1 Oo l= Pi Plan B—Party Ideas When The Weather Won’t Cooperate by Nancy Siler, Baking and Entertainment Guru (NAPSA)—Rain needn’t be a wet blanket over your youngster’s birthday party. Preparation is the key to the fun. But don’t rely on cartoons and board games to keep the children occupied. Keep them busy and smiling with a few of my sure-fire birthday party tips. Go online and type in keyword “balloon animals.” With a little practice before the festivities, you can learn how to make your own balloon swords, dogs, monkeys and much more. The night before a pre-teen birthday celebration cut out an assortment of photos from magazines and newspapers. If there is a lull in the party, create small teams and have the children select one photo per group. Then give the partygoers 15 minutesto create a movie scene based on their group’s photo. Get out the video camera—because the silly things kids can come upwith will wow you! Make a batch of plain cupcakes the day before the party. If the weather doesn’t cooperate, give each child their own cupcake and Wilton’s Ready-To-Decorate icing. With its easy-to-spray nozzle, kids will love personalizing their treat and adding an assortment of sprinkles, sparkles and icing decorations. Give each child three large cookies coated with Ice-A-Cookie fondant icing and have them sit down at a table and put their FUN INSIDE WHEN IT’S WET OUTSIDE—pinatas, cupcakes and making movies will keep the rain from dampening spirits. hands behind their backs. The first one to successfully (and legibly) write happy birthday on all three cookies, using only an edible color marker such as FoodWriter and their mouth, winsa prize. If the outdoor activities are halted by rain or high winds, bring everyone into the garage and let the children take turns hitting a pifiata with a broom handle, baseball bat or umbrella. Special note: For some reason, some pinatas are strangely indestructible. Give the pifiata a few whacks before the party so the children don’t get frustrated. Call your local ice cream shop a week before the party and ask them to save six empty ice cream or frozen yogurt tubs for you. They make perfect buckets for a beanbag toss with younger children. For more entertaining and decorating ideas visit www.wilton.com.
