3145

Rubber Ducky Party -1yr- Ice Cream Ducks

January 2002

Mary in North Ridgeville,OH, USA

Runner-Up

I am planning a Rubber ducky party for my third son's first birthday.  Due to some unavoidable scheduling conflicts, we are having it on a weekday evening, and thus, keeping it short, small and simple. 

I made the invitations by cutting rubber duck shapes out of yellow foam sheets, cutting "bathtubs" from white paper, and pasting a duck in each tub on dark blue paper.  I then added "bubbles" around each duck by using white and light blue circles made by a hole punch. (I punched the circles from tissue paper -- It was a bit difficult, but gave a nice effect for the bubbles.)  With yellow paint, I wrote, "Rubber Ducky, you're the one…" on the front, and on the back, "that will make Micah's party lots of fun!  So waddle on over ___(time and date) to the ___(our name) Pond, ____(our address).  Please, RSVP and we'll be certain everything is just ducky!" 

We are using "Rubber ducky" plates and napkins that I ordered off the internet, so we are decorating with matching balloons and streamers(yellow, purple and light blue).  We are also using some cut-out number ones, cut-out and real rubber ducks, and white and clear balloons to simulate  bubbles.  The tablecloth is yellow, and I also bought "rubber ducky" placemats that have activities printed on the back for the children.  These will be placed around the table with some crayons. 

The cake will serve as the centerpiece.  The cake will be baked in a 1 1/2 quart Pyrex bowl and 3 custard cups.  The "bowl cake" will serve as the body of the duck(the bottom of the cake will be cut so it sits flat). Two of the cup cakes will be put together as a ball for the head(again the slightly rounded sides from raising while baking need to se cut flat). The slices of cake from the preceding can be used to make the wings and a tail.  I will use lemon frosting to ice the duck and white, black and blue to make the eyes. 

The duck's bill will be created from rolling out orange gum drop candies.  The third cup cake will be used to create a small duck cake just for the birthday boy. I'm planning on setting the cake inside my roasting pan that I've covered with foil with crumpled blue saran wrap on the inside bottom to create the effect of a bathtub of water.  I will then place several Styrofoam balls of different sizes around the duck to look like bubbles.  Due to the time of the party and needing to keep things simple, I will not be serving a buffet as usual.  We'll stick to cake, ice cream, chips and pretzels, and beverages, of course. 

For the children, I plan on making ice cream ducks using either lemon sherbet or vanilla ice cream colored with yellow food coloring.  I will shape the ducks ' bodies and heads from the ice cream and use bits of chocolate for the eyes and the pointed ends of almonds for the beaks.  I will serve these in white styrofoam bowls with a bit of blue gelatin in the bottom surrounded by small mounds of whipped cream.  Along with juice and soda, I will have a punch bowl with a mix of blue Kool-Aid, pineapple juice and Sprite. 

On top of the punch will float a small rubber duck along with several plastic leaves and flowers that resemble lily pads.  There will be children there from the ages of 2 months all the way to 5 years.  For the younger children, I will set up a cozy corner with a blanket spread on the floor and a basket of age appropriate toys. 

I have three activities planned for the older children.  For the first, I purchased a rubber ducky for each child, including the younger children, and painted their names with acrylic paint on their duck.  I will put these in a baby bathtub full of water.  The children will take turns attempting to toss a ring around the duck and challenged to see if they can "ring" their own duck. 

For the second activity, I will place three candies(tootsie rolls, packs of smarties, and pixie sticks) in white and clear balloons before blowing them up.  After the ring toss, I will remove the ducks and dump the water out of the small tub and fill it(probably to the overflowing) with the candy-filled balloons.  The children will each receive a bag with which to collect the candies and will be let loose to pop the "bubbles" and retrieve the treats. 

The last activity will be a rubber ducky race.  Each child will receive their rubber duck and five different color circles.  Lined up on the edge of a blue blanket, they will be told to walk across to blanket leaving the circles in any order they desire as a path across the "pond".  Then using Candyland cards of corresponding colors, each will take turns choosing a card and will be allowed to place their duck on the next circle if they select the right color card.  Otherwise, they cannot move.  The first to reach the other side of the pond wins, of course. 

For party favors, each child will take home their rubber duck with their name on it, and for the older children, the candy from the pop-the-bubbles game, a can of fun bath foam, and a ducky bath scrub(I made these from yellow scouring pads using black thread to stitch on eyes and orange chenille wire hot-glued for the beak -- wire ends in toward the sponge, of course).  The babies will have their rubber ducks along with terry duck rattles and yellow duck water-filled teethers.  For added atmosphere, we will play children's music in the background, featuring "Rubber ducky, you're the one," "Do the Rubber ducky," and "Splish-splash."

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