Archive for the ‘activities/games’ Category

And last but not least for our deep blue sea bash, we made a toss game to match our party theme. The great thing about this is you could change the shapes and fabric to match any kind of party theme. Here’s what you’ll need:

• 2 yards of coordinating fabric
• 3 pre-cut squares of coordinating felt
• plywood (or foam board if you don’t have a saw handy)
• fabric glue
• staple gun

And here are the super simple steps:

1. Have the hardware store cut your board to size (3′ x 4′) and have someone handy with a saw to cut your circular holes.
2. Cover the board with fabric using a staple gun.
3. Next find the center of each hole, cut a small slit and then cut strips folding the fabric back to cover the hole sides and stapling them in place.
4. Cut out a fish template from the felt and then a circle in the center, the same size as the hole in the board. Apply the fish with fabric glue.
5. Finally cut out numbers for each hole and apply those with fabric glue.

We placed ours on an easel that my hubby whipped up, but you could lean it against a tree or make small wooden feet for yours. As for what to throw, use either balls or beanbags and hand out prizes for all those who play! Happy crafting.

I showcased a few ocean party ideas from Family Fun magazine in yesterday’s post. Today I’m sharing a few more for the royal princess living in your midst.

This first one, a beautiful shell crown, is a must for any mermaid princess. You’ll need:

• Heavy cardstock large enough to encircle your child’s head
• Tiara or crown template available at FamilyFun.com/magazine
• Small shells (large shells will be too heavy and weight down the craft paper)
• Tacky glue or hot glue
• Sand
• Glitter

And here are the simple steps to make this beautiful crown:

1. Using the template provided by Family Fun, draw and trimout the design. (A cutting mat and staight edge would be helpful.)
2. Place your shells and then affix them with glue.
3. Before the glue drys completely sprinkle on sand and glitter to fill in the open spaces.
4. Allow the crown to dry and then secure it into a circle that will fit your child’s head.

This next craft is too adorable and perfect for photo ops. You’ll need:

• Flat bedsheet
•  Washable marker
• Nondimensional fabric paint (e.g., DecoArt SoSoft)
• Felt
• Fabric glue

And here are the super simple steps:

1. Lay the bedsheet down on a hard flat surface and have your child lie down in the center so that his or her neck lines up with the top edge.
2. Using the washable marker, trace the child’s body and then sketch the design on top of the outline. (See the mermaid in the upper right corner.)
3. Now use the fabric paint to create your mermaid. 
4. I’ve added my own twist here. Paint the mermaid tail, but then embellish it with glitter felt (the craft store usually has pink and purle!) scales.
5. Hang your sheet on a laundry line to dry and let the magic begin.
6. NOTE: Follow the package instructions for setting the paint and laundering the sheet.

Happy crafting!

Every little girl likes to be the princess, but when it isn’t her day, being a member of the royal court can be just as fun. Set the stage by asking that each child wear a dress-up gown of her own, or have a selection available for them to choose from when they arrive. (NOTE: Be careful of little feelings by being prepared with a few extra dresses just in case something doesn’t fit or a mom forgets. Let’s face it, we all do sometimes!) Adorning your entry way with a red carpet and announcing each girl when she arrives is always fun. And finally, instead of a goody bag, powder each girl’s cheeks with a little glitter and present her with a tiara of her own (maybe a little smaller than the princess’ since it is her day).