I have blogged bits and pieces of our 5 year olds Dr, Seuss party, but since this is the week of the famous author’s birthday I thought I would pop in a quick post describing the party in our usual se7en steps.
If you are looking for online ideas there are masses of excellent Dr. Seuss pages. But when it comes to a Cat in the Hat party resource you can’t really beat Amazing Moms. Ohdeedoh has a great page for a Green Eggs and Ham party.
Following the outline of se7en steps to a great party on our practical party page lets get going (If you need details on how to do something then follow the link for that particular step):
Step 1: Invitation: I love personalized invitations. I would get your kids to do an artwork from a favorite Dr. Seuss, like the ones below and write your party details in the corner – quick, easy and memorable!
Step 2: Party Starter: Everyone brought along a plain colored old t-shirt and we used a cereal box stencil and fabric painted a star onto each one. Just follow the directions on your fabric paint container… and you will have a group of eager Star-Bellied-Sneetches.
Step 3: Party Games: When you browse through Dr. Seuss books you will be surprised at how many scenes revolve around awkward balancing acts. To this end we did a heap of balancing relays… just right for our young crowd! Followed by some towering towers – really simple fun. The kids really went for it!
Step 4: Party Craft: We got the idea for making kites like Thing 1 and Thing 2 had, from the Children’s Discovery Museum of San Jose, which has a few excellent Cat in the Hat printable project pages.
Step 5: Party Pinata: We made mini green pinatas, for directions have a look at our pinata post. These mini green pinatas were our green eggs… and we popped teeny tiny turtles inside them – after Yertle the Turtle.
What’s inside?
Step 6: Party Food: We had a “cat in the hat” ice-creamcake (very easy!). Layer red jelly and vanilla icecream in a jug, tip it out onto a flat vanilla brim – never fear if it is a bit wonky – that cats hat was wonky!!! And I am sure that yours would be a far greater success because you wouldn’t be mad enough to leave it to two in the morning the night before the party.
Step 7: Treasure Hunt: A follow the foot (the foot book) treasure hunt, where they found the green-eggs mini-pinata’s.
The take home gift was a printable box from the Seussville site, that we popped in a few goodies, including their turtles. And their wild day kites of course!
That’s it – quick and easy… Have Fun!
That sure look lots of fun. I really like the mini-pinata idea stuffed with a turtle, not candy.
Thanks for the party tips! It looks like great fun and low-stress which is perfect. May I ask if the shirt painting involves just putting the star on the shirt and then painting? Did you use anything to keep the stencil from moving around? Thanks and hope you have a good weekend!
Hi K, I am all for low stress parties… kids really just like a celebration and any celebration will do!!! For the t-shirts we just held the cardboard (cut a star out of a cereal box) in place and sponged the paint directly onto the shirts. It was really very quick and easy – very simple pattern with no intricate details to smudge. You have a good weekend too!
Hi dd, Well spotted!!! It has taken me a while but it can be done – a whole party without any junk food! I have a friend who never caters any candy or soda… she says to the kids when you are hungry their are rolls on the counter and leaves it at that! Why have parties become all about the food? Frankly kids would rather be doing stuff or creating stuff and they probably all had meals breakfast or lunch just before or after the party anyway!!! They aren’t starving but they are eager to have fun!!!
For the record, I think there is only, at most, 3 Suess books I like. . .but I like the party ideas.
Hi C, Great to have you back in the real world! Hood #4 knows so many of Dr Seuss’s books off by heart that I no longer have to read them aloud! Have a great weekend!