My blogging partner at Robust Cooking, Sandy, found a wonderful website loaded with watermelon goodness. There are several fun watermelon recipes that would work really well for summer birthday party snacks.

This is one of my favorites:

Kids Watermelon Sandwich Cookies

Ingredients~

12 (3-inch) blueberry pancakes, cooled to room temperature
1/2 cup white frosting
6 (2/3-inch thick and 3-inch round) seedless watermelon slices, drained to remove excess moisture

How To Make Them~

Evenly frost the bottoms of each pancake with the white frosting. Arrange six of the pancakes, frosting side up on a serving platter. Place a slice of watermelon on each of the frosted pancakes on the platter. Top each with the remaining pancakes, frosting side down. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. This recipe serves 6.

 

Watermelon Sandwich cookies recipe and image courtesy of NWPB

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  Don’t forget the kids when you’re planning your 4th of July party this year. Here are some fun activities you can plan to help keep your kids entertained and having fun.

• Printable 4th of July Color Pages
• Patriotic Games
• Plan a parade- have all the children dress up in their favorite patriotic outfit for a fun parade. Have them bring a wagon, or bicycle, and decorate them to make their own float.
• Paint flags on the children’s faces
• Have a patriotic scavenger or treasure hunt
• Set Up a Wet and Wild Obstacle Course
• Make a patriotic pony bead necklace

I’ve posted more fun 4th of July ideas at my b5media blog, She Knows Parties:

•  4th of July party decorations
• Ideas for making your own 4th of July party decorations
• 4th of July fireworks safety
• 4th of July red white and blue dessert ideas

What fun games, and activities have you played at your 4th of July parties?

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I just saw these, and I think they’d be adorable for a beach party, or luau. They’re called Mini Palm Tree Decorator Pinatas . You can use them for table decorations, or hang them up. When the party’s done send one home with each of your guests. Each palm tree stands about 8″ tall.

You could fill them with candy, or small toys, or let your guests fill their own at a candy buffet.

Cute!

More summer luau or beach party supplies and decorations

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Camp rock premieres June 20th on the Disney channel. I can’t wait! I’m a huge fan of High School Musical, and I think Camp Rock sounds like it’s going to be very similar.

If you’re planning on having a Camp Rock premiere party or a Camp Rock birthday party, Celebrate Express has Camp Rock Party Supplies.

This would be an easy party to have. If you have it on June 20th the movie can be the main event. If you have it another time, just break out the karaoke machine, or the cd player and let the kids sing and dance the night away.

Decorations will be simple, add pink and purple streamers, music notes, cut out stars, or guitars for decorations. The cake can be guitar shaped, or add black music notes to white cupcakes.

Visit the Camp Rock official website for more games and party inspiration.

More Camp Rock Party Ideas

 

 

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Wall-E is scheduled to hit theatres on June 27th. It would work great with a a space theme for a birthday party, or movie premiere party.

 

Hang stars and planets from the ceiling, and make a spaceship for your table centerpiece. Birthday in a Box has a Wall-E Deluxe Party Box which includes everything you need to throw a Wall-E movie party for eight.

The official Wall-E website has games, wallpapers, and widgets you can use to make invitations, party game ideas, and decorations with a little imagination.

Wall-E party game ideas:

• Have a "trash" scavenger hunt.
• Give the party goers some boxes, and aluminum foil, and let them build a bot. Give the best bot a prize.
• Send them on a "trash" treasure hunt.
• More fun ideas for Wall-E Party activities

You can make your own Wall-E party invitations with blue and yellow card stock. With the blue for a background make yellow stars, and add a spaceship.

Add sayings to your Wall-E invitations like…

• You’re invited to an intergalactic birthday party.
• Blast off to _______’s Wall-E premiere party!
• Come to our galaxy for a blast of a party.

If you have any other fun sayings for a Wall-E party game, or invitation, please feel free to add them to the comment section.

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Here are some things to think about when you’re planning activities for children’s birthday parties. This video gives some great pre planning advice for birthday party activities, crafts, and pinatas.

 

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I had the opportunity to take a look at a really cute new children’s book, about a boy named Henry. Henry and the Hidden Vegetable Garden could be about my son. We sat down and read the book together the other night. Then we talked about him trying some new vegetables. He’s all ready to try some new veggies he’s never tried before.

My son likes a few vegetables, but there are several he won’t try. The book suggests kids try vegetables more than once before they decide whether they like them. My son is now willing to try some new flavors.

He’s adopted the book, and he was reading to himself after we finished reading it together. It’s really a cute story, and it gets kids excited about where their food comes from.

Henry and The Hidden Vegetable Garden is about a little boy named Henry who likes TV, video games, and pizza. But he doesn’t care for his vegetables. One night at the supper table when his mother sees him hiding his vegetables, she decides to take action. She takes him to visit his cousin who lives on a farm.

While he’s there his cousin Huck introduces him to vegetables fresh from the garden, and shows him a secret hidden vegetable garden in the woods.

The book was written co-written by Kimberly Williams Paisley, who you may remember as the young bride in "Father of the Bride," and "Father of the Bride 2." She’s married to singer Brad Paisley and currently co-stars in the ABC television sitcom "According to Jim." She has an 18 month old son, Huck, who helps spark her interest in getting children to eat their vegetables.

The book is co-authored by Kimberly’s father, Gurney Williams III. Gourney has been a writer and editor for more than 40 years. He’s also written several previous children’s books.

Henry and the Hidden Vegetable Garden was launched on May 1 to help promote the Love Your Veggies Campaign. The Love Your Veggies Campaign was created to help schools improve their students health and nutrition. You can find out more about the program at the Love Your Veggies website.

I have 5 autographed copies of Henry and The Hidden Garden at one of my other blogs, Robust Cooking to give away to five readers there. 

To win a copy of Henry and The Hidden Vegetable Garden all you have to do is go over to the giveaway post at Robust Cooking and leave a comment, telling us your favorite trick for getting your children to eat their vegetables. Leave your comment before Sunday June 8th at midnight (EST). This contest is open to US residents only. Good luck! Don’t leave a comment here, it won’t count, you have to go to the giveaway post. Good luck!

Henry and the Hidden Veggie Garden image via Amazon

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