A very merry unslumber party

It’s true that I am something of a mad woman, but even I knew that having an unslumber party for a seven year old’s birthday party was a little bit nuts. Especially when certain circumstances conspire to mean you will be running said slumber party after just 3 hours sleep the night before.

In our defence, we thought just two girls were sleeping over, but by the time we’d entertained them to within an inch of their lives, two other girls refused to go home and stayed the night as well.

I don’t blame them. Considering that we didn’t go to too much trouble with this one (except for the bloody mice, of course!), this was probably our funnest party ever.

We didn’t have a food ‘tablescape’ – we just had dinner and dessert.

We didn’t do any decorations – just balloons and lots of colour.

We didn’t even do a single party printable. I know, crazy huh? (Seriously, I am just as concerned about my party madness as you are… see me having a little joke at my own expense there… twitch, twitch).

But we did do some really awesome games and stuff that made this party go right off. The kids didn’t even need a few glasses of wine to get partying, it was that good.

The balloon pop

We put notes inside helium balloons that revealled what was going to happen next at the party.

The ‘winner’ of  the previous activity got to pop the next balloon. If they dared…

Mr Crocodile and the cake decorating competition

Give a group of kids two different cake flavours, six different icing colours and a million small things to put on top and they are in heaven. Tell them it’s a competition and there is a prize for the winner and they are in heaven for ages. It’s great.

So great, in fact, that we backed it up with a ‘decorate your own biscuit’ competition and they still weren’t bored.

“Absolutely not,” I replied crisply. “Only the best one is the winner, so get decorating.”

To add a real sense of occasion, we handed over judging duties to the world’s strictest judge, Mr Crocodile. That would be LOML in his crocodile pyjamas. Yes, the man was in his ‘fun’ pyjamas along with the kids and totally deserves being showcased for all the world to see.

Mr Crocodile took his judging duties very seriously and the children hung on his every word. They were kept in suspense while he deliberated and pontificated and selected his ‘top three’ and then deliberated some more before finally announcing the winner to great applause.

The kids went wild and loved him to bits. I’ve never seen anything like it and urge you to have a Mr Crocodile judge every event at your next party. Rather than a ‘prize for every child’ kids actually seem to prefer a very serious competition and they were the best sports about the whole thing.

Spin the nail-polish bottle

Here’s a simple little game to play at any girl party. Cappers and I made the ‘board’, the object being to have a spin when it’s your turn and paint one toe nail the colour that you land on.

The girls loved this one. Depending on numbers, paint just the one or one on each foot.

Decorating cake boxes 

There was a competition (naturally) for the most colourful cake box, which we later filled with extra lollies and their decorated cupcakes and biscuits as their take home ‘thank you’ loot-bag thingy.

Drawing the ‘short straw’ 

To see who got to pop the very first balloon.

I don’t know about your kids, but mine absolutely loathe deciding things via ‘the straw’. I think they would even prefer me to play favourites and just pick one of them than to leave it up to straw-fate. Naturally, I force them through this ordeal as often as I possibly can. Life is chance, kids, life is chance.

Going on a mouse hunt

We’re going on a mouse hunt.
We’re going on a mouse hunt.
We’re gonna catch a little one.
I’m not scared.

They didn’t actually know what the treasure would be, of course!

Eating pizza and whoopies for dinner 

We were going to make these, but ran out of time! A quick call saved the day. Not sure what I’m going to do with three blocks of mozzarella and a leg of ham, of course.

We followed it up with whoopie pies with ice cream for dessert. The plated dessert… what a novel idea for a party. Rations!

Admired and sadly ripped into the slumber party cake

A beautiful ‘Best Aunty in the Whole Wide World’ Lucia original. The oohs were only just beginning, however because when the covers were pulled back…

We didn’t actually have any other food at the party, figuring the less sugar the better. Oh, except for some random doves, just because Cappers wanted them and her Zia Lucia is even madder than I am (and ten times more talented!)…

Attempting sleep

Most of the party-goers were collected by 9 pm (all excited for being up so late) and the ‘stayers’ were finally asleep at, oh, 11:23pm and awake at… oh, 5:15am. Oh help.

But they all loved themselves so silly and despite completely trashing the house (there is icing and sprinkles everywhere, still…) they were a pleasure to have around. Seven year old girls are delightful.