Planning a Beauty and the Beast Birthday
Does your little princess just have to have a Beauty and the Beast birthday party? Popular with the toddler to school age set, Beauty and the Beast is a classic Disney movie that has no doubt found its way into your home and heart. Try some easy, fun, inexpensive ideas from costumes to food and decor to games that will ensure your child has a magical birthday party fit for a princess!
Dress Like a Princess
Invite each little guest to wear a princess costume to the party and make sure to have some extra dress-up gowns on hand. If you do not have a few princess dresses left over from Halloweens past, check sites like Amazon.com or Ebay.com to find deals. Or, you can keep it simple by crowning each mini-princess with a tiara, which you can find at a discount retailer like a dollar store. If the birthday girl plans to invite boys to the party, you can provide Beast masks glued onto popsickle sticks. This makes a great make ahead craft for you to do with your child. All you need is a Beauty and the Beast coloring book, crayons and scissors to create the masks. Find pages with pictures of the Beast that are approximately the size of your child's face and once they have been colored, cut them out, back with cardboard or poster board cut to fit and glue on the popsickle stick for a little hand to hold.
Tea Party Time
Pay tribute to Mrs. Potts and Chip, the lovable mother and son teapot and teacup from Beauty and the Beast with a tea party. If the children are too young to be trusted with breakable china, plastic teacups and paper plates from the party supply store will do just fine. Serve age appropriate refreshments like juice and cookies rather than the traditional tea and crumpets. Decorate the table with flame less, battery operated "Lumiere" candles and stacks of books, since all little Beauty and the Beast aficionados will recall Belle's love of books. Single roses like in the movie in a few vases complete the table setting.
Extra Touches
If you own the movie, perhaps children can watch it (or some of it) at some point during the party, or you can play the soundtrack while kids feast on cupcakes or while the birthday child opens her gifts. Any Beauty and the Beast merchandise your little one owns can be incorporated into the decor for the party. If your local party supply store offers themed invitations and decorations, your job will be easy. If not, perhaps use colors from the movie as inspiration for your selections. For example, you can buy yellow plates and napkins since Belle wears a yellow princess dress in the film.
Games and Activities
For toddlers, a great way to amuse them at the party is to lay out Beauty and the Beast coloring books and crayons. For older children, simple games like Duck, Duck, Goose can be adapted to your theme. Why not make it Beauty, Beauty, Beast? Or play Hot Potato with a thornless rose. Let kids decorate their own cupcakes with sprinkles and candy. School aged children can indulge in princess beauty treatments like mini-manicures and facials with adult supervision.
Party Favors
You do not have to spend a lot of money on party favors. If you can find Beauty and the Beast stickers, hand stamps or books these make great take home souvenirs for kids. If you cannot find anything specific to your theme, a small bottle of kid nail polish or bubble bath or a pot of lip gloss allows little girls to feel like a princess at home. For an extra special finish, gift each mom with a rose as she takes her child home.
