|
|
|
You can have the children make “ladybugs,” see
Invitations. |
|
|
|
Go all out |
|
If the children are old enough you can do a more involved craft.
Hint:
If they’ll need a lot of help split the group in two and have one group
work on something easier while the other does the more difficult craft. Then
reverse the groups. Of course, if you have a lot of adult helpers (you lucky
dog) you may not need to do this. |
|
|
|
Make dragonflies out of clothespins and construction
paper
Have the
children make wings by folding colored paper in half. Then have them place their
first two fingers on the paper, slightly apart, with the fingertips facing away
from the fold which is level with the base of the fingers, and trace around both
fingers.
Cut out, being sure not to cut folded edge, and unfold. The wings and
clothespins may be decorated with markers, glue and glitter, etc.
To complete,
fold the wings and place, fold side down, into the slit of the clothespin. Press
the wings open and secure to clothespin with tape or glue. Tie a length of
thread to the clothespin near the “head.” The kids will have lovely
dragonfly to take home and hang where they like. |
|
|
|
|
|
Food |
|
|
|
Personally, I like to keep the food as simple and easy for mom as
possible (i.e., pizza or, if you’re really ambitious chicken nuggets and
fries). This is particularly so when the kids are on the younger side. They
don’t eat much, they don’t like much and they don’t care much. The
exception to this is of course THE CAKE.
Spending some extra time (or money) on
a unique and special cake makes a great impression on the kids and is well worth
the effort.
Remember, depending on the time of the party you won’t need to
serve a lunch or dinner, just some snacks and the cake, and maybe some ice
cream. Whatever your inclination, here are some ideas you can use as a jumping
off point. Have fun and let your imagination run wild! |
|
|
|
Easy |
|
Some snacks that will work include:
Ants on a log
Stuff
2-3” lengths of celery with cream cheese and top with dark raisins.
Cheese
spiders
Cut 2” lengths of cheese, such as cheddar or jack, and insert
mini pretzel sticks for legs. |
|
|
|
Moderate |
|
Caterpillar munch
Using
a round cookie cutter make a number of round sandwiches (filled as you like).
Top each with a thin coating of butter that has been tinted green with some food
coloring, Place them out up against each other in the form of a caterpillar.
Grasshopper
grab-its
Buy frozen Chinese snow peas and let them defrost (you can use
fresh but then you’ll want to par-boil or steam them for a minute). Slit each
one open along the straight edge and stuff with a little soft herb cheese or
similar filling. If you like, serve them on a plate covered with coconut grass
(shake shredded coconut in a plastic bag with some green food coloring). |
|
|
The Cake |
|
Easy |
|
Find one of the many local bakeries that will make you a specialty
cake. Some will simply decorate a standard sheet cake with an appropriate
design, while others will make a theme cake in a special shape or however you
like. It’s easy, the kids love it and, considering the cost of baking (let
alone the time), very affordable. |
|
|
|
Moderate |
|
Make a spider web cake!
Bake a 9” round cake (use a mix, do
it from scratch, one layer or two, whatever floats your boat). Frost the entire
cake in a deep color such as blue or gray (make your own icing or just add food
coloring to the store bought; the Wilton cream colors, which include black, work
very well.)
Using a writing tip on a pastry bag or a store bought tube filled
with white icing, make a round dot on the very center of the cake. Then pipe
four concentric circles on top of the cake. Start in the center and work out
leaving about 1” of space between circles.
Draw the tip of a pointy knife
through the circles at equal intervals, alternating by one time pulling from the
outermost circle to the center dot and the next time pulling from the center dot
to the outermost circle. Place a “spider” on the web made of two black
jellybeans and some black licorice whip. Voila! A great cake the kids will love. |
|
|
|
Go all out |
|
With just a little bit more time and effort make a beautiful
Butterfly Cake.
You will need a log cake (usually available at a bakery or
market, or you can bake a jellyroll cake) and one single layer 9” round cake.
The log will form the body of the butterfly. For the wings, cut the round cake
in half and then on each straight edge cut in a little bit to form the shape of
a wing (see illus.)
Place the log between the two wings with the round edges
abutting it. Using brightly colored frostings, each color kept in separate
bowls, first frost the entire cake one base color and then add multiple colors
to the wings. You can spread the colors with the pink to form a rainbow or
create whatever design you like. Use two pretzel stix that have been frosted for
the antennae. If you like, add jellybeans, M&M’s, or other colorful
candies.
That’s it. All you need are candles and a wish. |
|
|
Goody Bags |
|
Here are just a few ideas that can be
added to the traditional repertoire. Give Little Dover “stained glass”
coloring books of insects (they cost about $1), or insect stickers. The kids
will love getting an ant farm (these can be purchased inexpensively at many
craft or art supply stores such as Pearl paint), or a book on “how to draw
bugs” and some pencils to go with it. |
|
|
|
| Partying Words |
|
Whatever you do, and whatever
choices you make, try to relax and enjoy the party. Remember that kids are a
very forgiving audience. Also, never forget that you’re the one in
charge
TAKE NO PRISONERS! |
|
|
|
|
