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Balloon Cake. Tape the strings of as many balloons as your child's age to the sides of the cake plate. Place the candles in the center of the cake. Light the candles after you set the cake down in front of the birthday child.

Bubbly Ice Cream Sodas. Fill a glass 1/2 full with your favorite soda. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream and watch what happens! (It bubbles.)

Decorations

Tape a balloon by its string to each child's seat or to the edge of the table where each child will sit. Write the child's name on the balloon with a marker.

Or put balloons on the walls by rubbing them first against your clothes. If the balloons have names on them, ask each child to find his or her balloon and take it to a place at the table.

Anchor a bouquet of balloons to a rock hidden inside a vase and use it as a centerpiece.

Hang colored balloons on tree branches for a special effect outside.

Favors, Prizes, Items for Treat Bags

Balloons, small jars of bubble-blowing liquid, with the wands attached to the inside of the lids, bubble gum, bubble bath.

Inside Games and Activities, Competitive and Noncompetitive

1. Hot Balloon. Play like Hot Potato.

2. Balloon Hunt. Play like a Candy Hunt. Hunt for deflated balloons. Buy or rent a machine for inflating balloons at the party; blow up everyone's balloons at the hunt.

3. Invite a clown or magician to the party who can make animals by twisting balloons together. Ask that person to make an animal for each child at the party.

4. Musical Balloons

5. Balloon Races, such as the following:

- See how far your inflated balloon goes when you let go of it.

- Who can blow up a balloon the fastest? (This race is for children eight and up.)

- How long can you keep your balloon in the air?

- Who can blow a balloon across the floor first?

- Who can jump to the finish line first with a balloon between the knees?

Outside Activities

1. Make giant bubbles. Mix 8 tablespoons of dishwashing soap (Joy or Ajax is good) with 1 quart of water in a baking pan. Dip a tin can (with both ends neatly and safely removed) into the solution. Slowly pull the can out so that a film of soap remains on one end. Gently blow through the other end. A big bubble should appear. Twist the can to release it into the air. This takes practice. Who will be the first to do it?

2. Give a bottle of commercial bubble mix to each child. Let the children blow bubbles. Good for home movies or video!