Cat in the Hat Cake
Children and parents alike recognize the iconic figure of the Cat in the Hat. Draw on the ambitious and fun spirit of this character to create a layer cake decorated in the classic blue, red and white Cat in the Hat color combination. The cake illustration included in the actual book depicts a lopsided, exuberant dessert that is bursting with color. For your own cake, do not worry about making something precise or symmetrically beautiful. Instead, try to capture the exuberance of Dr. Seuss. One way to do this is to have your child help you decorate the cake.

Naming Contest
Dr. Suess is well known for his ability to coin wildly unexpected and clever names for characters, objects and places such as Floob-Boober-Bab-Boober-Bubs or the Grickly Gractus. Purchase a small potted plant and hold a contest for the most creative name. The winner of the contest takes the plant home.

Green Eggs and Ham plus Other Treats
Dr. Seuss’ books are full of illustrations of colorful and whimsical looking treats. Flip through a few of the books to find ideas for food that children will love. Green eggs and ham is a classic dish that can easily be created by adding a small amount of blue food coloring to raw eggs before they are scrambled. Other ideas include creating a cheese tree out of Styrofoam and toothpicks, like the one found in Fox in Socks, or toast with a variety of toppings to emulate the bread eaten by characters in The Butter Battle Book.

Seuss Inspired Activities
Tweak classic party games to give them a distinctly Dr. Seuss twist. Instead of Pin the Tail on the Donkey, try drawing or printing a large poster of a Sneetch character. Have the guests take turns being blindfolded and trying to attach a star to his belly. Try a relay race involving a few pairs of green pants like the fateful pair of What Was I Scared of? Provide a hat making table inspired by The Five Hundred Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins where guests can design their own kooky hats out of construction paper, feathers, sequins and glitter.

The post Party Theme: Dr. Seuss’s Birthday appeared first on Birthday.com.

While children may resist the idea of giving away their gifts, it would be a great way to celebrate the special day of a loved one and help millions of children around the world at the same time. Instead of gifts, or ask for smaller gifts, invite the guests to make a donation in the birthday person’s name to this organization instead. In many cases, the donation will be tax-deductible, also. If a donation is made, the person may choose to bring a bottle of water, for example, to show something their donation could purchase. If this is done, all the examples could be given to a local food pantry after the party.

Party decorations and invitations could include flags from the different countries that receive money from the children’s fund. Pictures of children of different nationalities could also be used to decorate the house. One main country could be chosen and the decorations could all represent that one country. To keep children involved, have the birthday child pick the country that he or she wants. If the child does not know many countries, studying a map could be very informative. A large world map could be used as a decoration for the party with countries that benefit from the children’s fund highlighted.

In staying with this theme, food could be prepared that represents different countries around the world. For picky eaters, and for the ease of cooking, perhaps burritos, spaghetti, simple Chinese dishes, or churros could be made. The food does not have to be completely strange to the children; simply telling them where a food originated from would be sufficient. Simple dinnerware of red or orange could be used, as many flags have these colors in them.

Depending on the age of the birthday person, activities could range from coloring and crafts to learning a game that children from another country play. Coloring pages and craft ideas are available on the internet, often for free, that could entertain smaller children. Games can be board games that will help teach the children the native language of the country or can be active games, such as hoop rolling, ball tosses, or simply hide and seek.

The best part of hosting a party to support the United Nations Children’s Fund is that while celebrating a loved one’s special day, the party is also supporting an amazing organization. Children will learn to appreciate the advantages they have and also will learn that giving is often better than receiving. What a perfect way to show love and joy in this hectic holiday season.

The post A Very Special Birthday! appeared first on Birthday.com.

Decorations
Cover tables with southwestern themed tablecloths or use dark colored clothes and spread colored leaves down the center. Use Indian corn and pumpkins for centerpieces. Native American’s are famous for growing corn, squash and beans together calling them the Three Sisters.

Crafts
Provide pony beads and plastic strapping for kids to string their own necklaces. Let them paint small flat stones with Native American symbols, or petroglyphs of bears, deer, and birds. Make teepees from three 5 inch sticks held together at the top by a rubber band. Glue open brown paper bags around and decorate with markers.

Games
Draw a buffalo on poster board and hang it on the wall to play pin the tail on the buffalo. Play an authentic Indian game with a 6-inch stick. Make a mark on the ground to stand on and another several feet away. The object is to balance the stick on the toes and fling it to the other mark to see who gets the closest. Pass one of the small painted rocks around a circle while American Indian music plays and when it stops the person with the rock is out.

Hunting
Print different animal tracks on index cards and hide them around the house or yard along with different colored feathers. Give the children a list of things they need to find like bird tracks, deer tracks, yellow feathers, acorns, painted twigs and other things from nature. Let them hunt the items down and when time is up see who has the most. Set up another type of hunt by having them follow the tracks to a treasure trove of goodie bags. Give clues as to where each set of tracks are found. An example would be to find deer tracks in the yard where children play. Place the tracks near the swing set. Write the next clue on the back of the deer tracks to find bear tracks where people cook food and hide that card in the kitchen.

Food
Serve buffalo wings or chicken legs and corn on the cob. Popcorn was a favorite food so set ample amounts around in bowls. Make Indian fry bread with flour, milk, sugar, baking powders and salt fried in oil to make a puffy, crispy treat. Wrap hot dogs in it, sprinkle it with cinnamon and sugar or use it for a taco base. Frost painted sugar cones to put on top of the birthday cake to look like teepees.

Celebrate American Indian Heritage month with a Native American themed birthday party and learn the colorful history of this vibrant culture.

The post Celebrate November Birthdays with an American Indian Heritage Month Party appeared first on Birthday.com.

For younger children of kindergarten through elementary school age, provide simple crafts for entertainment. Have a sing-along with patriotic songs like “Yankee Doodle.” Then let each child decorate his own cupcake with red, white and blue frosting and sprinkles.

Set up 3 or 4 craft tables that children can enjoy independently. The following ideas will get the party started:

* Supply an inexpensive paper plate for each child with a hole cut in the middle. On the rim, punch a hole on each side and string yarn through to make a tie. Let each child create a patriotic hat. Begin by drawing on the plate with red white and blue markers. Then let children glue on red white and blue feathers, shapes cut from construction paper, and perhaps a little glitter. Have a parade around the neighborhood to show off the creations.

* Have children make a picture to send to a soldier serving overseas. Get names of possible recipients from a military base or Blue Star Mothers. Let the children put their creations in envelopes already addressed, put on a stamp and mail them.

* Set out black construction paper for each child. Supply red, white and blue stars to decorate the paper. Also let children use toothpicks dipped in red white and blue acrylic paints for a “fireworks” effect.

* Elementary school kids of later grades may enjoy learning how Betsy Ross created the stars for the first US flag. Instructions for this are found at the Enchanted Learning website (http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/Star.shtml).

Older children might enjoy a scavenger hunt with small prizes to win such as a little flag to take home and display. Items to be hunted down:
* Something Red
* Something Blue
* Something White
* Something red white and blue
* A star
* A peace symbol
* A picture of a soldier
* A picture of the flag
* A picture of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
* A Veterans Day Parade picture
* A small paper flag

Alternatively, the kids could hunt for items to put in a care package for a soldier. The nearest military facility should be able to supply names of possible recipients. Items for collection could include:
* Phone cards
* Wrapped candy
* Small bars of soap
* Small plastic razors
* Small bottles of lotion, shampoo or conditioner
* Stationary and pens
* Small packets of nuts
* Combs and small brushes
* Chapstick
* New socks
* Hand wipes
* Magazines and books or comic books
* Hand warmers
* Wrapped tooth brushes
* Pringles
* Wrapped cookies
* Travel games
* Beef jerky
* Body wash
* Memory cards
* Thumb tacks
* Suntan lotion
* Sun glasses
* Disposable camera
* Travel-size laundry detergent
* Blank writable CD’s
* Powdered Gatorade
* Movies
* Crossword puzzles, Sudoku, or word searches

When they return, count the items each group has. The group with the largest number of items wins an extra treat such as candy bars. Then sort and package the items to send.

Refreshments for older children could include baking star-shaped cookies and decorating them with red white and blue frosting.

Having a Veterans Day birthday party can help a child with a loved one serving in the military to share in a special day honoring soldiers everywhere. The guests could all sign a card for the honored soldier to put in his/her care package.

The post Veterans Day – Stars and Stripes Birthday appeared first on Birthday.com.

Fall is the perfect time to try this type of birthday party. Sadie was a hillbilly so decorating is very simple. If the weather is mild, plan on outdoor party. Make tables from pieces of plywood or cover tables with red and white checked tablecloths. Centerpieces can be simple gourd arrangements or bunches of fall flowers. Use baskets, old bottles, or mason jars to hold flowers. White lights can be strung from tree to tree for a little romantic light. Baskets can also be used to hold napkins and plates. Use old mason jars as cups and set out “moonshine” jugs, simply gallon size glass bottles. Hay bales make perfect seats for everyone. If a hay wagon is available, it can be a great decoration, then used to take the guests on a moonlit hay ride.

A bonfire is a great idea and makes food preparation very simple. Everyone can roast their hot dogs over the fire and make s’mores for desserts. Drinks can be kept cold in barrels with ice. Food should be kept simple – hot dogs, chips, and cookies allow the hostess time to spend with the man she invited. Most people love to sit around a fire and relax. Small talk comes easily when the setting is a little on the dark side, so it becomes easier to get to know the people at the party.

Music can be country music. If possible, try a few square dances. All guests should be invited to wear hillbilly garb, such as bib overalls, checked shirts, boots, or straw hats. A prize could be given to the person (or couple) that comes as the best hillbilly. Set up a photo shoot backdrop and have each couple get their picture taken. Old-fashioned games such as horseshoes, potato sack races, or bobbing for apples can be played.

A Sadie Hawkins party is the perfect theme for single women who want to have some fun or for those “tweens” who are too shy to ask their dream boy out for ice cream. Hillbilly costumes and decorations are simple and use everyday items from the house, so the cost is small compared to other themes. Since the whole idea behind the party is the girls get to ask the boys, the pressure is off and it is time to have fun!

The post Sadie Hawkins Day Birthday Parties appeared first on Birthday.com.

November is National Military Family Month, established to recognize all branches of the United States armed forces and honor the roles of servicemen and women and their loved ones. If you’re planning birthday festivities for a member of a military family, using this as a theme is appropriate as well as creative.

Consider decorating in the official colors of the military branch your guest of honor represents. Scarlet and gold are the colors of the marines, blue and gold signify the navy, blue and yellow acknowledge the air force and red, white and blue serve the army and the coast guard. A solid tablecloth in one of the designated colors will set the stage for a flower arrangement or balloon bouquet that combines each color of a particular branch. Model tanks, ships, helicopters and airplanes are clever additions to work into a centerpiece, use in place of a vase or be displayed alone if they are large enough to stand out. You can also decorate in camouflage using greenery or green balloons accented with tan and brown ribbons as a centerpiece.

If possible, hang the organization’s official flag, taking care to respect regulations associated with putting it on view. Posters that promote the branch and its opportunities are often available through local recruiting offices and provide another dimension of interest to your decorations. Finally, add some whimsy by placing a “Latrine” sign on the bathroom door and a “Mess Hall” banner in the area guests will eat in.

Apple cider, served warm or cold, is a welcome beverage at many fall gatherings. Sparkling punch made with fruit juices and ginger ale is also an inviting choice at the beverage table as are assorted coffees inspired by fall flavors such as nutmeg, pumpkin spice, maple and caramel apple. Carry the military theme by placing canteens around the drink station.

If serving a heavier menu, autumn crowd-pleasers include honey-barbecue chicken wings, a zesty pot of chili, a spiral glazed ham and fondue served in a pumpkin and paired with bread cubes for dipping. Good appetizers are smokey cheeses, apple dip, crisp party mix and a veggie tray heaped with cool-season favorites like squash, broccoli, cauliflower and zucchini.

Of course, the cake is the star of a birthday party’s food table. Bake or order one in the birthday person’s favorite flavor and frost in the colors of their military organization, including the motto such as “Semper Fi” for marines and “This We’ll Defend” for the army. If you’re talented in the kitchen, or the bakery budget allows, consider a cake shaped like a tank and decorated with toy soldiers, or a ship or airplane cake set on a blue icing base to represent the sea or sky.

A military themed party will be meaningful to the birthday honoree and earn you salutes for creativity!

The post A Birthday Party for a Military Family Member — Honoring Their Service and Their Special Day appeared first on Birthday.com.

Pumpkin Cake for Fall Parties

Classic articles on how to create great parties in the Fall:

PARTIES

Fall Birthday Party Inspirations and Ideas

Planning a football-themed adult birthday party

The Best Fall Parties take Place Outside

An Adult Birthday Party Around Thanksgiving

Celebrate Fall Birthdays in Style

Food and Drink

 Fall Party Food and Drinks for Kids

Fall themed Birthday Cakes for Thanksgiving Fun

Tailgating Birthday Parties–Fall, Football, and Family

Autumn-Inspired Birthday Party Refreshments

Five Football-Themed Birthday Cakes

Fall, Football, and Family

Recipe for Hot Crab Spread

Recipe for Hot Cheese-Bacon Appetizer

Recipe for Beer Meat Balls

Ground Beef Sloppy-Joe Sandwiches

Parmesan Spinach Balls

The post FALL BIRTHDAY appeared first on Birthday.com.

Cover your cupcake stand with foil lined present

Make this simple, colorful cupcake stand cover. It looks like a giant present that fits right into your party decor. When time to start eating, lift the present off the stand, and the foil lining has kept the mini cakes just like you left them.

The hardest part of this project is finding a box to fit over your stand. Allow at least an inch all around for maneuverability. Cut the flaps off one end of the box. Line the inside with heavy duty aluminum foil. Decorate the box like a present with a bow on top. Voila! You have a cupcake stand that really stands out.

Typical Cupcake Stand

Line inside of box with heavy duty foil

Cupcake “present” covers cupcake stand

The post Clever Cover for Your Cupcakes appeared first on Birthday.com.

HappyBirthdayToYou.com

The post Singing Birthday Cards appeared first on Birthday.com.

Bless Wilton Company for making a darling cake pan for Raggedy Ann. She is a favorite rag doll from the 1800s that has endured in appeal. I had fun decorating this cake, and plan to take it to the Senior Center for them to enjoy.

Cake is a Duncan Hines cake mix made per directions on box.

I used PAM spray for BAKING, and it worked well. No cake stuck to my pan and she came out of the pan easily.

As soon as the cake cooled, I put her on a foil covered foam board and put her in the freezer. I don’t know pioneer women decorated without a freezer!

Trickiest parts were coloring the icings. I used all buttercream frosting made with Crisco frosting and confectioners sugar.

Starting with pure white frosting, I needed black for shoes, blue fro dress, and skin color for face and hands. I had a “coal black” gel from Chefmaster, but that turned out too green. I added McCormick liquid blue food coloring plus small amounts of both brown and black. I was aiming for a navy blue for her shoes since I didn’t have black. Because her dress is blue, the navy shoes are better than green. This was my hardest color. A friend has now told me to start with white frosting and powdered cocoa! I will, next time.

Skin color was trial and error. I added a small amount of Chefmaster brown (just a tip off a toothpick), and small amounts of red and yellow from McCormick liquid food coloring. Frosting was tan but not quite right. I took about a 1/4 cup of tan frosting into another bowl and started beating in more white until it was right.

The blue was easy. It is a gel sky blue from Wilton that is quite bright. It got softer as I mixed in the white frosting.

Raggedy Ann is brought from the freezer to dress. Start with skin: face and hands. Then I colored her shoes. The blue dress was next. I had a photo of Raggedy Ann that I was copying. In the photo she has ruffles of blue dress for her collar and ruffles at the bottom of her white pinafore. Ruffles are hard to do with frosting but It looks pretty good.

Last I applied the white starting with the straps of the pinafore. I had to scrape a straight ling out of the blue dress. When I applied the blue, I left spaces for the white strap, but the two colors still mixed on the edges until I cleared out a channel to place my strap of white.

The pinafore and legs were easy: all white.

Back to the freezer for a few hours. This really helps as your kitchen and frosting get warm.

I started to clean up at this stage, but I left the 3 final bowls of skin color, blue, and black out covered with Saran Wrap to keep them nice. I might have needed to do some touch up.

I have a black writing tube that is softened in hot water, so I set this up in a drinking glass before the final decorations. The writing tube was used for eyebrows, lashes, and mouth.

Her hair is strawberry Twizzler candy.
Eyes are Junior Mints.

Her nose is a tiny bit of pink marshmallow fondant.  I had a little left over from another project.  It keeps well frozen.
Her mouth is a Lifesaver candy.

Dots on her dress are Cinnamon Red Hot candies.
The stripes on her socks are Rips Whips: a thin candy that comes in many stripes from The Foreign Candy Company.

This is a fun cake to make, and I hope many of you try it.

The post Raggedy Ann Birthday Cake appeared first on Birthday.com.