"E" is for Elmo and an EXTRA special Elmo birthday party for your little one!
Planning Your Elmo Birthday Party
Well done! You just took the first step in hosting a fun-filled, memorable and stress-free Elmo birthday party for little ones you're planning ahead! This free party guide is filled with Elmo party games, crafts, cake ideas, cute invitationsand links for Elmo party supplies to help you along the way!
ELMO PARTY INVITATIONS
Make your own invitation postcard by using card stock paper. Create Elmo's face by cutting an oval from red cardstock paper. Attach two large plastic eyes, an orange oval paper nose or pom-pom and black paper will create Elmo's' happy birthday smile.
On the back of the card write... "Hooray, Hooray it's _______'s Birthday!"
Below that include the party details; date, time, address and RSVP number.
Here's another Elmo invitation idea, which was submitted by Shelby, a creative AmazingMom! She found paper with red fur at her craft store, used an orange pom-pom, plastic wiggle eyes and a black felt mouth. If furry red paper isn't available, try gluing furry fabric onto card stock paper.
If you don't have time to whip up a bunch of handmade invitations, you could think about ordeirng personalized red monster invites from Birthday in a Box:
- Fuzzy Friend Personalized Invitations:
Don't forget to mail invitations 2-3 weeks before your party to give guests an adequate amount of time to respond.
ELMO BIRTHDAY PARTY DECORATIONS
The color scheme for this party will be primary colors; bright red, blue and yellow. Create a festive party area with plenty of streamers and balloons. Add Elmo and Sesame Street additions, wherever possible; posters, toys, books, etc. Cut large alphabet letters and shapes from paper, or poster board. Then, use sticky tack to mount them on the walls and windows.
A bright yellow table cover will really show off your Elmo party decorations. Make a centerpiece by tying a bouquet of balloons to an Elmo Stuffed toy. Add to the decor, by scattering refrigerator alphabet magnets down the center of the party table.
You could also consider purchasing a decoration/party activity, such as a Elmo pinata:
- Elmo Pinata:
Welcome to Elmo's World
Before the party make Elmo caps, or visors. As guests arrive, transform them into the adorable, inquisitive and very red friend, they know and love.
To make the hats, use a red cap or visor and sticky backed craft foam sheets; white craft foam circles, small black craft foam circles an orange craft foam oval. For a longer lasting cap, use fabric paint to draw the face and/or felt pieces instead of the craft foam. Attach the felt with liquid stitch or fabric glue.
After receiving the cap, guide the children to a play dough, or coloring table to keep them occupied until all of the guests arrive.
ELMO BIRTHDAY PARTY GAMES AND ACTIVITIES
Consider the ages of your guests and party space, before selecting the games and activities for your Elmo party. Two or three games, and one activity should be sufficient.
Hide and Seek Blocks
Elmo loves to practice his shapes! Before the party, hide block shapes throughout the party area. To play, send the children on a hunt for them. When every player has found a block, it's time to distribute a small prize. You say, "if you found a red square, come get a prize! If you found a blue circle, come get a prize, and so on until every child receives a treat.
Swim Dorothy Swim
"Uh-Oh!", Elmo's pet fish Dorothy jumped out of her bowl! Purchase a large fish bowl and three orange bean bags, or plastic goldfish. March an "x" on the floor, a reasonable distance from the bowl. The children will take turns tossing the fish into the bowl.
Variation: Amazingmoms reader Hannah Swartz, adapted this game by Painting a large fishbowl on a box. She cut the lid off the box and provided homemade goldfish beanbags for the children to toss into the box. "This made it easy for the 3-5 year olds at my party to feel successful!"
The fish were made with orange socks, dried beans, plastic google eyes, and felt fins. She twisted a rubber band to close the beanbag and the remaining fabric became the goldfish tail. Older kids will enjoy making this Dorothy the fish craft!
Put On a Show
Ask some creative friends to coordinate a puppet show, or have the children create their own with puppets you provide.
Elmo and Friends Parade
Give the guests a toddler musical instrument. Play Sesame Street music and have a parade.
Bubbles Bubbles and More Bubbles
Provide plenty of bubbles for adults and kids to blow. The excitement of chasing bubbles is endless for little Elmo fans!
Follow Elmo through Sesame Street
Help the children form a line behind an adult leader. The leader will instruct the children to do as he or she is doing while they walk. The leader may hop, skip, sing, dance, clap, or add in other movements while leading the children around the party area.
Elmo Says
Adapt this traditionally fast paced game, to fit the needs of little ones. Transforming it to a game of "monkey see, monkey do". "Elmo says tap your head!" - The children should tap their heads. "Elmo says tap your foot." "Elmo says Hop up and down!" etc.
If your party guests are old enough, then using the traditional rules of "do nothing unless the leader says" will work. If a child moves without the leaders instruction...they will sit down for one round.
Dough Time
Provide bright red play dough, shape cookie cutters, and rolling pins (sanded pieces of wood dowelling) and a flat surface for creating.
Elmo Art
Before the party, cut several E's from card stock paper. Provide the children items with which to create a collage on their E. This can be tidy, using stickers or bingo blotters . A bit more messy and creative endeavor would included colored pasta noodles, beans, seeds, rice, sand, feathers and school glue. Don't forget to cover your project area and have a bucket of soapy water ready for washing.
ELMO PARTY TREATS
Feed hungry guests Elmo's favorite food -- pizza! Decorate the Cookie monsters favorite snack with frosting and sprinkles. Add goldfish crackers, and primary colored JELL-O Jiggler shapes.
Elmo Party Cupcakes
If your one of those moms, that simply doesn't have the desire, time, or inclination to make a fancy party cake, but you still want a home baked treat, this Elmo cupcake idea sent in by a reader, is for you!
Frost cupcakes with red frosting. You'll need to use food color paste to attain a true red. Use white NECCO candy wafers and black decorator gel for Elmo's eyes, a large orange gumdrop for a nose and a piece of black licorice whip, will form the mouth.
Place NECCO candies, vertically into the back edge of the cupcake. Use the decorator frosting to make the black circles, place the nose very close to the eyes and add the piece of licorice in the shape of a smile.
ELMO PARTY FAVORS AND SUPPLIES
Birthday in a Box favor sets are a fun and unique way to give your guests a special treat! Each of our distinctive favor sets is designed to coordinate perfectly with your party theme. Say, "Thanks for coming," in a special way!
- Elmo Favor Set:
