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Junie B Jones Party -7yr- Wild Games

January 2010

Jessica in Coon Rapids, MN, USA

Special Mention

When my daughter turned 7 she was crazy about Junie B. Jones books by Barbara Parks.  So we decided to use that theme for her party.  We started planning by reading all of the books (27 of them!) and writing down any ideas we found while reading. We held the party at a local pizza place because they have a free private room and let you move the tables all around, plus Junie B.'s favorite foods are spaghetti and meatballs and hoagie sandwiches" which the restaurant serves. 

We began with the invitations.  I scanned in the book cover of Junie B. Jones and Her Big Fat Mouth.  I managed to find a font quite similar to the one used on the cover and changed the name of the author to You R. Invited.  Then we changed the title of the book to (Daughter's full name including middle initial)'S BIG FAT BIRTHDAY PARTY.  We printed it on a regular sheet of printer paperfolded in half to look the same size as a book. 

We wrote the details the way Junie. B. might say them.  On the inside it read: "It is (Daughter's name) Birthday Apparently. And we are doing a very fun thing and it is called having a birthday party! The party will be at the place called Davanni's Pizza in Coon Rapids (which is right behind Aldi grocery store that we always go to.) And the party starts at 4:30 pm on Saturday the 14th day of (month of party). And it will keep on going until 7:30 pm which is almost bed time so wowsie wow wow! And we will be having a Birthday party with a theme of Junie B. Jones because that is (daughter's name) most favorite books in her whole entire career that's why! We will be eating food and cake and playing fun games and making crafts so you do not want to miss this party I am sure. And you know what the best part is? You can come dressed like Junie B. Jones (wild crazy patterns and colors that don't totally match but they are fun to wear) or the job you want to have when you are a grown up cause you can't have a job when you are still a kid and that is not fair I think If you have not ever read Junie B. Jones you could maybe read a book about her before the party because then it will be even more fun! They are written by Barbara Parks and I Love that woman! You need to RSVP to Mother and Daddy at (our phone number and e-mail) (But you will not call them Mother and Daddy. You can call them (our names).)"   

We received many calls telling us how cute the invitations were!  The kids came dressed up so cute!  They had on crazy patterns and big bows in their hair!  Many of them looked JUST like Junie B.!  The parents really got into it.  Before the kids arrived at the pizza place we moved the tables around in order to have all the right spaces for the different activities.  On the door to the private room we hung a sign that read: "HELLO HELLO! WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU THE WHOLE LIVE-LONG DAY! Yeah only there are rules involved apparently. They are: No running no jumping no shouting no squealing no hollering no snooping no spying no arguing no fighting no cheating at games no talking back to Mrs. No breaking other people's toys no grumping no crying no fibbing no tickling people when they say no and absolutely no head-butting. Yeah only I know that doesn't actually leave us much to work with."  I was wearing a name tag that read "Mrs."  We also had some balloons around the room but mostly the activity supplies on the tables served as decorations. 

As the kids arrived they first got a name tag and were told to write their name including their middle initial.  Then they gathered at a big long table where they got to do an activity packet I found on line - teachers websites have a lot of Junie B. Jones Activities.  The packet contained a word scramble a crossword puzzle a hidden picture sheet and a Junie B. Mask.  While we waited for everyone to arrive they did the packet and cut out their mask.  Once all of them were done we took a photo of them all in their masks. 

Then I read them a letter written to them from Junie B.Jones.  I had also found this on a teacher website. Then they each made a giant bow to pin in their hair.  We made these by simply tying a giant bow in wide wire rimmed ribbon (they got to pick which ribbon they wanted) then an adult hot glued it to a metal barrette clip. After they all had their bows in their hair we ate our food.  Spaghetti and meatballs hoagie sandwiches and veggie sticks.  We also had little paper cups with m&ms and pretzels (because Junie B. says she would have that at her party.) But before they could eat they had to put on plastic gloves and hairnets which I purchased really cheap at a beauty supply store (Junie B. works in her school cafeteria and LOVES wearing these.) 

After they ate we played 4 games. For prizes I had Junie B. books. We played a musical clothes game- while I read from one of the books they sat in a circle and passed around a giant bag of silly clothes (clown wigs, hula skirt, ski mask, beanie, hat with propeller, big bow tie, etc. I found them all in our dress up bin or at the local thrift store).  Whenever I said Junie or one of her best friend's names Lucille or Grace whoever was holding the bag of clothes had to reach in and pull out the first thing they grabbed and put it on.  They were laughing so hard playing this game.  After playing for about 15 minutes the person with the funniest clothes won.

Then they played Juice Dribblers: They each put their name on a white paper graduation gown and then laid them on the floor around a small wastebasket.  They took turns tossing balls of purple paper into the wastebasket.  The person with the most juice drips in the "cup" won a book.  If the drips missed and landed on a gown I put a purple sticker dot on the gown.  The gown with the least juice stains also won. 

Then we played pin the band-aid on Sheldon's head.  I drew a picture of Sheldon and the girls wore a sweatshirt over their heads to pin the band aid on his forehead (Junie pulls her shirt over her face when she is waiting in the principals office). 

We also had Bingo on hand because Junie said she would play that at her party but we ran out of time for it. Then we ate cake but instead of an actual cake we had jelly donuts because they are Junie's favorite and my daughter's too! 

After cake we opened gifts.  Then they gathered their stuff up and put them in their party bags which were small garbage bags because when Junie goes to her friend's slumber party she says that a garbage bag is the best thing to carry your stuff in.  They also were sent home with a can of Stewie Pewie Tomatoes (stewed tomatoes with a sticker label I printed on them) and a slice wrapped in tinfoil and labeled of Yucky Blucky Fruit Cake.  Plus they left with their packet bow mask and a small bag of M&M's.  We had 14 girls total and five adults helping.  It was too rushed and would have been better with only 10 girls or another half an hour or so.  But everyone had a lot of fun!   "

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