BluesClues -3yr- Pail & Shovel Favors

I gave my 3-year old a Blues Clues Birthday she will always remember!!  The characters from Blues Clues are so simple to work with.  There is some prep work to a lot of my ideas, but it was worth it.  I started about a month early and did little projects along the way. 

I used the standard Blues Clues Fun theme and found the best prices for paper products (cups, plates, tablecloth, streamers, banner, centerpiece, hats, napkins, confetti, etc) at Partyetc.com or at your local Partycity.  I had also drawn the characters on posterboard, colored them with markers and cut them out and put them on the wall for additional decorations. 

I used the standard invitations that go with the theme, but put a pix of my daughter in each one.  I had her pix taken with the Blues Clues background at Sears earlier.  I used my printer and printed off several copies of the pix, along with the caption "Look who's turning "3"!!" and pasted it on the inside of the envelope.  If I had more time, I would have just ordered a page of wallets and used those so everyone could have kept them( and they would have been super clear). 

The party was at a local park.  We drew paw prints with blue chalk from the cars to the tables where the party was.  When each child arrived, the put their present in a HUGE mailbox my parents built (they used a thin sheet of paneling, painted it, curved it and attached it to a table.  They made the door from paneling and used industrial strength velcro to close the door.  My parents are quite the overachievers!  If this sounds too complicated, do what I asked them to do….just use cardboard for the entire thing and put some presents IN the box and others around it.  It just makes a cute presentation on the table). 

After putting their presents in mailbox, they had a blue paw print drawn on their face or hand.  Then, I took a pix of each child holding a stuffed Blue with the balloons and wall decorations in the background. They went off to play in the park until the other children arrived.  We called everyone in and played pin the paw on blue (can print off nickjr.com).  They also played toss the beanbags into pail and shovel (painted blue beanbags with blue paw prints and painted faces on red pail and yellow shovel-Wal-Mart $.50 each).  The winner of each game received a  Blues Clues cup ($.50) and medal (4 for a $1.00 at dollar store).  

We served hotdogs, beans, slaw, chips and popcorn.  We served the chips out of pails and shovels I had painted faces on.  The cake was of Blue (the only one I think they make a pan for).  I have a friend who does cakes so I was in luck, but I WAS going to use the idea of a round cake with 4 cupcakes made to look like a paw, if I had to do it myself.   

After eating, my niece hosted a Find the clues with Blues game that lead them to a Pull a Prize game I got off the internet.  I paid about $23 for it, but I'd recommend a pinata instead.  It looked great online but ended up being a cardboard box shaped like Blues House.  You load the candy and prizes and have each child pull a string.  The benefit is that you can use it again, however, I think a pinata would make a much better presentation.  I saw several online for about $20 + S/H.  Partysolver.com had one and I THINK birthdayexpress had one.  I kept some of the prizes out and made sure that afterwards ALL the kids had a full cup of stuff.  My daughter removed her presents from the mailbox and opened them. 

We had a Blues Clues CD I got used off ebay ($6 total) and had it playing in the background. 

Each child received a party favor bag.  I used the CUTEST pail and shovel boxes (4 for $2.50)at Partyetc.com.  I highly recommend them!!  Each pail and shovel box had the following:

1)  A 7-page coloring pages book about a birthday surprise I got off nickjr.  I put a clip in the top left of each, rolled it tight and tied with a ribbon, then curled the ribbon.

2)  A Handy Dandy notebook.  I took construction paper and cut about 7-8 sheets for each book.  Used harder poster paper for the front and back sheet (lime green in color).  Used a black magic marker and outlined the front.  Drew thinking chairs on red construction paper with black marker, cut out and paste on the front of notebook.  Punched about 5-6 holes in top of notebook and wove red pipe cleaner through.  I made 15 notebooks for $2 and they looked pretty darn good, if I do say so myself!!

3)  1 Large crayon (12 for $1 at the dollar store)

4)  Blue Stamper watchband (stamps a pix of paw print)-at Partyetc.com, they are 4 for $2.99.

5)  A strip of Blues Clues Stickers (4 for $.99 at Partyetc).

6)  A pack of Blues Clues gummi snacks (10 for $2.00) For the older kids, I took a push pop and pack of gum, tied it with ribbon, and curled the ribbon and gave them that. 

Each child took home a favor bag, -1-2 balloons (I had 15 dark blue and 15 light blue and 1 Mylar with Blue and friends on it), and the cup of prizes they got from the pull-a-prize game.  I made my own personalized thank you notes on the computer (I used the pix from nickjr.com thank you card).  On each, I typed the child's name and thanked them for the present they gave and said something special just for that child.  I enclosed the pix I took of each of them holding Blue at the party.  I had a total of 50 or so people who all ate.  I did not skimp at ALL and the whole party cost me about $225.