Little Einsteins Birthday Party

LITTLE EINSTEINS BIRTHDAY PARTY INVITATIONS

Use bright red cardstock paper to cut a "rocket ship" shape. On the front of the invitation, print:
We've got a mission!
Inside the invitation, write:
We're going on a trip with our favorite rocket ship  to celebrate ____'s birthday! Then, add the party details.

LITTLE EINSTEINS BIRTHDAY PARTY DECORATIONS

Add more to the traditional party streamers and balloons! Visit your local educational supply store to find instrument posters  and cut-outs, posters of classic artists and places around the world. You may want to try a travel agency for posters and a used bookstore for old art books that you wouldn't mind using for cutouts.

To make a fun table centerpiece, glue two extra party plates to the sides of gift bag. Place a weighted birthday balloon bouquet inside the bag a add a few pieces of tissue paper as well.

Advanced Variation: Cut the top off of a clean 1/2 gallon cardboard milk box and cover it with construction paper. Use construction paper, glue stick and markers to make the Little Einsteins characters -- just faces will do. Attach a face on each side of the carton. Place a weighted bouquet of balloons into the container.
Tip: Not feeling creative? Hire an artistic teen to make the faces or, cut four works of art from a magazine/book, use them on the sides of the carton instead; choose Van Gogh, Degas, or Monet art.

LITTLE EINSTEINS BIRTHDAY PARTY GAMES

A fun and entertaining birthday party takes more than balloons and streamers; include a few party games with your child's favorite Little Einstein characters!

Orchestra Ocean Treasure Hunt

You'll need plastic or paper cut-outs of various instruments. You can find the cut-outs at your local teaching supply store. If you can find a recording of sample instrument sounds, that would be ideal. Otherwise, trace the outline shapes of  the various instruments onto large pieces of paper.

Place the instruments (toy or paper) around the party area and give the children a wagon or basket for collecting the instrument clues that they will find. They can take turns pulling the wagon or holding the basket.

When you play the instrument sound or show the outline shape, the children will locate that instrument and place it in the wagon. When all of the clues have been found each child will receive a special treasure!

Dance, Dance, Dance Like June

Play some classical music. Making a combination CD before the party is best. Make sure the CD has a variety of composers, tempos, rhythmic patterns etc. Encourage the children to dance like June. This activity is even more fun if the kids dance like a lion, elephant, mouse etc.
Variation: turn this into a follow the leader game.

Vrooom! The Great Rocket Race

Kids will love to race with their very own pretend rockets. Don't let Big Jet win the race!

Before the party cut the tops and bottoms from cardboard boxes. Paint the boxes with spray paint or latex brush paint. On the sides of the boxes, cut two kid-size holes so that the children can step into the boxes and hold the sides. Add headlights by covering two cardboard circles with aluminum foil. Attach with a stapler or strong glue. If your party guests are older, they may want to decorate their own rockets with craft foam sticker shapes, ribbons, stickers, markers etc.  Use some paper streamers to mark a start and finish line.  "PAT,PAT,PAT- BLAST-OFF!" and away they go!

Leo the Conductor

Before the party make or purchase conductor's batons for each guest. Keep safety in mind -- no running or placing the baton into mouths! Make the batons with pieces of wood dowel, wooden beads or styrofoam balls and non-toxic paint.

Give each child a baton. Play your classical music again and have the children conduct the orchestra. Learn the terms you'll need to know before the party:
adagio = slow
allegro = fast
largo = very slowly
crescendo = gradually get louder
diminuendo = gradually quiet down

Pat Your Laps

Gather the kids into a circle. Have them crouch down and slowly pat their laps while whispering, "pat, pat, pat." They'll get gradually faster and louder until they jump up and shout, "blast off!!!"

LITTLE EINSTEINS BIRTHDAY PARTY QUICK ACTIVITIES

Have a circle time with singing, clapping and instruments. Stick to songs your comfortable with or use a CD and sing along!

Make instruments with paper plates, TP tubes, film canisters, paper, crayons etc.

Blow bubbles

Play with playdough, blocks, and coloring sheets.

Set up an exploration tables, with shells, feathers, and animal pictures.

Record the birthday star's favorite Little Einstein Adventure and show it at the end of the party.

LITTLE EINSTEINS BIRTHDAY PARTY FOOD

Rocket Ship Cake

Ingredients:

• 1 box cake mix and accompanying ingredients needed ot make batter
• round baking pan
• dome-shaped pan (find at yourfrom a or use a 2-1/2 quart oven proof glass baking bowl)
• 2 Twinkies snack cakes
• red food coloring
• blue food coloring
• white frosting
• 2 large yellow gumdrops or NECCO candies
• red decorating tube or decorator bag with a piping tip

Directions: Divide cake batter equally in the round baking pan and the dome-shaped baking pan. Bake, cool, and remove the cakes from the pans.

Mix the red color paste with white frosting to achieve a vibrant red. Mix a small portion of the blue paste to achieve the blue for  Rocket's windows.

Frost the round cake with the red frosting. Place the dome on top and slightly towards one edge leaving room for the headlights. Frost the dome with red, leaving space for the window. Frost the window with blue frosting and then outline it with red piping. Cover the Twinkies with red frosting and place on the sides of the rocket. Add the yellow gumdrop or NECCO candy headlights.

TIP: Place the cake on an aluminum foil covered cookie sheet or sheet of cardboard and then frost.

LITTLE EINSTEINS BIRTHDAY PARTY FAVORS

Fill a solid colored party bag with:

• instrument stickers
• bubbles
• playdough
• crayons
• animal cookies

Use postcards of famous art work, cardstock paper and a glue stick to make a puzzle the guests can take home. Glue the card onto the paper. Cut into four or five pieces and place the puzzle into a plastic bag.