AA Gifts & Baskets Idea Blog

Archive for February, 2010

Spongebob is loved by young and old alike!  If you have a fan of Spongebob in your house, considering throwing a Spongebob Squarepants themed birthday party.

Below are some fun ideas and activities to ensure a great time for everyone!

Jelly Fish Keep Away: Don’t get stung! To make the jelly fish ahead of time, inflate several red and purple balloons then attach a few stands of yarn or streamers to hang down. When it’s time to play, toss several of the balloons towards the children. Play music while they tap the balloons back and forth to each other. When the music stops the players who are holding balloons, have been stung. They sit out for one round, but can play again the next round.
TIP: Don’t put too many balloons into play, or too many kids will be out.

Mr. Crabs Race: In a large open area (such as the yard) mark start and end points for the race. Kids must get in “crab” position (walking on hands and feet with stomach up). Race individually, or relay style for large groups. Kids “crab walk” feet first to the end point, then backwards, or hands first, to the start point.

Krabby Pattie Relay Race: Divide the kids equally into teams. Before the party, mark a start and finish line for each team. Place a small bucket or other plastic container at each teams’ finish line.  Supply each team with one pair of oven mitts, a spatula (flipper) and a bag of hamburger buns – one for each player. The object of the game is to be the first team to successfully carry all of their burger buns to the bucket while wearing the mitts and carrying the bun with the spatula. (You can use bean bags in replace of actual buns.)

SpongeBob Sponge Toss Have a Sponge Toss with wet sponges. On a hot day the kids will really enjoy this activity. Provide a bucket of cold water and large sponges for the kids to toss and catch!

Spongebob Painting Use rectangle kitchen sponges and paint to sponge paint.
Children 5 and up can make Spongebob pictures with yellow paint, brown construction paper, google eyes, glue etc. placed on blue paper. Try one yourself before the party. You may want to pre-cut the pants and accessories.

Bikini Bottom Bubble Painting You’ll need bubble solution, blue and green food color, white paper, bubble blowing wands. Add a few drops of food color into the bubble solution containers. Give each child a piece of white paper. Gently blow bubbles towards or onto the white paper. When the bubbles pop, they leave a really cool design on the paper. After the bubble solution dries you may want to add Spongebob character stickers to the paper to create your own Bikini Bottom scene. (Cover your work area to prevent stains!)

Step 1 – Pick a Theme

Before buying any supplies, you will want to think about the theme of the party. Will it be your child’s favorite cartoon character? Or maybe they would like a Pirate or Luau theme! Children love to have a say in their theme, so you could take them to your local party store or browse party supply websites for available themes.  Think about who will be attending the party also.  If your daughter is inviting girls AND boys, a 100% princess party may not make the boys feel very welcome!

Step 2 – Invitations/Guest List

You can purchase invitations that match your theme, or get creative and make your own!  Be sure to include who the party is for, date, time of party (including ending time), location (with directions) and an RSVP number and e-mail address.  Put your own name next to the RSVP in case some parents may not know you by name.

If you’re not sure who to invite, the old rule of thumb is that the number of guests should equal the age of the child (a four-year-old, for example, would invite four children). Young children in particular are hard to organize and can get overwhelmed easily so it’s best to keep the number of guests small. Make sure you have enough adults on hand to handle issues that come up, so you don’t get overwhelmed too!

Step 3 – Location

The cheapest and easiest place to host a birthday party is at your own home. This especially works best with the “under 5″ crowd.  Other great birthday party locations are the local park, zoo, movie theater, bowling alley, amusement park, Build-a-Bear Workshop, Aquarium, Community Center/Pool, Mini Golf or Children’s Museum.

Step 4 – Refreshments and Food

The cake is the much anticipated centerpiece of the party!  Bake your own or contact your local bakery about making one for you.  Cupcakes are a quick and easy alternative.

It’s a good idea to have a variety of beverages for the children to pick from, and don’t forget bottled water for those who cannot have pop or juice.

Get the children involved with the food and let them make their own pizzas or tacos.   Set up a table in the kitchen having ready made crusts and bowls of toppings on it and let each guest custom design their own pizza.

Step 5 – Games/Activities

If you’re having your party at home, you’ll want to prepare some games or activities ahead of time.  The internet is a great source for finding fun birthday party games! Make the games simple. Don’t choose games that will be long or complicated.  Some people choose to replace the games with activities like tie-dying t-shirts or painting a piggy bank. That way each child goes home with something that will remind them of the great birthday party you planned!

A gift basket with fresh fruit is a great way to send greetings for any occasion.  A popular reason for sending fruit gift baskets is as a “Get Well” gift.  Not only are the fruits delicious, they contain nutrients necessary to heal the body.

We pair nature’s most perfect foods with a few other snacks for a perfect treat!  Other goodies our fruit baskets contain are fresh nuts, chocolate covered fruits, toffees and more!

Other occasions you may consider sending a fruit basket for are birthdays, housewarming, anniversaries or general congratulations gifts. The sweet, juicy flavors of fresh fruit are sure to bring a smile to your recipient’s face.

From juicy oranges to mouth watering pears, you’re sure to find the perfect fruit basket for anyone on your list!

Visit AAGiftsAndBaskets.com to learn more about our delicious fruit gift ideas that are sure to be appreciated.

Let the little Valentine in your life know you’re thinking of them with a great basket filled with special Valentine’s Day Treats!

Most baskets start with everyone’s favorite – candy!  Conversation Hearts, chocolates and other delicious treats make our baskets extra sweet!

We also have baskets that include stuffed animals, games, toys, activities and more – including baskets made just for boys or just for girls.

At All About Gifts and Baskets, you can find the perfect Valentine gift for that special boy or girl.  A great surprise for when you can’t be there in person.

Visit AAGiftsAndBaskets.com to learn more about the fun and exciting Valentine baskets we have to offer!