3926

Willy Wonka -3yr- Chocolate Pop Making

May 2002

Julie in Flower Mound, TX USA

Runner-up

My three year old loves Willy Wonka and the chocolate factory.  I really enjoy kids parties and this one was a lot of fun, the parents that came were so impressed, and the kids are still talking about it My daughter was three but the guests ranged from 1 to 11. 

INVITATIONS:  Copied the golden ticket verbatim from the movie and created postcard sized publications on MS Publisher.  You know, Greetings to you the finder of this lucky golden ticket from Mr. Willy Wonka.  Present this ticket at (your time), (your address) and DO NOT BE LATE!  In your wildest dreams you couldn’t imagine the wonderful surprises that await you.  I printed it on metallic paper, golden of course.  Then I created Paper wrappers (Wonka bars, of course) and purchased some Hershey bars.  After removing the wrappers, I inserted the tickets and re-wrapped them in my own labels for distribution.  If you are worried about melting, put them in the freezer before passing them out.  I delivered mine in the afternoon during May in Texas and they were fine. 

GAMES/ACTIVITIES: I like the party to be so diverting that the party itself is the treat, but I did pass out goodie bags for collecting the candy and small treats ( Mardi Gras beads in purple, gold and green were a hit)  Here are my games:  We began with Dress Grandpa Joe.  I purchased clothes from the local DAV canes, hats, scarves, coats, oversize boots or galoshes and nightshirts.  Parents raced to each pile of clothes and the kids helped dress them and race to the front door.  All this took place on the front lawn where I had set up the red carpet leading to the factory.  You could rent the carpet like I did, or use red butcher paper.  Inside was Lickable wall paper-(get a roll of fruit wallpaper and paint over the fruits with melted jolly ranchers candies).  One of our local wallpaper places has a discard bin they give odd rolls for free check around because you don’t need much paper.  I would suggest giving each kid their own strip-mine was put in the goodie bag.  "Mike Teevee’s Candy bar station" had an old TV from the junk store.  I broke the glass out and sprayed the inside with matte black spray paint.  Fixings sprawled from the TV onto the table. 

Chocolate pops: On the table were raisins, peanut butter, rice krispies, coconut, chopped mints, etc.  Each child got his own labeled square in an ice tray.  They filled it with whatever goodies and we poured melted chocolate over all and set it in the freezer to harden during the party.  Then the chocolates were wrapped in plastic baggies and put in the goodie bags.  Fizzy Lifting Drinks- I rented an inflatable air bouncy tent ($80 including set up delivery and take down).  After tinting very small cups of 7-up with food coloring, the kids sipped the "fizzy lifting drinks" then bounced in the air hopper.  It was a blast for kids of all ages.  Gathering Gobstoppers- I considered having the kids just make their own gobstopper creations out of Legos ( a good non-candy alternative)  but I was concerned that the smaller guests might swallow them, so I hid small baggies of candies around the yard and we had a treasure hunt instead.  Duck, Duck Goose that laid the Golden Egg- I saved some plastic eggs from Easter and spray painted them metallic gold.  The kids played two variations.  One was typical Duck Duck Goose, where the first to make it back to their spot won the treat filled egg.  The second was a Hot Potato style game played to the soundtrack.  The one that ended up with the dud golden egg left the circle (but got a treat) the last one received a treat filled egg. 

DECORATIONS: I ran the soundtrack to the movie from the front yard, throughout the house to the back.  It really made the party festive.  Decorations inside were yellow, purple and green balloons.  I also made giant lollipops out of clear plastic garbage bags and PVC pipe and duct tape. Make the candy part out of a beach ball, or craft one out of Styrofoam or painted poster board.  I hung candy strung from the bushes and trees.  Kids were jumping and leaping to pull it down. 

Of course the food table held its own.  VIOLET'S GUM FEAST of roast beef, baked potatoes, tomato soup and the infamous blueberry pie and cream was represented by steak tenders, potato wedge fries and tomato ketchup, and blueberries and whipped cream.  You could also make roast beef mini sandwiches.  I set up my indoor fountain on the table and filled the cleaned basin with-you guessed it chocolate milk to create a chocolate water fall. 

The cake was strawberry according to my daughter’s wishes, but the outside was decorated like the candy room, with green icing, fruited flowers of gummy roll-ups and candy or cookies.  I’m an artist so I made a little polymer clay Willy Wonka and Oompa Loompas to stand on the top.

A sign on the bathroom door read "VANILLA CREAM, TOFFEE CREAM, HAIR CREAM".  It got some laughs out of kids and parents. 

Everyone had such a good time, and parents were offering me money to plan their own kid’s parties!

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