Super Hero Party 5yr - Cupcake Decorating

For my son's 5th birthday I held a Superhero Training Camp Party. 

I used Spiderman invitations from the $ store (8/pkg.) that read It's a Superhero Celebration!  On the inside where you put child's name, I wrote my son's name, but put an alias as a middle name (his was "sticky man" - aka spiderman, which is the costume he wore to his party).  I included a separate sheet of paper with a coded puzzle to solve.  When decoded it read "Test your superhero skills at Tristan's 5th Birthday Party.  Wear your hero costume & bring mom & dad too!"  I wanted to include a parent or guardian because the party (with 20 3-5 year-olds) was at a large public park (pavilion rental at $15/day). 

The coded puzzle is easy to do.  Just write out what you want it to say, then give each letter a number.  Re-write the puzzle with just the spaces with numbers below.  The parents can help the kids figure out what letter each number represents to solve the puzzle. I also included "Tristan's 5th" in the puzzle to help them figure out some of the letters.  At the cake table, I had a cupcake decorating station where the kids made their own spider cupcake.  The sign I made read "Add your spider to the web". I embellished the sign with drawn on spiders and webs (etc.) 

I made a sheet cake with white icing, and drew a web with black icing.  The cupcakes had loads of icing to help the pcs. stick.  For the spider heads I bought large jujube type candies (bulk barn), red string licorice for legs, and small icing tubes for putting on eyes (or whatever they wanted).  I also used the icing tubes to write the child's name under their spider after it was put onto the web cake.  The kids want to eat their creations right away, so have plenty.  One to eat, one to add to the cake!  I also had a cake with my son's picture on it and this was the one he used to blow out his candles.  The boys loved this because they could choose which body part they wanted to eat. (boys!) 

I had a "Refuelling Station" with chips and dip and a variety of drinks, and pizza too.  I also had a craft table called the "Costume Dept." where the kids could decorate masks.  I cut out masks on poster board type paper (thanks mom for the donation!), then taped thin elastic to the back.  I used a template from a party place mask we had kicking around.  To decorate the masks I brought craft supplies from home, and bought extra large googly eyes ($ store) and glow-in-the dark sparkly paint. 

The final "station" was my favourite, but took a LOT of work to set up.  I made a "Fun House/Maze" with cardboard boxes.  For the entrance I used a kids tent from home, then set up the boxes to make paths.  In the centre of the paths was a web made from string tied to/through/around 4 plastic chairs (from home), in front of the web was a large spider made from stuffing garbage bags (kit from $ store), the kids had to crawl under the web (but I left a space beside it jut in case).  The maze continues to an open space with a box made to look like a robot that the kids could stand in, and a cardboard pirate ship, then the kids could go down the slide (small square climber/slide brought from home) to the final "challenge" - water balloons! 

The water balloons were definitely a hit.  I upturned 2 picnic tables and wrapped a tarp around each one, then with coloured duct tape made a target on each.  The water balloons were the mini ones - 300 gone in 5 minutes!  After the kids and parents had their fun, we all had pizza and cake.  The favour bags were red loot bags filled with a ring pop, Popeye candy sticks (remember these!), stickers, and a Spiderman paddle ball toy.  I had extra Popeye candy sticks for any nostalgic parents, and for the 2 girls in attendance I gave them a Tinkerbell vinyl handbag ($ store) with ring pop, Popeye candy sticks, Tinkerbell stickers, and fairy wand. 

All items can be bought at the $ store, except the paddle balls (which I lucked out with because our Zellers store was relocating and had everything on sale).  On each favour bag I attached a square of poster board that read "Thanks for participating in Superhero Training Camp at Tristan's 5th Birthday Party"  I also added the location and date at the bottom.  I decorated the Thank-yous with Spiderman and Batman stickers.  This website provided tons of great ideas, thanks!