Communion Party Ideas – Garden Games

With Easter coming late this year, communion time will be restricted to May in most parts of the country. Hopefully that means some nice warm weather and an opportunity to allow your guests to use both indoors and outdoors as part of the celebrations.

Bouncy castles are, of course, popular, but party planners are increasingly looking for outdoor alternatives. As a result the range of garden games on the market has increased over the last 2 years to a point where there are 50 plus options for some outdoor fun.

The big advantage with garden games is that you can tailor the game to suit your guest list. Bouncy castle’s etc are really the preserve of the under 8’s whereas garden games can include everyone.

Adults and children having fun in the garden can make for some great photos and some great memories too.

The top selling Garden Games in 2013 was the Rounder’s set. A bit of competition with a ball still seems to be many peoples idea of fun in the garden, park or beach. Great for improving eye-hand co-ordination and getting the heart pumping!

If you want to have a look at the full range available for some outdoor party ideas just click the link to thebigparty http://www.thebigparty.ie/productlist/2/34/garden_games.html

Best new party ranges for 2014

Some years it all seems to happen in the party industry! For 2014 there is a fantastic array of new children’s party ranges coming on the market. Some such as Lego are to coincide with a movie release while others are released to compliment a successful TV show or game.

But this is a crowded market with some proved winners like Mickey Mouse, Spiderman & the Disney princesses already established and ever popular.

So what will be the winners? With 15 years plus in the market and with sales already very strong in the first 6 weeks of 2014 we are well placed to predict the future in this regard.

Our top 5 would be:

WWE Wrestling 

The new WWE range is brilliant with a combination of graphics and pictures of the main fighters featured on every item. The Scene Setter and WWE Foil Swirls are the best decorations we have seen for a while. This is aimed primarily at young boys and I think it will knock many of the super hero ranges off the top spots in sales terms. A must have for a young boy who likes his wrestling.

Angry Birds

The Angry Birds party range is simple with tableware featuring the distinctive red bird on most of the items. While the range is not extensive it is a sure fire winner with such a large number of kids playing the game on a daily basis. Initial sales from the UK suggest it is beating all expectations so no reason to believe it will be any different here. A piñata featuring one of the targeted guys with a saucepan on his head would have been great I think. It would have brought a bit of fun into the range. Maybe it will come!

 Sofia the First 

Sofia the First is a really popular Disney Channel show for little princesses. For 2014 they have introduced a Sofia the First party range and I think it will be a great success. The range is different in that there are no tableware pieces but there are some great hair accessories, games & room decorations. The scene setter is brilliant. A winner for sure.

Moshi Monsters

Adding to their toys and online magazine come a Moshi Monsters range of party supplies. Really well designed with bright colours and featuring all the main characters from the show it is a certain success. The tablecover is sure to be noticed by the party goers and will make for great colourful pics.

Ninja Turtles

Prepare to be shocked! The new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles range of party decorations and tableware is shockingly good. Featuring the iconic colour scheme and action poses it is both well designed and features some great products. The mini figurine candles are really cools and will create an impression on the birthday cake and the 24 piece favour pack offers some great Loot bag fillers. All in all they have got this one right and it is sure to be a big 2014 seller.

Cupcake Party

Cupcake party

Want a great idea for your child’s next party? Try a cupcake party for kids. Allow the kids to be creative with lots of colors, flavors and sprinkles which will make for great photos they can share with their friends.

You can either make the cupcake decorating a part of the festivities or as the main theme of the party with all the tableware and decorations to match. 

All you need are cupcakes and plenty of sweets -- and of course, the unmatchable power of kids' imaginations -- and voila! You'll have platefuls of delicious kid creations and some very proud cupcake-decorating artists who'll be eager to show off -- and eat -- their handiwork.

This cake stand from our new 2014 cupcake range is ideal for displaying the finished product.

 

What You Will Need

The first thing you need is enough space around a table for all the children to be able to sit down. I would also advise a maximum of around 10 -12 children as beyond that they can get a bit over-excited and it can be difficult to give each child the help they need.

Aprons are a good idea as with all that icing sugar and buttercream it can get a bit messy but if you don't have enough aprons ask each child to bring (or wear) and old t-shirt or something they don't mind getting messy.

You'll need cupcakes which can either be made or bought ~ if making them it can be fun to buy some themed cupcake cases, maybe birthday ones or a mix of colours. For a really good party you'll need some buttercream in piping bags, some glace icing (though this can now be bought to use in packets with nozzles which is a real bonus) and plenty of sweets. Have a wide range and be ready to use your imagination to show the kids what to do ~ for example jelly beans make great flower petals and chocolate buttons can be eyes or ears.

Have a couple of cakes made up so you can show the kids the sort of things they can do ~ sometimes they need a little help to get them on their way. If you're just letting them get on with it you'll need to allow about 5 mins per cake, so an average child will complete around 6 cakes in 30 minutes. If you want to string the party out a bit have a couple of cakes that you make together so they follow what you do ~ this works out to be around 10 - 15 mins per cake.

Another option is to throw a cupcake related game in there. One of my favourites is what I call the 'straw face game'. Use sweets to make a face on a cake and give either each child, or teams of 2 or 3 kids a cake and the sweets they need to make the face. Also give them each a straw (make sure all the sweets you use are bigger than the end of the straw ~ you don't want any accidents with children sucking up sweets).
Without using their hands they have to suck on the straws to pick the sweets up and put them on the cake ~ the winner gets a prize.

DIY - Angry Birds party decorations

Angry Birds certainly is a phenomenon. As we are not able to get any party supplies, we were trying to find out what is happening on the web and if you could create your own party decorations. Well, to our surprise, the web is full of great tutorials how to create fantastic Angry Birds party decorations, party favours, fruit plates, snacks and much more.

There are so many fun and creative possibilities for creating great party decorations and entertainment whether for kids or adults. It's a cool one and so colourful, quirky and fun.

To create these fantastic decorations you need imagination and some solid colour decorations such as round paper lanterns or latex balloons, which you can get on our website. The best colours would be red, yellow, blue and green. For our decorations check:

http://www.thebigparty.ie/productsubgroup1/491/Solid_Colours.html.

Add some solid colour tableware decorated with cut-outs you can print on the page mentioned below.

Have a look at some great images below to get some inspiration. 

Green Round Lanterns with printed cut-outs

 

Round Paper Lanterns

 

Angry Birds Party Food

 

For more fantastic ideas, Angry Birds party games, free tutorials and printable Angry Birds cut-outs and invitations check: http://www.squidoo.com/angry-birds-party-ideas.

 

10 Costume Ideas for Couples

With the Halloween approaching and first Halloween fancy dress parties starting this bank holiday weekend we have put together some ideas for couples. It is always nice to show to everyone that the two of you belong together. Get inspired with our top 10 couples ideas. For more costume ideas have a look at our website http://bit.ly/180zHdt.

 

Historical costumes, army costumes, doctors and nurses, gangster costumes, western costume ideas and much more.

 

Army Costumes

Doctor and Nurse Costumes

Dressed to Kill, Gangster Costumes

Imperial Empress Costume and Caesar

Holy-er-than-Thou and Nun Costume

Roaring 20s Costumes

Pirate Costumes

Centurion and Cleopatra Costume

Viking Warrior and Warrior Princess

Cowboy Pete Costume and Rodeo Girl

Halloween Party - 5 quick ideas

The range of Halloween decorations and party supplies just gets better and better each year as the market continues to grow. The Irish public love Halloween and the interest in scary and fun Halloween fancy dress costumes and decorations gets bigger each year.

Here are five new products for Halloween 2013 that we think are really cool and are sure to create a unique Halloween atmosphere in your house or at a party you may have.

First a baby mask with soother which will make some of your friends laugh and scare others half to death: http://www.thebigparty.ie/product/PAL1760/3/555/adult_baby_mask_with_soother.html

 

Second is the Catacomb scene setter which like all our scene setters is 12m by 1.2m high and will decorate any room. There are lots of scene setters available but the Catacomb is our favourite: http://www.thebigparty.ie/product/672132/3/470/scene_setter_roll%3acpy_catacomb.htm

Hanging Decorations are always good for Halloween and suggested lantern value pack at €11.95 featuring skulls and spider lanterns in a variety of colours is a real feature for any room. Great for a party or to decorate the house for your family: http://www.thebigparty.ie/product/240987/4/10268/lntrn_vl_pk_hlwn_redblckgry.htmlFor those who wish to decorate all areas of their house this fridge decoration at just €2.95 and was one of our bestsellers in 2012: http://www.thebigparty.ie/product/249400/4/10273/cover_refrigerator_door_hlwn.html

Finally table cover is perfect for a Halloween Party and is one of our range of blood and gore Halloween selection. Not suitable for younger children there are some really ‘awful’ skulls and other items in this range that we know already will be among our best sellers: http://www.thebigparty.ie/product/579490/3/476/tablecloth_bloody_gauze.html

All the items selected are under €20 and indeed most decorations are less that €10 so having some fun at Halloween will not break the bank.

 

 

The Ultimate Guide To Playing Pinata

The most popular game we sell at TheBigParty.ie is Pinata. A piñata (Spanish pronunciation: [piˈɲata]) is a container often made of papier-mâché, it is decorated and filled with small toys or candy, or both, and then broken as part of a ceremony or celebration.

Before you hang your pinata and have your guests bash it open, here are a few tips to make the game go more smoothly. Below we will detail the best way to fill a pinata, pinata filler suggestions, how to play the pinata game and give you some additional tips. If you are playing the pinata game with toddlers, we suggest converting your regular pinata into a pull-string pinata. Directions for making a pull-string pinata can be found at the end of this guide.

Check out www.thebigparty.ie for the best range of pinatas in Ireland – delivered next working day nationwide.

How to Fill a Pinata

1. All pinatas have a designated opening for filling purposes. To find this area, look for the sticker on your pinata that says "press here to fill."
2. You can either press into that part of the pinata with your finger or carefully cut a U shaped flap using a knife or scissors.
3. Make sure you do not tear or cut off this section because it will make a hole.
4. Choose sweets or small prizes that will fit into the hole (see pinata filler suggestions below) and place as many as you can inside the pinata.
5. The bigger the pinata, the more prizes it can hold. We suggest that you fill one pinata for every 8-12 guests.
6. After you fill the pinata, push the flap down or tape it in place.
7. Hang your pinata with sturdy rope or string by its plastic handle.
8. We suggest hanging the pinata about 1-2 feet above the guests' eye level.
9. You can even use your pinata as a table decoration and then hang it when it's time to play the game.

Pinata Filler Suggestions

Here are the best ideas to use as pinata filler. A good rule of thumb is to have three to four prizes for every player.

• Miniature chocolate bars – from Supermarket variety packs
• Individually wrapped hard sweets
• Shaped rubber bands
• Stampers
• Poppers
• Child-sized rings
• Fun shaped erasers
• Any party favours

How to Play the Pinata Game

If you are using a regular pinata, you can choose to play the game either with or without a blindfold. Older children/adults should use a blindfold to make the game more challenging.

1. Set up some rules ahead of time to prevent children from grabbing at prizes once the pinata breaks
2. Everyone lines up single file according to height.
3. Stand everyone far enough from the pinata so that no one will get hurt by the person swinging.
4. Smallest should play first. (This is a good idea especially if you have children of different ages playing. The oldest child will most likely hit the hardest and break the pinata. This way, everyone should get at least one turn.)
5. If you're playing with blindfolds, tie it around the first player's eyes. You can use a scarf or tie if you don't have a blindfold.
6. Hand the first player the piñata buster.
7. Spin them around three times slowly and then stop spinning once they are facing the pinata.
8. The player now gets three chances to break the pinata open with the buster.
9. After they take their three turns, the next playerin line gets blindfolded and spun around.
10. Continue taking turns until someone manages to break open the pinata.
11. After the pinata is open, give your guests empty favour bags to fill with prizes.

How to Use a Pull-String Pinata

If you are playing the pinata game with a pull-string pinata, see the directions below.

1. Set up some rules ahead of time to prevent the children from grabbing once the pinata breaks
2. You can use a pull-string pinata one of two ways.
• For younger guests: Have all the guests pull a different ribbon at the same time.
• For older guests: Have the children take turns choosing one ribbon to pull.
3. Only one ribbon will pull open the trap door to make the prizes fall out!
4. After the pinata is open, give your guests empty favour bags to fill with prizes.

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FAQ

1. What is the recommended age for playing the pinata game?

We highly recommend that children under 3 should not play the pinata game. Pinatas are filled with small prizes that could be choking hazards for toddlers. Also, children under 3 could get hurt during the game. You should also keep pets away while this game is played.

 

2. How much pinata filler do I need for my pinata?

Refer to the size of the pinata before you purchase it to make sure it will hold enough candy for all of your guests. If you're having a big party, you may need more than one pinata.

• A 16 to 28-inch pinata can hold about 100 pieces of pinata filler. This is enough for 8-10 children.
• A pinata up to 34 inches high will hold up to 150 pieces of pinata filler. This is enough for about 12-15 players.

3. When should I use a pull-string pinata?

There are several situations where a pull-string pinata is more appropriate for your party. 

•  Children between ages 3 and 7 will have an easier time opening a pull-string pinata.
• If your party is indoors
• If you have a lot of children at the party, a pull-string typically has 20 strings to pull.
• A shy group of children may prefer a pull-string

4. What if my pinata won't break?

Don't panic if your pinata won't break. In some cases, you may need to hit the pinata in just the right spot with just the right amount of force for the prizes to fall out. This will normally be towards the bottom center of the pinata. If you try to hit the pinata in the bottom center and the prizes still won't fall out, cut a small slot in the bottom center and then continue playing the game. This is a rare occurrence but happens sometimes if your pinata is particularly large and sturdy.