Cool Party Host

Party planning or muddling through? What do you do when the responsibility of producing a party is dropped on your lap? It’s not as if anyone was born knowing how to plan a party. With the exception of professionals in the parties and special events industry, most people muddle on their own.

Here you will find party tips, tricks, and my observations and adventures as a party performer with over 15 years of experience and owner of Faces & Fortunes, a party entertainment provider offering caricature and fortunetelling entertainment  in the Philadelphia metropolitan area.

Enjoy!

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The calendar reads March.

Although spring does not come until the 20th of the month, it is already showing signs of its impending visit.

The days are noticeably longer and the bitter, bitter cold of recent weeks has passed. It’s still winter–at least in these parts–the threat of snow has not ended and nights are still very cold, but the earliest buds are beginning to appear on some trees.

Now is an excellent time to begin planning your warmer weather events. Few things are more delightful than an outdoor garden party in May with greenery all around.

Time flies when you’re having fun, and before you know it snow piles will be long gone and graduations will be upon us.

Planning early gives you the maximum flexibility and availability. Not to mention that you spare yourself last minute pressure.

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Trick-or-treating is the essence of Halloween, especially for kids. Here are some safety tips so the holiday remains the fun occasion it is intended to be.

So it is not too late, make sure that they go trick or treating only in the later afternoon or evening. If the sun has already gone down, tell them to only walk in streets that are well lit. Before they cross, make sure that they look both ways and walk. Never run.

As an added precaution, let your kids wear reflective tape or carry a flashlight so drivers will be able to see them when they are crossing the street.

With all the excitement going on, your kids might want to take some shortcuts to get to the next house. Since it is dark, tell them not to do it and just stick to the main road.

Your kids should also be given a few quarters or maybe a cellular phone. Who knows, they may need you to pick them up.

You should give specific instructions as to what time your children must return home. Once they arrive, welcome them and then examine all their goodies. You are not doing this to get your share of the loot but to check if these are safe to eat. There have been instances in the past where candies handed out were tainted and some kids ended up in the hospital. If you donít want your child to be a victim, examine each one carefully. If everything checks out, give it back and let them enjoy it.

Halloween is supposed to be fun especially for the kids since it is not everyday that they can go out, wear a costume and bring home a lot of goodies. As a parent, make sure that you have done everything possible to make them understand the dangers of going out at night so they will be able to come home safely from their trick-or-treating adventures.

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If you have made your costume, you’ll want to add finishing touches. It is time now to look at what accessories there are available. If there are none, then you have to buy it at a thrift shop or consignment store.

Making your costume for Halloween will surely save you a lot of money since most costumes cost more than $20 a set. The best part is that you don’t have to feel guilty when you decide to throw it away since you can probably make a new one the following year.

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Pumpkin Toss is a fun Halloween game for kids.

Here, you hang a large pumpkin on the ceiling with holes in the middle. The kid who is able to shoot the most number of rolls of socks or bean bags is the winner. To make it more challenging, award points for the eyes, nose and mouth. Who scores the highest number of points wins.

Another game is called Pin the Skeleton which is just like Pin the Donkey. The mechanics of the game are the same which includes blind folding that person. Since the skeleton does not have a heart, you have to pin this onto it and whoever is able to do this successfully wins.

There are other Halloween games which you can plan for the kids.

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Making a pirate costume is one of the simplest to make at home. For this you will need a pair of black or brown hospital scrubs. You then cut the top portion as well as the sleeves to create a vest. To make it look good, sketch and skill and crossbones onto white felt then paste this on the back of vest.

Now put on a white shirt and just wear a pair of jeans. Since not all pirates have wear a hat, you can wear a bandana instead just like some of the characters in Pirates of the Caribbean.

And to be a gorilla, you will need a lot of black fur and then sew this up to your top and bottom. Since the mask is hard to make, it is best to just get the costume from the store.

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One of the more common games for kids and adults as well is Apple Bobbing. You group the kids in teams of two and after one kid bobs an apple, he or she has to do a certain task before the other member is able to do it.  The one who finishes first will win the prize.

Since there will be water spilling on the floor, make sure that you have other adults other than yourself to supervise. Accidents do happen and this should be avoided when it is all about having fun.

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Having a timeline is a great idea to help you organize your kids Halloween party or party for another occasion. After all, special events professionals wouldn’t be caught without one – in fact they generally have several. This is particularly true for wedding planners who are running highly scripted events.

But simpler events such as a Halloween party for young children only require two: a timeline for the period preceding the event to help you plan and organize, and a timeline for the party itself, so that you’ll know which activities you are offering and when.

A cool idea for your young children’s Halloween party is to print out your party timeline and give it to the kids and onsite responsible grownups providing supervision. It will let them know what to expect and help them work with you more effectively.

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We all know tin man from the wizard of Oz. To dress up just like him, you will see cardboard which will be most of your costume. To make yourself look like him, you can spray the cardboard with silver spray paint or attach aluminum foil all around it.

For your hat, see if there is an old funnel in the garage. You will need black shoes for your feet and silver eye shadow for your face. Another option will be to make your own make up using silver face makeup with cold cream and food coloring. Donít forget to put black eyeliner to draw lines from the corners of your mouth to your chin.

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Trick or treating is just one of the activities you can do for Halloween. If you are throwing a party, you should have a few games so the kids can have fun.

The first game is called wrap the mummy. The objective here is to see who can wrap the mummy the fastest. Since the mummy could be quite big, it is best to group the participants in groups of two. With the materials in hand, you tell them to begin the moment you start the clock. Whoever finishes first wins a prize.

Another is the Great Monster Off. While most the kids come dressed to parties, tell your guests not to so they can play this game. With materials that you will be providing them, the kids will make their own. You can then give awards for those who have the cutest, scariest, funniest and most creative outfits.

Other games and cool Halloween activities for young children’s Halloween parties can be found at Halloween Party Mom

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Halloween costumes are at the top of everyone’s thoughts when they plan to attend a Halloween party. So what are you going to be?

If you aren’t sure, here’s an easy idea for a clown costume that you can make yourself.

For a clown outfit, you should start by looking for a  colorful pair of sweats pants. If you don’t have any, see if there is some other baggy clothing lying around. Since clowns have big buttons on their coveralls, use colorful mesh dish scrubbers which can be found in your kitchen or the grocery.

For your hair, get a wig because it will take more than a day to get off the color on your hair. Get some white makeup for your face and then find a pair of goofy shoes to complete the outfit.

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