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Ticket Party 5-8yr - Prize Gallery

March 2009

Julie in Lehi, UT Unites States of America

Honorable Mention

My kids love to go to the arcade and play the games that award tickets, then take all their tickets and turn them in for prizes.so we had a birthday party themed around 'winning tickets for prizes'! We went to a party store and bought a roll of tickets.

Invitation: We bought (or you could make) and inviation that said Admit One on the cover (most likely would find for like a movie night party), inside we put time, date, where, etc. and we taped 4 tickets to the inside with instructions for kids to bring these tickets when they come and that they will also win more for prizes.  Favors: When each child arrived we gave them a big envelope (to put their tickets in) and a party favor bag (to put their prizes in). Each had their name labeled on. 

Decorations: We just had normal party decorations (balloons, HB sign, etc.) and the birthday boy wore a crown. We had each ticket earning activity labeled and arranged in a different part of the room. This type of party could be set up in any season. We did ours in Feb so we had events set up mostly in our family room. If it were warm, could be done in the backyard. We also set up a Prize Gallery" in the office with each prize labeled for how many tickets (ex. Tootsie roll=1 ticket glow stick=5 tickets yo-yo=15 tickets stuffed animal=30 tickets and etc.) We kept this door locked until the end of the party but kids could see the closed doors to the labeled Prize Gallery and were so excited! 

Activities:  Bean bag toss -(chance to earn tickets for shooting bean bag through cut out holes in thick card board poster board. We had 2 holes one for 5 tickets one for 8 tickets.)  

Pin the tail on the donkey type game - only I drew targets like a bulls-eye ring for different ticket zones (outer=2 tickets middle=5 tickets center=10 tickets) Each child was blind-folded spun then given a name label and they stuck it on the poster.)  

Fishing Pond - Used a tri-fold science fair type poster board used glitter glue and markers to decorate it like a fish pond and put in up in the corner. Kids had a chance to fish for small prizes or tickets.  

Token Toss - like a coin toss. I set up a vase and used plastic chips for kids to toss in. Each different colored chip represented how many tokens they would win (red=1 yellow=2 etc.).  

Musical egg game - had platic Easter eggs filled with various amounts of tickets each person got an egg but had to pass it along while the music played. When the music stopped they opened their egg and kept the tickets inside.  

Balloon Pop: tickets were put inside a blown up balloon and stapled onto a thick cardboard kids popped with darts (be sure this is in a safe area!)  

And then we played the number guessing game. The birthday boy stood in front and the kids lined up he put his hand behind his back and chose a number 1-5 if the kid in line guessed the right number they won that many tickets. 

Note: you could use any other kind of 'ticket earning' game! Also could repeat games as time allows. We found that kids loved the fishing pond token toss and bean bag toss and played these more than once! Also could adjust activities and difficulties according to age.  

My 11-year old son was a big help and I "hired" my 11-yr. old niece to help too. I called them the "game officials and moderators". They helped by handing out tickets explaining the games working the fishing pond making sure kids didn't cheat etc! They also ran the prize gallery at the end (counting tickets and giving out the prizes the kids chose).  No costumes no party snacks. We did do cake and little ice cream cups.  

We welcomed each kid gave ticket envelope and party bag then when right to the activities and games part of the party - this is where they earned their tickets. After games were played we did cake and ice-cream. Then we did present opening. During the present opening the 'moderators' (cute 11 year old helpers!) were counting each child's total tickets and writing a total # on their envelopes.

After present opening the 'moderators' brought 2 kids at a time to the long awaited prize gallery to pick out their prizes. While the others waited we turned on a cartoon or they looked at the opened presents. Each kid was SO EXCITED to go choose out their prizes and their eyes were wide-eyed at all they could chose from. I probably spent $40-$60 on prizes from the party store dollar store clearance toys etc. A great bargain if you consider how much I would have spent at an arcade! We had both girls and boys at the party and had prizes to make each happy. SO FUN!!

I had several moms calling me to ask about the party because their child kept talking about it. We invited 14 kids and planned for 1 hr 45 min. IT WAS SO MUCH FUN!!"

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