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. Cookie Decorating 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.

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!

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.

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!

Anniversary gift baskets are among the best ways to congratulate a couple on their wedding anniversary. Anniversaries are the time of the year when couples renew their vows and remember the day they walked down the aisle and exchanged I do’s. If your loved ones, friends or even you and your spouse are celebrating this lovely occasion, make it more memorable by giving a gift that will surely be enjoyed.

When sending a wedding anniversary basket as a gift, its contents need not be expensive. There is a wide array of products available, ranging from food items and wine, to flowers and other memorable gifts.

At All About Gifts and Baskets, you can find the right anniversary gift baskets for couples celebrating another year of their marriage. You can choose from their wide selection of gifts that include Longstem Cookies Blooming Bouquet, Deluxe Romantic Oreos Gift Box, Crazy Hearts Cookie Gift Bouquet and more.

Visit AAGiftsAndBaskets.com to learn more about heartfelt gift ideas that are sure to be appreciated.

Are your friends or loved ones celebrating their birthdays soon? Surprise them by sending a personalized birthday gift basket. All About Gifts and Baskets understands that a gift basket loaded with special items, favorite foodstuff and more can be a memorable gift unlike any other. With the company’s specially designed gift baskets for birthdays, you will surely be able to give your loved ones a pleasant surprise.

The company has a wide variety of gift baskets online to help you prepare a more personalized gift. You may choose among delightfully fun-filled gift baskets ranging from the “Birthday Celebration Bouquet” (in both regular and sugar-free versions), “You are Mugnificent,” “Godiva Chocolate Birthday Basket,” “Celebrating Popcorn Gift Tin,” and much more.

With a personalized birthday gift basket, from All About Gifts and Baskets, saying “happy birthday” to a friend or loved one has never been easier and more memorable.

To view a wide selection of gift baskets for all occasions, visit AAGiftsandBaskets.com, or call 1-800-590-1388.

HONEY MILK BATH
(Great moisturizing and softening bath soak!)

INGREDIENTS:

3 tbs Honey
1 Cup Hot Water
2 tbs of milk power

DIRECTIONS:
Dissolve honey into the hot water and then stir in the powdered milk. Pour the mix into a running bath.

This mix will last 1-2 days in the fridge, but it best used when made.

—————————–

FRAGRANT MILK BATH

INGREDIENTS:

2 cup dry milk powder
1 cup cornstarch
1/8 tsp. Fragrance Oil of your choice

Blend together all ingredients in a blender. Add 1/2 cup mixture to hot bath water.

————————–

PEPPERMINT MILK BATH
(Invigorate your body and mind!)

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup powdered milk
1/2 cup cornstarch
2 cups hot water
1/2 teaspoon peppermint oil

DIRECTIONS:
Mix ingredients together with a whisk until powdered milk is dissolved then pour into running bath.

It is believed that different smells can influence our moods as well as our psychological and physical well-being. Aromatherapy starts with essential oils, which  is a liquid that is generally distilled (most frequently by steam or water) from the leaves, stems, flowers, bark, roots, or other elements of a plant.

Many different oils and scents can be used to create the atmosphere you are seeking.  Some scents and their effects are:

Calming
* Chamomile
* Rose

Soothing
* Lavender
* Vanilla

Relaxing
* Clary Sage
* Neroli

Clarifying
* Rosemary
* Peppermint

To make a room mist out of pure essential oils, add 7-8 drops of each essential oil to a 1 ounce glass misting bottle filled with spring or distilled water. Shake well before each mist.

Our aromatherapy spa gift baskets make great any-occasion gifts for mothers, sisters and friends!

If a loved one falls ill while you’re far away and there’s nothing else you can do to get to them, there is always a get well soon gift basket that you can send. Whether it’s for your parents, your grandparents, or any of your friends and close relatives, a gift basket will surely let them know that they are in your thoughts and you wish them well.

Although there are many digital means these days that will allow you to let a loved one feel cared for, nothing could be more personal than sending a gift basket that includes a card to relay your thoughts.  All About Gifts and Baskets will surely be able to help you out on this. They have many different types of gift baskets that you can send to your loved one, and you can simply choose the perfect basket just by visiting their website.

Choose a get well soon gift basket at AAGiftsandBaskets.com to wish your loved ones well. Contact 1-800-590-1388 for inquiries.