Hello Kitty Science -7yr- Hello Kitty Cookies

Hello Kitty Science Birthday My daughter, who just turned 7, wanted to have a science party.   We did a science party for her 6th birthday and I thought a change would be fun.  I asked her to choose, from a few options I gave her, another theme to combine with her science party and that is how she came up with a Hello Kitty Science Party.  Since my house is not very big, I decided to have an all girl party with the girls from her class and a few others that she has play dates with.  This was a 2 hour party- 1 and a half hours of experiments and half an hour for lunch and cake.

Invitation:  I created an invitation, with an image I made on Adobe Illustrator, of Hello Kitty dressed as a scientist holding a beaker and a flask.  The Words: Hello (my daughter's name)!  Hello Scientist!, were in pastel colors on top.  I found some reference images of H.K. dressed as a scientist on the internet and re-created them through Adobe illustrator and changed them.  I turned the image into vector art which could be enlarged and reduced without losing any quality of the image.  For the invitation I saved the image as a low resolution JPEG.  FYI-There is a H.K. A-Z book and on page S there is an adorable image of H.K. and friends as scientists with lab images, if you don't know how to draw and use illustrator, you can save it from the internet and upload it in a low resolution onto the invitation.  

Decorations: On the front door I made laminated printouts of Hello Kitty Caution signs in bright yellow that read, Caution! Serious Science Fun inside! Too much fun may be hazardous to your health!  I also had a variety of Hello kitty images including H.K. as an astronaut we hope your birthday is out of this world!, H.K. with a microscope, Hello Kitty anatomical chart, Hello Kitty color science- How to mix primary colors, & another H.K. holding beakers and tubes printed out and all displayed inside my house.  Also, I displayed my daughter's collection of science stuff, such as microscopes, Telescopes; bugs preserved in cubes, science books etc., around the room.  I dressed all the science paraphernalia up with either a bow in the top right corner or H.K. stickers.   I set together 4 long tables and folding chairs to make 1 large rectangle and I used reusable vinyl tablecloths covered with multi colored hearts that I purchased at Target during valentines.  I filled tin buckets, from dollar store, with snacks and attached laminated color print outs of Hello Kitty as a scientist on the front and back of the buckets and placed them as centerpieces down the middle of the tables.  I attached H.K. helium balloons (from Party City) to the handles of the buckets.  I set up a little photo area for my daughter to take individual pictures with each of her friends and had borrowed 2 white long sleeve button downs as lab coats for the picture.  I made each child an ID badge with a picture of H.K. as a scientist that said:  Hello Dr. (girl's name) The ID badge number was HK--------  (my daughter's birth date) Department of Hello Science, then there was a barcode (there is a barcode font you can download free online) and then put a fake website www. (my daughter's name)HKScienceParty.com.  I pretended to scan the girls barcode in as they entered with the Hello Kitty 3000 (a Hello Kitty head Easter egg).  After the girls were scanned in they took a picture with the birthday girl which was used later for a Smile Box thank you note.  I set the goody bags with HK science name labels, I created, near the table.   As the girls did their experiments we could easily put them into the alphabetized bags.  Also, before the party I had 3 Ziplocs per child labeled with their name ready (for the snow, slime and necklaces), so that as they did their experiments they could put it in the Ziploc and the adults could put it in the goody bags without all the kids getting up. The table was set with a 3D Hello Kitty cookie I made for each girl.  I found the cookie cutters at www.twinkledoll.com (it took about 3 weeks to deliver from Hong Kong).  Cookies freeze well so I made them in advance and was able to assemble the sitting cookie that morning.  Also, the table was set for the first activity with bowl filled with beads and string at each seat.

Activities:  
1.Ultra Violet Hello Kitty necklaces: every girl's seat was set up with a bowl containing elastic cord marked with a dot in the center, a h.k. charm, some UV beads (found at www.SteveSpanglerScience.com)  and some plain pink beads.  In the Target dollar store I found h.k. necklace and ring sets that I cut apart for pieces.  I bought new cord that was easier for the girls to thread.  I set aside the first 20 minutes of the party for beading.  I knew that many of the girls would not finish their necklace (which you can set up as a bracelet too), so I had Ziplocs ready, pre-labeled with names, so the girls could finish them at home.   Both my daughters had pre-made their necklaces, which were used in the experiments.  I had set up 4 sample Ziploc bags filled with beads and necklaces labeled: sun block 50, sun block 15, sunglasses and no protection.  I applied the sun blocks to the appropriate bags and put the sunglasses on the third.  I brought the group outside to show what happens to the four groups of beads when they are covered in (new) sun blocks 50 and 15, when sunglasses are over it and the 3rd one was fully exposed to the sun.  Making sure I was not in a shady spot, the results were immediate in the sunlight and the necklaces turned colors.  

2.Radioactive Hello Kitty Milk- We returned inside and I asked the girls, What do you think Kittens like to drink after doing experiments in the hot sun?  Milk, they responded, which was our segue into the next experiment.  I poured a little milk into the empty bowls (the ones the girls had left over from the necklace experiment) followed by a few drops of food coloring.  Then I passed out Q-tips soaked in dish soap.  I told the girls to touch the Q-tip gently to the food coloring and asked them what is happening.  I explained that there is soap on the Q-tip which chases away the fat in milk and makes the milk and color quickly swirl around making it look like radioactive milk.  

3.Hello Ice cream Science!What else does Hello Kitty like to eat?,  asked the girls.  Would she like foods made from milk?  What foods are made from milk that H.K. would like?  The girls guessed ice cream.  I explained that food scientists had figured out that salt makes ice melt faster and changes the freezing point.  They figured out that mixing ice with salt would create a great environment to make ice cream in.  That was enough information for the girls, only being 7, but if the girls were older I might have gone into showing them a string put on an ice cube with a little salt on top and how the string would fuse to the ice.  I went straight to the ice cream making: I had the following pre measured: 1/2 cup of milk, 1/2 cup of cream (which is higher in fat than milk), 1/4 cup of sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla.  Next we combined the ingredients into a quart size freezer Ziploc bag.  We stuck this bag inside a gallon-size Ziploc, half-filled with ice and rock salt - about 2 cups of ice and 1/2 cup of salt.  Then I put the whole thing into an old coffee tin which I decorated with H.K. and labeled H.K. Ice cream science.  We took turns rolling and shaking the coffee tin to each other for 5-10 minutes.  Then we checked the consistency, it was like soft serve ice cream.  My husband scooped a spoonful on to enough plastic spoons so that everyone could have a taste.  I told the girls, Later we will have ice cream with cake.  If you want to give the kids more info: Salt lowers the freezing point of water, which causes the ice to melt at a lower temperature. The lower freezing point provides the temperature difference needed to transfer heat between the freezing ice cream ingredients and the melting ice. Rock salt doesn't lower the freezing point as much as table salt does (so it results in smoother ice cream, because it freezes more gradually), but for this activity you can try table salt. You can use a thermometer to measure the temperature in the outer bag. 

4.Atomic Kitty Slime - making slime with hello kitty rings inside the blob.  I got the clear slime making materials from the stevespanglerscience.com website.  I set up a plastic cup filled with the pre-measured liquid base and wooden stick for each guest.  I asked the girls if the cup held a solid or liquid.  I passed around a Hello Kitty ring (from the same necklace set I found at the Target Dollar Store) and told them to drop it into their liquid.  Then I told them to pick up their stick and as soon as I pour in a tablespoon of the activator into their cup they should stir the mix as fast as they could.  I asked them what happened.  They loved making their slime.  I pointed out how it surrounds the H.k. ring like a liquid, but has other properties like a solid.  I passed out pre-labeled Ziploc bags so there was no confusion as to who's slime was whose and then we put the slime away.  This was my daughter's favorite experiment of the party. I also told the girls, that since their slime is clear, that when they got home they could add food coloring to it to make it any color they choose.

5.HellSnow diaper experiments: I explained to the girls that while most kittens use a litter box, hello kitty is more like a human and as a baby she used diapers.  H.K. the scientist wondered, Why does a diaper feel dry even when they get wet?  I pulled out a diaper, put it into a large Ziploc and rip the inside out shaking out the white powder- my diaper was pre ripped open to make sure that all the white powdery stuff fell to the bottom of the plastic bag.   Then I cut a small hole in the corner of the Ziploc and poured the powder into a clear plastic cup.  I asked the girls what they thought would happen if I poured water in the cup.  Then I took the cup and poured it over my head but no water fell on my head.  I explained that that powder is a polymer and that it absorbs the liquid which is why the diaper keeps the baby feeling dry.  I then told them that this snowy polymer is available for them to experiment with as well.  I passed out cups pre-filled with the snowy powder to each girl.  I also passed out, for every 2 girls to share, a disposable lasagna tray or lasagna tray cover, so the girls could have a bin to play in.  I came around and poured a cupful of water into each girl's cup that already had a little powder and they watched in amazement as the snow popped up to the top of the cup.  Then I told the girls that they could pour the snow into the tray so they could play a little.  We didn't have time to add the food colors to the snow, but I passed out the final pre-labeled Ziplocs for the girls to take home whatever snow they like.

6.Hello Kitty Bubble Bath (AKA elephant toothpaste)- I explained that before we can have lunch we must clean up and asked, What is Hello Kitty's favorite way to clean up? It is with a bubble bath, of course!  Hello Kitty, being a scientist on this day, does not want a regular bubble bath, but she wants an explosive one.  I had a set up of supplies in a disposable baking tin: Supplies: 1. A large empty plastic bottle-(or any tall skinny clear container), 2. Hydrogen peroxide (you can get 3% at the grocery store, or 8% at a beauty supply store I wanted the wow factor, so I went with the 8%- wear gloves with the higher percent, my hand felt a little funny without them.  3. Active yeast, 4. Warm water 5. Liquid dish soap 6. Food coloring - optional - but it does make a nice color- 7. A tray to catch the mess- I used a disposable lasagna pan.  Directions: 1. Mix ~4 oz of hydrogen peroxide with ~2oz of liquid dish soap and a few drops of food coloring.   Add this mixture to the soda bottle and place it in the pan. Now you can add the food coloring if you choose.  The birthday girl requested blue and red so we could make purple 2. In a separate container, mix one packet of active yeast with warm water and let sit for at least 5 minutes- I mixed mine before the party. 3. When you are ready, pour the yeast mixture into the soda bottle (I used a funnel which was helpful) and watch the reaction- lots of bubbles shoot up!  Then for more wow I threw a piece of dry ice into the bubble bath and let it steam up everywhere.  Hello Kitty is clean and the girls thought this was so cool!   I had planned to have the girls wash their hand and serve the Pizza, but the Pizza was late luckily I had some more experiments ready in case we needed them.  

7.Square space bubbles- the encore.  I explained that Hello Kitty doesn't want to leave her bubble bath and wants more time to experiment with her bubbles.   I bought 1 square bubble maker from the Steve Spangler science website and luckily my sister in law saw it and said she had a bunch more from the math class she teaches.  I had pre made a large pot of bubbles and I showed the girls how to dip the cube in the pot and blow in a small bubble and then blow the bubble inside larger so that it was a growing square bubble.  On the Spangler website, mentioned above, there is a video demo.  I found straws decorated with hearts and I attached H.K. stickers to, at Valentine's Day, which I used in place of pipettes. Also, through the Spangler website, I had a premade bouncing bubble set with a glove (demo on web site) and I showed the girls how to bounce bubbles.  The girls were very excited but the Pizza showed up.  The way I knew they were having fun is that they did not want to break for lunch and they all begged to continue playing with the bubbles after lunch was over.  

Food: I made 3 types of Hello Kitty cookies.  I found H.K. cookie cutters that fit like a puzzle to make H.K. sit up and I also got a H.K. sandwich cutter or giant cookie cutter on www.twinkledoll.com with shipping the set was $33.  The 3-D cookies were so much fun because they were so different.  The company is in Japan, so purchase at least 3 weeks in advance.  I actually thought that I would not get the cutters in time, so I also found a H.K. stamp attached to a mini-container of play dough at Party City for 49 cents.  Just use chilled rolled out cookie dough and clean out the play dough container to cut out circles and then flour the stamp well and press into the cookie dough.  I served Pizza-I reminded the girls that the cheese from the Pizza comes from milk, which is why H.K. loves it.  I also explained that food science is a relatively newer science, but that all the evidence shows that vegetables are so wonderful for you!  I made a Hello Kitty print out explaining all the benefits of all the fruits and vegetables being served and as the girls ate their Pizza I read and explained the list to them.  Some of the parents told me their daughters were asking to eat more vegetables when they got home.  The list included: Celery-skin eyes & hair, cauliflower-heart, tomatoes-keeping you healthy, sugar snaps-heart & digestion, Broccoli  colon, carrots- maintain eyesight & brain, cantaloupe- brain & eyes, grapes- eyes, brain & digestive system, strawberries- heart, watermelon-skin & energy, honey dew-glowing skin, pineapple-digestive system.  I had a fruit platter and veggie platter.  I served chips and pretzels too.  For drinks I only had water- since that is what we drink in my house.  None of the children asked for juice anyhow.

Cake:  I have baked cakes before, but usually, since I am an illustrator, I create an image on my computer, print it out, laminate it, set it up on toothpicks and place it on the cake.  But, my daughter requested that I draw with icing onto the cake and she wanted the image of Hello Kitty as a scientist that I created and plastered on every part of the party.  I accepted the challenge and was rewarded with the most fun I have ever had baking.  I baked one chocolate and one vanilla cake.  I ended up using organic cake mixes and making my own cream cheese frosting for the vanilla and a chocolate butter cream frosting for the chocolate cake.   The chocolate cake with chocolate frosting was decorated in my usual technique of laminating an image of Scientist Hello Kitty and to spruce it up I set H.K in a star and put a shot glass behind the star and filled it with dry ice to the star looked like it was smoking.  Then I put sparkler candles around it. The vanilla cake was the real challenge.  I mixed my own icing colors with the white frosting as my base, the only store bought frosting was the black for the out lines.  Between layers of making the image I found freezing the cake made it easier to work on.  The most important part is that the face looked exactly like H.K., so I ended up wiping it off and remaking it a few times. I was so happy with the result and my daughter was too!   

Goody bags: I found preprinted H.K. paper bags that were inexpensive and beautiful at Party City and I attached a picture of Hello Kitty as a scientist with Hello Scientist--- (girl's name)  Thank you for celebrating my 7th birthday with me!  Love Professor--- (my daughter's name), so as we did experiments the girls could put them in their bags.  The bags were filled with: H.K. back pack clips (Target Dollar store), the necklaces and rings which were part of the ultra violet beads experiment and slime experiments were from Target Dollar as well, they took home their snow and H.K. tattoos.   My daughter had a blast at her party and she had a blast testing out and choosing all the experiments during the planning process.  This party was worth the effort!  The children had fun and I had fun and we all learned together.