| Planning your child's birthday party doesn't have to | | | | the lid and attach a note along the lines of "Dear |
| be stressful. Here are some great ideas for his | | | | Uncle, I thought you would like a nice jar of rice". |
| her birthday celebration. It's amazing how much | | | | Wrap up the jar and keep the joke hush-hush |
| fun one can have with just a few simple | | | | until his birthday!. |
| ingredients. | | | | Pancakes! Age suitability: 3+ (with adult guidance) |
| Spider Snacks Age suitability: 2+ You will need | | | | You will need: (For the pancakes) 2 eggs, 200g |
| (per spider): two cheese biscuits, a spoonful of | | | | plain flour, 600ml milk, orange segments, a lemon, |
| cream cheese, 8 Twiglets or chipsticks, two | | | | (For the decorations) cress seed, cotton wool |
| sultanas | | | | When making your pancake batter, break the |
| A fun way to eat a birthday tea - your kids can | | | | eggs in half carefully and save the eggshells after |
| prepare their own! Take two round cheese | | | | giving them a quick rinse. The above ingredients |
| biscuits and, using a dollop of cream cheese, | | | | make around 10 pancakes. Beat together the |
| sandwich them together, leaving a 1cm gap. Use | | | | flour and eggs, then slowly blend in the milk. If |
| the Twiglets (or chipsticks) to represent legs by | | | | you like like to squeeze orange juice as well as |
| sticking them into the cheese. Sultanas should be | | | | lemon on to pancakes, it will give you lots of |
| added for eyes, after which you can all gobble up | | | | orange-peel quarters to cut into fantastic teeth |
| your spiders together. | | | | shapes and slip inside your lips. Award the last |
| Fairy Cake Mountain Age suitability: 2+ You will | | | | pancake to the most grotesque smile. Finally, |
| need: plain ready-cooked fairy cakes (the higher | | | | everyone must have a go at flipping a pancake. |
| the number, the taller your mountain!), a selection | | | | Let it cook well on one side, shake the pan to |
| of edible cake-decorations (icing, sprinkles, | | | | loosen it, then give it a whirl. |
| chocolate shavings, chopped strawberries etc) | | | | When finished, fill the eggshell halves with damp |
| If you provide your child with a certain amount of | | | | cotton wool and sprinkle with cress seed that you |
| freedom here, it can be tremendously enjoyable | | | | cleverly remembered to buy beforehand. Paint |
| to build one of these. Give them free rein to | | | | faces on to the shells and stand in egg cups on a |
| decorate about 20 plain cakes with coloured icing, | | | | windowsill, checking occasionally that the cotton |
| sprinkles and chopped strawberries. Pile them high | | | | wool doesn't dry out. In a few days, your |
| on a plate; stick the candle on the mountain's | | | | eggheads will be sprouting green hair. Very popular |
| peak. | | | | with those under six. |
| Secret Rice Jar Age suitability: 4+ You will need: a | | | | Floury Faces Age suitability: 6+ You will need: plain |
| jam jar, rice, a cardboard tube and a birthday | | | | flour, a bowl and spoon per person, a chocolate |
| treat (chocolate or sweets work well) | | | | button |
| If your child enjoys playing tricks on adults, they | | | | Older family members will love playing Floury |
| will enjoy making a Secret Rice Jar. Find a jam jar | | | | Faces. Pile a mound of flour on a plate and hide a |
| with lid and pour in a thin layer of rice. Take a | | | | button inside. Be sure to cover your tracks, so it's |
| cardboard tube, place it inside the jar on top of | | | | impossible to know where the button is. In turn, |
| the rice, then cut it down in size so that the top | | | | each person holds a spoon and scoops out a small |
| is level with the rim of the jar. Holding the tube | | | | amount of the flour mound into a bowl. When a |
| steady and central, carefully pour in more rice | | | | player uncovers the button, they must stick their |
| around the outside of the tube. When you look | | | | face into the flour and pull it out using only their |
| through the glass from any angle, you shouldn't | | | | mouth. Don't breathe in whatever you do, as flour |
| be able to see the tube. Now for the secret treat. | | | | up the nose is tickly. Keep re-heaping the flour |
| Place something delicious inside the tube, such as | | | | and hiding the button until everyone has been |
| chocolate coins or cubes of fudge, then screw on | | | | floured. |