Invitations: Use faux parchment paper and a Medieval font to print invitations to this Shrek Swamp party. If hand delivering invites, roll them into scrolls and tie with ribbons. If mailing, you can send rolled scrolls in mailing tubes or fold and mail in green envelopes. Of course, a number of vendors have ready-made invites available. Three places to find them on-line are Amazon.com, Oriental Trading Company and Birthday Direct.
Decorations: A safe bet is to go with Shrek's favorite colors - green, purple and yellow for balloons, streamers and table goods. At the entrance to the party room post a handmade sign - Beware of Ogre - use the one in the movie as your guide. Cover your party table with a themed table cloth and use a Swamp Cake as the centerpiece. Don't forget to hang a "Happy Birthday" banner in the party area. If you want additional decorations a broad selection is available at party stores, discount retailers and on-line. Check out Birthday Direct, Birthday Express or Oriental Trading Company.
Activity: A great ice breaker for this event is a swamp walk. Print out pictures of Shrek, Fiona, Donkey, Pinocchio, Three Blind Mice, Sleeping Beauty, Big Bad Wolf onto card stock. HP has a wide variety of free Shrek downloads. Click here to see what is available. If you can't find enough pictures print out the character names instead. Arrange the pictures in a circle on the ground. Make enough markers for all guests. Write the characters names on small pieces of paper and put into a basket or a box. Start music - Shrek sound track perhaps - and tell guests to move ahead one marker at a time until the music stops. Everyone should be on a marker. Draw a name, guest standing on corresponding marker is out of the game. Game continues until one child remains.
Games: Pin the Tail on Donkey is a must. You can make your own or purchase a kit online ($4.99) from Oriental Trading Company.
Organize a Cat, Cat, Copycat contest in honor of Puss n Boots. Have your guests sit in a circle. The birthday child will start the game by making a body movement such as clapping his or her hands, rubbing the top of the head or shrugging shoulders. The player to his or her right will repeat the first movement, and adds a new gesture. The third player must copy the first two movements in the right order, and add another movement. Play continues this way around the circle. If a person can't remember a gesture or mixes up the order, he or she is out. Last remaining player in the game wins.
Shrek's Memory Challenge is another excellent choice for this theme. Place various small objects on a tray and cover it until the start of this game. Have the kids sit down in a circle around the tray. Uncover the tray and have them take a good look at the items. Instruct them to try to remember what all the objects are. A chosen player then turns his or her back and closes his or her eyes. While the eyes are closed, take one object off the table and hid it from view. The designated player must determine which item is missing when he or she returns to the group. Allow three guesses. Return the item to the tray and begin another round. Play continues until everyone has a chance to guess.
Hold a Swamp Obstacle Course. This challenge will pit two teams of swamp dwellers against each other. This game is best played outdoors. First task is to dress like Shrek. The first contestants on each team will don an over-sized tee and tie a piece of brown cloth around his or her waist. Then the first team members will jump over quicksand - a beige blanket or towel folded on the ground. Next obstacle is to walk through a vine jungle. Place a hula hoop on the ground - for an added touch wrap some green vining around the hoop before placing it on the ground. With one foot in and one foot out of the hoop the player must complete a full circle.
The last obstacle is to circle an ant hill. Black or brown cups turned upside down make wonderful ant hills. For added realism glue some faux ants to the cups. Contestants must then touch up at the end of the first length and then turn around and repeat the obstacle course. Once they take off the Shrek outfit, the next player can start the course. First team to finish wins.
Ogres will jump at the chance to test their arms and frog-tossing skills in a Tree Frog Throw. Before the party create a target area by taping paper leaves to a shower curtain. Assign points to the leaves. Challenge the kids to take turns throwing sticky frogs (available at toy stores or online for $5.99 for 48 frogs at Oriental Trading Company) at the leaves to see what score they can earn. Please note the sticky frogs can leave a slight residue on walls with eggshell or matt-finish paint so be sure to use a shower curtain or drop cloth for the target area. Player with most point wins. You may need to have several tie breaking rounds.
Crafts: A terrific way to settle your group down as you serve the food is to provide some coloring pages and crayons. HP has a number of free Shrek activity downloads. Click here to see all that is available.
Food: Your swamp guests will enjoy chowing down on Three Little Pigs in a Blanket. Round out the menu with Leeches on a Log and Donkey Trail Mix. If you need another course serve Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwiches with Guacamole Tortillaz, a baked rice and corn snacks from Quakers. Wash it all down with Happily Ever After Magic Potion.
Cake: Delight your birthday child with an authentic swamp cake complete with characters from the Shrek cast. Complement it with mint chocolate chip ice cream or a medley of orange and lime sherbet.
If your child is not crazy about cake, consider a Hot Sludge Sundae Bar in lieu of the traditional birthday confection.
Favors: A Shrek activity book ($5.99) from Amazon.com would be a perfect favor for this party. Additional items to consider are glow putty eggs, glitter bounce balls, glow in the dark high bounce balls, and noise putty. Wrap your favors in small brown paper bags and tie with raffia Shrek-style.
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