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Butterflies and Friends Party

© Jo Ann Wentzel

Butterflies and Friends Party

The theme of this party is celebrating the curiosity of kids when it comes to things with wings. The beauty of the butterfly along with the bumblebee, ladybug, and other winged insects is the focus of your theme. This is a fun preschool aged party, but could go into the grade school crowd with certain adjustments. Children can either arrive dressed in costumes or guests can be given wings, antennae, or other appropriate accessories when they arrive. For costumes, think Anne Gednes.

Your decorating should follow nature's palette with the greens of trees and grasses and pastel colors of early blooms. 'Plant' your flowers everywhere, on the walls, and on floors and tables in pots. Winged insects can hang from the ceiling or grace the table. Fill the party area with outdoor scenes with meadows, trellises, wishing wells, and garden gates. This is where the activities will take place.

For the tiniest guests, use pastel colors for the food. That adds to the fantasy - land where bumblebees play happily with butterflies. This is the place where winged insects live side by side in flower dotted meadows. Flower shaped cookies and cakes with a petal icing forward the theme. Tea sized sandwiches cut out with little flower or butterfly cutters and filled with peanut butter and raisins, or cream cheese and pineapple or strawberry slices are tasty tidbits and pretty. Jello Jigglers can also be made in these shapes. Add candy or icing flowers to the top of cupcakes or sandwiches. Serve cupcakes in small new plastic flowerpots. Pastel mints and candies are nice for this theme. Ice cream balls dressed with colored sprinkles, strawberry and banana slices, or melon balls are a pretty additions. Adjust food for all parties in regards to the ages, tastes, and sex of your children. Older boys might enjoy brighter colors and silly foods like 'worms in dirt' with gummy worms and candy called Mud Pies.

At this age, games and activities are simple. Adjust the old classic of musical chairs for this theme. Each little winged guest marches round the chairs. Decorate chair backs with a brightly colored flower. As the buzzing, marching children proceed, each person not finding a chair is eliminated. Last one left is the winner. Music like the Flight of the BumbleBee might be fun for this game.

Make a beanbag with dried beans and a felt cover. Shape it like a butterfly and plan a tossing game. Each person attempts to toss it in the tree you make. Cut large cardboard into a tree shape; fasten it in back of a large, low basket. Kids try to get the butterfly in the tree. Keep score for points or if guests are small children give each one a prize for getting it in the basket.