Open House Birthday Party

Organizing a birthday party when you have a large family can be difficult at best. With differing schedules, it can be a nightmare but here is a great idea that will work for almost any family. Our large family found the solution and we are sharing it in hope that it will help others.

With our family, which includes seven adult children, twenty-four grand children, and thirty great grandchildren, we found it difficult to plan any type of celebration. However when it came time to plan a birthday party for the matriarch of the family, we hit about a brilliant solution which will accommodate any schedules or size of family and help our mom with anything she needs to have done.

Having a birthday open house party eliminated all the scheduling conflicts. Those who worked during the day could come spend some time with mom during the evening while those who worked nights could spend the morning hours with her.

We chose the day before her mid week birthday as she works every weekend. As a self-employed person, she cannot simply take the day off. We choose the whole day to celebrate her day, this way the day can be as special as she is. She will not have two or three hours of a party, her birthday party will last most of the day.

We will be skipping the usual birthday cake and decorations. We will be including the desserts and foods we know the birthday girl enjoys. Some family members will bring a crock-pot, while others will bring salads, snacks, drinks or something to grill. Food will be served during the day, so no one will be hungry. Between the breaks in guests, those of us who will be staying all day can help with tasks as needed. Since mom lives alone, there are certain household chores she needs help with, we will tackle those projects while we are there.

Our mom will have a special day, with plenty of visits from loved ones and she will get help with those household chores she needs to have completed. This type of celebration is more meaningful than other types of birthday parties.

Father's Day in Heaven, I Miss Ya Dad

Everlasting love is what I have for you, dad
Long shall that love remain
Long shall the memories of you remain
I wish to hear your voice more than anything
Oh to hear your voice to
Telling me one more story about your younger days or
Telling me how to succeed at something that I am struggling with

Thanks dad for everything you have given me
I shall always hold your wisdom close
My heart you will never leave
My life would not be the same without you

Just take care of yourself up there,
Rest in peace dad, I miss you

My dad was a great man because he loved with his heart and told you straight up the real deal on everything. I miss him more than words can say. If one looks at the first letter of each line of this poem, you will know my dad's name.

Signs from Heaven

How does one know they are getting a sign from a loved one who is now living in Heaven? The signs are plentiful if you know where to look and what to look for.

My dad passed in late November of 2010, in the days following his passing we all were visited by a lone honeybee. Some people would say honeybees are all over, but for us we knew it was a sign because in late November in Pennsylvania the honeybees are simply not out. They all disappear as the nights begin to grow chilly in late September here. We saw a lone honeybee outside our homes as well as inside. As he lay in a comatose state for his final five days, a lone honeybee climbed up the window of his hospital room.

While our signs were obvious, other people may have a hard time figuring out what their signs are. A childhood friend, who lost a twenty four year old daughter, was looking for a sign that her daughter was safe in Heaven. My friend noticed that every time she began thinking of her daughter a morning dove would come and sit in a tree where she could watch it. She soon realized this was her sign from her daughter.

If you have dreams featuring that loved one, and that loved one tells you that 'thing are fine' this is a direct message to you that things are indeed fine. Usually people get this sign if they are grieving too much and cannot seem to move past the death. I have also had dreams about my dad in times of great stress. My dad tells in that 'things will be better' and this lets me know that dad is watching. I find great comfort in those dreams.

Signs can be a feather floating down when there are no birds around or a smell of that person's cologne or perfume when no one else is around. Coins on the ground, if they are the year of that loved one's birth are a sure sign. Especially if you find multiple coins on different days, randomly as you go about your week.

When you find yourself missing someone who has passed look for the signs, you will find them. Signs from heaven come in dreams, coins on the ground, to animals and insects, you simply need to look for things that repeat each time the grief is at the worst.

Saving Money on Paper Wedding Items

Having a wedding is a huge expensive event. Some wedding paper items are just not worth the money you will pay for such an event. You can have a great wedding and have it as memorable as if you had spent thousands of dollars on it. Many people simply do not have tons of money to pay for all the fancy paper trimmings.

Many people want the fancy invitations from a printer. These are indeed awesome to look at, but seriously, they will be looked at once and tossed away or meet a similar fate. Instead, send away for a mail order catalog from a company, which designs these. Use the cards in the book as examples and create your own.

Office supply stores as well as department stores have the fancy paper to make the invitations just as fancy as they are in the books or from a printer. You can download trail version of a card design program and the only expense you have is for the paper and envelopes.

With the right greeting card software, you can create many of the holders of wedding favors. For example, the Print Master software will help you create the little boxes to hold mints. Get the small bite size Hershey bars, and the small stickers, which fit, on them. Use your card software to print small labels, which have your names on them. Attach the labels to the candy bar wrapper. You have personalized wedding candy bars at a fraction of the cost.

Go into the dollar store and purchase tablecloths for all the tables, except for the bridal table. The bridal table should be a linen tablecloth. Pick up napkins, plastic silverware, and the paper plates while you are in the dollar store.

While you are in the dollar store look at the wedding decorations. You can find some very cute ones here. You can find a big banner that says congratulations on your wedding. No one will realize you got them there so do not worry about such things. Sometimes you can find the little containers of bubbles with the congratulations on them and this would be a nice gift for your guests.

Almost any fancy paper item you will pay much money for at a printer or specially store can be created on your home computer and printer. Take your time designing these items and you can have fancy paper goods without the high cost.

Balloon Releases for Loved Ones

Balloon releases can be done on many occasions and they are a great way of remembering those family members or close friends who have passed on. This brief article will give you ideas on when and how to release the balloons.

Helium balloons will automatically rise to the sky when released. Sky Lanterns, are much better to release than balloons. These are 100% paper items. The bottom is lit and the heat from the flame fills the balloon-type top and carries it skyward. On the day my dad passed in 2010, my six siblings, our mom, and I released these hot air balloons to let him know we missed him. You can purchase these Sky Lanterns in bulk at this website.

With these items, the entire thing will burn up as it rises skyward so there is no fire danger. There is also no danger of a bird or other small item dying from any plastic or Mylar from a regular type balloon. These are more environmentally safe then the classic types as well.

At a wedding when the grandparent, or mom or dad of the bride or groom has passed as the couple leaves the church the one who lost the family member should release a balloon. This can be a printed balloon with the names and date. You could also use a sharpie to write a special message.

Do not forget the other special days such as Wedding Anniversary, birthdays, Grandparent's Day, Mother's Day or Father's Day or any holiday the person loved. You can release balloons with personalized messages at anytime to acknowledge the much loved and missed family member. My dad gets them often because he had a huge family who misses him immensely.

Please be forewarned that in the winter months balloons do not fly so well. My first granddaughter passed in late November and on some of the years, we have trouble getting the balloon up. We assume this is because of atmospheric conditions.

Many people believe that loved ones who have passed join us in spirit at special occasions. Acknowledging that we feel them there is very important and this is why many people do the balloon releases.

Special 10th Birthday Party

When your child turns 10 years old, coming up with an idea for a special celebration to mark the occasion is sometimes a daunting task. A 10 year old is too old for a Barney party, and this brief article will give you a few suggestions to make his or her party one to remember.

Have their party in a special location. Usually this age a child has many friends who will need to be invited. So you need a place that will hold a lot of people both friends and family and one such places your local community hall or perhaps a room at your local volunteer fire department.

My niece recently had a 10^th birthday party for her daughter and rented a room at the local fire department. The room was big enough for people of all ages to enjoy themselves, whether they sat at one of the tables or danced in the open space. There was adequate parking, handicapped accessible restrooms, and the kitchen was open so the family had access to the sinks and counter space.

A local deejay was hired to provide music that the preteens could dance to. The preschoolers who are not dancers loved the light show that was synchronized to the music. Even if you cannot afford to hire a professional DJ, having someone play music than the children can dance to is always a good idea. The dance party is a good way to let your preteen few more grown up.

A regular birthday cake will not cut it; you need something more grown up. Instead of the usual one layer frosted cake, try a layered and filled cake. At the local party, there was a huge sheet cake. Half of it was a chocolate cake layered with Bavarian cream and the other half was a white cake with raspberry filling. The entire cake was covered with a cool whip based icing. Everyone enjoyed it.

There was the usual mix of beverages, plenty of water, little juice boxes and assorted sodas which were kept on ice in little barrels. The food table held big bowls of assorted chips, cheese doodles, and pretzels.

There was even a box of leis for the kids to wear and plenty of balloons. There were more balloons than there were children. My niece decided to release the extra balloons for our family members who are in heaven after the party.

Creative Ways to Announce the Sex of an Unborn Baby

There are many creative ways to announce to your families the sex of your unborn baby. Using one of these ways will build the excitement of the upcoming arrival and will announce him or her in a unique way.

My nephew and his wife are expecting their first child and they decided to let the rest of the family know at gender revealing party. The family gathered for a cook out, and the mom to be was presented with a box. When she opened the box, several pink balloons emerged. When the couple had their first ultrasound two weeks prior to the party the Dr. revealed to my nephew the sex of his baby. My nephew was home for this ultrasound but had to report to active duty the day afterwards.

My nephew let his best friend know the sex a few hours before the party so that he could get the right color balloons to surprise his wife. He was on the phone so he could hear the excitement of his wife, but was also sent a video via a cell phone of the reveal.

With all the technology available to us today parents can give very creative with the announcement of their impending arrival or arrivals.

Creative parents could create a web site for their unborn child and upload the ultrasound pictures. The page that has the ultrasound pictures should be gender neutral, as the reveal will happen in the specially created video that the parents will upload. In this brief video, the one parent who knows the sex of the baby will tell the other parent. This way the excitement is captured on film and everyone can share in that stimulation.

If a couple is having twins or other multiples here is a cute way to let the world know. Create a video of one parent revealing to the other parent the sex, and upload this video to share the announcement. If mom knows the sex of the babies, she could hand dad a little pair of socks for each baby. Two pair of blue socks revealed twin boys, while a pair of each color would represent a baby of each sex.

Chicago Bulls Game Perfect Father's Day Gift

The perfect gift for a special dad this year on Father’s Day is to go see a Chicago Bulls game at United Center! Imagine dad’s joy as he celebrates his special day at courtside at a basketball game, the best gift is NBA tickets. It would make a truly memorable day. Celebrating these special days doing what dad loves to do is a great idea. 

If dad is not into basketball or the Chicago Bulls, the TicketAmerica website has plenty of  United Center tickets in Chicago as well as other venues around the United 

Paper Fourth of July Crafts

Cheap and easy Fourth of July crafty activities for kids of all ages are the focus of this article. Although designed for children, all of these activities can be adapted for people of all ages to take part. Some of these are one hundred percent free while others require a minimal purchase but none of them will break the bank. All of the activities will get the entire family in on the action and will help to make the day more enjoyable for all.

Make a flag
Item needed some construction paper, stick glue, and a few pieces of white printer paper, star stickers, and some glitter pens.

Depending on the ages of the children involved, a helpful parent will cut out strips of red paper, which are about an inch high. Make sure you turn the paper to the landscape position to cut your strips.
A parent or older child should also cut out multiple tiny stars or simply use star stickers.

Allow the children to assemble the paper flags as an activity during your celebration or beforehand to use as decorations. However if you choose to use this for a party activity it will keep the kids entertained so the adults can relax.

Paper chains
Some may think that paper chains are for Christmas, but if you use red, white and blue construction paper these become themed for the fourth of July celebrations around that nation. This is also one of those activities, which will keep the kids entertained.

A parent or older child should precut strips of red, white, and blue construction paper into inch long strips. Make sure you turn the paper to the landscape position to cut your strips.



Use a stapler to secure the strips into the chain, and see how big a child can get the chains. You can make this a mall competition by dividing the children into groups. Offer prizes for the longest length in a certain period. 


Coloring Contest
Many web sites offer themed holiday printable which you can print off and have the kids or those who are youthful color. The beauty of these pages is that you can print off simple drawings, or more detailed ones, so there is something for everyone to enjoy.

Simply supply the crayons, markers, glitter pens, stickers and allow the kids to have fun.

Hodgepodge
Cut out images from magazines of families sharing special times and have the kids paste them onto sheets of poster paper. Make these pictures have a theme such as family fun, food, and even locations.

raditions for the Fourth of July

Traditions for the Fourth of July holiday are varied between families and states. There are many similarities between the traditions of the Fourth of July holiday, but there are differences as well.


I am going to discuss what happens in northeastern Pennsylvania in our traditional Fourth of July holiday get-togethers. Perhaps it can inspire you to share some good clean healthy fun.

I come from a rather large extended family, so we usually do any holiday celebrations as a family unit but we also to include some people who are not family. Most of our fourth of July celebrations occur at our privately owned campground.

Camping is a tradition in my family. We usually camp most of the summer a few days at a time. In the month of July, my children and I remain the whole time, and the fourth is the best.

Now during this month some people stay the whole month and others to stay a few days at a time. One thing is certain we are all there for the Fourth of July. It is fun for everyone.

We have a few sparkers for the little ones but who needs them when you have bonfires on a nightly basis? You can toast marshmallows or hotdogs while listening to family members sing patriotic songs.

Fourth of July activities include a friendly cook off that would leave Gordon Ramsey licking his lips in appreciation. Each of my siblings makes a special dish, which is judged, and the best ones in each category will win a prize.

Everyone tries to make a dish with a patriotic name. It is a challenge to come up with something different each year. Points are given for creativity in the name of the dish, taste, and creativity of the ingredients used. The smells of all the different items being cooked over the campfires wafts through the air.

We also try to play old-fashioned games, and spend the day talking and bonding. We have also done a special trivia game in which the answers all have to do with the July 4 in history or events, which led up to our nation's independence.


Gather the kids to play Frisbee, softball or volleyball. One of the fun activities for the kids is to play a version of tag where you have to call out a name of someone in history. This really tests their knowledge and makes you wonder how much they pay attention in school.

Two small towns near us will have Fourth of July celebrations, and we attend both of these as one huge unit. They are on different nights, which is great. We caravan which means it is usually about a 20-car procession, so it takes us a while to get anywhere. We all enjoy the fireworks, and the carnivals, which are set up both of these celebrations. However, the thing that we all liked best easily is being with family.

Father's Day Printables

Father's Day is quickly coming upon us, and if you are looking for last minute special gifts that you can create for your dad look no further. Here are my favorite collection of links with lots of ideas how to create the perfect gift, cards and crafts for your Father, Father in law or any dad that needs a special boost this year on Father's Day.



The crafts, cards, and other activity links found on this page are perfect for children of all age. All of these activities can give you ideas to create your own gifts for Father's Day to show your dad just how much you care about him.

Free Father's Day cards to print

www.familycrafts.about.com/od/Fathersdaycards

www.fathersday-cards.com/

www.123greetings.com/events/fathers_day/

Father's Day Cards to Print at Blue Mountain they are free
www.bluemountain.com/cnp/cpsearch.pd?path=27730

Father's Day Coloring Pages to color for your special dad

www.billybear4kids.com/holidays/Father/gifts.htm

Crafts, Cards, and many activities for Father's Day Crafts geared towards preschoolers, kindergarten, and elementary school aged children.

www.crafts.kaboose.com/holidays/fathers-day/
www.dltk-holidays.com/dad/
www.lessonplanspage.com/FathersDay.htm
www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/fathersday/

The Craft Library many Father's Day gifts on this web site.
www.homeschoolzone.com/PP/Fathers-day.htm
www.daniellesplace.com/HTML/mengifts.html

We should not have just one day to show our dads how special they are to us, so remember to tell your dad everyday that you love him. This is something many of us do not do, and we really should take the time just to say I love you dad, everyday. Making Father's Day everyday is a great way to show your dad you love him.

Happy Mother's Day to my mom Myrtle and to all the moms out there.

Here are my favorite collection of links with lots of ideas how to create the perfect gift for your mother, mother in law or any mom that needs a special boost this year on Mother's Day.

The crafts, cards, and other activity links found on this page are perfect for children of all ages, from preschoolers, kindergarteners, right up through all of elementary school age. All of these activities can give you ideas to create your own gifts for Mother's Day to show your mom just how much you care about her.

We should not have just one day to show our moms how special they are to us, so remember to tell your mom everyday that you love her. This is something many of us do not do, and we really should take the time just to say I love you mom, everyday. Making Mother's Day everyday is a great way to show your mom you love her.

Free Mother's Day cards to print

www.familycrafts.about.com/od/mothersdaycards
Mother's Day Cards to Print at Blue Mountain they are free

www.bluemountain.com/cnp/cpsearch.pd?path=27730
Mother's Day Coloring Pages to color for your special mom

www.billybear4kids.com/holidays/mother/gifts.htm
Crafts, Cards, and many activities for Mother's Day

www.crafts.kaboose.com/holidays/mothers-day/
Create a Mother's Day shadow Box with a shoebox, Popsicle sticks, and flowers.

www.lessonplanspage.com/MothersDay.htm
Mother's Day Potholder Craft, easy to make

www.daniellesplace.com/html/mothersday.html
Mother's Day Crafts geared towards preschoolers, kindergarten, and elementary school aged children.

www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/mothersday/
The Craft Library many Mother's Day gifts on this web site.

ww.homeschoolzone.com/PP/mothers-day.htm

Another cool idea for kids this Mother's Day is to give mom a plant that grows this way she can be reminded each day how much you love her everyday. With the help of an adult a child could prepare a special breakfast or lunch for Mother's Day, and this one if perfect for any mom.

Plan a Mother's Day Party

Planning a Mother's Day party is only as hard as you make it out to be. Do everything with your own mom in mind. The rest will come easy. Celebrate Mother's Day's with your mom, and remember it is really all about her so pamper her all day long. When you are planning a mother's day party perhaps, this can help.


First things first, the day of the celebration is an easy, unless of course if you have a working mom. There is no steadfast rule that says you need to celebrate Mother's Day then. Wait until it is her day off if she is a working mom, she will be able to enjoy the effort better if she is well rested.



Next, choose the location. This does not need to be her home, in fact it can be anywhere she enjoys being. If she enjoys the beach or a cabin in the woods, take the celebration there. This is her special time, so allow her personal taste dictate the location. My mom enjoys spending time at the family campground or on the huge deck at her house.

The food sometimes can be a real headache for some Mother's Day party planners. If your mom enjoys a barbeque, than have one. If she enjoys seafood, have a nice seafood brunch.

If you mom prefers picnic food, why not host a picnic. Fire up the grill, and grill a steak, hamburger, or whatever it is, she loves to eat. If a home cooked, dinner is more your mom's style why not a nice Italian meal or hearty pot-roast. The choice should always be exactly what the mom wants.

In our family, we usually have a huge picnic. It is a big family fun filled day. The males in the family run the barbeque while us moms sit and chat. My sisters and I all pick one of mom's favorites and that is what we make for the celebration before we even head to the celebration.

The entertainment can be as simple as a radio for background noise or the birds twittering. Of course, the joyful noise of a family laughing and talking together is always preferable to any music.

Of course, it is always fun to play a game of trivia. Base the trivia on the moms in attendance, or even famous moms in history. Have the trivia questions prepared well in advance of Mother's Day.

The entertainment can be a talent show by family members. I am sure the children in the family would love to 'show off; for mom and grandma on their special day. Make sure all children get some type of small present for their effort.

Cheap Easter decorations for kids

For this one you will need one empty egg carton, 1 piece each of red (or orange) and white felt, 12 small sized pompoms and 12 medium sized pompoms, glue, scissors, and imagination.



You can use the top of the egg carton to hold the little piece of felt that an adult has cut. The white felt will be cut into small circle that will become the eyes of the chicks while the red or orange piece will become the beaks of our crafty little chicks.



Add a bit of glue to each eggcup and put a medium size pompom in there, follow that with a dad of glue to add a small pompom to each medium one. Add the eyes and beaks and allow ample drying time. Simply cut the egg carton cups apart, and each segment will become a little chick.



Another Cheap Easter decorations for kids is to make a cool basket.If you have an empty soda bottle or milk carton, just sitting around it too can become a cheap decoration. Clean it well, and cut the top off so that it is only 4-6 inches tall and we can create an Easter basket from it. Fill the bottom with grass and decorate the outside with holiday stickers, or simply cotton balls from the beauty section of your favorite department store. Add paper eyes, ears, nose, and some pipe cleaner whiskers, and kids will love it.



Yet another Cheap Easter decorations for kids is a blooming tree Do you have a flowering tree in your yard or access to one? Watch for when it begins to get the bud nibs and break off a branch. Place the branch into a decorated coffee can or vase with water. Now you can hang little Easter decorations on it that you have picked up at the dollar store for cheap. In a few weeks, the branch will bloom if you keep adding water as needed and you can teach the kids a bit about science while you are doing this.



Cheap Easter decorations for kids do not need to be cheesy, or ugly. The tree, chicks, and even the basket outlined here can help make special memories this year. I hope you will create some of these cheap Easter decorations with your kids this year.

Easter Party on a Budget

Hosting an Easter Party on a budget for people of all ages can be done easier than one might imagine. This type of party is unique, so it should be well received by the intended guests.



The theme for this Easter Party will of course be bunnies and chicks, and the other decorations should be light pastel colors of green, yellow, pink and of course blue.



When making the invitation search the internet for copy write free graphics of bunnies, chicks, and every thing else related to Easter. Save the images to your computer and with card making software design the invitations with your free graphics.



Purchase napkins, plates, cups, and balloons in the following colors green, yellow, pink, and blue at the dollar store for your Easter Party. Also, pick up some crepe paper that you can use for decorative purposes. Some cheap holiday stickers can be placed on cups to decorate them a touch.



If you have a string of Christmas lights handy hang them around the room to add to the festive atmosphere. If you have a small tree, why not string it with green or white lights and hang little Easter decorations on it. With enough planning, three to four weeks before the holiday go outside, bring in a branch of a lilac tree, and put it in water. It will bloom at Easter time and fill your house with its pleasant aroma and a splash of color.

Print off the images to use as decorations or even games. A big bunny printed on an eight by ten sheet of paper is perfect for planning a quick game of tape the tail on bunny. For little ones sheets of Easter themed coloring pages are always a hit, and for the older kids' one can print off holiday day themed word searches and puzzles. Placing smaller Easter graphics on a sheet of sticker paper will allow the kids to create their own stickers.



Be sure to include an egg hunt at your Easter Party, all the plastic eggs do not need to be filled with candy. To many children these days are on special diets, which restrict sugar so add tiny erasers, and other trinkets to the eggs along with non-sugar snacks. Some eggs could even contain loose change.



Another neat idea is to have special eggs, make sure there are only a few of this color and put slips of paper in them with a number. If you use pink, eggs for this purpose tell the kids, they are only allowed to have one pink egg. AT the dollar store, choose a few special gifts stuffed animals, art sets, or pails of sand toys will work. Put a number on the special gifts and the child who gets the pink egg with that number wins the prize at the Easter Party.

Food Spring Party for Preschoolers

If you are hosting a spring party for preschoolers then you will also need to include foods that you know they will enjoy. These items should be healthy finger foods that they can enjoy. The spring party foods for preschoolers listed within this short guide will help you in your planning this year.

For preschoolers you will need to keep safety in mind as well as portion control, all of which are included. Kids this age love to feed themselves and they enjoy many colors so be sure to add a variety of colors in your menu.

Jell-O Jiggles
Jell-O jiggles are fun any time you eat them. Preschoolers and other children really seem to enjoy them all the time. These make a wonderful addition to the table menu at a spring party celebration. Be sure to prepare different flavors so that the kids can select their favorites. It does not matter if you use a mold or simply cut them into squares, the kids will love them.

Fancy sandwiches
Create a wide variety of sandwiches and cut them in triangle quarters for easy handling of the preschoolers. You can try varieties such as peanut butter and jelly, ham and cheese, or chicken salad. The small size makes them easy to pick up for anyone. If you make these up ahead of time, store them in the refrigerator until it is time to eat to ensure safety.

Fruit slices
Fruit is a great alternative to sugar laden deserts on the market today. Fruit is good for you and most preschoolers love to eat it. Fresh fruit is better, but for convenience, you can purchase frozen or canned fruit that is ready to be served. Oranges and bananas can be peeled quickly and served fresh and can be served with plain yogurt for dipping.

Individual tarts
Parents can purchase prepared desert shells, which are sponge cake in the bread isle of your favorite grocery store. You can fill these with pudding or pie filling to create individual tarts that are perfect for your preschool spring party.

Cheese and Crackers
Preschoolers love cheese and crackers and this is the perfect healthy snack for them. Purchase a variety of cheese and cut it into cubes for their enjoyment. Great varieties include American, cheddar, and other type of cheeses that can be cubed or cut into small pieces so that the preschoolers can put them on their crackers. If it's available in your area that cheddar cheese with little bits of pepperoni inside of it is a great cheese for preschoolers as that pepperoni is typically not spicy.

For cracker bases, you can use plain old saltines or the circular snack crackers read the spring party for preschoolers. Townhouse crackers are also good for the preschoolers because they are very easy to eat, and a very good plain.

I hope this handy guide of spring party food ideas for preschoolers has helped you in some way or at least inspired you to help celebrate spring in this fun way.

Spring party activities for preschoolers

Spring party activities for preschoolers are a fun enjoyable way for these kids to celebrate the changing of the seasons. Children have cabin favor as most as other people do, so having a party specifically for the preschoolers and other young children this is a great way to alleviate the burning desire to get outside. Please allow this guide to help you as you plan your activities for your preschool spring party. It is my hope that the springtime party activities for preschoolers will help you have a great celebration this year.



Treasure hunts can be fun for people of all ages, but preschoolers will need simple verbal directions as to what to find. If there are enough adults to watch the children to insure their safety this is a great outdoor activity.



Before the children come, you want to hide various things around the yard that they can easily pick up, such as a green frog, a yellow egg, or other color specific items, which are small enough for them to carry or to pop in a basket.



All the green frogs should be in one area, and should every item, to make this a treasure hunt. Adults know that a treasure Hunt is played by picking up specific items, but we also know that preschoolers did not have very vast attention spans so we need to limit the amount of items in this treasure hunt.



One adult have to tell the children what they need and then the children go find it. Be sure to say something specific so that the kids can understand where to go, such as the frog behind the big green thing, if the frog is hiding behind a green big tree.



Hide various Easter eggs outside or inside the home for the eager preschoolers to find. Make sure you put age appropriate Items within the Easter eggs as we would not want any children to be hurt at this spring party for preschoolers. Every parent will thank you if you limit the amount of candy that goes into these eggs, so feel free to put other things inside. Give the children of basket and allow them to go in search of the Easter eggs.



If you have a box of pudding in your cupboard you can make a finger paint, which is an easy cleanup, great tasting, and non-toxic for preschoolers. We all know that children love to paint and using a box of pudding, and mixing it with the milk as you would to eat it gives them the perfect finger paint. If you do this activity inside did not allow them to sit at a table, which has carpeting, or rug beneath that. The better course of action is to let them finger paint outside on a deck that you can spray off with the hose.

This maybe one of the most creative of the St. Patrick's Day games for kids mentioned within this article. Do a search for holiday related coloring pages and print off several, add the crayons or markers and allow the children to have fun. If you have kids of different ages, divide them into age relate groups and offer everyone a prize.



If you have lots of space try St. Patrick's Day games for kids, which involve using their large motor skills. If you play tag or catch, have the kids yell out a holiday related term just as they are ready to be caught. Playing soccer, the teams could be the shamrocks and the fighting Irish.



Go online and get some Irish facts and trivia that are child appropriate and play a St. Patrick's Day games for kids. Divide the kids into teams or allow them to play individually and win prizes.



St. Patrick's Day games for kids' are a great way to add fun to a party or just to help your own kids pass the time in the holiday spirit. These games and activities will keep them entertained and allow them to be creative.



With Saint Patrick's Day drawing closer, the demand for simple preschooler crafts is quickly approaching. I am going to show you how to make a few Saint Patrick's Day Preschooler Crafts that are simple, fun and inexpensive. 

Saint Patrick's Day Preschooler Crafts

Head to the dollar store and grab a pack of construction paper if you do not have any yet. You will need to purchase the biggest sheets you can because this is for a shamrock man placemat.



Take a big sheet of plain paper, and lay it flat on the table surface, next take a sheet of green construction paper and cut out a large shamrock and paste it into the middle of the large piece of plain construction paper on the table. Have the child draw in the face features, and add feet near the bottom. Your child could also draw hands emerging from the sides of the shamrock.



Add in shamrock stickers or simple allow your child to have fun drawing to their hearts content in the rest of the paper. Cover the entire sheet of paper with clear contact or laminate it so it is safe to use as a place mat.



Shamrocks are always present in any type of this holiday decorations. When my children were all much younger we had fun creating lots of different sized shamrocks and placing them around on the walls inside our home. We also placed some in the windows of our house. You will need plenty of green construction paper and tape to turn your house into a shamrock house.



A parent or older child may have to outline these shamrocks on the paper for the younger children or even cut them out. Everyone will be able to draw upon the faces of these and even a one year old can help hang these with a bit of help.



Create a shamrock mobile out of different sizes of shamrocks. Use your imaginations and get creative with the children on this one. Create a large shamrock for the top, and have other sized shamrocks hanging from the big ones with string. You can paint these; use some glitter, a few stickers, or whatever your child desires within reason to have fun. Hang it with a piece of scotch tape, and this is something your child can be proud of.



I hope you have enjoyed my Saint Patrick's Day preschooler crafts ideas and will find them enjoyable to do with your own little ones this holiday season. All are easy to create and will keep your little ones busy with an afternoon of fun.

St Patrick's Day Games for Kids

Tape the shamrock on the Leprechaun.
In this St. Patrick's Day games for kids, the children place a shamrock on the leprechaun, like they pin the tail on the donkey. Tape the shamrock on the leprechaun, simply purchase a large cardboard cut out of a Leprechaun and hang it on a door.



Cut several smaller shamrocks out of construction paper and add the names of each child who will be playing. Double a piece of tape and place it on the back of the shamrock and blindfold each child and allow them to stick the shamrock on the leprechaun. All children who place it somewhere on the image get a prize.



Irish Musical Chairs
We've all played musical chairs but in this version of St. Patrick's Day games for kids, it is just a bit different. Instead of playing regular music, try some beautiful Irish music to expose the children to this music.

Pencil games
Some of the best St. Patrick's Day games for kids expand their knowledge, and allow them to have fun. Come on line, look for holiday related word searches, word scrambles, or mazes, and print off enough for the children to all have fun.


This maybe one of the most creative of the St. Patrick's Day games for kids mentioned within this article. Do a search for holiday related coloring pages and print off several, add the crayons or markers and allow the children to have fun. If you have kids of different ages, divide them into age relate groups and offer everyone a prize.



If you have lots of space try St. Patrick's Day games for kids, which involve using their large motor skills. If you play tag or catch, have the kids yell out a holiday related term just as they are ready to be caught. Playing soccer, the teams could be the shamrocks and the fighting Irish.



Go online and get some Irish facts and trivia that are child appropriate and play a St. Patrick's Day games for kids. Divide the kids into teams or allow them to play individually and win prizes.



St. Patrick's Day games for kids' are a great way to add fun to a party or just to help your own kids pass the time in the holiday spirit. These games and activities will keep them entertained and allow them to be creative.



With Saint Patrick's Day drawing closer, the demand for simple preschooler crafts is quickly approaching. I am going to show you how to make a few Saint Patrick's Day Preschooler Crafts that are simple, fun and inexpensive. 


www.akidsheart.com/holidays/stpat/stgames.htm

www.alphabet-soup.net/hol/stpgame.html

www.familyfun.go.com/parties/holiday/specialfeature/stpatday_sf/stpatday_sf.html

St. Patrick's Day food

Ham and Cheese roll ups. Take a slice of ham and spread it with your favorite type of cream cheese. When you prepare your cream cheese, it will need to be softened so mix in a few drops of green food coloring and then spread it on the slice of ham. Roll up the slice of ham, pick them up gently, and place them on the child's plate.

Mashed Potatoes can be turned green, as can be vanilla pudding. Turning vanilla pudding green makes it more festive but you need to remember to add it to the milk and turn it green and then dump it into the pudding.






Mini grasshopper pies are excellent for preschoolers, but not too many in this age group enjoy a mint flavor. So why not add a few drops of green food coloring to plain vanilla pudding and put it in those little individual tart shells of chocolate gram crackers. These are small enough to mass-produce and tiny enough for small hands to hold.



Green milk is easy to make, and will be a hit. If you add a bit of vanilla flavoring to it, it makes it special. Of course, you could always add green food coloring to apple juice or serve green cool aide.



St. Patrick's Day games for kids are a perfect addition to a St. Patty's Day party. These St. Patrick's Day games for kids incorporate fun, trivia and some exercise into a fun filled afternoon.

St. Patrick's Day food for a preschool party

St. Patrick's Day food for a preschool party is a great way to show the children in your life about the Irish Holiday. I will share ideas on how to make this special holiday even more memorable. St. Patrick's Day food is a fun and exciting way for children to enjoy the holiday.



The food for your preschool party is very important. Of course, you will need to stick to your budget. For these young children finger-foods are always best.



Finger-sandwiches always go well, and you can get creative with them. How about green egg salad, tuna fish, or even chicken salad. Simply add green food coloring to the salad dressing or mayonnaise.



If you have the time and ambition to bake your own bread or rolls, it is easy to color the bread green as you are mixing up the dough.



A very simple yet tasty cracker spread is cream cheese on your choice of crackers. You can purchase low fat cream cheese or regular. Any type of plain crackers works well here so whatever type your family enjoys will work here I prefer townhouse but my grand child prefer regular saltines. I have found that most preschoolers as well as children of all ages love this type of cheese on crackers.



To make this St. Patrick's Day food simply soften the cream cheese and add a few drops of green food coloring. I like to soften my cream cheese ad sprinkle in bacon bits or little pieces of summer sausage and garlic to taste.

Cheap Valentine's Day

Cheap Valentine's Day decorations are in your local dollar store. You will find cheap prices on beautiful decorations. When you go looking for these cheap Valentine's Day decorations, be selective and creative. Remember this - the dollar store is your best friend for cheap Valentine's Day decorations.



Your local dollar store is full of things that only cost a buck, and that would help you in your quest for cheap Valentine's Day decorations. Dollar stores are notorious for having candles, of every shape, color, and scent that you could ever want. Occasionally your local department store will have a good sale on candles, but not very often.

For these cheap Valentine's Day decorations, you will also be using some flower rings, candle, glass candle globes, and Christmas lights, from the department stores or your local dollar store.



Okay the first cheap Valentine's Day decorations, is simply a decorative votive candleholder that has a flower ring around it. The depending on the type of candleholders that you purchase you can have a quiet soft romantic statement. I think the larger candleholders look better for the votive of candles, and one of the Globes are perfect for this. Simply buy a flower ring to go around the bottom and make sure the color of the flowers in the flower ring match the color of the candle.



Get out your Christmas lights. If you have any of the small white lights, they add a festive romance to your Valentine's Day decorations atmosphere. Simply hang the string of lights over the door or window casing to add a touch of romance. At Christmas time, you can purchase the Green Garland, which has the tiny white lights throughout it, this is perfect for using along with your Valentine's Day decorations, there are so many things you can do with this one, let your imagination go wild.



There are chunky pillar candles in the dollar stores; you can use as well. Purchase a chunky pillar in a color of your choice along with a nice flower ring to go on the base of them. Just make sure that the flowers of the flowering match the color of candle. These pillar candles tend to melt just on the inside so you will not have to worry about wax drippings on the flower ring or tablecloth, should you decide to use one.

Sometimes in the dollar stores, you will be able to get fiber optic items, and if they are the right items, they can easily be used as cheap Valentine's Day decorations. Sometimes we have to look beyond the obvious for cheap Valentine's Day decorations, they need not cause to a ton of money to be romantic.

Spring party invitations

Spring party invitations for a preschool celebration are very fun to make with your child. If you are hosting a spring party for your child, you need the invitations to help spread the word. Within this guide, you will find some simply get creative ideas that you can use to help your preschooler make these.



To create this spring party invitations for preschoolers you simply need some sheets of construction paper, crayons, markers, stickers, a glue stick, scissors, and a creative imagination. You may already have all of these items if you have a child in the house, but if you do not the items are available at your local department store or your local dollar store.



How many supplies you need will directly depend on how many preschoolers you would like to have at this spring party. Therefore, you will need to figure out a tentative guest list before you purchase supplies.



Since you will be folding these invitations in half, five sheets of colored paper will create 10 spring party invitations for a preschool party.



You will also need to know what type of image you will put on the front, and here are some ideas that you may want to incorporate within these spring party invitations.



Clipart, which is available in many a assorted images on the Internet freely is a great place to begin to look for images to put on the front of your card. Simply print off clipart cut it as close around the image as you can, and glue it on to the front of your card.



You could also have your preschooler hand drawn birds, flowers, or even wiggly worms on the front of this spring party invitation. If you show the preschooler  how to draw an oval for the body, a circle for the head, small triangles for the beak they can easily copy your example in help you design the cards.



A parent will have to write on the inside of the invitation the pertinent information such as whom the party is for, time, date, and information concerning the spring party for preschoolers.



The preschoolers themselves will be able to use the crayons, markers, and stickers to decorate the spring party invitation. The parents please include a place where other parents can send you an e-mail to RSVP, as many parents would rather send an e-mail than doing the traditional phone call.



Included on the left-hand inside of the invitation any important information for the parents, such as bring a dish to pass, bring a swimsuit, or any other information that is needed specifically for the spring party for preschoolers.

Valentine's Day Cookie exchange

Organizing a Valentine's Day Cookie exchange is quite easy. Simply gather some of your closest friends and exchange the cookies. This handy guide removes the guesswork for organizing the cookie exchange. This makes a fun exchange that might continue as a tradition among your friends.



Make a list of four or five friends who like to bake or decorate store bought cookies. Invite them over for the decorating exchange on a Saturday before Valentine's Day. Either the host can let everyone bring a few dozen cookies to decorate or the host can make. Alternatively, the host can buy the cookies and invite the guest to bring sprinkles, candy, or other festive toppings for the treats.



When the guests arrive have the cookies laid out so they can be decorated, and add the toppings to a bowl so they can be easily grabbed. Toppings in shaker containers are better but not always feasible. Those little red-hot cinnamon hearts or even candy dots will make your Valentine's Day cookies irresistible.



A chocolate bar or peppermint wheels broken in tiny pieces make a very tasty topping, but then again so does melted chocolate you can dunk cookies into. Butter cream frosting that has red food coloring to it makes a nice Valentine's Day pink to give your cookies the festive touch. Add a few more drops of the color to pink icing to make it red for an accent border.



Youtube has a good amount of videos on cookie decorating so be sure to look there for ideas if anyone is stuck, or simply let imagination carry the day.



It would be nice if the host played a romantic movie while the Valentine's Day cookie exchange is happening. Some good choices are 'Serendipity', "Ghost', 'Sleepless in Seattle' and 'You got Mail', I am sure there are quite a few more, but that will give you some ideas.



Serve a nice non-alcoholic beverage to your guest and get lost in the conversation of a good afternoon. Once the Valentine's Cookies are all decorated, divide them up so that each guest can take a bit of love home with them.