Curious George -  Monkey Monkey Wheres Your Treat?

Curious George Birthday Party. 

INVITATIONS  You can make your own invitations in the shape of a banana, yellow hat, or balloon. You can go to a scrapbooking supply store for special die cuts if needed. You can say something like Our little monkey is turning three. We would go bananas if you could join us! 

Decorations Your Curious George birthday party should be a blast of primary colors.  Several bunches of bright red, yellow, blue, and green balloons. You can use bananas as balloon weights.  Lots of red, yellow, green, and blue crepe paper steamers. Crepe paper is inexpensive and goes a long way. You can drape it from the ceiling; wrap it around trees, etc.  Decorate your walls with Curious George posters.  Buy or rent a bubble machine. You can put the bubbles at the entryway to the party. Make a sign that reads Enter here for some monkey business. Draw or trace a large picture of Curious George with his hand lifted holding a yardstick. Make a sign that says, How tall am I? This will be a great place for guests to take pictures of their children.  Decorate tables with grass skirts.  Scatter books of Curious George around the room.  Get the birthday boy or girl to wear a tall yellow hat. 

FOOD  Banana nut bread.  Banana Splits.  Banana pudding.  Banana cream pie. Banana smoothies.  Bananas dipped in chocolate.  Banana chips. Corn dogs or mini corn dogs.  Monkey tails (aka hot dogs). Popcorn.  Animal cookies.  Jungle juice (aka apple juice)  To save money, buy red, yellow, green, and blue plates, napkins, cups, and eating utensils rather than buying them with Curious George on them. 

ACTIVITIES  Stuff a monkey. This can be your activity as well as your take home treat. You can buy the monkey party kits online. They come with a monkey skin, stuffing, stuffing stick, wishing star, instructions, birth certificate, and take home box. Each child can make his/her own monkey to take home. This will definitely be an unforgettable birthday party. To buy the kits, go to http://www.stuffafriend.com/shop.php?kdlashombe  Paint with George. Since George loved to paint, why not let your party guests paint a masterpiece.

All you need are some finger paints, a roll of butcher paper, smocks, and plenty of soap and water for clean up. Make sure you warn parents prior to the party so they can dress their children appropriately.  If painting is too messy, set up a table with colors and pictures of Curious George that they can color. Have a contest to see who can color or draw the best picture. Have awards for the prettiest picture, silliest picture, craziest picture, etc. and allow the guests to vote. Make sure you have an award for each child so no one feels left out. You can find lots of coloring sheets on the Internet that you can download. 

Upon arrival, have a table set up where your guests can make monkey ears and tails to wear at the party.  Make giant bubbles for the children to play with.  Have story time and read a Curious George book to guests.  Make binoculars out of toilet paper rolls and go on a monkey hunt. Hide several stuffed monkeys or monkeys cut out of poster board for the children to find.  Rent a jungle-themed bounce house and play some fun music for the kids to jump to.  Face painting.  Pinata. 

GAMES  Play pass the banana. This is similar to musical chairs. Have the children stand in a circle and hand the banana to each other as quickly as possible. When the music stops, the child with the banana must sit down.  Pin the tail on the monkey. You draw a picture of Curious George on a poster board. Use another piece of poster board to cut out tails to use. Or, you can play pin the yellow hat on George or the man. 

Play Monkey, Monkey, where's your treat. Have one child play the part of the monkey. This child must sit in a chair in the middle of the room with their eyes covered. Place a banana under his or her chair. While the child's eyes are covered, ask another child to steal the banana and hide it somewhere on their body (pockets, etc.). Then, everyone will sing, Monkey, Monkey, where's your treat? Somebody stole it from your seat. The monkey has three chances to choose who stole it. If the monkey guesses correctly, he or she gets to do it again. If the monkey guesses wrong, then the child who had the banana gets to be the monkey. 

Follow the monkey (follow the leader). The monkeys must walk and act like monkeys.  Chase the banana. Children form a circle. One banana is sent around the circle. While it is going around, a stuffed Curious George is introduced in the circle. The object is for the Curious George to catch up with the banana.  

PARTY FAVORS  Curious George book.  Monkey stuffed animal.  Balloons, balls, microwave popcorn, bubbles, fruit shaped candy, stickers in a popcorn box.