A Very Grinchy Christmas - Kid's Party on a Budget

Who doesn't love "The Grinch?" Growing up, I always loved reading the
Dr. Seuss holiday classic book and especially loved watching the
animated movie on television. And my Christmas playlist certainly
wouldn't be complete without "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch."

Using a color scheme that would be easy to coordinate around, &
incorporating hearts as a simple repeating motif to represent the
Grinch's heart growing "three sizes," I styled this little mini-party
complete with fun foods & a few Grinch-y activities to keep the kiddos
busy! These fun (& simple!) activities would be perfect for class
parties, scout groups, a December play date-- or even keeping
occupying the little ones during a family Christmas party!

Around here, when it comes to Christmas, I love the idea of throwing a
huge party to celebrate the season. Then I remember all of those
gifts I still need to buy and all of the upcoming holiday events we
have scheduled. Each year, I find myself searching for budget
friendly ideas for families on a time crunch. When I began dreaming
up this party, I wanted to keep those two points as my central focus--
but still host a cute & memorable celebration! This easy DIY party is
sure to be a hit with kids of all ages. All of the supplies can be
purchased at your local craft store (I purchased most of mine at
Michael's).

To decorate, I hung signs with quotes from "How the Grinch Stole
Christmas" displayed in decorative wooden frames that I had spray
painted. A coordinating "Merry Christmas" banner made a cute focal
point. I also made t-shirt decals for the kids. To make it a little
easier, I just printed the designs onto sticker paper, but you could
easily do them as iron-on transfers as well!

For our menu, I wanted to keep it very kid-friendly (& of course,
easy!). We feasted on "Who Noodles" which were spiral noodles dyed
red & green while boiling them (a huge hit with the kids!), "Roast
Beast Wraps" (roast beef & cheese in tortillas) and "Sweet Little
Tots" (sweet potato tater-tots). For beverages, we sipped "Warm Your
Heart Hot Cocoa" and "Santa Sodas"--Lime Jarritos Soda. I wrapped the
soda bottles in coordinating scrapbook paper & topped them with
miniature Santa hats that I found at Michael's. (My most favorite
element from this party were the Santa Sodas!) For dessert, I served
cupcakes with glittery toppers and chocolate covered Oreos with tiny
red hearts.

Our first activity was to make "Grinch Gunk." The supplies you'll
need are Elmer's Glitter Glue (we used green for the Grinch!), Borax &
some warm water. You'll need to make a solution of equal parts glue
and water in one bowl. In another bowl, combine the borax with 2/3
cup of warm water. To make your gooey gunk, pour the glue mixture
into the borax solution. Roll the glue mixture around in the borax
solution-- just don't leave it in very long or it will get too hard.
Lift out your Grinch gunk, knead for a few minutes, and play! This
will keep the kiddos busy for a long time! At our party, I used small
clear containers (with lids) to store the Grinch Gunk. Each container
was wrapped with a water bottle label that coordinated with the rest
of the party décor.

Our second Grinch-y activity was to create Grinch Heart ornaments. I
purchased clear plastic ornaments, lime green feathers & felt heart
stickers at Michael's. The kids stuffed the ornaments full of
feathers (a great fine-motor activity!) to create Grinch "fur" on the
inside of the ornament. After the ornaments were full, they placed a
heart stickers on the outside & we strung ribbon through the top of
the ornament. These ornaments made for great 'make & take' favors &
sweet little keepsakes from our fun together. The glittery bags
(topped with glittery bows) are the perfect way to send home all of
the goodies with guests. The bags & bows came from the dollar section
at Michael's.

By using simple & kid-friendly DIY ideas, this party came together
easily & is one that I hope my boys will remember for years to come!

Vendor Credits: Vendors:

Styling, printables & photography - One Swell Studio
(www.oneswellstudio.etsy.com)

Craft supplies - Michael's Crafts (www.michaels.com)

• Desserts

  Candy & Cupcakes

• Activities / Games

  Grinch Gunk Making, Ornament Crafting

• What People Ate

  Who Noodles, Roast Beast Wraps, Sweet Little Tots

• What People Drank

  Santa Sodas