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