Frog Party Ideas

The best kid's parties are those that involve them in the preparations. Instead of buying expensive prepackaged party supplies, buy some card stock and self-adhesive papers from any department or office supply store, then download free paper templates to make party invitations, coloring pages, stickers, treat boxes and more. The Internet is full of free clip art you can download, too. Use your printer to customize your frog themed party and save money in the bargain. After printing the things you need, enlist the kids to cut, paste, assemble and decorate. Does this Spark an idea?

Invitations

Print frog pictures on self-adhesive paper. Cut out and use them to embellish green lily pad shapes made from green card stock. Write party information on the back and slip into a matching green envelop (decorated with another small frog) to mail.

Another idea is to print a free frog coloring page from Frogville USA; write invitation information on the back and ask participants to color and bring their invitations to the party. Give prizes for prettiest, ugliest or silliest frog. (Have blank coloring pages and crayons available for those who forget their invitations.)

Table Decorations

Think frogs in a pond. Candles, paper plates and cups should all be green, but use a bright blue tablecloth for water. Cut out lily pads from large pieces of green construction paper to use as place mats---print lily flowers on self-adhesive paper and add a cutout lily to each pad. (Alternatively, glue a silk or plastic flower to each pad.) Buy plastic toy frogs and set one at each table setting as well for kids to take home as favors.

Outside Decorations

Guide guests to a back yard party with lily pad "stepping stones" made from green painted cardboard cutouts. Paint arrows on them to show the way. Cut out cardboard trees and use non-toxic paints to color them. Prop them around the yard and hang silk or paper vines from the limbs to give the yard a swamp feel. Fill a wading pool with blue balloons and place extra "lily pads" and frogs on top to simulate water for your swamp. Play a nature CD with frogs sounds for more swamp ambiance.

Fun Activities

Read stories in which frogs are central characters, or play stand up comedian with frog jokes and riddles from All About Frogs. Leap frog is obvious, but frog variations of other traditional games are fun too. Try "pin the tongue on the frog" using construction paper tongues; or frog bowling using 2 liter bottles with a couple of inches of blue water to keep from tipping. (Add a tiny plastic frog to each bottle for more fun.) Make tic-tac-toe grids on blue foam core (one for every two kids); glue Velcro to each square and corresponding pieces to cutouts of frogs (x's ) and lily pads (o's) and have kids pair up for play.

Foods and Beverages

Make "swamp water" by mixing orange and blue or green colored soda, juice or flavored drink mix; or make green lemonade by adding a few drops of food coloring. Blue gelatin dessert filled with "swimming" gummy frogs will be an instant hit, or cut lily pads from green fruit roll ups, top each with a gummy frog and place on blue-iced cupcakes, or make a full sized frog cake with ideas from Coolest Birthday Cakes. Make green cheese spread to ice round crackers, stick pretzel, cattails and an olive "frog" on one side for edible frog ponds.