Eight-year-old boy
Eight-year-old boys are at an in-between stage. They are no longer interested in Bob the Builder, but they are not old enough for teenage-themed birthday parties. Talk with the guest of honor to come up with something that will interest him and his friends. Does this Spark an idea?
Indiana Jones
Make invitations that look like maps. List the expedition date and time and an RSVP number if you need a head count. Close the invitations using a wax seal. Cover the front with bug stickers. For an activity, hide treasures in a sand box and have the children dig for them. The treasures can be fake pieces of jewelry, bones (save your chicken or turkey bones), or old-looking coins.
Make a pinata out of a cardboard box decorated to look like a crate. Fill it with toy bugs and snakes and candy. Hang it with a rope and let the children figure out get it open. Serve a cake with a treasure chest on it or have a baker decorate it with a picture of Indiana Jones. Serve it with gummy worms and punch that looks like blood.
Olympics
Decorate invitations with the five Olympic rings. Border the invitations with flags from different countries. When each child arrives, have him pick a country to represent. Plan several games. Include an opening ceremony before the games; light a tiki torch to signify the torch used at the Olympics. Play tug-of-war, basketball shot and broad jump. Buy a bag of medals and give them to winners.
For food, make dishes from other countries, such as quesadillas from Mexico or pasta from Italy. Finish the party with a cake. Have a baker decorate it with Olympic symbols or make your own cake and write "The Cake of Champions" on it.
Karate
Appeal to sports fans by creating in the shape of a karate uniform. When the children arrive, hand each a white karate belt to signify they are beginners. Hire a karate instructor to give lessons for one hour and ask if he would be willing to give each child a coupon for one free lesson at his studio; they may agree to gain long-term customers.
When the lessons are over, have the children pain karate headbands. Take an old sheet and cut it in to long strips that can be tied around each child's head. When they are ready to eat, serve a cake that is decorated with Karate font and a picture of a hand breaking through a piece of wood. Finish the party by showing the movie "The Karate Kid."
Tags: each child, baker decorate, baker decorate with, decorate with, Finish party
