Superhero Party

Well, we did it.  Another very successful birthday party.  Aaron's 6th birthday was marked by hosting seven of his friends/classmates at our home.  He requested superheroes, so that's what he got.  Here are the highlights from our very fun party!

Superhero wrist cuffs - Although there are much fancier ways of doing this, I stayed very low-maintenance and this simple craft was a huge hit with the kids.  I wasn't sure how they'd take to it, but they had a lot of fun!  Unfortunately, I don't think we got a single picture of them.  They're very easy, though.  Simply save up your toilet paper/paper towel rolls, cut off wrist-sized (about an inch shorter than a toilet paper roll) sections, cut them lengthwise, and let the kids decorate!  I had markers and lots of fun stickers available, including glittery stars and puffy stickers.   Having a craft available is especially good for the beginning of the party, while people are arriving and kids are getting comfortable in their surroundings.

Pin the Bat on the Batman - "Pin the..." is always a hit.  Last year we did the donkey old-school style, but this year it was Batman.  I gave prizes to the two closest entries.  

Batman Scavenger Hunt - This cheap little game was a huge hit as well.  Each person gets a card with four pictures of superheroes and villains.  Cards with those pictures are hidden throughout the house, and then the kids try to find the cards that match theirs.  The first person to find all four of their pictures wins!  It would be pretty easy to make your own version of this as well.  

Batman Pinata - Our last activity was an awesome Batman pinata.  Pinatas can either be fun or frustrating, since most of them are so hard to break open!  This was a pull-string version, and those too can be hit or miss.  However, it worked like a charm!  The kids lined up and each got a turn pulling a string.  The bottom flap opened up on about the 7th kid, and the goodies went flying!  It was filled with superhero stickers, tattoos, finger flashlights, lollipops, and little bags of gummy bears.  The pinata could actually be reused.  

Goodies - Every kid got a cape and mask as they arrived, and they each got to pick a little superhero book.  They got to take their loot from the piñata, and they all left with a balloon.  That's quite a haul!

Food - Pizza, popcorn, fruit salad, and cupcakes.  Perfect.  There's nothing wrong with having a little something healthy at a party - the kids loved the fruit and couldn't get enough popcorn.  

One last observation:  My son invited 3 girls and 4 boys, and I was a little worried about the girls.  I am a mother of boys, so I wasn't sure if the girls would be interested in all things superhero.  Well, I needn't worry!  They jumped right in, put on their capes and masks, and had a blast!  I did ensure that I had some gender-neutral prizes for the game winners (coloring books, art supplies, etc), and the book selection included Wonder Woman, which each girl happily picked up.  

Batman piñata and book favors

Somewhat messy presentation for these homemade cupcakes, but the on-sale superhero toppers saved the day!

Pin the bat on Batman