2931

Bob the Builder -4yr- Paint Can Snack Containers

December 2001

Tina in Woodstock, IL U.S.A.

Runner-Up

Construction Bob the Builder 4yr  My oldest son just turned four and we celebrated his birthday by throwing a Bob the Builder / Construction Party. We had twelve kids and most importantly I had two helpers throughout the party. The following were our ideas:  Invitations: Using one of my clip art programs on my computer I was able to print out a picture of a hammer - I used this as my stencil.  Each invitation was in the shape of a hammer - the front read Can We Party? Yes We Can! The inside listed the info as, Day & Time To Report, Jobsite Address (our house), Jobsite Telephone # (ours), and listed that Builder Attire was required. 

Decorations: We draped the entire basement and the front of the house with black and yellow streamers and balloons.  I even found two rolls of inexpensive caution like streamers that said party zone. I also download party signs from the nickjr website that I printed, pasted on construction paper and hung all over the basement(I also found great traffic signs on in my clip art on my computer that I also used). I contacted my local public works and they let us use a bunch of cones - I placed some on the streets leading to our house so my son's school friends could find our house (I attached balloons to them too). For party bowls I purchased inexpensive paint cans and pails from my local hobby store (they looked great on the table).  

Games: We played "Hot Wrench" like hot potato, "Bob The Builder Says" like Simon Says, Find Bob the Builders Cell Phone (I purchased plastic toy cell phones from my local dollar store and then I had my husbands cell phone ring and had the children all look to find a hidden cell phone), and of course - the Bob The Builder pinata (which I used my left over Halloween candy so I did have to but that much candy). 

Craft: My son's birthday is a few days before X-mas so I had the kids paint inexpensive white coffee mugs (which I found at Wal-Mart for 75 cents each) as x-mas presents for their parents or grandparents.  I got special paint from my local hobby store for this project.  I even provided a small holiday gift bag (20 cents each) to wrap them so they could take them home and put them right under the tree.    

Food: To keep with the jobsite / construction theme I made peanut butter & jelly sandwiches and wrapped them in foil.  Using brown paper lunch bags I wrote each child's name on the paper and placed the sandwich, an apple and napkin (which I wrote a note on each "have a great day at work!).  On the table, in the paint cans were chips & cookies.  For drinks I served Kool-Aid from a water jug that had a spout so kids could get their drinks themselves. 

Cake: to make things easier I make a batch of cupcakes and a small cake.  My son used the cake to blow out his candles but ate cupcake.  The small cake was just the perfect size for the few parents who stayed to watch the party.  To make the cupcakes more fun I placed miniature construction trucks (which I found a package of 8 trucks for a dollar each at my local dollar store)on each cupcake and the kids could take this home with them. 

Party Favors:  the thing the kids loved the most was, I purchased nail aprons from Home Depot for 90 cents each and wrote each kids name on them.  As the child arrived at the party I put the apron on them.  This was great - it served as a great smock when painting and a great placed to stuff candy when the pinata broke!  I also downloaded some coloring papers from the nickjr website and made coloring books that I called blueprints for each kid (I rolled them up with a rubberband).  I made a cover page that had Bob's picture that read "the child's name the Builder's Coloring Book". 

I also made body sticker tattoos. I found the special paper at my local office supply store and downloaded images of construction trucks for their tattoos - I also made tattoos of their names.  I also included tape measure gum and paint brush and can candy.  When it was time to leave we lined the kids up and I put each one of these items into their apron - there were no extra bags needed.   

Dress Code:  I dressed my son in a hard hat, turleneck, overalls and boots (and of course his "toolbelt" - the nail apron). My husband and myself wore jeans and turtlenecks and our toolbelts (which came in really handy for picking up extra garbage, holding tissues, wipes, extra paint brushes extra).  Guests - most of the parents did a great job dressing their kids in overalls, jeans, hardhats - some even brought their own tools. 

Thank You Cards:  Using a digital camera (which I borrowed foam work), during the party I gathered the whole group up and took a picture and then took a picture of my son with each of his party guests (if there were two kids from the same family I only took one picture). Then after the party, on regular paper I printed a copy of the group picture, a copy of the picture with my son and the guest and wrote a small thank you and had my son write his name.  I think the parents got a kick out of this because its always fun to see pictures of how the party went.  The kids left with a ton of stuff, my son had a wonderful time and we have wonderful memory.

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