Minggu, 22 September 2013

Halloween Party Ideas for Toddlers


A toddler party for the occasion of Halloween sounds to be a great idea. Although, toddlers cannot participate in each and every activity the elder kids enjoy, such a party can be made fun by making use of some interesting ideas. Toddlers unlike the older kids are not able to go for trick-or-treating activities wearing those Halloween cartoon costumes. It is only few easy-to-implement ideas that are of some use for these little goblins. Engaging these kids in activities like crafts, decorations is recommended. Parents can also make use of Halloween invitation wording ideas to invite the guests.

Toddler Halloween Party Ideas

The party ideas for kids presented below, include games and activities that are enjoyable and most importantly, suitable for toddlers.

Pumpkin Decoration: The activity of decorating pumpkins is amongst the best Halloween party ideas for toddlers. Kids and adults both enjoy the fun activity of decorating pumpkins. Sharp tools needed to cut and shape the pumpkins could prove to be dangerous for toddlers. It is therefore, advisable to make use of materials like paper mache. Pumpkins made from such materials are available in crafts stores and their size ranges from small to medium. Using the paper mache material for this Halloween craft not only makes the decoration activity to be safe for toddlers, but also helps in creating art works that are light weight . Apart from the paints used for decoration, materials like candy corn, black beans (dried), yarn, etc. can be used.

Balloon Pop Game: The game of balloon pop can add fun to a toddler Halloween party. In this Halloween game, children just have to pop the balloons. Two-three balloons should be enough for every child. The work of blowing up balloons has to be performed by parents. While inflating these balloons, treats need to be placed in them. Filling enough treats in balloons should make the kids happy. Children can pop the balloons by bouncing or even sitting on them. It is quite a simple activity to arrange for, however, quite enjoyable for kids.

Pin the Tail on Black Cat: This game is similar to that of the commonly played 'Pin the Tail on the Donkey'. Name of any other animal can be used instead of the ones mentioned here. For this game, picture of a black cat should be made and put on a wall. This picture should be made without the tail. Kids have to be blindfolded for playing this game. In this activity/game, kids have to draw the cat's tail. The child should be taken to the place where the picture is hung after blindfolding him/her. It is quite interesting to see how one tries to find the correct place to draw the tail. The kid who draws the tail properly should be the winner; treating that kid should make him/her happy.

Making a Goody Bag: The kids invited for Halloween parties can be presented with goody bags. Every child loves to receive gifts and such a gesture would really delight the kids. The bags should be filled with candies, chocolates and toys. But how about allow each of them to decorate their own bag. Any activity which requires active participation is always enjoyed by kids. Children should be provided with all the necessary materials for decoration. Upon completion of this decoration work, bags need to be filled with above mentioned items and gifted to children.

The different Halloween party ideas for toddlers should add fun to this festive occasion. The use of Halloween party songs also adds fun to this festive occasion. Children at this age do not care much about the actual activity as long as it doesn't bore them. Parents can make use of many such activities to make the toddlers Halloween party a memorable one.

Babysitting Activities


Babysitting is a part-time job many teenagers would take up to make some quick extra money. There are times when even older people like a friend of yours would baby-sit in times of emergency. When you baby-sit, you have to plan out a few activities to keep the baby/children engaged. These activities have to be planned according to the age group of the babies. However, dancing, singing and reading out aloud from a storybook are some activities that are common to all age groups.

Activities should be planned keeping in mind the number of children you have to baby-sit. If you have to baby-sit for only one baby, then the indoor/outdoor activities are limited. If the baby is a toddler, then there are very few things a baby-sitter can do.

Activities for a Toddler

One thing, which a toddler would love to do, is draw on walls or on anything that is within their reach. Give them a few fat color crayons and some waste papers. You can ask them to draw anything that holds their fantasy. Allow them to let their imagination run wild. For waste paper, you can cut open the large grocery paper bags. To prevent the paper bag from moving away, you can stick it to the floor using a paper tape.

Activities for Kids of Ages Three and Above

There are many activities to keep for a three-year-old babies engaged. However, if you have to baby-sit on a wet day, then you can try out this activity. This activity is called "Guessing The Object". In a grocery bag, put some objects that have a distinctive feel and shape. For instance, you can use objects such as a ball, cubes, spoon, toys and so on. Let the child/children take turn in feeling the object and guess what is in the bag. You can allow the children to take turns in putting the object inside the bag and let the others guess.

Another babysitting activity that can be played by children all age groups is making faces. You can ask the child to face the mirror and make silly faces at themselves. You can ask them to make a face as if they are happy, sad, angry or afraid about something. If there are more babies, then you can hold a contest.

Activities for Kids of Ages Four and Above

A few of the activities that you can scheme out for the babies of age four years are treasure hunt, hide and seek, take them out for a walk, help them solve a puzzle and so on. If you happen to be babysitting on a rainy day, you can help them make fun crafts with materials that is usually found at home, read stories, give them a few color crayons and ask them to draw funny pictures and so on. However, on a bright day, take them out for a walk to the nearby park, allow them to use the baby swings and slides.

Planning various babysitting activities, while considering the age group and the interests of a baby is essential. However, ensure that you have permission of the parents to carry out various activities that you have planned out for their precious little ones. It is always wise to discuss the activities with the mother of the baby, before starting off.

Outdoor Activities for Toddlers


Outdoor activities for toddlers are fun and enjoyment for them as well as their parents. The young ones are in a developing stage and this is the best age to teach them a lot of things. Babies and toddlers have a lot of excitement about colors, pets and nature. You can help them explore these things during various activities, they can learn many things.

Activities to Indulge In

Nature Bracelet
You will need a masking tape and scissors for this activity. Wrap this masking tape on the wrist of your kid keeping the sticky side up. Take them to your garden or a nearby park and ask them to collect colorful leaves, flowers, and other things that they find interesting. You can ask them to stick the flowers and leaves over the masking tape to have a nature bracelet. You must tell them the names of each flowers, plants, and that of other collected items. When you reach home, you can cut the bracelet and either place it on the shelf or stick it on their room's wall.

Zoo Visit
This is one of the most interesting and educative outdoor activities for children. They will enjoy watching various animals and birds. You can tell them the names of each of them. Visiting an aquarium is also one of the fun-filled activities. They will like watching colorful fish. You can name them or teach them various colors while they look at these different colored fish.

Planting
You can take them with you in your garden while you plant a few saplings. You can ask them to put soil in the pots or some seeds that you have to plant. They will just enjoy the task of putting soil, it can be messy, but they'll definitely love it. Also, you can ask them to water the plants with a lightweight and small watering can.

Visiting a Museum
You can take your kids to a museum and they are sure to enjoy there. They will be amazed to look some new things that they have never seen. You can teach them a lot about the history and our nation's inheritance. More than teaching, let them enjoy, you will definitely find them looking at each and every piece with interest.

Follow the Leader
Follow the leader is a very popular game. You can play this with your kid to teach him various movements. Start the game, be the leader and ask your child to follow you. Ask your child to do movements just like you are doing. Hopping, running, standing on one leg, jumping are some movements, loudly take their name while performing each movement. Ask your kid to follow you. Now ask your toddler to be the leader and follow him/ her.

Tiptoes
Activities that help your child to learn to have good body balance includes tiptoes. Here you have to teach your kid to walk on tiptoes, this will help him develop strength and balance. Once your toddler can do a tiptoe walk, ask him to have a forward, backward, side-ward, and 'in circles' tiptoe walk for more fun.

These activities are really exciting and useful for your child. Above mentioned activities will help develop their mental ability and physical health. They will get to know new things and explore the world outside your house. Nothing can be more fun than these. Don't you agree?

Sabtu, 21 September 2013

Funny Bridal Shower Games


Bridal shower is one of the most exciting party, especially for the bride-to-be, after all it is the last party that she can enjoy as a spinster! This fact also makes it more difficult to organize a bridal shower as the party needs to be perfect, the star of the party should remember for years! Entertainment plays a big role in making any party a hit. However, music and dance are not the only forms of entertainment! Especially in parties like bridal shower, people like to sit back and enjoy, dancing on loud music is way to common. That is the reason why we have special games for every occasion, whether it is a bridal shower or a baby shower! There are loads of games which can be enjoyed only on a bridal shower, so one should not leave an opportunity to participate and have fun! The following are a couple of funny bridal shower games which are sure to create a laughter riot!

Fun Games to Play at a Bridal Shower

Gifts Exchange
This is one of the unique bridal shower games. For this game you will need to visit a stationery shop. Buy several trivial things as gifts, things that cost less than a dollar, ranging from a fancy bow to bath-beads. You do not need to buy gifts for every guest, in fact buy a less number of gifts than the guests. Wrap all the gifts in different sized boxes, be innovative, for example, gift wrap a tiny picture frame in medium-sized gift box, etc. Set a timer and make all the guests sit in a circle and place all gifts in the middle. Ask the bride-to-be to roll a set of dice, if she gets double, she gets to pick one of those gifts. Continue the same process with everyone, when anyone gets a double, they get a chance to pick a prize. Once all the gifts from the circle are over, ask the guests to exchange or trade their gifts with other guests! The process should go on till the timer goes off. At the starting of the game all the guests will be very generous, but as the game proceeds, you will see them arguing over the size of the gift, the height of the game is when they open the gifts and find a tiny gift. It is hilarious to see their face expressions when they realize that they were fighting over something stupid!

Story Interpretation
This game is sure to make the bride blush and the guests laugh! This game starts after all the gifts are opened by the bride-to-be. You do not need anything except creativity and a paper and pen for this game. All you have to do is, mark down each and every expression of the bride when she opens the gift, it could be as simple as 'Wow! This is beautiful!' Now all you have to do is create a honeymoon story of the party star with the help of those expressions! What and how the story should be, that depends entirely on your wish. You can make it a simple funny story or even a sensational tale!

A Humorous Helping Hand
All the newlyweds face a number of problems after their marriage. Some of the problems are grave while some are actually funny! But the fact is that most of them are very common, faced by almost every couple! So it a kind of duty of other people to provide them with solutions, before the problems arise. But as the game is supposed to be funny, the solutions are also supposed to be funny. You can make a list of common problems like, 'he messes the house every now and then' or 'he snores excessive', etc. Provide the guests with chits and tell them to think of different solutions and read them aloud. As a variation of this game, you can make two groups of the invitees and provide each with the chit. One group will write only solutions and another will write only the problems. When all are done, read out any random problem and solution chit. The bride-to-be is sure to be confused by the weird problems and solutions!

These were some of the funny games you can play at a bridal shower. You can also refer to printable bridal shower games for more ideas. With these game ideas for help, you do not need to worry about your party being successful. Have fun!

Jumat, 20 September 2013

Coed Baby Shower Games


Coed baby showers have been very popular nowadays as inviting men has doubled up the fun. Most of the baby showers hosted today do not follow the traditional rules of discussing the problems of pregnancy, the horrors of labor room and going gaga while opening the presents. With the presence of men in the party, the baby showers have become a lot more lively, active and fun. To keep the men interested and the party at a high note, you can try some of the free coed baby shower games mentioned in this article. These fun baby shower games will surely keep the party alive and help you and your guests enjoy the private affair.

Unique Games

There are plenty of games for coed baby shower and the following are a few unique games that will keep the fun in the party alive.

The Baby, The Diaper and One Hand Each
This is sort of a team game where couples are asked to team up. They are supposed to tie a diaper to a baby doll. And to make this simple task interesting, the couple is allowed to use one hand each. The other hand is not supposed to touch either the doll or diaper. The couple who ties the diaper the fastest, is a winner.

The Multitask Super-parent
This is simple game where two people hold a clothesline and one by one each guest comes up and hangs clothes in one minute. Where's the fun? Well, each person has to hold a baby doll in one hand, speak on the cordless with the other and hand the clothes at the same time. The one who hangs the most number of clothes in a minute is the super-parent winner.

Drink, Mama, Drink
You need to fill small baby bottles with variety of fruit juices and ask the guests to drink the juice from sucking on the bottle. The parent who finishes the bottle first is the winner. This may seem simple, but it is really hard to suck juice from a baby bottle.

Fun Games

Belly Race
This is one of the best coed baby shower games. All you need to do, blow big balloons and ask the men to put them under their shirts. Then ask them to race to another room, tie their shoes and come back to the original point of start. The first man to reach back to the spot without bursting the balloon is the winner. This is a really funny game when women see their husbands and significant others juggle shoe laces and the balloon belly.

Potato Walk
You need to ask your guest to place a potato between their knees, walk across the room and put the potato into a jar at the end. And all this without touching the potato with hand. Look at the funny walk and the attempts to put the potato into the jar and burst out laughing.

Toss the Balloons
This is another games that needs to be played outdoors. You need to fill water balloons and ask your guest to pick one partner each. Then ask the couples to toss the water balloons back and forth without dropping them. The one who can continue playing the longest without dropping their balloons wins.

Fish the Nipples
You need to take a large bucket full of water and add several baby nipples in it. Then ask the participants to kneel down, hands behind their backs and fish out the nipples with their mouth. The guest who grabs the most number of nipples in a minute wins.

These are some of the games for the coed baby shower. You can search for more free coed baby shower games on the Internet to make your party more interesting. Or else some creative minds can come up with their own unique games. Baby showers are a way to welcome the new arrival and help the mom-to-be more comfortable and happy. Have an enjoyable baby shower.

Baby Shower Games for Men

Who said men are not allowed for a baby shower? Of course they are and the trend is becoming very popular these days. A couple baby shower or a coed baby shower is one of a kind and brings in great fun at the party. Coed baby shower being different from traditional baby shower needs some creative ideas that can impress the male guests. Games are inevitable part of any party, since they help to sustain the party mood. For a coed baby shower, you need some real exciting and active games that can entertain the male guests. So, if you are arranging one such couple baby shower, then here are some ideas and suggestions on baby shower games for guys.

Fun Baby Shower Games for Guys

While arranging a coed baby shower, you need to avoid those typical girl games. Men at the baby shower will find those games boring and may turn up chit chatting with each other. Moreover, you need to make sure if the to-be-parents are fine with playing games at the baby shower. Some men and women may find it uncomfortable to play games at the baby shower. The games at coed baby shower should be decent and should not include stories of pregnancy. Given below are some baby shower games that you can include in your coed baby shower.

Beer in the Bottle
This is an all time favorite baby shower game for men. The material you will require to play this game are, baby bottles according to the number of men at the baby shower. Fill these bottles with any beverage, but beer makes a good option for adult parties. Hand over the beer filled bottles to all the men and then set the timer to zero. Start the count with help of the timer and the guy who finishes drinking the beer first wins the game. To add more fun to the game, you can use bottle nipples with small holes that make it difficult to drink the beer.

Put on the Diaper
One more popular baby shower game is putting the diaper on a baby doll. To play this game, you will require naked baby dolls, diaper pins and cloth diapers. Make pairs of men and women present at the party and place the material required in front of them. The couple has to wrap the baby with the cloth diaper by using only one hand each. They are free to use any one hand, but are strictly not allowed to use the other hand. Say, if the man decides to use the left hand then he should not use his right hand throughout the game, same is applicable for the lady. The game is more like a team work and the team that diapers the baby first wins the game.

Hanging Clothes
This is one of the most funny baby shower games. To play this game, you will require enough space to hang the clothesline. You can hang the clothesline either indoors or outdoors if you have a lawn or so. The materials you will require to play this game are clothesline, baby clothes and clothes pins. Each guy has to hang all the baby clothes on the clothesline and the one who hangs the clothes in less time, wins the game. Else you can also have a winner as the one who hangs maximum clothes in one minute. While hanging the clothes, the guy has to use only one hand. You can bring more twist in the game by telling the participants to hang the clothes with a baby doll in one hand each.

These were some fun baby shower games for men. I hope this article will prove useful to you and you will have a great time at your coed baby shower. All the Best!

Kamis, 19 September 2013

Games to Play at a Baby Shower


Having a baby shower is quite a regular practice. In fact, almost all expecting mothers either organize a it for themselves, or have one planned by their friends. One important aspect of planning it, is to decide what games to play at it. Whether it is the mother planning it, or the friends, it is always a good idea to have an idea of some easy games which can be played, so that the people attending it do not get bored. Here are some ideas that you may want to try out.

Pin the Sperm
This is a comical modification of the popular party game, tail the cat. What you have to do is draw an ovary on a big chart. Hang this on a door or somewhere with a flat backdrop. Take a piece of wool, and wrap it around drawing pins to represent sperm. Blindfold the participants, one at a time, and ask them to pin the sperm correctly on the ovary. The person with the closest pin wins some great prizes!

Name Me
This is a fun game for men attending a baby shower. To test their baby knowledge, and to prepare them for the little bundle of joy that is about to arrive. Place random baby items like nipples, bottles, diapers, blankets, pins, etc. in a basket. Blindfold each contestant and ask him to reach into the basket and remove only one item at a time, name it and describe how it is to be used. The person who names and describes the maximum number of items, within the time limit, wins!

Bottoms Up
Go back to your bottle suckling days with this game. What you have to do is, fill a number of baby bottles (according to the number of guests) with a liquid like water or orange juice. Begin a timer for half a minute, and ask the contestants to begin drinking the water or juice, using the nipple of the bottle. The person who drinks the most within the allotted time, wins.

Candy Bar
This game tests your logic and quick thinking when it comes to babies. Make cards that have two sections. One for clues, and one for answers. In the clues section, write down a clue that is related to babies, or children, or pregnancy, etc. The person playing has to use the clue to guess the name of a popular candy bar, which matches the clue. The person with the most correct answers can get a jar of candy as a prize!

How Big is Mummy's Tummy?
Give each guest some yarn. Ask them to tie the yarn into a knot, so that the loop is of the approximate size that they believe is the pregnant lady's tummy. Measure all the pieces properly, and then measure the to-be-mummy's tummy. The guest with the closest guess wins this game!

So, did you see, how many games can be played at a baby shower? Have fun at your shower, and God bless your little one who is about to arrive!

Rabu, 18 September 2013

Baby Shower Scrapbook Ideas


Baby shower is an occasion wherein the parents of a newborn baby or who is about to be born are "showered" with gifts. Some couples, in order to celebrate their parenthood, throw a party or plan a cozy get-together with their near and dear ones, which are given the name of "baby showers". Till about recently, baby showers were like any other regular party with games, food, gifts etc. However now, the trend to make this a more emotional, close wound and memorable affair is fast catching up! Now, the couples are replacing the traditional baby shower games with involving the guests in making scrapbooks which have pictures of the newborn baby, the expecting mother and the father. These baby books are created with the idea that when the child grows up, he as well as the other family members can reminiscence the old times by looking at the scrapbook.

Creative Scrapbook Ideas for a Baby Shower

If you too are planning to get your guests involved in this activity at the baby shower, you need to be ready with the supplies, before the guests arrive. Ideally, a scrapbook which has a leather or cloth cover should be chosen as it looks formal, special, timeless and unlike the commonly used ones. A good idea here would be to get the baby's initials as well as date of birth engraved on the cover of the scrapbook! Besides this, you would need pictures that you want to be included in the scrapbook, stickers, ribbons, buttons, printouts of some quotes on motherhood and children (you will find plenty of these on the Internet), cards and other decorative items such as patterned papers, that you think will add to the beauty of the scrapbook. Be ready with the supplies needed to carry on the work, such as scissors, colors, glue, pencils, markers, card stock paper and other stationery. Do not leave anything for the last moment and be prepared with everything in advance.

Arrange for a big table to be kept in the middle of the room, around which all your invitees can sit and carry on this activity. Before the baby shower, sit with your partner and brainstorm as to how would you want the different pages to shape up. What all things, pictures, decorations, wordings, you would want in the scrapbook. You can of course leave the details up to the guests as to how to decorate it and plan the layout of each page, yet you two should have a basic idea about how the scrapbook should finally look. Here are some scrapbook ideas on the list of things that you can include in it:
  • Start by writing about those moments when you two were excited and at the same time, nervous about becoming parents. In this section, both the partners can write their feelings, fears, anticipation and happiness about the birth of their baby.
  • The letter from the doctor confirming the pregnancy as well as ultrasound photographs can be included in the next few pages.
  • Some incidents that are wroth mentioning are about the mother's food cravings and mood swings. They will be great to add some humor to the scrapbook. These can be posted along with monthly pictures of the mother's growing tummy.
  • Pictures of the time of delivery, when you two were at the hospital, pictures of the nurses and doctors who helped in the delivery, letter confirming the birth given by the doctor, the baby's weight and height at the time of birth, baby's time and date of birth, the color of his eyes, the color of his hair, his foot and hand imprints - these are the things that you should include in the scrapbook as they make for valuable memories.
  • Include all the pictures of the baby's firsts like his first smile, his first walk, his first tooth, his first bath, first haircut, first outside trip, etc.
  • Devote the last section of the book to the entire baby shower event. Click the photographs of the decorations, guests, food menu, gifts and cards received from the invitees, cake etc. and have them posted then and there in the scrapbook by all your invitees.
  • You can paste the party invitation on the cover of the scrapbook, along with some of the cards and gifts received as they will make the cover look very attractive!
While conducting this activity, explain the general layout to the guests, however, at the same time, give some pages to them to design in whichever way they want. They can write some blessings for the baby and the mother or draw something funny which the child can enjoy when he grows up and sees! In other words, give the guests freedom to design and decorate some pages according to their wish! This will add abundance of creativity to your baby shower scrapbook!

Jumat, 13 September 2013

Things to Do on Your Birthday

Things to do on your birthday
A Golden Birthday!
When your date of birth is the same as your age, it is known as the Golden Birthday! E.g. - You turning 18 on the 18th (of any month).Regardless of who we are and what we've accomplished, birthdays can make us feel like a child all over again. Growing up, we try to make this day special than any other day. However, as responsibilities pile on, somewhere the spirit to go out there and do something fun diminishes. But we are here to tell you, it's never too late to begin. After all, it's your birthday!

Activities to Make Your Birthday Extra Special

One of the most important things to do, while deciding what to do on your birthday, is plan ahead of time. If you wish to spend time with family and friends, then you need to make sure they're available for the day. Also, it is a good practice to have a budget and then finalize the activities you wish to accomplish. Below, you will find some of our suggestions. Take a look.
Ride a Scooter
Ride a Scooter


Rent a scooter and take your best friend/partner/spouse on a ride through the countryside, along the coast, or in the mountains.Test Drive
Test Drive


Everyone has a soft spot for that one car they wished they had. Well, if you can't own it, test drive it instead.Swim with Dolphins
Swim with Dolphins


Swim with the dolphins and other (safer) aquatic animals. You don't need to be scared of anything; it's perfectly safe. There are many tourist destinations that have such attractions.Rock Climbing
Rock Climbing


Indulge in extreme sports. You can try mountain biking, rock climbing (indoor or outdoor), street luge, bungee jumping, base jumping, wakeboarding, barefoot skiing, river rafting, snowboarding, and even speed skiing.Museum Visit
Museum Visit


For history buffs - spending a day at a museum. You can either take a trip to one of the biggest museums around the globe or choose to visit one close to your place. Either way, your day is going to be splendid.Movies with Friends
Movies with Friends


If you have different groups of friends from work and school, and want to spend your day with all of them, choose 3 to 4 current movies playing in theaters and watch them with your groups of friends.Bucket List
Bucket List


One month or ten days prior to your birthday, start making a bucket list for yourself. Write down things you've always wanted to do in the order of "must accomplish" to "can do it any other day". Gather friends and/or family members, and spend the day doing the things from your list.Get a Makeover
Get a Makeover


Take a risk, be bold, and get a makeover to change your look completely. A makeover, regardless of age or gender, is really helpful as it gives an immense morale boost. Plus, it'll keep your mind off how old you're getting.Party with Strangers
Party with Strangers


Be kind and do something nice for others. Plan a birthday party with your family and friends at an orphanage or retirement home. You will not only have a great time enjoying your birthday, but bring joy to others as well.Thank Your Parents
Thank Your Parents


Thank your parents for bringing you into this world by taking them on a holiday. After all, without them, this day wouldn't have been possible.Go Camping
Go Camping


Go camping with your family and/or close friends over the weekend. Get away from the world for a couple of days and enjoy quiet, fun moments with the people you love and care for the most.At the Beach
At the Beach


Spend the day at the beach. Play volleyball, surf, skate, water ski, sail, snorkel, or ride a hydrobike. Watch the sunset and light a bonfire. Sing songs, play truth or dare, make S'mores, and watch the stars as the skies turn dark.House Party
House Party


Spend the day at home, but in style. Invite family and/or close friends and host a barbeque party or a potluck lunch. If you have a pool, tell everyone to grab their bathing suits. Or you can even go to the closest park and make all the arrangements there.Arrange a Sleepover
Arrange a Sleepover


Arrange a sleepover, with a twist. The sleepover will last for the entire day where your friends, along with you, can relax, enjoy, and unwind. Rent DVDs and have a movie marathon, get takeout or cook at home with everyone, play video games or indoor games, drink (only for adults) and gossip, and dance till your feet hurt.Amusement Park
Amusement Park


Get tickets to your favorite amusement park and enjoy all the rides you've loved as a child. Take loads of pictures, print them, and make an album full of memories.Hit the Restaurants
Hit the Restaurants


One week prior to your birthday, sit with your family and/or friends to make a list of all your favorite restaurants to eat and places to hang out. On your birthday, take your camera and visit as many places and restaurants as you can (with everyone who gave the suggestions).Watch the Game
Watch the Game


For sports fans, watching their favorite team play can also make the birthday special. This can be tricky if no games are played on your birthday. So... have a backup plan.Go Sailing
Go Sailing


Depending on your budget, rent a sailboat and cruise the open waters with family and/or close friends. Pack lunch, grab champagne (drink responsibly), spot dolphins, take tons of pictures, and watch the sunset before you call it a day.Take a Holiday
Take a Holiday


Make arrangements to visit your dream destination. If you have been putting off your travel plans, make them happen NOW. Don't delay any longer. Pack your bags and take a holiday with family, close friends, and/or that special someone.Donate and Shop
Donate and Shop


One week prior to your birthday, clean out your closet and donate all the clothes that you haven't worn for over a year. It'll make space for new ones. Make a budget and go shopping on your birthday.
Select one or more things to do for your birthday and take tons of pictures. You can print your favorite pictures and make a yearly album of memories. As years go by, you will have loads of memories to share with family and friends.

Rabu, 11 September 2013

Toddler Activities at Home


The age group of toddlers is between 1 -3 years of age. The word toddler has originated from 'toddle'. The meaning of toddle is to walk unsteadily with short steps. Children in this age group are still learning to walk and like to do many other activities. The urge to learn new things makes these children curious and interested in their surroundings. It is necessary to keep them engaged in activities through which they learn a lot, which includes art and craft, child development puzzles and basic coordination games. The art activities for toddlers could be anything which includes drawing and painting, etc. Read more on craft ideas for toddlers.

Fun Toddler Activities at Home

The fun toddler activities along with those necessary for mental growth are mentioned in the article below. For very small toddlers i.e. from the age group below 1 year, simple activities are recommended. Chatting with children of this age could be fun.

Chatting: Children learn a lot through the activity of chatting. If you observe them carefully, they try to get familiar with sounds and words. Chatting with these toddlers help them absorb words. It doesn't matter whether they understand those words or not. As they hear the words repetitively, the language skills develop. Read more on listening skills for children.

Peekaboo: It is a common game played with babies. One has to cover his face with his hands and suddenly pop it for the baby to see. Apparently the game seems to be simple. However, is important from the point of development of object permanence in the infants. The capability to understand that the objects continue to exist even without being seen, touched or heard is known as object permanence.

Sensory Bottles: These bottles are easy to make. One can make 'lava bottles', 'discovery bottles' and 'snow globes' in this activity. The lava bottles are called so because of the lava lamp effect that is created by them. To make these bottles, one has to fill them with water and baby oil in equal proportions. The discovery bottles are filled with rice and small objects are mixed in it. As the bottles are rolled, one can see these objects emerging at the surface. To make snow globes, a plastic bottle should be filled with water and corn syrup in equal ratio. Beads, glitter and paper clips should then be added. As the glitter settles down slowly, it dazzles and creates a nice visual effect.

Outdoor Activities: The indoor toddler activities at home though, are important for children's growth, outdoor games for toddlers too help in the mental development.

Water and Sand: Playing with sand and water is an activity which kids enjoy a lot. Children also learn through this activity. Mixing the sand and water helps in the development of their imaginative skills. The sand chosen for this activity need to be free of lime. This activity doesn't require much monitoring on the part of mothers.

Walking: The activity of walking is important from the point of child development. They can not only learn to walk quickly, but also discover new things as they are taken for a stroll. Letting toddlers walk in their natural surroundings is an enriching experience for them. Taking children to nearby gardens helps them discover different types of flowers, plants, big trees, small insects, birds and animals. Read more on preschool games for toddlers.

Different toddler activities at home which are mentioned in the article above, are necessary for their overall growth. One should find out as many activities as possible to bring about development of toddlers.

Selasa, 10 September 2013

Coed Baby Shower Ideas


Baby shower is a beautiful event arranged either by the best friend or a close relative of the to-be-mom. It's a celebration to welcome the new family member with all the love and happiness showered over the to-be-mom. Usually a baby shower is a women's party and men are not invited. But these days coed baby showers or couple baby showers are getting too much popular. Inviting the to-be-dad and his friends can be real fun. But since men will be invited for this occasion, you have to forget the traditions of general baby shower and arrange an altogether different baby shower. Scroll down for some wonderful coed baby shower ideas.

Fun Ideas for a Coed Baby Shower

Before planning a coed baby shower, it is necessary that the host makes sure that the to-be-parents are fine with this idea. It may happen that some men would prefer to be away from such events. It can also happen that the to-be-mom is uncomfortable with this idea. Thus, it is always wise to ask the to-be-parents and then only start with the preparations. Once you get the green signal, you can scratch your head and find some creative and fun ideas for coed baby shower. Given below are some suggestions and ideas that you can implement in your coed baby shower.

Invitation Ideas
It is necessary that you invite your guests, at least 3 to 4 weeks before the coed baby shower. Moreover, deciding the date of the baby shower also plays an important role. Make sure there is no football match or baseball match on that day, else all the men will be stuck to TV on the baby shower day! Send baby shower invitations to couples with simple yet catchy wordings. Make sure you mention in the invitation that it's a coed baby shower. Use simple wordings like, Bring Your Hubby, Come Celebrate! It's a Couples Baby Shower...Don't Be Late! Avoid using shades of pink in the invitation and try to use some manly colors. Do not make the invitation wordings too girly. If you have a theme based baby shower like a cowboy baby shower, do mention it in the invitation.

Favor Ideas
As mentioned earlier, when you are planning a coed baby shower, you have to break the traditional rules of baby shower. Coed baby shower favors need to be different from normal baby shower favors. Keep in mind that men will not appreciate colored candies wrapped in beautiful colorful papers! So, you have to get something that men will like to carry with them. You can have baby shower favors that are gender neutral, like, simply hand over a bottle of wine as the couple steps out after the event. Or you can have separate baby shower favors for men and women. T-shirts, movie rental coupons, cigars, shot glasses, etc. make some great coed baby shower favors.

Ideas for Games
Playing games at a coed baby shower can be fun, provided the to-be-parents agree on arranging them. Some may feel awkward to play games at baby shower, so make sure the couple is comfortable with playing games. Games at couple baby shower can be simple, yet loaded with fun. You need some games that need active participation. Do not include those traditional baby shower games where ladies narrate their delivery stories. You can include simple games where the couples are provided with play dough and other supplies and they have to mold a baby out of it. The to-be-parents then select the best dough baby made by the guests. Else you can have the diaper games where couples are provided with a naked baby dolls, diaper pins and cloth diapers. The couple that finishes first wins the game. There are no limits to the games that can be included for coed baby shower and you can have any of them. Just make sure that they are decent and the guests are comfortable playing them.

These were some ideas and suggestions on planning a coed baby shower. You can include these ideas or use innovative ideas of your own. Inviting men at baby shower can bring in a lot of fun and joy with well planned ideas.

Baby Shower Ideas and Themes


A baby shower is a great way to celebrate the would-be mother's first baby bump. It is a great time to shower the would-be mother with some of the most useful and interesting gifts that would be a great help to the mother on the baby's arrival. A baby shower is commonly an event that is exclusively arranged by and for the ladies, however with the changing trends several people like to accommodate men into this ceremony as well. Planning a baby shower is a task that is usually taken up by one of the friends of relatives of the expecting mother.

Baby Shower Ideas and Themes

Picking out a baby shower theme is very easy, however you need to take special care to execute the theme. In case you are not willing to spend on the ready-made baby shower kits, then you can always make the preparations at home. There also exists DIY kits that are simply great for planning a baby shower. A theme can be incorporated into the get-together while selecting each and every item, starting from the plates, paper napkins, table sloth, balloons as well as baby shower favors.

Elegant Tea Party

Well this one can be a great idea for the ladies, with some great aromatic teas, and some cucumber sandwiches and mouth-watering accompaniments for the tea party. You can include some lip smacking finger foods at the beginning of the baby shower. Make sure you have healthy food being served, especially make it a point to avoid the things that are not good for the expecting mother. Bring out the expensive china, and drape your tables in the choicest tablecloths and use linen napkins to go with the theme. It could be a great addition if you could add fresh flowers as centerpieces for the tables.

Movie Buff Mommy

Well, this one is for movie lovers; you can plan your entire baby shower around several movies. You can use movie posters for decorating the party venue, and also play some movie soundtracks to create the perfect ambiance for this baby shower. You can even rent some baby related movies like Look Who's Talking, Baby's Day Out, or Three Men and a Baby.. It can be great for the mother-to-be to enjoy these movies with her friends. As bridal shower favors, you can give away CDs and DVDs of famous movies, which the guests will love for sure.

Fun and Games

If you want the baby shower to be really different and fun for the mom-to-be as well as the guests, then incorporating a lot of fun games and activities can be a great idea. In the beginning it can be a great idea to put down the names of all your guests on a paper and have a lucky draw. Arrange for a special gift of the lucky draw winner. In addition to this there exists a lot of games and activities that can be fun for the guests. In case you are apprehensive about designing your own games, then you can always use the ready-made baby shower game kits that are available in the market.

Baby Shower Activities


A baby shower is a fun way to celebrate the impending arrival of a new addition to the family and to congratulate and share the happiness of the mother-to-be. It can be a get-together of friends, family, colleagues and church-groups. Planning a baby shower systematically, would include making all the arrangements from the location, to the guest list and the food arrangements. To make the baby shower an interesting and fun-filled affair and one that everyone would remember, it is essential to include some unique and interesting baby shower activities. These activities can be either physical or less physical, but should be able to include the participation of all the guests. Here are some unique and fun activities that you can add while hosting a baby shower.

Baby Shower Activities
Baby shower games need to be planned well according to the guests invited and the location where the baby shower is going to be held. Following are some activities that are easy to organize and fun too.

Keepsake Making
This is a fun and easy activity to indulge the guests in and will require some amount of baby shower planning beforehand. Purchase 50 to 100 plain white baby t-shirts, colored markers, fabric paints, cartoon stamps, glitter, etc. and hand them over to the guests as they arrive. Ask them to personalize each t-shirt with a message for the baby or some artwork on the t-shirts. Then put these up in a line on a clothesline and preserve it as a keepsake for the child.

Make a Wish
For this unique baby shower activity, you will need some candles and colored papers. Give the guests the colored papers and ask them to write down a wish on behalf of the baby or a prayer or a blessing and personalize it. Then wrap this paper around a candle and place it in a box, that has been decorated as per the baby shower theme. Hand over this box to the mother-to-be at the end of the party.

The Time That Was
While sending out invites for the baby shower, mention in the invitation cards that the guests should bring along with them, something that would tell the baby of the world that was before he was born. It should be something meaningful and significant for the baby, maybe a picture from the newspapers or a magazine. Once the guests arrive and have settled, seat them in a circle and ask them to hand it out to the mother-to-be, explaining its importance and significance. She can then compile them into an album or make a collage out of them, for the baby to go through when he grows up.

Beads for the Baby
Ask the guests to get some colorful beads when they come for the baby shower. Gather all the guests at one place once everyone has arrived and ask them to hold out the beads. Then one-by one, each guest should make a wish or a prayer for the baby and the mother-to-be and place it on a table. At the end of it, the mother-to-be should attach the beads to a string and wear it around her neck or arms. This will symbolize that the love and best wishes of the guests are always with the mom-to-be and the baby.

Few Minutes to Fame
This is a great baby shower idea, but you will need a camcorder or video camera for this. The host should go around interviewing all the guests in the baby shower party, asking them how they are related to the mother, a guess on the sex of the baby (if unknown), why the mother-to-be would make a good mother and a sweet message for the baby. At the end of it, gather all the guests and the to-be-mother to show them this fun compilation.

You can also include some fun baby shower games based on the theme of the baby shower while hosting a baby shower. Make sure that all the guests are comfortable participating in the activities. You can make use of some cool baby shower ideas to make your baby shower celebration even more fun and memorable.

Senin, 09 September 2013

Creative Baby Shower Ideas


Think while planning a creative baby shower. Think how to do, what to do, and if you have done a baby shower before then how to make it more creative this time around! Attractive baby shower decorations help create a perfect mood and feeling for the party guests. Great theme ideas, fun games, delicious recipes, creative baby shower gifts get you off towards a kicking start. Also baby shower gifts are an essential part of the event. We can buy baby shower clothes, games, baby bags, booties, bottles blankets etc.

Ideas for a Baby Shower

If you are looking at a fascinated backdrop baby shower or a simple elegance for fun, have a look at few things to how you will plan and decorate:

Planning the Budget
The budget is the first thing to be decided. Without planning the budget, one can't go ahead with the party planning. There are lots of inexpensive and classy ways to decorate even within a limited budget. Use your budget to create an elegant and fun backdrop for your baby party!

Deciding the Location
The location depends upon how big the guest list will be. The location can be decided not too far away and which is easily accessible for the guests. Choose a location or the restaurant where you can implement your creative ideas for entire party. Deciding the location will help you to design a creative party theme, decoration, etc., easily.

Unique Baby Shower Theme
First decide what theme do you want to follow. There are various themes like diaper baby showers, sports baby showers, princess baby showers, etc. Decide on what theme you want to follow. Think about your guests. What do they like and what is their taste. Some themes are to be applied for a baby boy and some for a baby girl. Keeping this in mind, we need to make sure of writing some guy's or girl's names on the invitations. Digital printing of invitation cards are always welcome on the creative front. Creative planning seems natural and easy for some women. Planning a theme can be made easier when we follow a common theme but with our own creativity. We can make a theme creative by picking a simple theme or an idea, and make a lifeless or dull baby shower the talk of the town. Perfect baby shower planning can give a good impression to your guests and they will appreciate the effort a lot. Flower arrangements and centerpieces can rock the themed creations. You can arrange colorful balloons in different shapes and cartoon characters.

Baby Shower Invitations
The baby shower invitation is the first glimpse your guest has of the baby shower. The first impression is very important one too. Make sure that your guests are greeted with something that will make them want to take the time to come to the baby shower. Creative baby shower invitations are important to reflect the theme and spirit of your baby shower party. This helps us give a personal touch to the invitation. The baby shower invitation wordings should include all particulars of the event. The theme of the invitation should highlight the volume of the special event. A must to-do task is adding information about the date, time, location of the event, the name of the respected guest, phone number, and email address. There are wonderful little sayings for baby boys as well as baby girls. Baby shower invitations contain important details of the baby shower event, but they need to be cute and fun as well. The type of invitation will give your guests an idea of the events that will be conducted at the baby shower. Some invitations can be formal or informal.

Types of invitations
Custom invitations, generic invitations, printed invitations and novelty invitations

Decide upfront what kind of invitation you will be sending. The type of invitation will give your guests an idea of what will be expected at the baby shower. Something like a proper sit-down meal will require a formal kind of invitation. A laid-back baby shower with creative elements would be represented well with an informal invitation.

Custom Invitations: Custom invitations are invitations in which you place an order with a printing shop or online store. You can customize the background, theme and wording according to your overall party theme. There are a huge variety of cards that one can select from.

Generic Invitations: Generic invitations are the invitations that are pre-printed out. They are available at grocery stores, craft stores, or on the Internet. In these type of invitations, they leave a blank space on the invitation that can be filled out easily by you.

Printed Invitations: You can print an invitation on normal paper and then stick it to the background paper that you want to use. You can even print it on some cardstock to give it a heavier, more refined look.

Novelty Invitations: These types of invitations are fun to give and receive too. They manage to lend a fresh, creative twist to the baby shower. You can use almost anything that is related to your theme.

Arranging the Games
Games are a fun part of a baby shower. Baby shower games are a must to make the function more enjoyable for all. You can keep prizes for winners to make it more exciting and that will help the baby shower become a hit. Prizes could be small candles, sachet, boxes of note cards, candy bars, refrigerator magnets, etc. In fact, prizes can be anything that could be useful for the winner to take home, use and cherish.

Deciding the Food Menu
Your truly delightful moment as being a baby shower hostess will come alive with the happy smiles of all your delighted guests. When the food is served, that's when the final opinion is formed in all your guests' minds about the whole function overall. Drinks are one of the most basic requirements of the baby shower. Punch is definitely the most popular choice of drink. Food can be served in buffet style meal by arranging long or circular tables or also by arranging casual style meal which consist of a drink, finger foods or appetizers & dessert. One can get lots of ooh and ahhs with these food ideas and recipes. The menu is very important and something you must always keep in mind as a priority.

Baby Shower Favors
Baby shower favors are an important part of a baby shower. These favors largely depend upon the baby shower theme we choose. Baby shower favors are usually placed on the table where the shower guests will be sitting, or in the baskets kept around the place. Baby shower favors can be purchased in bulk from the local department store. Homemade baby shower favors too can be made with decorative craft arts and papers. Make sure the baby shower favors you choose to give match the personality, type and style of the guests that you are inviting. Some cool and creative baby shower gift ideas are - wrapped up cookies and sweet treats, small scented hand soaps, candles, coffee mugs, gourmet coffee samples, perfume samples, etc.

A baby shower is a happy and fun event, for the mother and family involved, and also for the guests. Step by step simple planning can ensure that your baby shower is fun-filled and, cherished by the guests, and goes off absolutely smoothly. Use the above ideas and plan well in advance, so you too can enjoy a hassle-free and happy event along with your friends and family.

Fun Games for Boys


If we go by the nature of boys, games that are action-packed interest them the most. Outdoor games, video games and online games that take into account these factors are said to interest boys. Kids love to play online games and especially the role-playing ones. Party and outdoor games are also quite interesting and fun to play. A short account of different games that boys would enjoy is presented below.

Different Fun Games for Boys
The various games for boys include online games, party games, and simple indoor and outdoor games played in everyday life. There are many cool games on the Internet. Most of these are racing games while those with soccer and other sports themes too form a large chunk. Let us find more information on these games.

Video and Online Games
There are many games available online, which can be played with the help of different types of consoles. 'Crash of the Titans' is one such action-adventure game played with 'Xbox 360', 'PlayStation Portable', 'Playstation 2' and 'Wii'. The game is developed by 'Radical Entertainment' a video game developing company based in Vancouver, Canada. Soccer fans would find the 'FIFA' series to be interesting. These soccer based video games are developed by EA (Electronic Arts) Sports. Notable features of this game include the incorporation of 27 leagues, more than 510 teams and over 10,000 players. The 'Ford Racing' series also is a popular video game. It can be played on platforms like 'PC', 'Playstation' and 'Xbox'. The online games include 'Pacman' series and many such interesting games. There are shooting games, racing games and other types with sports being the common factor. One can think about playing different games from these free fun games.

Party Games
There are many games for boys that can be played at parties. Some of the popular games include 'Treasure Hunting', 'Paintball' and 'Obstacle Course'; boys enjoy such action-packed games. Let us have a look the different games one-by-one.

Paintball: In this game, balloons are filled with water that is mixed in soluble paints. Generally the shades of blue or red are used to make the water colorful. Boys should be divided in 2 teams say, red team and blue team for this game. The method/format of the game is simple to understand. Players in both teams have to hit their opponents with these water-filled balloons. A no-man's land should be created in order to keep both teams away from each other, so that other players don't come too close to each other. It gives a fair chance for players to duck and hit as well.

Treasure Hunting: It is one of the popular games played at parties. In treasure hunting, the participants are divided in two groups. Each group or team is given a list of items to search. The items can be anything that we use in day-to-day life such like books, toys, crayon boxes, etc. The number of items to be searched can be small or large depending on the age-group of children.

Obstacle Course: The obstacle course is not only an interesting party game, but also a nice way to give some physical exercise to children. Different types of obstacle courses can be used for this game. The game includes courses like the blowup pool for children to wade through. Climbing trees, short races with hurdles, etc. can also be used as obstacle courses in party games.

Sack Race: The game of sack race always interests kids and it can be played at parties too. One can make this game as complicated as possible by increasing the level of difficulty. Basically, the game requires pairs of players to compete in a race. One leg of each of the player is tied to that of other player. Racing in this position can be awkward and also fun. Hurdles can be added to make the race even more difficult.

Bursting Balloons: This is a fun game that requires materials such as balloons and magnifying glasses. A bright sunny day is necessary for playing this game; this is because sunrays concentrated through magnifying glasses are used to burst balloons. The player who is able to burst maximum number of balloons in a given time should be declared winner.

Outdoor Games
These games would provide some good exercise and also test your presence of mind. The game of bucket-filling requires you to be quick. The other games are equally fun and interesting.

Filling the Bucket: This is a team game which requires a pair of large buckets, two medium-sized buckets and two cups. The participants should be divided into two groups and asked to stand in a line. The two large buckets need to be filled with water and placed at the end of each of these lines. Medium-sized buckets should be placed at the other end of these lines. The objective in this game is to fill the medium-sized buckets with water in lesser time than the opposing team. The player standing next to the large bucket has to fill the cup with water and pass it to the next player. The water-filled cup should be passed onto the last player who is standing next to the empty, medium-sized bucket. After emptying the cup into the bucket, this player has to run and stand at the opposite end of the line; from where he has to fill the cup and pass it on to the next one. This cycle of filling and emptying the cup should continue until one of the team fills their bucket. The team which fills their bucket early wins the game.

Crossing and Tagging: This game doesn't necessarily need a large group however, becomes enjoyable with large number of players involved. Two lines with a distance of 10-15 feet between them should be drawn on the ground. One of the players has to stand between these lines; other players should face him and stand at certain distance from the line between them. These players have to cross, both the lines that their opponent is guarding. This, solitary player who is standing between the two lines and who guards them is required to tag his opponents while they try to cross. Those players who are tagged by this guard join him and they together try and tag the remaining players. The player who gets tagged in the end is declared as winner.

The article above incorporates information about games from different categories. Starting from the party games to the outdoor games and the ones played online, these are some of the best games you can play. There are many more games that can be played at parties and also outdoors. However, you would definitely enjoy those mentioned above.