23147

Magical Magician -5yr- Top Hat, Wand & Cape

September 2011

Lucinda in Mount Joy, PA, USA

Special Mention

My daughter had seen a magician and wanted to have a magic-themed party for her 5th birthday.  I had a ball planning this one!

First the INVITATIONS: We made these together and they really introduced the theme.  I received a lot of compliments, too.  I took plain white cards bought at a craft store and drew a person's face on the front, pretty much taking up the entire space.  Then we decorated it to look like a magician using black top hats we cut out of construction paper, bow ties we made from ribbon and she drew stars around any open space.  Next, I took different colored ribbon, cutting it into strips and wrote all the party information (place, date, etc., using phrases like 'Abracadabra Come watch our girl magically turn into a 5 year old right before your eyes!  Magically appear at 1:00, etc.) on the strips of ribbon leaving enough room at the ends to tie them together into one long strip.  I then cut a hole where the mouth would be on the face of the magician on the card.  I attached, with hot glue, the end of the strip of ribbon to the inside of the card and then hot glued the remaining edges of the card.  When that was done drying I stuffed the ribbon strip into the inside of the card leaving only a little end sticking out. When the guest got the card, then had to pull the ribbon out making it look like the scarf trick magicians do where they keep pulling and pulling scarves out of their mouths!  It was work, but well worth it!

DECORATIONS: When the guests arrived, they were met with 'floating' stars hanging from the trees outside and lots of black/gold balloons and crepe paper.  I also made a birthday banner using magic themed symbols, like cards, stars, top hat, etc. Because of the time we started, the guests ate first.  We had magic gold coins (chocolate), PBJ sandwiches cut out in star shapes for the kids, magic beans (baked bean dish), and the chips/pretzels, etc. were sitting out in plastic top hats that I bought from the OT Co. I also sprinkled sparkly confetti all over the table top that was covered in a black table cloth.

ACTIVITIES: After eating, I had planned several things for the kids to do. First, they made a bunny popping out of a hat craft.  I had pre-cut a bunny shaped head out of foam and the kids glued on eyes and a nose, then glued that to a popsicle stick, then glued cotton balls for the body.  I had already cut holes in black paper cups so after the bunnies dried we just inserted the stick in the cup and the kids could just push them up and down to make a rabbit appear!

GAMES: Next came the 'Make the Assistant Disappear' game.  This was a big hit and it's easy.  Just buy a lot of cheap toilet paper, make teams or partners, get volunteers to be the assistants and have the others start wrapping the assistant in TP until they 'disappear' under the TP!  All the kids wanted to be the assistant and all got a turn eventually! We have a trampoline and a golf cart, so we decided to use them both.  Half the kids went to the Magic Jumping Bean - the trampoline, while the other half had Magic carpet rides!  We, well my husband,  attached a moving dolly, covered with carpet, with rope to the back of the golf cart and I drove them around the yard for their magic carpet rides.  Each group took turns on both games. In the last game we plaed, my husband dressed like a magician and played the simple game of Simon Says, but we called it 'Magician Says'.  For the finale, we hired a real Magician and the kids loved that.

COSTUMES: Before the magician started though, I handed each child a black top hat and wand bought from Oriental Trading Co. and a cape that I made.  The capes were super easy.  I went to a fabric store, went to the clearance section and bought a black satiny fabric to make the capes out of.  I eye-balled how much I would need using my daughter and bought enough to make one for each child.  I cut out rectangles, folded down the 'collar' about 2 inches and cut slits about 2-3 inches apart the whole way across. I then wove a piece of ribbon through the slits - instant cape!  I also cut out the first letter of each child's name out of some felt I had and hot glued it on the back. Nothing too fancy, but each child looked like a magician and - POOF - instant party favors!

FAVORS: In addition to the costume,  the magician had a bag of tricks for each child to take home.

CAKE: Now, for the birthday cake!  We go kinda nuts with that.  My husband rigged up an old record player so that a rabbit on the end of a stick popped up and down. I made a cake with black icing, cut a hole out in the middle and placed it on the box my husband made around the record player and around the rabbit so that when we plugged it in the rabbit popped up and down out of the magician' hat!!  It was amazing! I love planning my daughter's birthday parties and this year was no exception!

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