Butterfly Party - Bagel Butterflies

DECORATING Your guests will love a room with colorful balloons and crepe streamer hanging from the ceiling.  Have the table completely set and decorated to add to the festive feel.    

SPECIAL TOUCHES Purchase live, adult butterflies and have them displayed for a centerpiece.  For the finale of your party, have guests release the butterflies outside.  Give a party favor they'll be talking about for years!  Have each guest take home a pair of caterpillars to raise into their very own butterflies.   These items are available through http://www.ButterflyFriends.com 

ACTIVITIES:  Watercolor Butterflies Kit Needed:  Coffee filters, paints and brushes, pipe cleaner and clothes pin.  Make the Butterfly Wings by laying a coffee filter flat on the table.  Decorate with the paints or you can also use markers or crayons.  Let wings dry slightly.  Make Body and Antennae by painting clothes pins, this will be the body of the butterfly.  Curl ends of pipe cleaner and feed through clothes pin, this will be the antennae.  Finish your Butterfly by  gathering coffee filter, starting at center bottom and working up to the center top.  Feed through clothes pin body. 

GAMES: Watering Can relay Split the party guests into 2 teams.  At one end of the yard have 2 empty buckets of water and the party guests.  At the opposite end of the yard have 2 running hoses.  The first person in each team must race to the hoses, fill their watering can and race to the other end and pour the water into the bucket.  The team that fills their bucket first wins. 

Cocoon Race Split the party guests into 2 teams.  Each team will need to select a caterpillar (doing this by a drawing might be the easiest way).  Give each team a couple rolls of toilet paper.  When you say go each team must try to transform their friend into a cocoon the fastest!  Bug Eating Contest Give each child a plate full of bitty bugs (sprinkles).  Say go and have the kids race to see who can eat the most without using their hands. 

Create a Critter:   To make a Caterpillar:  Cut a piece of shoestring licorice a little longer then desired length of caterpillar.  String Life Savers and put a knot at each end.  To make legs, cut shorter pieces of licorice and tie at various places along body.  Use frosting to secure mini M&Ms onto the front Life Saver for eyes.  To make a Butterfly:  With frosting, attach two semicircle candies with the curved edges facing each other to form butterfly wings.   Add a piece of twist licorice or a banana runt to make a candy body.  M&Ms can be used to decorate wings. 

FOOD IDEAS Bagel Butterflies Slice the bagels in half then cut down the center so you have 4 semi circle shapes.  Spread cream cheese on bagels and decorate with various vegetables.  Put 2 pieces of bagels together so curved sides are facing each other (should resemble butterfly wings).  Put cream cheese in a frosting tube and make body where bagels connect.  Place a cherry tomato on top for its head.  Pasta Butterflies Bowtie pasta resembles butterfly wings.  Serve with butter or favorite sauce.  Butterfly Nectar Butterflies get all their nutrients from sipping the nectar from flowers.  Have your guests pretend they are butterflies!  Cut flower shapes out of construction paper.  Cut a hole in the center and place straw through. 

Butterfly Cake Bake a round cake, cut it in half.  Place curved edges together to resemble butterfly wings.  Frost and decorate wings with various candies.  Place a cupcake at top for head.  Gum drops make excellent eyes and licorice works well for the antennae.  Caterpillar Cupcakes Make as many cupcakes as you have guests.  Frost them green.  Line them up to resemble a wiggly caterpillar.  Giant gum drops can be used for legs and eyes and licorice works well for the antennae.