How to Plan a Dinosaur Party
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If your little kid (or big kid) loves dinosaurs, this is an easy party to create and have fun with. There are lots of 500 toothed dinosaur themed party goods available and you can set the scene using your child's dinosaur toys. Cardboard cut outs and blow up dinosaurs really help it come to life.
The cake
There are lots of cake ideas - some may take a little creativity but others are very simple. Toy plastic dinosaurs make great cake toppers with green icing, or fake grass made from green sprinkles. Then surround your toy dinosaur with speckled candy eggs for effect and a great treat with each piece of cake. Fondant dinosaurs look great on cakes. Make your own in bright colors, or there are many store bought ones. Or perhaps use a dinosaur shaped cake tin to make a big dinosaur and go to town with green icing and colored candy for decorations.
Another great idea is a rectangular chocolate cake covered in chocolate icing, scoop out parts of the cake and place dinosaur 'bones' in the holes (made of white fondant icing), a few small diggers and tracks on the top helps to finish the dinosaur dig scene. Or an easier option is to make a number cake for your child's age and decorate with toy dinosaurs.
The food
Dinosaur hunters love to eat lots of dinosaur themed treats! Fossil biscuits look amazing you only need to make simple vanilla cookies and use a toy dinosaur, or the foot of a dinosaur toy to imprint a fossil before you bake. Another option is to make white chocolate crackles with green food coloring, then shape into mounds and place red icing to look like lava flowing down the sides, or meringues shaped as dinosaur bones.
Other options are:
• Chocolate crackles in cupcake wrappers with speckled candy eggs, these make great dinosaur egg nests
• Dino shapes - chicken nuggets, available in most supermarkets
• There are also a number of dinosaur shaped crackers and biscuits available.
• Jungle slime jelly with creatures of the deep suspended inside - using lollies such as snakes, etc.
• Liquid chocolate mud in cups with fruit shaped as bones for dipping
• Bubbly red or green drinks in clear bottles, with grapes bubbling around
• Vege forest with green and brown dips
The games
The type of games will depend on the age of the dinosaur birthday child. For the younger ones try:
• Find the dinosaur - hide toy dinosaurs around the garden for the children to find
• Dino dig - bury dinosaur bones in a sand pit for the children to find
• Stomp and roar like a dinosaur - while the music is on the children stomp and roar and when it stops they must stay still in their best dino pose.
• Pin the tail on the dinosaur
• Pass the archeologist's sack - fill with digging equipment and toys
• What's the time T-Rex?
If your guests are a bit older you could buy a dinosaur bone model (or puzzle), hide the pieces and send the children on a hunt (give clues on pieces of paper to make it even more fun) then come together to make the model. Or create an ancient map for small groups to follow and find the dinosaur bones along the way, then let them construct their own unique giant dinosaur - you can make the dinosaur bones from cardboard and paint them for a great effect (don't worry if it's not a perfect dinosaur, that's half the fun)
Older dinosaur buffs may also enjoy a game of celebrity heads dinosaur. Write some dinosaur names on cards and place on headbands, children take turns asking yes/ no questions to determine which one they are eg. "Am I a meat eater?'", "Do I fly?"
The extras
Be creative with the invitations, for the little ones a bright and colourful dinosaur will do the trick or attach a tag with all the details of the party to a toy and for the older guests an ancient map rolled up and tied with string is a great invitation. Create the ultimate Dinosaur party in the back yard by putting up a tent and setting up a campsite with folding tables and chairs. Use some streamers, ropes and nets as great decorations and use lots of greens and oranges to set the scene. Deposit some sand in and around the tent and make sure the sand pit is ready for the games.
Happy Birthday Bunting with a cut out dinosaur bone head and a letter in each of the dinosaur back bones looks great. As the guests arrive, get them into the mood by giving everyone a panama hat and an archeologist's sack to start the games, these can them become the party favor for each guest.
Other favors could include little plastic dinosaurs, dinosaur lollies, dinosaur stamps and digging toys. Or you could just opt for one large favor of a dino egg which opens and expands in water (about $4-$5)- wrap the box in a big green ribbon with a couple of snake lollies tied in the bow. An individual dinosaur dig kit is also a wonderful favor.