Themed animal and farm parties are great
for preschoolers and Kindergartners.
Invitations: Choose paper with a farm animal theme or border -- those
cowhide patterned papers are great (you can get them at a stationary or
office-supply store).
Encourage guests to come in costume as a farmer or a farm animal.
Decorations: Create a barn atmosphere with construction paper cornstalks,
pumpkins, apples, and even a scarecrow. You may be able to find pre-made
items at a party supply store. If you are having the party in a garage or
rec-room, go all out and get a few bales of hay to scatter around the floor.
Straw baskets will add to the atmosphere and provide a good place to store
presents, goody bags, prizes for the games, napkins, etc.
Food: How much and what kind of food you serve will depend on the
time and length of your party. If the party starts at 11:00 a.m. and ends
at 4:00 p.m., you will need to provide a substantial lunch, but if your party
runs from 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. you can get by with just cake and ice cream.
But you can't go wrong with all or part of the "Preschoolers' Buffet"
Pigs-in-a-Blanket
Carrot and celery sticks with ranch dip
Cheese cubes
Popcorn or popcorn balls
Crackers (various kinds)
Apple slices (or make caramel apples if you are feeling ambitious)
To fit your farming theme, you can explain to the children how each food
item comes from something on a farm (i.e., Cheese comes from milk, which
is made by cows.) Ask them what other things also come from cows (or wheat,
or corn, or whatever food you are using).
THE CAKE
Haystack Cake: Very easy! Bake any flavor cake in a bundt pan. Frost
with yellow frosting and decorate with pretzel sticks to make a haystack.
Cowhide Cake: Frost any flavor sheet cake in white. Use black decorating
gel to create a Jersey cow hide.
ACTIVITIES
Musical pumpkins: Take construction paper pumpkins, covered in clear
Contact Paper for extra durability, and tape them to the floor. Play music.
When the music stops, kids must have at least one foot on a pumpkin. Take
one pumpkin away after each round. At the end of the game, all the kids will
be squished around one pumpkin. It's noncompetitive and silly -- what preschooler
could ask for more.
Apple Toss: Kids toss apples (or red beanbags) into a bushel basket.
If you can't find a bushel basket, cover a small (clean) trashcan with yellow
construction paper and cut a fringe around the top. There are several variations
to this game. Younger children will just enjoy the throwing. For older kids,
challenge them to throw from certain distances, or to make a certain number
of "baskets".
Corn Shuck: Preschoolers love to shuck corn. Just toss several fresh
ears into a few washbasins and let them go at it. Don't put more than three
children at each basin, to avoid crowding. It helps if your family likes
corn-on-the-cob!
Haystack Hunt: Make several dozen small (about palm size) haystacks
from yellow construction paper. During the gift-opening or cake-eating portion
of the party, have your party helper hide the haystacks around the room.
Give the children one or two minutes to find as many haystacks as they can.
(*Note: Do this only if you have a well-childproofed room available)
Sing-A-Long: Of course you must sing "Old MacDonald Had a Farm"!
Make it silly by including lots of animals that wouldn't be on a farm (snake,
monkey, elephant, alligator). Preschoolers love silliness. If the children
are dressed as particular animals, you can ask them to jump up when their
animal is named.
About the Author:
Barbara Thomas is a work-at-home-mom
to Natalie, age 2. She is a freelance writer and owner of
The Professional Pen Business Writing
Services. Her website provides writing tips and small business advice
to small and home-based businesses. Some items in this article were adapted
by FamilyCorner.com Magazine.
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Themed animal and farm parties are great
for preschoolers and Kindergartners. 
Haystack Cake: Very easy! Bake any flavor cake in a bundt pan. Frost
with yellow frosting and decorate with pretzel sticks to make a haystack.
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