Robbie's "Lego Star Wars" Party

My son has been planning on a "Super Hero Squad" birthday party for a few months now.  As we were putting the finishing touches on his invitations, he told me he changed his mind.  He wanted to have a "Star Wars" birthday party. I could have said "tough luck mister", but he is just too dang adorable! This is what we threw together:

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INVITATION

Here are the invitations the two of us designed. He helped choose the characters and colors. :) I thought they turned out pretty cute. 

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DECOR

Continuing to keep things simple this year... I covered the entry way with black butcher paper and used a silver Sharpie to draw stars - creating a galaxy.  ;)

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Afterwards (into the following day) I let my boys and their friends use chalk to draw aliens, more stars, spaceships and U.F.O.s.

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GAMES AND ACTIVITIES

"I am an Alien!" - They created silly aliens, just like the ones found in Star Wars, from outlines of their own bodies. We had a bucket of white butcher paper, cut into 4 foot long sheets, and rolled up.  We began by having the children lye down on a piece of white butcher paper to have their bodies outlined. They were encouraged to be silly. Then they took their paper into the kitchen where they found crayons. This is where imaginations went wild!

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Galaxy Play Dough - I made up a couple batches of play dough and tinted the dough black. I made 1/2 cup balls and placed them into Zip lock bags. The children got to add the glitter themselves, if they wanted to.

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Jedi Training - My understanding was that we had to have a little Jedi Training. Each child received his/her own light saber for this activity. Of course Darth Vader was near. :)

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Pinata - Robbie really wanted one. I found a Darth Vader pinata, he was so excited when he saw it! This one is a pull pinata, which means the children take turns pulling the ribbons. There is only one ribbon that opens the pinata, allowing the goodies to fall. Honestly, I think they would have liked to wack Vader in the head instead. :)

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TAKE-A-WAY/GIFT

I found these 11 oz. Design Your Own Mug, from Dollar Tree. Below is the insert I designed.

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UFO - Ultra Fun Outing

Well, as you know I had a plan in mind for Leap Day.  My idea was to make the extra day an extra fun day for my family...  all around the famous quote by Neil Armstrong, "One small step for man, one giant LEAP for mankind".  Not everything went as planned.  And that's okay!
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The boys and I started out our day by making rockets out of water bottles and bright colored paper.

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We made moon cookies. And Robbie (4 years old) made it clear that the moon did not look like the cookies.  :)
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I started setting the table for our out-of-this-world family dinner.  I had the moon, the stars, the planets, the silver chargers, my meal plan, but...  more important things grabbed my attention - literally!  My boys wanted to play.  Those boys needed more attention than my table scape.  :) 
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So, instead of finishing my table decor, we created an alien detector and communicator.  We flew their rockets around the house, snuggled up and watched an episode of ScoobyDoo, which happened to have an alien mystery to solve!  And later, the boys got to the table decor and wanted to know every planet's name - luckily the names of the planets were printed on each sphere.
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When it came time for dinner, I prepared flying saucers.  Do you remember having those as kids? Bologna, mashed potatoes, shredded cheese.  Mom used to broil them until the bologna curled. That was the best!  Maddy (13 years old) was excited to see what we were having.  It made me smile! 
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Above, a grown up version with garlic mashed red potatoes, served with green beans.  I guess I could have made it more grown up by serving it on sliced ham instead of bologna.  There's always next time.  Below, my kid version, complete with green pepper alien and star apples. :)

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We didn't get as much family time in as I had hoped, with dad getting home late from work, the girl's homework and then having mutual activities to get to after dinner.  Make the most with what you've got, right?
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After we dropped the girls off at the church, the boys and I went on one of our Ultra Fun Outing, a.k.a. "Alien Hunt".  This is something we like to do.  :)  I have made it clear to the boys that we are just pretending, no worries.  Tonight was our best alien hunt to date!  So much excitement in the air.
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Let me explain how our alien hunts work: 

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When the hunt begins, our van is no longer a van.  It becomes our rocket.  Each time we put the van in motion the boys count down, "3, 2, 1, blast off!"  Sometimes they get so excited they start counting down before the car even comes to a complete stop.

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We have decided that any green or blue lights are the aliens.  We started something new tonight, the boys decided they were going to shoot all the aliens with their freeze guns.  I felt like I was in the middle of the Buzz Light Year ride at Disneyland!  They were going crazy!  Cooper (2 years old) kept yelling out, "Watch out for aliens!" in a very concerned voice.  Robbie was shooting aliens left and right.  I love that they use their imaginations!

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Our main goal is to find the alien spaceships, which are water towers.

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During the hunt, you are real lucky if you find a spaceship with an alien (green light).

Which we did!  The boys were so excited!

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When we made it back home (which the boys really did not want to do) we used our alien communicator to talk to the nice aliens we had left behind.  If you look real close you will see the mini alien we brought home with us.  The water bottle holding cells were lit up with Christmas lights from inside the box.  :)

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An added bonus... Dad played the bad alien, as the boys ran around the house yelling and screaming.
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We were planning on making UFOs when we got back home, but we had already stayed up way past our bedtime.  Next time! 

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Here is my version of a UFO:  using 2 foam plates, toothpicks, 2 glow sticks, and a stapler.  (Pictures are from another night filled with out-of-this-world fun.)  I have the kids poke holes into 2 foam plates, any design they want.  Then we take two glow sticks (make them glow first) and connect them together to create a circle (fits perfectly between the plates).  Next, place the glow sticks between the plate and staple side together.  Voila!  Turn off the lights and the fun begins.  Easy, peasy. 

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Here we are making the UFO's with the cousins, during our visit to Utah this past Thanksgiving.  We took them on an alien hunt in the snow!
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The day may not have turned out the way I had imagined it.  But, my goal had been met.  I knew it had been an extra fun day when Robbie asked me the following morning, "Is it still Alien Day?"  :)  Good times!

Howl at the Moon: Halloween Songs

A few years back, I was Activities Director (just one of my many responsibilities) at a wonderful Assisted Living Facility in Orem, Utah. In my search for something fun to do with the residents, I found these Halloween Carols along with many more. The tunes are easily recognizable and easy to sing or even hum along with. These are also fun for children's Halloween parties.

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TRICK OR TREAT

(Tune: Jingle Bells)
Dashing through the streets,
Meeting goblins as we go,
Wearing contour sheets,
Wishing it would snow.
Bells in doorways ring,
Making spirits bright,
What fun it is to come and sing
And get some food tonight.
Trick or treat, trick or treat, trick or treat we say!
Try to get the treats before the ghost takes us away!
Trick or treat, trick or treat, trick or treat we say!
If you don't have treats for us we'll never go away!
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DECK THE HALLS
(Tune: Deck the Halls)
Deck the halls with poison ivy,
fa la la la la, la la la la.
'Tis the season to be slimy,
fa la la la la, la la la la.
Don we now our strange apparel,
fa la la, la la la, la la la.
Troll the ancient Halloween carol,
fa la la la la, la la la la.
See the goblins rise before us,
fa la la la la, la la la la.
As we sing the Halloween chorus,
fa la la la la, la la la la.
Follow them as they ascend,
fa la la, la la la, la la la.
Join with all your loony friends,
fa la la la la, la la la la.
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SPIRIT WONDERLAND
(Tune: Winter Wonderland)
Screech owls hoot, are you listening?
'Neath the moon, all is glistening.
A real scary sight, we're happy tonight.
Waitin' in a spirit wonderland.
In the streets, we're begging for some candy.
We've been waiting for this night all year.
We've tried to embarrass everybody,
And to make a costume filling you with fear.
Later on, while we're eating
What we got trick or treating.
We'll share all our sacks
Of Halloween snacks,
Waitin' in a spirit wonderland.
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GREAT PUMPKIN IS COMING TO TOWN
(Tune: Santa Claus is Coming to Town)
Oh, you better not shriek,
You better not groan,
You better not howl,
You better not moan,
Great Pumpkin is coming to town!
He's going to find out
From folks that he meets
Who deserves tricks
And who deserves treats;
Great Pumpkin is coming to town.
He'll search in every pumpkin patch,
Haunted houses far and near,
To see if you've been spreading gloom,
Or bringing lots of cheer.
So, you better not shriek,
You better not groan,
You better not howl,
You better not moan,
Great Pumpkin is coming to town!
Songs for the little ones:
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I'M A LITTLE SPIDER
(Tune: I'm a Little Teapot)
I'm a little spider,

Watch me spin.

If you'll be my dinner, I'll let you come in.

Then I'll spin my web to hold you tight,

And gobble you up in just one big bite!
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PUMPKIN SONG
(Tune: Mary Had a Little Lamb)
We are pumpkins big and round, big and round, big and round.

We are pumpkins big and round sitting on the ground.

See our great big shiny eyes, shiny eyes, shiny eyes.

See our great big shiny eyes, looking all around.

See our great big laughing mouth, laughing mouth, laughing mouth.

See our great big laughing mouth, smiling right at you!
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THIS OLD GHOST
(Tune: This Old Man)
This old ghost, he played one,

He played peek-a-boo on the run.

With a Boo! Boo! Boo! and a clap, clap, snap!

This old ghost is a friendly chap.

This old ghost, he played two,

He played peek-a-boo in a shoe.

With a Boo! Boo! Boo! and a clap, clap, snap!

This old ghost is a friendly chap.

This old ghost, he played three,

He played peek-a-boo behind a tree.

With a Boo! Boo! Boo! and a clap, clap, snap,

This old ghost is a friendly chap.
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GOBLINS IN THE DARK
(Tune: Farmer in the Dell)
The goblin in the dark, the goblin in the dark,
Hi ho, Halloween, the goblin in the dark.

The goblin takes the witch, the goblin takes a witch,

Hi ho, Halloween, the goblin takes a witch.

The witch takes the bat, the witch takes a bat,

Hi ho Halloween, the witch takes a bat.

The bat takes the ghost, the bat takes a ghost,

Hi ho, Halloween, the bat takes a ghost.

The ghost says, "BOO!" The ghost says, "Boo!"

Hi ho, Halloween, the ghost says, "Boo!"
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RIDING WITCHES
(Tune: Yankee Doodle)
A witch went riding on a broom

On a cold October evening;

She met a ghost and a big black cat,

And down her neck they were breathing.

"Jump up on my broom," she said,

"Let's come out of hiding,"

"Jump up on my broom," she said,

"And let's all go a-riding!"
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IN THE GRAVEYARD
(Tune: Darling Clementine)
In the graveyard, in the graveyard,

When the moon begins to shine

There's a doctor, crazy doctor

And his monster Frankenstein.

Oh, my monster, oh, my monster,

Oh, my monster Frankenstein,

You are looking very scary,

Sweet old monster Frankenstein.

dinoFOUR!

Our little dinosaur turned four this year!  And once again he asked for a dinosaur birthday party. How long will this obsession last?  :)
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We kept it simple.  He's four.  He likes dinosaurs.  He likes his friends.  Simple.

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Here's my birthday boy, enjoying his simple yellow cake, topped with dinosaur toys and four candles. Easy to please.  Love him!

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INVITATION

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THE ARRIVAL
His guests were greeted by his new favorite dinosaur, T-Rex!
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My daughters read the children dinosaur stories while we waited for everyone to arrive.

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DINO MUSEUM

Robbie set up his very own Dinosaur Museum. :) The one and only exhibit included his personal collection of dinosaurs. He was excited to show his friends!

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PALEONTOLOGY FUN!

We did this last year, but Robbie insisted that we go on another dinosaur egg hunt. Here is the recipe I used:

INGREDIENTS

2 and 1/2 cups Flour

2 and 1/2 cups Dirt

1 cup Sand

1 and 1/2 cups Salt

Water

small toy dinosaurs (one per egg)

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DIRECTIONS

Mix together all dry ingredients. (except for the toys)  :)

Gradually add water until the mixture holds together.

Shape a handful of dough around one of the small toys and form into an egg shape.

Place the eggs onto a cookie sheet covered with foil.

Let them sit in a dry place until they are dry (about 4 days).

In a rush, I have also placed them into a warm oven to speed up the drying process.

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We made our way into the Ice Age. I simply placed small dinosaur toys into an ice tray, added water, and froze them overnight.  The children had a race to see who could free their dinosaur first.  Honestly, they could have cared less that there was a race.  They just enjoyed watching the ice melt and the dinosaurs appear.  :)

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DIY TERRARIUM

They each made their own dino terrarium.  Started with a mason jar, a scoop of pebbles, a layer of Spanish moss, a cup of soil, a small rock or twig, and their dinosaur discoveries from earlier.  Nothing too complex, they are four years old.  :)

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TAKE-A-WAY

Robbie's guests all went home with their own exploration bag (a small garden tool tote found at the 99cent store). We tucked surprises into every pocket:  dinosaur toys, sweet treats and there was even room for their new dino terrarium.