Spring Fling! Party Activities To Do With Children

WATER PLAY

Pull out your gum boots and find a puddle to muck around in (or fill a wading pool with water). Then, bring out the food coloring, bubble bath, whisk, funnels, ladles, water wheel, etc. to have a wild 'n wet time!

SAND PLAY

Hop in the sandbox and use "tools" such as sieves, empty spice shakers, toilet rolls, tin cans with one or two ends removed, plant pots, etc. to add to the fun.

NATURE SCAVENGER HUNT

See how many of the following items you can find: - tree bark, acorn, dead leaf, seed, bone, sand, insect, twig, dead grass, spider web, rock pine needle, clover, ladybug, and bird.

DONUT BIRDFEEDER

Welcome the birds back with a tasty treat! Sandwich a bagel between two plastic lids. Thread a string through the center, and tie a big knot at the bottom. Hang from a tree.

SCOOP BALL

Make ball scoops by cutting two or more 1-litre (or 1 quart) plastic milk jugs in half horizontally. Toss a small ball back and forth to a partner, using only the scoop to catch and throw.

PET ROCK

Create your own pet rock by collecting a few well-shaped rocks and gluing them together. When dry, paint your new creature, and add features with markers, bits of felt or fabric, pipe cleaners, etc.

SPLASHY SIDEWALK PAINTINGS

Add some color to your life! Use one of your dad's large paintbrushes (or a plant mister) to create pictures on the sidewalk, using water mixed with a little paint powder, food coloring, or Kool-Aid powder.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Janine Lynn is a parent, author, and educator. Born and raised in Alberta, she is the author of "Help! I'm Bored! - Over 300 Children's Activities for Ages 2-12". She wrote this book because she wanted all of her favorite teaching ideas collaborated into one book, ready to use for any occasion!

A Great Resource: 1001 Creative Ideas For Fun Parties

Even the most creative divas need a little help sometimes in planning parties! I picked up this great book many years ago "The Best Party Book 1001 Creative Ideas For Fun Parties" by Penny Warner.

This book gives you ideas for almost any occassion! For example, it discusses party tips for:

Wedding Showers,

Baby Showers,

Birthday Parties,

Anniversaries,

Graduation,

Retirement,

Comings and Goings Parties,

Reunions, Christmas,

Hanukkah,

New Year's,

Valentine's Day,

St. Patrick's Day,

Cinco de Mayo,

Fourth of July,

Halloween and so many others!

The book gives you a checklist and helps you plan a theme, guest list, menu and games and activities. It even talks about creative party invitations, party mood and atmosphere.

If you're in a party rut or simply want new inspiration, check out this book today!

What to Serve When Guests Pop In

When I sit down to read one of my favorite Dorthea Benton Frank's novels (typically a tale of the southern lowcountry), the author always seems to describe two women sitting in a cozy kitchen, sharing a cup of coffee, delicious sweets and a meaningful conversation. I love that image and I often reflect upon it when I have friends and family come over.

I'd love to create an atmosphere in my home (and of course, my kitchen since I am a Diva In the Kitchen!) of warmth and welcome! In our busy lives, it would be nice to have a place where you can slow things down a bit and share quality time with the people you care about.

So how do you do that?

For me, one of the things I like to do is have coffee and cakes available at a moment's notice! Nothing kicks off a more welcoming atmosphere than the smell of coffee brewing and cake warming in the oven. I usually stock up on petit fours at the grocery store and put them in the freezer. When a friend stops over, I get the coffee pot going, turn the oven on and pop the little teacakes in! Easy, yet rich in hospitality.

Another thing I like to do is serve sweet tea and sausage balls (especially on the porch!) As many people in the south would say, sitting on the porch is a way of life. It represents sharing conversation and once again, slowing down just a bit to keep in touch with neighbors.

I have found that making little "goodies" ahead of time and freezing them, really goes a long way when faced with entertaining unexpectedly! The key is to make it look simple and without thought!

You don't want to make your guests feel they have put you out in any way, so having something prepared for their visit will make them feel right at home!

How to make your cake stand out!

So, you've baked all day, you got the icing just right, the rosebud decorations absolutley perfect - now what? You're going to showcase your masterpiece cake on a plain old dish????? Puuuhhleease.

Why not do what the professionals do? Put your cake on a silver cake plateau and let your guests oooh and ahhh over your spectacular creation!

I had this idea last year when my daughter was turning one. Now, granted, I didn't bake the cake, I bought it at Specialty Cakes in Lake Norman. But the point is, the cake was just way too beautiful not to show it off properly. So, I rented a cake plateau - oila!

I liked the idea so much, that I told my friends and family if they were looking for gift ideas for me at the holidays, well, I'd love a cake plateau! So, off Diva Michelle M. went in search of the silver plateaus and bought me one! She found several suppliers on the internet and you can get these beauties starting around just $40.

If you'r a hostessing nut like me, why stop at one? They make several shapes and sizes and you just don't know which one will strike your fancy the next time you're displaying your cake!

Let us know how you like to display your food at your parties!

Creating the Perfect Centerpieces

(photo courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens)

A party may be good, but it isn't spectacular without the perfect centerpiece!

Where do I even begin on this topic? You may have thought you were done with centerpieces once your wedding was over, but, honestly, that was just a warm up! Every gathering you have should include a centerpiece, and not just any centerpiece, but a masterpiece!

The centerpiece is the defining characteristic of your gathering. It sets the mood and creates your ambience. For example, at our Cookies For A Cause gala every year, our centerpiece is an extravagant display of uniquely designed cookie jars, each representing a different charity - in other words, it tells our story.

Your centerpiece by no means needs to be flowers, it can be anything really so long as it captures the essence of your affair! For example, you can use floating rubber duckies at a baby shower,

(photo courtesy of myweddingmania.com)

Or, a jester hat for a Mardi Gras party:

Whatever your style, keep it fun and creative!



You don't have to spend a lot of money and the internet has fabulous resources for ideas. One place I found is Google Images.

I also found a great craft supply store, Save-On-Crafts.com which has lots of unique items for great prices.


Share with us your centepiece ideas, we'd love to hear about them!

(jester photo courtesy of Love To Know)