Since Christmas is just around the corner and I’m extra busy in work, I have a guest blogger writing today’s post. Umer Ishfaq is a Search Engine and Content Marketing expert at Techvando. A writer by day and reader by night, his passion for helping people in all aspects of online marketing flows through in the expert industry coverage he provides. Thanks, Umer for this post on choosing or putting together invitation cards for your kid’s birthday party.
When you are setting together a birthday celebration for somebody, there are a lot of things that you need to keep in mind. Is there a theme to the event? What will you be serving as food? Is there something the invitees ought to know or bring?
Despite the fact that all of this together can be demanding, you will understand that as soon as you ask these inquiries, and set aside the generic replies in response to the birthday wishes, you will be able to figure out what you need in terms of birthday invites in no time at all!
The principal thing to contemplate about is where you wish to get the birthday invites from. The first and most widespread choice for birthday invitation cards is to get them from a shop. But if you have a little more time and an innovative streak, you might be interested in creating the invitations by your own self. If this is the instance, you can learn a lot in the way of concepts and supplies at your nearby craft store.
What To Add On Your Child’s Party Invitation Cards:
When it comes to event particulars, take account of the fundamentals and elementary information such as the time, venue, and how to RSVP. Use the guide under as a checklist to make certain you have all of your celebration data covered:
- Name: If the event is for your kid, add your name and the kid’s name. Or else, only one name should be sufficient if it is your own celebration that you are having.
- Date: Make certain that the date is not going to change later on. There is nothing more irritating than changing the date or mentioning the wrong date of the event. Invitees will probably RSVP and may put other plans on hold to be present at your party. Be respectful and rain or shine, have a good time at the party on the date pointed out on the party invitation card.
- Time: Likewise to the date, make certain the time written on the card is the actual time the party is going to take place on. Once more, people may have other plans arranged for the duration of the day. The time you mention should be the precise time the party starts.
- Location: Be sure to mention the venue of the event and name of the location or residence. This is a piece of data guests makes use of to conclude if they will be able to attend it or not. You can also print a map on the backside of the card, or include it in the same envelope you give out the invitation in.
- Contact: You should always try to include contact information. Whether it is a phone number or an e-mail address, add your contact information so that you can, with no trouble, be gotten a hold of if any of the requested guests have any queries. If there is a host for the event, be certain to list their info for RSVP particulars.
- Theme: If there is a subject or theme for your event, make sure your invitation card design echoes the theme or you create a side note of any themed specifics your guests need to know about.
- Dress Code: Similarly, if there is a dress code for the event, mention the specifics on your event invitations so every invitee can wear the fitting dress.
Birthday Invitation Language
You have included all the relevant information, and now you have the opportunity to make a personalized invitation card with a segment of the distinct script. You can keep it uncomplicated or, if you have a flair for writing, invent a rhyme or poem. Do not have any ideas what to write? Down below are a few examples to help get some innovative and creative ideas to give you a head start:
- I am going to be 7 years old! You are requested to join me in celebrating my big day.
- My first birthday will be a lot of fun. Come and join me as I turn one!
- Our little guy is going to be 4 and we want to hear your loudest ROAR! Please come dressed as a dinosaur.
Design, Printing, & Presentation
The invitation particulars are crucial to making certain your attendees come at the accurate location, at the appropriate time, and with the correct setup. On the other hand, to make a kid birthday party invitation that will be very much appreciated by the other kids and parents alike, here is what you want to think through:
- Design– Making use of arresting visuals and artworks will take your invitation card to the next level. If you desire a truly exclusive design, adding a photograph of the birthday girl or birthday boy is an adorable way to customize your invitation cards.
- Paper and printing quality– Once you have decided on the invitation script and design, picking out high-quality print appearances is vital to making a permanent impression on your guests.
- Presentation– To give your invitation card a distinct finishing touch, go for envelopes that match the flair of your selected invitation. Boost up the enthusiasm for your little companies by insinuating at what’s more to come. Perhaps stamp the envelopes by means of themed stickers, or you could remove an envelope altogether and hand out the invitation in person as a parchment knotted with ribbon in its place. How exciting for a pirate-themed event.
Today is #TennerTuesday and I thought I’d show you a gift for every age (up until 12) that costs €10 or less!
0 Year Olds
Available in a Bee Design or a Duck Design, these Squeekaboo Toys are perfect for baby to grasp. They have different textures for baby to bite on and listen to and if you squeeze them, they squeak. They cost €9.99
1 Year Olds
Acorn Wood Lift the Flap Books are gorgeous board books with a rhyming story. There are 4 books in the collection and each one costs €10.
2 Year Olds
Djeco’s Duo Puzzles are sturdy cardboard two-piece puzzles for little hands and minds to put together. There are 4 different boxes to choose from and they cost €9.99 each.
3 Year Olds
Three-year-olds generally love mucking in and doing what mummy and daddy are doing. These Kiddies Food Kutters are child-friendly knives that use sawing action instead of sharp blades to cut fruit and vegetables. They come in blue or red and I also stock Kiddies Food Peelers, which cost €10 too.
4 Year Olds
At four years of age, children can usually master pretend play and also playing with other children (instead of beside them but not with them). Play food is great for pretend play games and this set of wooden eggs costs only €9.99
5 Year Olds
Encourage your child’s creativity and fine motor skills with a lovely wooden stamp set. This one features farm animals, but I also stock ones with zoo animals and butterflies and hearts. They cost €8.99 each.
6 Year Olds
Mix your own plaster of paris, pour into the moulds and then when they are dry, paint them. This lovely Dinosaur Mould and Paint set costs only €9.99.
7 Year Olds
Make six different Beady Keyrings with this simple kit. It costs only €8.50.
8 Year Olds
These rub on transfers will help your child personalise their pictures and make it come to life. It costs €9.99
9 Year Olds
Build your own wooden airplane, attach the solar panel and then watch how the energy the sun makes, moves your plane along the ground. Only €9.99
10 Year Olds
This fun tub of putty bounces, moulds and takes on characters when you use the eyes it comes with. It also never dries out. But the best part of this putty, is that it’s magnetic and it comes with a strong magnet. Only €9.99
11 Year Olds
This Mini Gift in a Tin has all the metal components and tools to build your own Mini Digger. It costs €8.99
12 Year Olds
If your child likes intricate, paperwork or origami, then they are sure to love this Paper Toy Jaguar. It costs €8.40
This is just a small selection of the toys I stock that cost €10 or less. You can view my full range on www.toysandgames.ie. This price range sells very quickly at this time of year but I’ll be restocking regularly so if I’m out of stock, keep an eye on my website.
If you’re sorted for toys in this price range, but you still need some stocking fillers, then take a look at my Top 10 Stocking Fillers
Thanks for taking the time to read this and I hope it helps making your Christmas shopping less stressful.
xx Suzie
About a year ago, I brought the Putty Peeps Mixing Lab into stock. I’d previously stocked metallic putty peeps and it proved to be a very good seller for me, so I decided that a kit that allows you to make your own Putty Peeps would go down well. As soon as my youngest saw the Mixing Lab, she decided she wanted one and agreed to spend her pocket money on it. We were both very impressed with the simplicity of the kit and the end results (which a year later, still get played with)
The Mixing Lab comes with instructions which double as a mixing mat. This means that your table doesn’t get messy. All the substances are bagged and clearly marked so it’s easy to follow. As you can see, in the picture below, you start by adding colour to the neutral putty.
You can make them in primary colours or choose to mix two or more of the primary colours to make a different colour.
She chose to make 6 secondary colours. In the photo below, you can see what she used to make green putty.
The third step is to add an effect to your putty. The kit comes with 3 effects – metallic, glitter (see picture below) and glow in the dark. Again, you can mix these to have a combination or keep them pure.
Once you have made your first putty, you put it in the tub and you can get going on your next one. There’s enough of everything to make 6 tubs of putty. They are smaller than the regular Putty Peeps that you buy, but there’s still plenty in each tub to get play value from it.
And, like all Putty Peeps, it comes with a selection of eyes, so you can make lots of little putty monsters.
Here’s what we loved about the Putty Peeps Mixing Lab:
- It’s easy to follow
- It’s not messy
- You end up with 6 unique tubs of putty
- It’s priced really well (currently €14.99) which works out at €2.50 per tub
- If it’s looked after, the putty will last
- It gives a good visual chart to help children learn about primary and secondary colours.
I honestly, can’t think of anything bad about this set, although if you have animals in your house, you might need to be careful not to leave it somewhere, where they might eat it. And, children need to be taught to keep the putty in the tubs after it’s been played with to avoid it getting into carpets or onto clothes.
We enjoyed it so much that several months later, my eldest also bought a set! If you’d like to purchase one of your own, click on this link.
xx Suzie
Abracababra! There’s nothing like a bit of magic to brighten up your day and these days, you can get magic tricks that even children can perform professionally.
If you’re looking for something cheap and cheerful to test the waters and see if your little darling really is gifted in slide of hand, then check out these cool little magic tricks that cost just €3.50 each.
Or, if you want to get a set that has several tricks to learn in it, I stock the Discovery Magic Set and the Deluxe Magic Set from Melissa and Doug.
This Deluxe Magic Set costs €40 and has 10 magic tricks for your child to master.
This Discovery Magic Set costs only €23.99 and it has 4 professional tricks in it.
For older children who like wow-ing their audience, they could try mastering these Metal Puzzles. There are 6 puzzles in the box and it costs €6.
Or try your hand at one of these larger puzzles from Eureka! This one is called The Tube and it is recommended for children and adults aged 14+. It costs €14.99
Treasure Island also costs €14.99 and is for teenagers and adults.
Finally, can you stun your audience by getting the Message out of the Bottle?
Whatever trick or tricks you choose, it’s sure to bring a bit of magic into your home.
Enjoy,
xx Suzie
I love how kids learn and how often they think they are just having fun, while actually, they are subconsciously learning. I think that’s why I love educational toys and games so much. This week is National Science Week and to mark it, I thought I’d show off 10 of my favourite Science Kits that I stock.
A Crystal Growing Kit
Use the contents and the apparatus in this set to make your own crystal. This kit only costs €4.75 and it comes in three different colours.
Make your own Slime
Let’s face it, most parents hate slime but kids LOVE it. This little kit is cheap and cheerful, costing only €4.99 and at least you know that you will get an end product of slime and not just some homemade concoction of expensive household ingredients!!
Bubbling Lava Kit
You can make your own lava with this science experiment. It costs €5.99
Magnets
Learn all about magnetic fields and north and south poles with this 8 piece magnet set that costs €7.50. I also stock a junior magnet set for small hands, which costs €7.
Make your Own Microscope
With this Gift in a Tin, you can make your own working microscope. It’s great value at just €13.95
Lie Detector Kit
Our bodies react differently when we lie. Use this kit to understand how a lie detector works and put it in action. This science kit costs €14.99
Make your own Galileo Thermometer
Learn all about weather and make your own working Galileo Thermometer with this Science Kit. It also costs €14.99
Body Lab
This kit will help you understand a lot more about the human body and it is full of some great experiments to perform to help you put your knowledge into action. It costs €17.99
Frightful First Experiments
This kit has 18 foul experiments to perform and it costs €22
Electronic Set
Learn all the basics of electronics, light, and sound with this really cool electronics board. It costs €49.99
I hope your little scientists enjoy our National Science Week. I stock more than these 10 science kits, so if you’d like to see the full range of them, click on this link
xx Suzie
It’s not even November and I’m amazed at how many stocking filler toys have been purchased from my shop over the past four weeks. I think Santa is sending his elves shopping early this year!
I stock a lot of toys that cost €5 or less so the elves have lots of choices, but here are the top 10…
- Flying Gliders – 99c each
- Fairy Gliders – 99c each
- Whoopee Cushions – €2.50 each
- Stretchy Men – €1 each
- Glow Sticks – €1.50
- Invisible Ink Pen with UV Light – €3.50
- Dinosaur Masks – €2.75
- Princess Masks – €2.75
- Slime Making Kit – €4.99
- Unicorn Hatching Eggs – €3.99
Don’t forget that next day delivery is just €2 on all orders over €25. Toys will come in unmarked boxes and generally get delivered in the mornings (when curious eyes are in school). Check out my full range of stocking filler toys and get in before the other elves do!! LOL
Suzie
How to fill a Team Hope Shoe Box
Every year our family endeavor to fill several shoe boxes for Team Hope. These shoe boxes go to children around the world who won’t be receiving other Christmas gifts this year. I have first-hand experience of seeing children in both the Dominican Republic and India receive a Christmas shoe box. In the Dominican Republic they were given to street children and the child I met in India had a parent who had leprosy. And, because of this experience, I feel strongly about supporting this project every year. I also think it helps to bring a little bit of perspective to my children, who will receive a lot this year.
I have found that it is much more cost effective to fill several boxes than just fill one as items like facecloths and soaps come in multipacks!
Team Hope has made things even easier for people this year, as you can now buy flat pack shoeboxes. I stock them here. They cost €3 each which is great value considering the time you would spend sourcing and wrapping a regular shoebox. Of course, regular wrapped shoeboxes are also still accepted and appreciated. It’s just a matter of what is easier for your family.
Once you have your box, you need to decide whether it is for a boy or girl and what age to do it for, so you can buy or find appropriate items to put in it.
So, here’s what you need to put into them:
If you are looking for any of these, I stock
- novelty pens,
- colouring pencils,
- crayons,
- markers,
- flowery colouring boxes,
- animal colouring boxes,
- colour by number pads with colours for boys and girls,
- lipstick erasers,
- microphone rubber and sharpener and lots of other fun stationery that children love.
Again, I can help you with a lot of these. Don’t forget that you don’t need to put in one of everything. Just one or two items from each list are perfect. Here are some quick links for some of these items:
- Stickers
- Toy Car
- Ball
- Skipping Rope and French Skipping Rope
- Yoyo
- Maracas, Tambourines, Castanets or Triangles
You also need to include €4 towards the shipping of your box to the child. There’s a list on the Team Hope Website of items you are not to put into your boxes and also a list of drop off points for your box.
I hope you enjoy filling your box. I’m sure it will bring so much joy to a little person this Christmas.
xx Suzie
It was my daughter’s 7th birthday in August and she received some really lovely gifts, including a Decoupage Made Easy Kit. It was a great gift for her as, when she was younger she loved doing mosaics and sticker work and this kit is all about sticking.
Some of the stickers and eyes
Inside the box there’s:
- a paper-mache owl that’s about the same size as an adult’s outstretched hand
- 176 pre-cut stickers in 8 fun patterns
- glitter decoupage glue
- a foam craft brush
- 2 sticker eyes and one nose sticker
- Detailed instructions
It’s recommended for children aged 6+. My (just turned) 7 year old found it easy and enjoyable to do and she didn’t need any help (bonus for me!).
Sticking the stickers on
The idea is that you just peel off the stickers and stick them onto the paper-mache owl. You can choose to put them on randomly or in a pattern/design. This took my daughter about 40 minutes to do.
All the stickers are now in place!
Once all the white of the owl is covered in stickers, it’s time to paint it with the glitter decoupage glue. I should mention that there were plenty of stickers to cover the owl and even some left over.
Painting the Owl with the Decoupage Glue
Once the glue has dried, all that is needed is to stick on the eyes and nose and you have a really pretty owl.
The Finished Product
What We Liked:
- It really was easy to do. My daughter was able to do it on her own
- 2 months later and all the stickers are still stuck to the paper mache and it looks as good as it did when she first did it.
- That there was enough stickers and glue without having to scrimp.
- It’s a great introduction to decoupage for children
What We Didn’t Like:
- I’m finding it hard to think of something that I didn’t like about this kit but it’s really hard. I guess it’s more to do with my personality than the product. I like crafts that can be done over and over again and I hate clutter. This is a ‘do it and it’s done’ kit and now I have an extra ornament in the playroom to sit beside lots of other projects my girls have done. There’s virtually no play value to it once it’s done, apart from showing it off to everyone who comes to our house!!
If you think you’d like to buy one of these Melissa and Doug Decoupage Made Easy Kits, I stock them here. They cost €14.50.
Happy Crafting,
xx Suzie
This is Space Week (4th – 11th October) and to do my part, I’ve decided to show off any space-related toys that I stock.
- Stargazer Lottie is a Lottie Doll that comes with a doll-sized telescope and tripod. She also comes with solar system collector cards and information on notable women in astronomy and she is dressed in warm clothes, perfect for star gazing in!
2. If your child loves the stars, it’s easy to bring them into their very own room with this pack of 50 glow in the dark stars. Why don’t you attempt to stick them up in constellation patterns that your child will recognize?
3. And, if they are not satisfied with the glow in the dark variety of stars, this very basic microscope/telescope might come in handy on a cloudless night.
4. Finally, if your child loves imaginary play and dreams of being an astronaut then buying them a Lottie doll and this Astronaut costume for the doll is a must.
It’s worth taking a look at Space Week’s Website as they have loads of events running all week all over Ireland. They also have a lovely family resources page on their website with space-themed craft and science activities for children.
Enjoy the week,
xx Suzie
Magnets have always been very popular toys and I feel like they are in greater demand than ever. If your child loves thinking scientifically or you just like fun games where the pieces all stay in one place, then take a look at these really cool magnetic toys. I’ve something to suit every age!
1. Plan and Simple Magnets
8-piece Magnet Set
These types of magnets are great for imaginative play. Use them to pick up coins or other metal objects. Alternatively play some magnet games like trying to move a metal object with the magnet through an assault course or using the metal object and the magnet to paint a picture.
2. Fridge Magnets
Each wooden animal in this box is divided into 3 body parts and they are magnetic. Piece them together to look normal or choose to mix and match to create your own Crazy Animals!
If you have your fridge behind a wooden door, I stock magnetic whiteboards which you can keep in your kitchen or child’s room to play with these on.
3. Magnetic Toys for Pre-School Children
Magnetic Fishing Puzzle with a magnet on the rod.
Billy is a wooden boy with magnetic clothes
Abby and Emma are similar only there are two of them!
Bellissimo is a tin in the shape of a girl. Inside the tin are wooden magnetic clothes to dress her in.
Or, make some Funny Faces using magnetic eyes, mouths, bows, mustache and much more on this double-sided tin.
This is another version of the fishing game only the fish come in a box and not in a puzzle.
This magnetic box opens up and comes with loads of magnetic shapes and pictures to copy. It’s called Magnetic Pattern Blocks.
4. Magnetic Toys for Older Children
Instead of the dart having a pointy end, it has a magnet. This sticks to the magnetic dart board.
Colour in the plastic pictures, put them in the oven and watch them shrink to become much smaller and thicker. Then stick the magnets to the back of your Shrinkles. I stock them in Stegosaurus, Princess, and Unicorn.
Use the plaster of Paris to make either Mermaids or Dinosaurs. Then paint them and add the magnets.
Magnetic Putty Peeps comes with a very strong magnet which draws the putty towards it and can even hold the putty magnetically. All ages will enjoy it.
I hope this blog has helped you see that there are some really fun and cool magnetic toys on the market these days.
xx Suzie