19437

Volcano Party 5yr

February 2009

Nancy in Ferndale, WA USA

Honorable Mention

For my daughter's 5th birthday party, she asked to have a volcano party. We started by making the invites on our computer using the paint accessory by drawing a mountain exploding. We cut out slices where the lava flowed and put shiny red tinsel behind the picture and then rubbed in a little red glitter on the front cover and pasted this to construction paper. Inside it said Come have a Blast".  We made a 4 foot tall volcano by cutting a wood circle out of plywood to fit inside our 3 foot kiddie pool and stapling chicken wire around the circle base and upwards to form a rough cone. At the top we inserted a 2 inch diameter plumbing pipe which we capped off at the bottom and secured with a 2 x 4 to the base and the chicken wire. Then we paper Mache the chicken wire and let it dry for about a week. After it was dry we got out the poster paints and painted it all colors of the rainbow and then sealed it with a varnish spray. Making the volcano was the best part for my daughter. We cut 3 holes on the side of the mountain and put small ramekins in which we added dry ice and hot water to give a smoking effect. We used baking soda food color and vinegar but the effect was slow so we then attached a hose up through the middle of the volcano and used the air compressor to shoot colored water/baking soda through the top about 6 feet into the air. The air made a gurggling sound in the tube. The kids were screaming for more each time it erupted. This lasted a good 20 minutes for eruptions. For decorations I bought 3 blue plastic table cloth which I tacked horizontally to our wall to form a huge sky back drop 12 feet tall and then cut 2 black plastic table cloth lengthwise into rough shaped triangles to look like mountains. I bought 1 packet of iridescent shimmer green wrapping paper to look like grass at the bottom of the mountain and 1 pack of red tinsel wrapping paper I cut into long strips to flow down the mountain like lava rivers and lava shooting into the air. This decoration 12 x 12 feet cost $7. I had some red star mini lights from Christmas we plugged in and tacked to the top of the blue sky. I then hung orange and red streamers like a partial tent to look like we were inside the volcano. I had regular party hats that I added red tinsel to the top red plates napkins and utensils. On the table I used a black plastic table cloth and cut a wavy red plastic cloth into a table runner which I used left over red tinsel cut up into pieces to look like burning embers.  For food we served fire (hot) dogs volcano punch with lave chunks (cut up strawberries in juice)and frozen juice in a mountain mold made a day before from the jello mold red and blue jello made in a volcano mold and a smoking volcano cake with sparklers on top.  For the cake I used 3 chocolate frosting 1 white frosting into 3 parts-white red and green and 2 chocolate cake mixes divided into two 9" pans one 7" Pyrex  one 6" one 5" and one 3" Pyrex. Cut each layer in half and frosted. I scooped out the top and put in a small ramekin to fit. The top of the cake had white frosting like snow capped mountain and then piped red frosting in rivers down the cake and around the top of the white to look like flowing lava and hide the dish. There was green frosting at the bottom to give it more depth. I melted red candies and made skinny c-shaped hard strips to come out of the top of the cake and sprinkled red edible glitter over the top. Then put the dry ice and hot water in the dish and 5 sparklers for effect.  I looked for volcano party favors but in the end decided on bubble sticks the kids could blow out. As well in a twist we ended up asking for no gifts but donations instead to our local animal shelter. There was so much going on that gifts would have taken away from the party. After the party I had 3 emails saying it was the best ever. We had a Blast! "

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