Castles in the Sand Birthday Party
Can you dig it? Pack up the car and head for the beach for a fun-filled day of creating castles in the sand! No beach close by? Just use your backyard sandbox, or have a truckload of sand delivered to your yard for this royal occasion! Kids’ imaginations and a few digging tools are all you need for a birthday party of new dimensions.
Make It Special!
“Sand-sational” Invites
Cut castles out of colored paper, and glue plain or colored sand to the outside. Give the date and time on the inside, along with some special instructions. “Come with sunscreen, wear beach clothes and bring a towel – the party’s outside.”
Pop It in the Pail
Purchase sand pails, sunglasses, shovels and a sand mold for each child. When the whole gang has arrived, hand out the pails filled with SANDwiches and the rest of their meal. The most creative work is done on a full stomach, so plan to have the meal first; kids can spread out blankets or beach towels.
Castle Carving and Simple Sculpting
- Organize the kids in 2 or 3 groups and have them create their masterpieces. (An extra adult for supervising would be helpful.)
- Have a collection of spoons, plastic food containers, egg cartons and boxes handy for little artists to use in their creations.
- Water in containers or straight from a hose will be needed for sand sculpting.
- Award prizes for the most creative, biggest and wildest, and make sure everyone has a prize. Plastic castle play figures or other toys that lend themselves to sand play are good choices.
- Reward and cool off the sand artists with All-American Snack Mix and iced juice boxes packed in a giant sand pail.
Bad Weather Back-Up Plan
Invites are sent and the weatherperson is predicting stormy weather? No problem. Put these ideas in high gear for a super “cloud-sand-rain” indoor party.
- Check out a local toy, craft or hobby store. Sandpainting supplies include:
- sticky papers and colored sands to sprinkle on for creating pictures
- bottles with cork stoppers for layering colored sand
- Purchase a small sandbox, and place on a table for indoor play. Any spillage can easily be vacuumed.
- Don’t want to mess with sand? Gather boxes of all sizes and shapes; kids can create a “sandless” castle by gluing and stapling (with a little help).
Party Pictures
Preparation Guide
Up to 2 Weeks Before
- Make Peanut Butter Ice-Cream Sandwiches; wrap tightly and freeze.
The Day Before
- Make All-American Snack Mix; store tightly covered.
- Make Raspberry Lemonade; refrigerate.
- Clean celery; cut for Beached Logs.
The Morning Of
- Cut watermelon into small wedges.
- Place snack mix in individual containers (resealable plastic bags or small paper cups that can be enclosed) for transporting.
- Fill celery pieces; refrigerate.
- Make Spiral Sandwich; wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours before slicing.
- Pack sand pails with food and refrigerate if you have the refrigerator space.
About 30 Minutes Before
- Pack sand pails with food if there wasn’t room in your fridge earlier.
Shop Online
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