Planning

A Construction theme appeals to young children - there's an excitement when driving down the street and seeing a bulldozer in action, or a crane reaching towards the clouds.  Add in our favorite Builder Bob and his handy sidekick Wendy and it’s a party that's colorful, active, and bound to result in smiles from boys and girls alike.

What is your "Party Picture"? Bob the Builder Party

• Your colors are:
• Yellow, Orange, Red, Green and a mid-level blue. 

Invitations

Communicating with your Guests Bob the Builder Party

Invitations to a Construction Party should let parents and guests alike know that big machines and heavy dirt moving are the force that moves this party.  Vivid yellow and Orange, with black as an accent - you can turn to pictures of the machinery, or grab a snapshot of your child on a bulldozer (if possible), or you can use the tools of the trade, such as buckets, shovels, hammers, screwdrivers, etc.  If you "dig" birthday parties, this party is for you!  And if you plan on incorporating dirt or other messy materials in this party make sure that's reflected in your invitation and party reminder so that guests don't wear their best clothes/shoes and consider bringing a spare outfit to change into when the mess is done.

Invitations	Reminders & Thank You Notes
Title Name State	Title Name State

 

 

Dress It Up

Yellow, orange and black are the key colors in a construction zone.  Throw in a contrasting red, green (or Bob the Builder's blue) and you have a party!  Now think tools… big ones and little ones.  From the machinery that causes tremors in the earth as it moves, to handheld tools - all of them fit this theme.  Bulldozers, backhoes, dump trucks, cranes, fork lifts, buckets, shovels, hammers and screwdrivers.  If it can dig, fix, or take apart, you have a winner.  And remember to incorporate what you already have (clean 'em up first!) by raiding your child's bedroom and sandbox.

Decorating Your Party Space Bob the Builder Party

• Buckets and dump trucks (that have been well cleaned) are great for holding chips and pretzels, the Tonka bulldozer can anchor the balloons at the center of the table.
• I did this party for my son outside at a local park.  We had a covered picnic space that I surrounded with yellow construction zone caution tape, and accented the space with yellow and orange latex balloons.  We tossed in a few mylar construction themed balloons and then spread my son's construction toys everywhere. 
• If you are inside try adding some posterboard cut outs of large construction machinery.
• "Roll on in to my Birthday Party" sign at your driveway - then take butcher paper and roll it up to your front door.  Get a stencil that looks like large machinery tread marks and paint the treads black leading right up to the party space!  You can add a little dirt for authenticity if you don't mind the dirty shoes and carpets!
  

Tablescape Bob the Builder Party

• Again, yellow and orange are the key colors here.  Drop in a little red and black for contrast and a construction zone yellow tablecloth and your foundation is set.
• Placeware can be color coordinated in orange, yellow and black, or you can use theme decorated placeware that makes your construction zone pop!
• Beach buckets are inexpensive and a fun way to serve food normally found in bowls - chips, pretzels, crackers etc.  If you want to take it up a notch, try using a Tonka Dumptruck!
• Small versions of Tonka trucks can be scattered around the table allowing guests to play a little while at the table. 

Decorations	Tablescapes
Title Name State	Title Name State

 

Food/Drink

The usual party fair for younger kids works well here, but if you can, try to fit your food with your theme and come up with fun names and presentation.  Serve food that looks like Construction related items (like wheels), name food creatively to evoke your Construction theme (Dumptruck Doughnuts - served in a Tonka Dumptruck) or get creative with how you serve the food (mini orange cones holding platters or chips served in buckets)

Food Bob the Builder Party

• Use a car shaped cookie cutter on sandwiches or Jell-O Jigglers (recipe on the back of jello package)
• Cut sandwiches into circles shaped as wheels
• Make pinwheel wraps (flour tortilla, creamcheese, deli meats and cheeses rolled up and sliced into circular "pinwheels") that look like wheels

Beverages Bob the Builder Party

Food	Beverages
Title Name State	Title Name State

 

Cake

Cakes and Desserts Bob the Builder Party

Cover ice cream in a bowl with "motor oil" (chocolate syrup!) Birthday Trifle - Use a new Dumptruck (line with aluminum foil or saran wrap) and load with chunks of chocolate cake, chocolate flavored cool whip (mix coolwhip with Hershy's chocolate syrup), chocolate syrup, marshmallows (and ice cream if you are putting this together immediately before serving!) in layers.  Top with more chocolate flavored cool ship and candles!  It's not pretty, but it's fun an delicious!

 

	Title			Name	State
	DIY Construction				GA
		Do it Yourself - cover your 13X9" cake with vanilla frosting colored bright yellow with food coloring.  Then take black accent icing (available in a tube from your local grocer) and highlight the edge of the cake (as a yellow caution sign is outlined in black).  Use the black icing to write "Caution, ______'s Party Zone!"
	DIY Construction Site				GA
		Do it Yourself - Cover your 13X9" cake with chocolate frosting.  Sprinkle piles of crushed oreo cookie (not just the outside, not the filling) in piles next to a miniature bulldozer and add some other vehicles, some orange cone candles and you have a miniature construction site!

 

Entertainment

Party Fun at a Construction Party should be lively and fun.  Try to find activities that evoke building, building materials, dirt, and tools. 

Activities

• A good ice breaker activity is always a craft.  It keeps your guest occupied while waiting for everyone to arrive.  Here, a great craft is decorating yellow T-shirts.  Have T-shirts ready and black fabric markers.  Each child can write their name on the front and color however they want.
• Builder's challenge - save boxes from your pantry in advance - cereal boxes, cracker box, etc. in advance (you'll need about 50!).  Then have the children use the boxes to "build" a skyscraper as high as they can (you can do a smaller version of this with regular blocks).
• Tonka Race - select two or three of the larger Tonka trucks and set up a race.  The children have to get the Tonka trucks to the finish line as quickly as possible without picking the truck up or letting go.  You can add obstacles like ramps or tunnels to make this more fun.
• If you don't mind messy…
• If you're doing some landscaping anyway, or want to build your child a sandbox - bring in a load of dirt and let the kids go wild digging.  Plant small prizes throughout the pile or sandbox for the kids to find (I recommend having something with a number on it buried that they can turn in for their prize, otherwise you'll have some really dirty prizes!)  Note, remember to let parents know about this ahead of time!
• Dirt Haul - Have two bins on each end of a race area.  One is filled with play sand.  The object is to use shovels to transfer the dirt from one bin to the other.  Mark a line  that would be the equivalent of the amount of sand in the first bin minus a cup of sand or two for spillage - the first partier who reaches the line wins!  If you want to take competition out of this game, have two large bins and have all of the kids work together to transfer the dirt!

• Tool Box Relay Race - Have children in groups of 4 or 5 with an obstacle course prepared.  At the end of the course is a bucket of PLASTIC tools (one per child).  Do NOT try to use real tools as falling on a REAL screwdriver could be disastrous!!!  Each child races to get one item and returns.  Once they put their tool in the Toolbox the next relay racer goes.  Have prizes for the teams as they finish. 
• Construction Pinata - I found a bulldozer shaped pinata for my son's party.  I filled it with candy and other party fun.  Each child had a plastic beach bucket with their name on it assigned throughout the party (for prizes and favors).  They used this to collect their loot from the pinata and then I added a couple more favors at the end of the party and the bucket was my favor!
• A good party closer is a construction balloon challenge.  Have several large size yellow and orange balloons (or beach balls) that are filled with regular air.  Have all the kids try to keep the balloons or balls in the air for as long as possible.  You can also play music and randomly stop the music and whoever has the balloons or balls at that time get alittle piece  of candy or an "Ata boy!"

• Take pictures of your party guests using this construction background. Cardboard Construction Photo Prop sign measures 37" wide x 25" high with a hole in the face of the driver. Hole for the face measures approximately 5.75" wide x 6.75" high. Cutout can be placed on a tabletop, or simply hold in your hands.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

	Title			Name	State

Prizes / Favors

Shop