| Celebrate a summer birthday with a garden party. | | | | decoration.Place a bowl of sunflower seeds or |
| This party may be held inside or out but it is best | | | | toasted pumpkin seeds in the center of the table |
| if some of the activities can be done outside. | | | | as a snack for children.ACTIVITIESPIN THE BEE |
| Have your guests dress in casual clothes so they | | | | ON THE FLOWERUsing a poster size sheet of |
| can get messy.INVITATIONSYou will need white | | | | white construction paper, draw a large flower. |
| and yellow construction paper, glue and some | | | | Hang the poster up on a door or a wall before |
| markers. Fold a piece of the white paper in half. | | | | the party. Make a small bee out of construction |
| Cut a flower out of the white paper being careful | | | | paper for each of the children. Place a piece of |
| to leave two of the petals joined together. Cut | | | | tape on each of the bees. Have children line up |
| out a yellow circle and glue in the center of your | | | | one at a time, blindfold them and ask them to pin |
| flower. Open the flower to write the invitation | | | | the bee on the flower. Give prizes to the children |
| inside. Be sure to include your own name, date, | | | | who get their bee in the correct place.DECORATE |
| address and R.S.V.P. and phone number inside the | | | | TERRA COTTA POTSBuy a 4" terra cotta pot |
| invitation.DECORATIONSDecorate the table with a | | | | for each of the children. Supply the children with |
| flowered tablecloth. Use a tin watering can as a | | | | paint, stickers, ribbons and glue and have them |
| vase and place cut flowers in it for your | | | | each decorate a pot. They will be able to take |
| centerpiece. Set new, clean garden tools on the | | | | these home as party favors later.PLANTING |
| table to use as serving spoons for sunflower | | | | FLOWER SEEDSLet the little gardeners plant |
| seeds or for the fruit salad.SEED PACKET | | | | flower seeds in their terra cotta pots. Have |
| NAPKIN RINGSYou will need cardboard tubes, | | | | garden tools, dirt, flower seeds and a watering |
| construction paper, scissors, glue and packets of | | | | can available for them. Let them get messy since |
| seeds. Cut a 2-inch section from a cardboard | | | | the invitation asked them to wear old clothes. If |
| tube. Cover the section with construction paper. | | | | you have a small plot of dirt in the backyard let |
| Glue one seed packet onto each napkin ring. | | | | them plant a flower garden.BEAN BAG TOSSPlace |
| Insert the napkins into the napkin rings and lay | | | | dried beans into snack size zipper baggies to |
| one at each place setting.MENUServe Garden | | | | make beanbags. Use two large empty coffee |
| Pizzas with fruit salad and sunflower seeds. For | | | | cans as targets. Line the children up in two teams. |
| the grand finale, serve "Sunshine Punch" and Dirty | | | | Give each team five beanbags. The children on |
| Cupcakes.GARDEN PIZZASUse refrigerated pizza | | | | each team will take turns tossing the beanbags |
| dough to make individual pizzas. Let children create | | | | into the coffee cans. They each get five tosses. |
| their own pizza. Supply them with tomato sauce, | | | | The team that gets the most beanbags into the |
| mozzerella cheese, and an assortment of veggies | | | | target wins. Give out prizes to the winning |
| such as mushrooms, onions, and green peppers. | | | | team.FAVORSGuests can take home the flower |
| Some of your party guests may prefer plain | | | | seed packets from their napkin rings as well as |
| cheese pizza.FRUIT SALADMix together | | | | the terra cotta pots they decorated. Other ideas |
| strawberries, cantaloupe, banana slices, or any | | | | are gummy worms, flower stickers, and |
| other favorite fruit.SUNSHINE PUNCHMix 2 liters of | | | | gardening gloves.Renee Kirchner is a parent, |
| orange soda with one pint of vanilla ice | | | | educator, and freelance writer who specializes in |
| cream.DIRTY CUPCAKESBake cupcakes using | | | | writing for children and parents. Visit her fun and |
| your favorite cake mix. Frost the cupcakes with | | | | informational blog for parents and their kids at and |
| chocolate icing. Crumble crushed oreo cookies on | | | | find out more about Renee's writing services |
| top to make the cakes look dirty. Place gummy | | | | offered at or email her at renee. to discuss |
| worms or gummy bugs on top for | | | | possible writing projects. |