Bear Bash -3yr- Bear Bingo

For my daughter's 3rd birthday we had a Bear Bash. 

We made invitations using a birthday bear stamp and decorated the invitation with bear paw stickers.  Each guest was asked to bring their favorite bear.  The bears gathered for their own special party as the guests attended ours. 

The first activity was a craft.  Each guest was given a wooden cut-out of a bear (Bears were purchased at a local craft store).  The guests then chose their favorite color to paint the bear (Washable paint of course.  Prior to the guests arriving, paint brushes, paints, smocks and newspapers were assembled and awaiting the arrival of each guest.  It was a great way to start the party.  While the guests were painting their bears, I painted a paw print on each of the guests' cheeks with paint purchased at the local party store.

Next we played "Pin the Honey Pot on Pooh".  I had a drawn a picture of Pooh on a piece of poster board and painted him.  I drew and cut-out honey pots from yellow construction paper for the quests and wrote their name on the honey pot prior to the party.  Each guest was blindfolded (Be sure to ask your guest first if its ok. If not ask the guest to close his/her eyes).  I spun the guest around once and they attached the honey pot as close as possible to Pooh.  We used a piece of tape on the back of the honey pot.

Next we played Bear Bingo.  I made a bingo board with 9 squares and each square had a different picture of a bear(Winnie the Pooh, Bear in the Big Blue House, etc.) or bear related item, such as a beehive, honey pot or a bumble bee. Each guest was given a board and foam chips. Each guest took a turn pulling a piece of folded paper from a hat and the guests matched it to their boards. Due to the age of the guests, each board was identical so that they would all have Bingo at the same time. 

Next we had a story - "Going on a Bear Hunt".  Each guest sang the song as the story was read.  After the story, the guests went on a bear hunt.  The first clue was a paw print.  As a group the guests found the paw print together.  Attached to the paw print was a basket with shapes, each one a different color.  Each guest took a shape and went hunting in the house for it.  When the guest found the shape, a bear was waiting for them. 

For lunch we had peanut-butter and jelly sandwiches cut out in the shape of a bear with a cookie cutter.  The guests also had juice, goldfish and watermelon. 

After lunch we made bear necklaces.  Prior to the party I cut out of brown foam the outline of a bear.  I also cut out from light brown foam, a belly, and paws.  I assembled "kits" for each of the guests which included the foam pieces, two eyes, and a piece of string. I put glue in plastic cups and we used q-tips to apply the glue and assemble the bears.  After the bears were assembled, we wrote the guest's name on the bear, and drew a mouth. Wipes were kept handy for easy clean-up.

Our final activity was a pull-string bear pinata.  One word of caution, make sure one string will open the door on the bottom. The guests pulled out all the strings and to their surprise and mine the door did not open.  The pinata was filled with bear erasers, paw print and bear stickers, plastic bear bracelets and bear chocolate lollipops that were homemade. 

My daughter had requested a Bear in the Big Blue House Cake, which we purchased at the local bakery.  The colors of the plates and balloons matched those of Bear in the Big Blue House.  Each parent stayed with their child as parental participation was needed for most of the activities. 

All activities were fully prepared prior to the party to help with a smooth transition from activity to activity. We had 5 guests and the birthday girl which was a perfect size.  The party lasted for just under 2 hrs. 

Everyone had a great time and almost a year later my daughter still asks me to tell her about her 3rd birthday party before she goes to bed each night!  I think I had just as much fun planning the party as my daughter did attending it!