AA Gifts & Baskets Idea Blog

Archive for the ‘Kids’ Category

A basket loaded with Easter fun!

If you have a special little ones who live near or far,  we have great Easter Baskets filled with fun activities and delicious candies made just for them!

Imagine their surprise when they open a package bursting with activities, goodies and even a plush Easter Bunny of their very own.

A great choice is the Bunny Hugs Easter Basket.  We have either a boy or girl version that both include an 8" plush Easter Bunny, 35 page Peeps coloring book, candy corn, Starburst fruit gels, jelly beans, fruit scented bubbles, 3 milk chocolate bunny pals, pastel magic spring, Nerds candies and spring fruit Skittles.

The girl version includes a 3 piece Candy Necklace gift set and the boy version includes a Sports Themed candy set.

Check out our complete Easter Basket selection at All About Gifts & Baskets!

A great birthday party theme for both boys and girls is pets!   You could focus on one particular species like puppies, kittens, horses, etc or use all types of animals in your theme. You can also tie your pets or animals theme into the birthday party favors and decorations.

Below are a few games and activities that would make the day even more memorable!

Pet Adoption Set up a pet adoption center with small plush animals and let each child "adopt" one. Give each child a shoe box to create a home for their new animal. Provide colorful paper, sticky backed craft foam, craft foam flowers, glue sticks, scissors etc. The children can cover and decorate their very own pet house to take home.

Animal Make-Overs Let the kids become the pets! When the children arrive give them an animal ear headband of their choice, or let them make some of their own! You can use felt ears on a plastic headband, or use construction paper to create bunny, kitty or puppy ears. Use fake feathers if they would like a bird headband. You can complete the look by drawing whiskers and noses on the children with face paint.

Hopstacle Course Players will hop like bunnies through an obstacle course you've created with pillows, boxes, chairs etc.

Lilly Pad Hopping Like musical chairs! Make fabric or felt lily pads and place them in a circle. Play music while the kids hop from pad to pad. When the music stops everyone has to find a pad. The frog without a pad is out! Take one pad away and start again.

Pin the Tail on the . . . Monkey, Bunny (use cotton balls), puppy or kitty.

Little kids loves trains - especially little boys!  There are so many fun ideas to bring a train theme to your party games, decorations, food and more!

How about making a cupcake train?  One idea is to frost each cupcake a different color, connect each "car" with licorice and use Nilla Wafers as wheels.

Below are some of my favorite train themed games and activities to make your little one's birthday a hit!

Coal Toss Decorate buckets or shoe boxes like trains. Have each child toss "coal" (balls of tin foil, rolled up black socks or beanbags) into the buckets. 3 in a row or the most coal in wins.

Station Stops A fun idea is to create different "Stations" for each child to stop at. Tape up a sign giving each station a number. You can even pass out "boarding passes" for each child to take to the stations. Some examples of stations are:

1. Decorated Cookies Station
2. Punch/Soda Station
3. Tattoo Station (have Temporary Tattoos for the children to put on)
4. Coloring Station (Lay out color sheets from coloring books or printed from your computer).
5. Train Painting (Buy wooden train ornaments from your local craft store and set out water paints for each child to paint their own train).

Follow the Locomotive Line up the kids with the birthday child at the head of the train. Turn on some fun music and have the birthday child lead the "train of people" by making creative moves that everyone must follow (e.g., jumping, hopping, skipping, spinning, rolling on the ground, waving arms and any other fun gestures.

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. Wherever you have your party, keep a special spot for your kid's birthday presents so guests have somewhere to put them.

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!

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!

Send a Gift Basket to a Son or Daughter in College

If you have a son or daughter away at college, and you want to show them that you care without an intrusive visit, why not send a gift basket? Gift baskets can give your child a little boost when they start to feel homesick. And they allow you to respect their independence, which may be a sensitive issue for them on their tentative first few years away from home.
Baskets with keepsakes such as teddy bears or flowers can make them even more memorable. You may also want to send your daughter her favorite chocolates to remind her of home, or a basket of fruits and jam for your son to keep him on a balanced diet. All About Gifts and Baskets has all of these and a lot more.

To place an order for a gift basket today, visit AAGiftsandBaskets.com and browse through their extensive selection of gift baskets. You can also call 800-590-1388 to order, or to learn more about their products and services.