http://www.dltk-teach.com/books/clif...iffordbag.html http://www.scholastic.com/clifford/kids/birthday.htm
Dog Party
Planning a dog party? Whether you want something general or more specific (Blue's Clues, Dalmatians, Scooby Doo, or Clifford the Big Red Dog) the ideas below can be a great help. Adapt the crafts and other suggestions to your needs by changing colors and characteristics, such as adding spots for Dalmatians, a huge nose for Clifford, etc..
Invitations
Cut your invitations out in the shape of a bone with all the information printed on the front, or use our printable for a quick invite.
Decorations
To decorate make a paw print trail for kids to follow that will lead them to your door. When the door opens the paw print trail continues all the way to the party room. If the party is going to take place outside, have kids follow the paw print trail wherever you'd like them to go. Lots of Doggy Balloons everywhere will add to your decor.
Purchase a solid vinyl table cloth and sponge paw prints, in a variety of sizes, all over the top with craft paint. Matching napkins and plastic ware will help make clean-up that much easier.
General - All colors of balloons with construction paper ears and face drawn on with permanent marker.
Clifford the Big Red Dog - Red balloons with big red construction paper ears, a big black construction paper nose and eyes and mouth drawn on with permanent black marker.
Food
Serve up cake and ice-cream in a Dog Bowl. With the child's name painted on the front you also have an instant place setting. Check out Clifford Drink or Treat Cup and our Clifford Treat Cup to add to your table. Remember, all you need to do is change the color and characteristics if Clifford isn't your pick of the litter.
PARTY FAVORS
Doggie bags are easy to make when you take a brown lunch bag, fringe the top and cut ears, eyes, and muzzle out of colored construction paper. Draw mouth with a black marker and you're ready to fill with party favors.
Want to be a bit more innovative? Check out our Dalmatian Bank or Party Favor Holder. Consider filling with some of the following: stickers, bone shaped cookies, personalized dog tags, ball, whistle, toy car, or some Puppy Chow.
Puppy Chow Recipe
1 Cup Chocolate Chips
8 Cups Chex Cereal
1 Cup Peanut Butter
4 Cups Powdered Sugar
1 Cube Butter or Margarine
Melt butter, chocolate chips, and peanut butter together. Pour over Chex cereal. Put mixture in paper bag, add powdered sugar and shake until covered. Delicious!
Games & Activities
Pin the Tail (or bow) on the Doggy - Blow up an image of your favorite dog. Make enough tails or bows for each child and put their name on front. Blindfold and turn child three times before letting them go. Give a party prize to the tail or bow that comes the closest.
Drop the Dog Bone into a Dish - Purchase dog biscuits and a dog dish. Have children kneel facing the back of the chair and drop as many bones into the dog dish below as possible.
Puppy, Puppy, Dog - Have children sit in a circle. Birthday child is "it". As they walk around the outside of the circle they pat each child on the head saying, "puppy, puppy, puppy...DOG" When the child says "DOG" the one sitting on the floor jumps up and both children run around the circle in hopes of being the first to sit down. The child left standing is "it" and the game continues.
Red Rover - Divide players into two teams. Each team forms a line by holding hands and stretching themselves out. The two teams face each other and should be about 25 feet apart or more. Each side takes turns calling, "Red Rover, Red Rover, send (name) right over." At that signal, the player called, runs from his line and tries to break through the line of his/her opponents. If he breaks through, he can take one opponent back with him to his team. If he does not break through, he joins the other team. The team to add the most players wins.
Musical Dog House - Some fun, upbeat, music and a dog house, made from a cardboard refrigerator box, with a crawl through hole in back and front, is all you need. Kids get down on all fours and pretend they're dogs. When the music begins they crawl in a circle around and through the dog house. When the music stops the child that's in the dog house is out. To be fair, have the person that is starting and stopping the music keep their backs to the children while another adult keeps track of who's out.
Dog Gone Relay - The race is on to see which team can fetch the most items first. Divide children into two teams. Have them form two lines at one end of the room. At the other end have two piles of things dogs would want to "fetch": old shoe, bone, ball, toy car, stuffed cat. When you say "Go Fetch" the first player on each team runs to the other end of the room and grabs an item. Here's the catch. If they grab the shoe they must put it on and run back to their line wearing it before the next player can proceed. If they pick up the car they must race it back with its wheels touching the floor. The ball they must carry in their mouth. The cat requires them to say, "meow, meow" all the way home. Lots of fun! First team to get all their items home wins.
Story Time - If you're throwing a character party have the children gather round while an adult reads the birthday child's favorite Clifford the Big Red Dog book, etc..
Crafts to Make at the Party
Make a Dog Mask using a paper plate. Cut holes for the eyes and let the children color the face and add construction paper ears.
Color your own placemat. Print a coloring page and add the child's name. After pages are colored mount onto 11x17 cardstock and cover with Con-Tact paper. Send it home with them to use again and again.
Coloring Book - If you would like to have a coloring contest or make each child a coloring book you'll want to check out the printables below. You can make a personalized coloring book with the child's name on the front with a coloring picture of a dog. If the budget permits, GBC bind them...otherwise staple the pages together.
More Dog Party Ideas
For games - I painted a stove cardboard box like a doghouse. One kid would go in and count while the others hid. Hide and seek. I also got several cheap trash cans and attached paper dog bones on the outside with points on each. I arranged the cans with the highest points in back and had a dog bone toss.
For food I served munchies in plastic dog dishes. For adults, I cut cheese with a dog and a bone shaped cutter, skewered onto toothpicks that were stuck into a styrofoam ball covered with lettuce. I mounted that on a dowel rod that was implanted in a dog dish with plaster of paris. I used dog biscuits to cover the plaster of paris.
http://www.kidsdomain.com/craft/_bd-clifford.html (Clifford Party Ideas)
Party Hats, Puppets, and Clifford Treat Cups
