| Decorating Tips: | Spread your tablecover on your party table. If your child has any theme-related toys, you can add them to the table for a more festive display.
Cut several one-to-two-foot-long pieces of curling ribbon. Curl the ribbon by pulling it between your thumb and the blade of your scissors. Lay the resulting curls on your table for added color. Hang balloons in bunches for the best effect. If you choose to fill balloons with helium, wait until the party day to ensure they float well!
Use batman balloons to mark the party spot; hang them on the mailbox, near the front door, or tie them to the birthday child's chair to mark the seat of honor.
Place black balloons or batman balloons anywhere that strikes your fancy. The more the better!
Gather six or eight streamers and attach them to the ceiling in the center of the party room (or over the table). Use a light fixture over the table, if you have one, as the center point for the streamers.
To create colorful batman streamers, put two differently colored streamers back-to-back, twist as you walk them to the wall, and attach at shoulder height.
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| Fun Activities: | Bat Adventure
For a special birthday adventure, take your guests on a field trip to learn about bats at the zoo. Ask beforehand if the zoo has a special exhibit.
Secret Identity
When he’s not saving lives, Batman’s other identity is Bruce Wayne. In this game, kids take on secret identities, too (silly ones)!
You’ll need:
- music (Batman music would be perfect) - large bag (or 2) filled with clothing, accessories and costume items (the funnier, the better; big clothes too)
Invite players to stand in a circle. Turn on some music and ask kids to pass around the bag(s). When you stop the music, the player holding the bag must reach in, pull out an item and put it on. Game continues until all items are gone. Remember to take pictures of your superheroes-in-hiding!
Saving Gotham
You’ll need:
- “bad guy” toys and toy weapons (borrow if needed)
- small prizes (toys or treats)
Watch kids transform into heroes that save Gotham! Hide “bad guy” toys and toy weapons around the yard or in the party room. As kids ferret out the evil items, they can trade them for a small prize, then race to look for more until Gotham has been saved.
Caped Crusader Course
Commuter trains, cars, people on the street—Batman encounters all kinds of obstacles when chasing villains. Guests get a taste of what a super crime-fighter deals with in this creative obstacle course. Line everyone up single file. One by one, kids run through a series of obstacles, while you keep track of times. Some ideas: walking along a narrow board, jumping over a small pile of leaves, running around a picnic table and lawn chairs, etc. If playing indoors, use objects such as a small table, wastebasket, chair, stack of books, pile of toys, etc. The fastest kids win.
The Scarecrow Scare
Dr. Jonathan Crane has become The Scarecrow and is on the loose with his dangerous fear toxin. The citizens of Gotham City must run to avoid breathing it in. First, choose 1 or more kids to be The Scarecrow. Everyone else is a Gotham City citizen. When the caller shouts “Scare ‘em!” Each Scarecrow tries to catch the citizens. Those who are caught go to a designated area called “Arkham Asylum,” where they must stand perfectly still, with legs straddled. To be freed, 1 of their Gotham City buddies needs to crawl between their legs. The game ends when everyone’s been caught or when it seems like a good time to switch players.
Superhero Training
Being a super hero is tough work. Make a batman obstacle course to get all your batman party goers tired out. Have them go over couches, under tables, and crawl on their stomach. You can also time it and give prizes to the fatest super heros.
Batsuit Relay
You’ll need:
- 2 boxes, plus crayons, colored paper, glue, etc. for decorating
- 2 Batman costumes (available at BirthdayExpress.com, or make your own masks, capes and utility belts)
- 2 strips of masking tape (approximately 15 feet each)
First, decorate the boxes with bats or Batman drawings. Next, set up 2 lines of masking tape, about 20 feet apart. Behind 1 line, set the 2 Bat Boxes. Next, divide everyone into 2 even-numbered teams and have them gather behind the second line, which is the start/finish point. Ask each team to select a designated player to be Alfred the butler. When you call “Ka-Pow!” the first person in each team must race over to 1 of the Bat Boxes, put on all the items, and speed back to his or her team. The team members help remove the Batsuit and give it to their “Alfred,” who quickly returns the Batsuit to the Bat Box. As soon as “Alfred” gets back to the team, the next player races over, puts the Batsuit on, and runs back. The relay continues this way until everyone’s had a turn except each “Alfred,” who runs the Batsuit back to the Bat Box, puts it on, and races across the finish line. The first team to finish wins!
Find the Joker
Your classic game of hide and go seek. Designate one child as the joker and have them go hide. The rest of the group then has to find the joker. The person that finds the joker gets to be the joker next time around. |
| Party Tips: | 1. Mail your batman invitations at least two weeks before the party date. You can either purchase generic invitations, batman invitations, or create your own invitations by cutting out the batman symbol out of black card stock.
2. Plan a safe, comfortable place for the batman begins birthday party where the children can have fun, but will not hurt themselves or your home. If planning an outdoor party be sure to have a backup plan in case of bad weather.
3. Limit the batman begins party time to two hours or less for children under six years of age. Up to three hours is fine for older children.
4. Prepare more batman activities than you plan to use in advance. Activities often take less time than planned and you may want to keep the children busy.
5. Include the birthday child in preparations as often as possible. Let him or her stuff the party favor bags, make suggestions for games, help with the decorations, set the table, and mail the invitations - even if that only means putting them in the mailbox. |
| Party Treats: | Batman Pizzas
Make-your-own pita pizzas are always a hit, and these have cool cheesy bat insignias on them!
Ingredients:
- jars of spaghetti sauce
- packets of pita bread
- pre-sliced pepperoni
- cheese slices cut into bat shapes using a butter knife or bat-shaped cookie cutter
- any other favorite condiments
Enlist kids to decorate labels for the topping containers with names like “Scarecrow Sauce,” “Bat Cheese,” and “Batmobile Wheels” for the pepperoni. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, while kids pick a pita circle, spread on the sauce and load up the toppings, finishing with Bat Cheese on top. Bake until the cheese is gooey.
Bat Pops
Batman fans are bound to smile when they see these frozen snacks. Inside each pop are gummy bats and a yummy banana slice.
Ingredients:
- 12 oz. purple grape juice
- 12 oz. cherry juice
- 1 banana, sliced into 8 thick pieces
- gummy bat candy
You’ll also need:
- 8 small paper cups
- 8 Popsicle® sticks
- foil, cut into small squares to cover tops of cups
- baking pan
Mix grape and cherry juice together and fill 1/2 to 3/4 of each cup with the combination. Drop a banana slice into each cup, then insert Popsicle stick into banana so that stick stands up. Plunk in a few gummy bats. Next, make a slit through the center of each foil square. Cover cup with foil, allowing stick to pop through slit. Place cups in a baking pan (to create a level surface and catch spills) and put in freezer for at least 4 hours, or until solid. Before serving, peel away the paper cup and foil. Serves 8.
Bat Fruit Salad
Real bat food­—fruit—is the inspiration for this dish. It calls for a blend that tropical bats love. And since brown bats love bugs (a single brown bat can eat 600 mosquitoes in 1 hour!), add raisins and let kids pretend they’re bugs.
Ingredients:
- slice bananas, mangos and dates (if you can’t find mangos and dates, other fruits are okay, too)
- raisins
Simply blend the fresh fruit together in a large bowl and add raisins. Serve in cups.
Batman Cookies
Invite your whole Batman crew to decorate their own bat-shaped cookies.
Ingredients:
- sugar cookie dough (homemade or store-bought)
- colored icing, sprinkles, small candies
You’ll also need a butter knife and/or bat cookie cutter, and a cookie sheet.
Roll out cookie dough and use a butter knife, or bat cookie cutters, to create bat shapes. Bake according to directions. When cooled, frost with colored icing and provide kids with sprinkles and candies for decoration.
Batty Beverages
Give young superheroes a chance to create their own concoctions...but not before you supply them with special icy bat cubes first!
Ingredients:
- white grape juice (or lemon-lime soda)
- apple juice
- black food coloring
- gummy bat candy
You’ll also need several ice trays.
To create the cubes, fill several ice trays with apple juice and drop a gummy bat into each section. Freeze (approximately 5 hours). Plunk at least 1 cube into every cup and pour in the white grape juice. Then invite kids to add 2 drops of black food coloring, stir and sip away!
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