Easter is right around the corner (April 4th this year), so a cute, spring-time Easter Party makes for a delightful way to celebrate the day.

For colorful invitations, fold white cardstock in half. With pastel colored pencils, draw/color in wavy or zigzagging stripes over the front. Attach stickers (or cut-out construction paper) of chicks, rabbits, and other Easter images to the top of the card before writing your party details inside. Snap up some Easter party supplies and you are ready to go!

There are tons of traditional Easter games to be played!

• Easter Egg Hunt
• Egg Roll Race: kids must roll their hard-boiled eggs across the finish line with their spoon
• Egg Decorating
• Carrot Piñata: when it involves a giant carrot and fun treats, the kids will be delighted
• Bunny Hop: Played just like musical chairs, expect in this case, the kids are hopping from “clover patch to clover patch” (large circles cut from green poster board)

Delicious and light food choices can include grilled chicken, potato salad, frog-eyed salad, and, for the bunnies in the crowd, sliced veggies with a variety of dip choices. Their little bunny tails will be wiggling with delight.

Have a fabulous day with these Easter Party Ideas!

Technorati Tags: Bunny Hop, Clover Patch, Colored Pencils, Easter Egg Hunt, Easter Games, Easter Images, easter party ideas, Egg Decorating, Egg Roll, Fabulous Day, Finish Line, Food Choices, Frog Eyed Salad, Giant Carrot, Hard Boiled Eggs, Light Food, Little Bunny, Musical Chairs, Party Details, Poster Board

“How to Train Your Dragon” looks to be a thrilling move, hitting theaters this March. It is sure to be a big hit with kids of all ages, so gear up for a How to Train Your Dragon Birthday Party!

To make your invitations, draw a cave or forest on the front your card. Coming from inside the cave or behind the trees, draw flames shooting out. Inside the flames, write, “It’s time to train your dragon…” On the inside, finish that line with, “… at ________’s Birthday Party!” Include your party details and finite! There are pre-made invitations with images from the movie available, too, should you desire to go that route. Party supplies perfect the look, so grab some of those, too.

There are great games and activities that will delight the kids, so have them don their Viking cone hats and start the training.

• Dragon Tail Tag: Get the kids to make a conga line by holding on to each other’s hips. The “head” of the dragon (first one in line) has to tag the “tail” (last on in line) without breaking the line.
• Fearless Vikings: set up an obstacle course for the Vikings’ training. Include things to crawl through, jump over, shimmy under, and run around.
• Slay The Dragon: of course, a piñata is a must have at a birthday party

Be sure to send them home with their own How to Train Your Dragon party favor box.

Vikings are known for their appetites, so serve up dishes like BBQ pork skewers with cherry tomatoes and pineapple chunks or grilled Dragon legs (turkey legs) with confetti rice. Add in Dragon Scales (triangular chips) and chopped vegetables for a fabulous feast.

These ideas will get you rolling on the perfect How to Train Your Dragon Birthday Party! You can find all of these fun party items on our How to Train Your Dragon Birthday Party Supplies page.

Technorati Tags: Appetites, Birthday Ideas, Birthday Invitations, Birthday Party Ideas, Cherry Tomatoes, Chopped Vegetables, Conga Line, Dragon, Dragon Scales, Fabulous Feast, Fearless Vikings, Flames, Great Games, Hips, Obstacle Course, Party Details, Party Favor, Party Invitations, Pineapple Chunks, Shimmy, Skewers, Train, Turkey Legs

We are very happy to announce a special giveaway starting today.  We have teamed up with Photo Card Creations for something really special that you are just going to love. Here is a little bit about Photo Card Creations:

Photo Card Creations is a leading online retailer of premium custom photo cards, announcements & invitations. We specialize in wedding, baby & holiday cards. We love paper & we love photos…..and we love creating cards with photos of your special memories! We are passionate about providing exceptional quality products & customer service. Our cards are designed using current trends by talented graphic artists who will work with you to customize your cards to reflect your own personal style. We have hundreds of Card Designs & Paper Types for you to choose from, many of which will be hard to find elsewhere. Our cards are printed on the highest quality paper using leading edge printing technologies. Our new & improved website makes it easy for you to search for your favorite card & our user friendly Ordering System & Fast Turnaround make ordering your cards quick & easy! From Invitations & Announcements to Thank You Cards (and everything in between) let us help make your special occasion even more special!

Photo Card Creations is giving away one $50 Coupon towards the purchase of ANY of their cards to our visitors. The coupon can be used once towards the purchase of 75 or more cards & cannot be combined with any other promotions. Since they’ve just launched their new & improved website with hundreds of new card designs, they’d LOVE your feedback! Make sure you check out their Birthday Invitations and their Birth Announcements. So cute!

Contest Details: You must be a subscriber to our newsletter, to be eligible. There is a signup form on the right (with the present). Winner will be randomly picked using Random.org & posted on 3/22/2010.

How to Enter: Just leave a comment below with what card style is your favorite!

Bonus Entry #1: Send out a Tweet and then leave a note in the comments below. Your tweet should read:

Partyelf is giving away a $50 coupon to Photo Card Creations: http://www.partyelf.com/pcc #partyelf

Bonus Entry #2: Become a Fan of Partyelf on Facebook and tell us in the comments below.

Bonus Entry #3: Link to this post on your blog and let us know how to find it in the comments below.

Good luck! You can view all of the great invitations and photo cards at Photo Card Creations.

Technorati Tags: Birth Announcements, Birthday Invitations, Bonus Entry, Card Creations, Card Style, Contest Details, Creating Cards, Current Trends, Custom Photo Cards, Cute Contest, Feedback Contest, Holiday Cards, Leading Edge, Leading Online Retailer, Ordering System, Personal Style, Photo Card, Printing Technologies, Quality Paper, Special Memories, Special Occasion, Special Photo, Talented Graphic Artists, Tweet

Puppies are probably one of the first animal noises our little ones made, as well as the first animal they fell in love with. So, to celebrate their big day, a Puppy First Birthday party is definitely in order.

Technorati Tags: Adorable Puppy, Animal Noises, Birthday Party Ideas, Cardstock, Cheese Cubes, Construction Paper, Crackers, Duck Duck Goose, Finger Foods, First Birthday Party, first birthday party ideas, Fun Games, Glue, Goofy Smile, Lazy Sort, Little Dog, Little Ones, Party Goers, Party Supplies, Puppies, Sandwiches

It was a pure delight, I’m sure, when you discovered you were having twins. And their first birthday party together will be a wonderful reminder of that joy. Here are some ideas for your Twin’s First Birthday Party using the Two Peas in a Pod theme.

Technorati Tags: Birthday Party Activities, Birthday Party Ideas, Blowing Bubbles, Cardstock, Cheerios, Cutesy, Finger Foods, Finger Painting, First Birthday Party, first birthday party ideas, Frosting, Having Twins, Party Supplies, Pea Pod, Peas In A Pod, Reading Books, Singing Songs, Slit, Small Circles, Two Peas In A Pod

“Ladies and Gentlemen! Today, in the big top, our little one is turning ….” A Circus Birthday Party is, for sure, an exciting way to celebrate your child’s big day! With these ideas, your birthday bash will become a spectacular event.

Technorati Tags: Animal Crackers, Balloon Animal, Balloon Animals, Birthday Bash, Birthday Extravaganza, Birthday Party Ideas, Cardstock, Cheese Nachos, Circus Clowns, Circus Tent, Circus Theme, Colored Fruits, Cotton Candy, Face Painting, Hot Dogs, Ladies And Gentlemen, Party Extravaganza, Party Favor, Pin The Nose On The Clown, Ringmaster, Spectacular Event

Since the day your little babe arrived, she has been the star of the show. Celebrate her milestone birthday with a Rock Star 1^st Birthday Party!

Using silver or gold cardstock cut out a star shape. With a black glitter marker, write, “A Rock Star Was Born…,” and decorate the front with lots of silver or gold glitter. On the back, finish the intro with “…And is now turning 1!” Include your party details and remind your guests to come dressed to the nines. Naturally, there are some awesome invitations you can buy, along with coordinating party supplies. While you are at it, go ahead and grab that Rock Star shirt for the birthday babe.

Roll out the red carpet for photos as the party kids start to arrive. Once the paparazzi fest is over, play fun games like:

• Follow the Leader to rock music
• Rock, Rock, Star (just like Duck, Duck, Goose)
• The Rock Star Says
• Bubble Stomp To Rock Music (lay down sheets of bubble wrap and let the kids dance to their hears content
• Hot Microphone (just like Hot Potato)

Food choices should be finger friendly and simple to eat like chopped fruits and veggies, star-shaped sandwiches, cheese bites, and crackers. Of course, the cake will be the second star of the show, so top it with a big #1 candle!

Your little rock star will shine throughout their life, but this first birthday will be the icing on the rock star cake.

Technorati Tags: Cheese Bites, Duck Duck Goose, First Birthday, Food Choices, Gold Glitter, Hot Potato, Little Babe, Milestone Birthday, Music Rock, Nines, Party Details, Party Kids, Play Fun Games, Rock Star, Roll Out The Red Carpet, Second Star, St Birthday, Star Cake, Star Of The Show, Star Shape

Cats, with their regal air and deep eyes, are fascinating animals to girls everywhere. Why not celebrate that adoration along with your child’s birthday? Use these Cat Birthday Party ideas for your upcoming shindig.

Invitations can be made quite simply in a variety of ways, from decorating cardstock with cute cat stickers to printing out images of kitties from your computer. You can even make a cat face out of cardstock and decorate with sequins for the eyes and waxed string (to make it stiff) for the whiskers. The Glamour Cat collection has fantastic invitations to purchase, as well as coordinating party supplies.

If we can put a cat-spin on it, then it makes a perfect activity! How about making kitty headbands or kitty collars decorate with fake jewels? Other ideas can include decorating the girl’s faces to look like cats, playing Copy Cat (like Follow the Leader) or Mouse Hunt (hide mice in various places). There’s even a cool kit where you can decorate your own Bobble Head Cats! Don’t forget to send the kids home with a chic cat party favor box.

Make the meal a fancy affair by filling silver cat food bowls with yummy choices like mini tuna fish sandwiches, goldfish crackers, and sliced fruit. Serve it up with delicious strawberry milk and your kids will be purring with delight.

A Cat Birthday Party is the cat’s meow for fun!

Technorati Tags: Birthday Party Ideas, Cat Collection, Cat Face, Cat Food Bowls, Cat S Meow, Cat Stickers, Copy Cat, Cute Cat, Deep Eyes, Fake Jewels, Fancy Affair, Fish Sandwiches, Glamour Cat, Goldfish Crackers, Mini Tuna, Regal Air, Silver Cat, Strawberry Milk, Tuna Fish, Waxed String

With the torch lit and the hills covered in snow, it is easy to see why kids are so excited about the Winter Olympics Games. In fact, a Winter Olympics Birthday Party is a fantastic way to celebrate your own child’s momentous day.

For cool invitations, cut out cardboard circles and paint gold to look like Olympics medals. Use a black marker to write “WINNER” on one side and your party details on the other. Attach colorful ribbon and you are ready to hand them out. Another option is purchasing USA themed invitations, along with your birthday party paper supplies.

As your birthday party athletes arrive, greet each one with a sport pack (towel, headband, Gatorade, and a baseball cap). Naturally, the next step is the torch run (out of cardboard and construction paper) and the Opening Ceremony (introductions and official declaration). Your winter game schedule can include:

• Timed Sled Race: that’s right, who can sled down the hill the fastest? This is fun on grass, too, so don’t worry if there isn’t any snow
• Snowman Building: who can build the biggest, funniest, skinniest, or tiniest snowman? No snow? Use cotton balls, pipe cleaners, pom poms, and glue.
• Winter Olympics Obstacle: set up an obstacle course through the snow
• Snowball Relay: you can use real snow balls or Styrofoam balls on spoons
• Medal Ceremony: purchase some shiny medals and reward the athletes for their hard work

To feed your athletic kids, serve them food from around the world: pasta, burgers, pierogies, sushi, vegetable curry … the list is endless for great ideas. Trust me – these hungry contenders will eat it all.

Let the Winter Olympic Birthday Party begin!

Technorati Tags: Baseball Cap, Birthday Party Ideas, Black Marker, Cardboard Circles, Colorful Ribbon, Cotton Balls, Food From Around The World, Medal Ceremony, Obstacle Course, Olympics Medals, Olympics Torch, Pack Towel, Party Details, Snow Balls, Sport Pack, Styrofoam Balls, Winter Game, Winter Olympics, Winter Olympics Games, World Pasta

Welcome to the Family Winter Activities edition of the All Things Family Blog Carnival. This week is a gathering of ideas that you can do with your family while snow has blanketed most of the northern hemisphere. If you have an article that you would like to submit for a future edition, please check out the All Things Family Blog Carnival.

Winter Activities

Jennifer Miner presents Wii Family Party: 30 Great Games Winter Fun Review posted at The Vacation Gals – Family travel, girlfriend getaways, romantic getaways, destinations, things to do, travel tips, saying, “My entire family really had a lot of fun playing this game together. It’s meant for all ages, and I completely recommend it!”

Molly presents Craft with me 1-2-3…Tin Foil Etchings posted at Rhinestones & Pine Cones.

OCMomActivities presents Vancouver Olympics are Here! posted at OC Mom’s Activity Guide, for sharing the Winter Olympics with your children.”

Pamela Jorrick presents Where Is All The Creativity In The World? posted at Blah, Blah, Blog.

Megan Wong presents Simple and Fun Brain teasers for kids posted at Games for Fun Kids.

Lisa Mitchell presents Rainy Day Toy Bag — Let’s Talk Babies — Tips for parenting, pregnancy, and all things baby posted at Let’s Talk Babies, saying, “Great ideas for creating a bag of goodies to keep your kids occupied when you can’t head outside to have fun.”

Char Polanosky presents Mitten Match Preschool Printable posted at Printables for Kids – free word search puzzles, coloring pages, and other activities, saying, “Here is a fun math activity for preschool aged learners that ties in with a winter theme.”

Char Polanosky presents Winter Ice Skating Birthday Party posted at Celebrate It, saying, “Ice skating is the perfect birthday activity anytime, but especially in winter. Get cake, decoration and activity ideas for an ice skating party.”

Wendy Piersall presents Kids Winter Crafts at Craft Jr. posted at Craft Jr., saying, “Here’s a great roundup of winter kids crafts for all ages.”

Wendy Piersall presents Winter Themed Printable Multiplication Worksheets posted at Animal Jr., saying, “These free winter math worksheets are actually popular year-round!”

Linette G. presents Winter Craft Project~ Penguin Finger Puppet posted at The Kid’s Birthday Fun Review, saying, “To celebrate all the snow we’ve had the last couple weeks we decided to make some penguin finger puppets.”

Family Matters

Madeleine Begun Kane presents We Don’t Think We Can Dance, But We Do It Anyway posted at Mad Kane’s Humor Blog.

Autumn Beck presents What Does The Perfect Cloth Diaper Look Like? posted at All About Cloth Diapers, saying, “I’ve tried dozens and dozens of different cloth diaper brands. Most have at least one feature that is just right but the other features disappoint.If I could design the perfect cloth diaper what would it look like? Here are my favorite features from cloth diapers I have used:”

Aaliyah Williams presents 9 Blogs About Childrearing Worth Reading posted at Masters in Elementary Education, saying, “Heard about the little girl who told her friend: “I’m never having kids. I hear they take nine months to download.” Well, it may be a joke but the fact of the matter is that because of nuclear families young parents are not blessed with the company of grandmas to give them invaluable tips on child care and child rearing.”

Darwin presents Is Paying Kids for Good Grades Wrong? posted at Darwin’s Finance, saying, “The age old question of whether paying kids for good grades is covered here. Pros, Cons and things you probably never even thought about.”

Morgan Schwartz presents The Tails of a True Dog Lover posted at Pug Life.

Suzane Smith presents 40 Truly Amazing Facts About Babies posted at Online Nurse Practitioner Schools.

Dana presents Finding my way home posted at Roscommon Acres.

Sophie presents 4 Vital Time Management and Studies tips, bet you haven’t heard these before Shhh, they’re a secret. | Sophie’s Blog posted at Sophie’s Blog, saying, “Critical Time Management tips for College Students.”

Taking Care of the Home

Steven and Debra presents Are YOU a Hoarder? Are You Sure? (Part IV of a Four Part Series) posted at The END TIMES Hoax, saying, “The answer to the topic question may surprise you.”

Suzane Smith presents 56 Healthy & Natural hacks you should be using in the Kitchen posted at MRI Technician Schools.

Hardtofinditems.com presents Mace vs. Pepper Spray vs. Tear Gas: How to select a Personal Defense Spray posted at Get rid Of Moths, saying, “Visit the Hard to Find Items blog to know how to select a personal defense spray from the likes of Mace, Pepper Spray, and Tear Gas.”

Sandra Lopez presents 101 Ways to Go Green In Your Dorm Room posted at Online Degree Programs.org: Top Online Degrees.

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of all things family using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

Technorati Tags: Blah Blah, Brain Teasers For Kids, Cake Decoration, Free Word Search, Free Word Search Puzzles, Fun Brain Teasers, Lisa Mitchell, Math Activity, Northern Hemisphere, Pine Cones, Romantic Getaways Destinations, Tin Foil, Welcome To The Family, Wii, Winter Crafts, Winter Family, Winter Ice, Winter Olympics, Winter Theme, Word Search Puzzles