Ideas for kids offers fun, festive and creative ways to entertain kids.

• Candy-Themed Party for Kids
• BBQ Party for Kids

Gumdrops and Lollipops, Candy Galore!….A Candy-Theme Party for Kids (ages 6-10)

The following details walk you through the candy party event from invitations, to activities to supplies needed. Instructions, a PDF of the signs we used as well as a shopping list are located at the end of this article.

• Sample Invitation Wording
• Candy Party Activities
• Candy Shop

Sample Invitation Wording

Every party begins with an invitation and the following wording is a sweet way to give the details of the event.

Gumdrops and Lollipops
Candy Galore!
Come to Maddox’s Sixth Birthday Party
And See What We Have In Store…

Saturday, July 26, 2008
1 – 3 pm
Maddox’s Candy Castle
1212 Evergreen Circle
RSVP 555.5555

Some examples of invitations include purchasing huge lollipops and tying a tag with the party details around the stem (these would need to be hand delivered), making a candy bar label with the invitation wording or sending this lollipop invitation.

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Candy Party Activities

We decided to create a carnival-type setting that would utilize different games or activities where the kids could earn tickets redeemable at the “Candy Store” for candy prizes. We created the following six activities that kept the kids moving, produced a fun atmosphere, and of course, centered around candy:

• Gumball Guessing Game
• Lollipop Grove Ring Toss
• Gumdrop Mountain Toss
• Chocolate Swamp
• Sweet Shots Photo Booth
• CANDY! (Bingo) Game
• The Candy Shop-the party finale

Gumball Guessing Game

The gumball guessing game required the children to guess how many gumballs were in a glass container. Place the gumballs in a container (count how many you place in the jar) and put the jar near the entrace of the candy-centric atmosphere. Have each child write down his/her name and guess their number on a slip of paper. Inform the children that at the end of the party, the person with the correct guess or closest to the correct number will win the entire container of gumballs.

Lollipop Grove Ring Toss

The Lollipop Grove Ring Toss is a fun activity that combines some hand-eye coordination. A little bit of prep work included:

• Creating paper lollipops and the “lollipop grove” sign
• Purchasing six toss rings at our local party supply store
• Placing the handmade lollipops sporadically within a section of the yard and establishing a “throw” line a couple feet away from the first lollipop. You can use tape, string or a sign like we did to show where the kids should stand to throw the rings.

The activity allows each child to throw six rings. For every lollipop the ring encircles the child wins a ticket, redeemable at the “candy shop”.

Gumdrop Mountain Toss

The Gumdrop Mountain Toss requires the kids to throw a ball at a piece of cardboard containing holes. For this activity we did the following:

• Created a huge gumdrop out of a 3 x 5’ cardboard piece, complete with spray paint and sparkles. We placed the gumdrop on a folding table and used several plate stands to keep the mountain vertical.
• We cut out several holes of different sizes starting at the top of the gumball and worked our way down in a pyramid-type fashion.
• We purchased ping pong balls from a sporting goods store.
• We established a throw line similar to the one in the lollipop toss.

Each child was given three ping pong balls and could throw each one once. The cardboard with holes had labels next to the holes describing how many tickets each hole was worth (the smaller the hole the more points). For each throw the child made, tickets were awarded accordingly.

Chocolate Swamp

This activity was fun and had an element of surprise to it.

• We took a small kiddy pool and filled it full of peanuts.
• We wrote the words "mini" or "king" on brightly colored index cards and hide the cards in the pool.

The kids would "dig" through the swamp to pick one card. If they chose a "mini" card, they were able to select a mini candy bar from the "candy shop" at the end of the day.

Sweet Shots Photo Booth

The sweet shots photo booth was the hit of the party and so simple to pull off.

• We asked a local furniture store for a refrigerator size cardboard box that we used for our photo booth. We cut out a window and a door and decorated the booth with signs (for photo booth signs, download the one page PDF document).
• We set up a digital camera and place it on a tripod outside of the booth, facing the booth window.
• We also placed a high stool in the booth for the kids to sit on

The kids were able to go in individually or as a group, pending how many kids could fit in the booth at one time. We took several pictures of each of the party guests and then included the pic of the child in the thank you cards sent a couple of days later.

CANDY! bingo

We wound down the party with a bingo game where the cards spelled C-A-N-D-Y. The kids played the game simultaneously as one person randomly pulled numbers out of a bowl. The first child with five numbers in a row and exclaimed “candy” won. We played three rounds and distributed tickets to the three winners.

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Candy Shop

The highlight and sweet finish to the party was the candy shop. We created the ultimate sweet factory where every item (except the chocolate bars) was of equal value and the kids could redeem their tickets for whatever candy they chose.

• We used various containers that we had on hand and filled each to the brim with like candy
• We created a sign saying "Gumdrops and Lollipops Candy Shop" and placed that on the table.

We gave each child a “to go” cellophane bag for their candy prizes as well as announced the gumball winner to finish the event

The kids absolutely loved this party and not just because it was centered around their favorite thing to eat. They returned several times to play each game and were excited to redeem their tickets at the candy shop.

For the party signs and handmade lollipops download the candy-theme party pack PDF and print these items on your home computer.

View our party preparation checklist by downloading the printable pdf.

Did you like this idea? Please let us know. Also, if you have other ideas that would enhance this celebration or if you would like us to help you with ideas for an upcoming kids birthday party, please contact us.

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BBQ Party for Kids

Keep your kids and their friends entertained at a "Just For Kids" barbeque party

Make dinner fun again by hosting an outdoor barbeque centered around the kids.

Food

Hosting a kids’ barbeque is a cinch. The key is to make it entertaining for the kids, from the food to the activity. A simple menu for children may include traditional items such as hamburgers and hotdogs. Change it up by making fun shapes and getting the kids involved in the preparation of some of the food. One great idea that not only adds interest to the food, but also is fun for the kids, is shaped hamburger patties. Using cookie cutters, mold or cut pre-made hamburger patties into stars, moons, or other cookie cutter shapes. Allow the kids to pick their patty shape, grill the patty for them and then have them decorate the grilled hamburger with squeeze bottle condiments.

For sides you can include finger foods such as fruit cut into bite-size pieces, potato chips and vegetable sticks. You can also get kids involved by allowing them to make “ants on a log.” You will need celery sticks, peanut butter and raisins. The kids can assemble each log by spreading peanut butter on the celery stick and sprinkling it with raisins. This is a fun activity and a tasty treat.

A sundae bar makes for a great dessert. Offer kids a scoop of chocolate or vanilla ice cream and offer bowls of treats with which they can top their ice cream. Cookie and candy pieces are typically a hit along with chocolate and caramel sauces.

Fun

Keeping kids entertained before, during and after the meal is the key to a successful party. Before they eat, provide the kids with sidewalk chalk and let their artistic abilities shine. You can continue the theme during dinner, by dressing the table with butcher paper and providing cups of crayons.

A great after-dinner activity is to create an outdoor movie theater. Rent a projector that will do well outside, hang a white sheet and project a kid friendly movie. The kids can get comfy on the lawn, enjoy their sundaes and watch a flick.

View our Kids BBQ Party Prep Timeline for tips on planning your event.

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Did you like this idea? Please let us know. Also, if you have other ideas that would enhance this celebration or if you would like us to help you with ideas for an upcoming BBQ, please contact us.