Be sure to send out your invitations at least 2 weeks before the party date.

Party Tips
Our fun ideas are provided by http://www.bettycrocker.com. Stop by for exciting family recipes today.

Looking for that "awesome" kids' party that will rival a trip to a local in-line skating rink or game arcade? This magical idea is sure to create a stir. Both the birthday star and guests will love getting involved in the festivities of this lively party.

Special Touches
Magic Show Starring Your Guests
Kids love everything about magic. They love watching magic shows and learning new tricks. For this magical birthday event, you don't need to hire a magician. Instead, ask your guests to be the stars. When you send the invitations, ask everyone to come prepared to share or demonstrate one magic trick. You can create a fun staging area and award party favors as magic show prizes. Most toy stores carry fun, inexpensive magic tricks and toys that can be used as giveaways.
Here's one magic trick idea:

Create a Rainbow: Tape a piece of white paper to a wall. Find a flashlight and a clear plastic audio cassette case. Make the room very dark, and turn on the flashlight. Hold the audio cassette case between the paper and your flashlight. Shine the light through the case and onto the paper. Tilt, move and swirl the case in different ways. Presto! It's a rainbow!

Every Magician Needs a Wand
Whether you want to give your birthday honoree a magic wand or provide all guests with their own wand as a party favor, here's an easy way to make it happen:

Tightly roll up three opened sheets of newspaper from the long side for a wand; tape.

Wrap wand in aluminum foil, and secure with tape.

Use scissors to cut out a star shape from cardboard.

Cut long strips of crepe paper or wide ribbon for streamers.

Use markers to color both sides of the star. Glue the star and streamers to the top of the wand.

Presto Change-O: Watch It Grow
Let your little guests make their own blooming magic trick to take home: a flowering party favor. Before the party, pick up an assortment of flowering bulbs and small clay flowerpots. Decorate the pots with a magic theme, using paint or ink stamps (a magician's hat, a wand, etc.), and personalize with each child's name.
You and the birthday honoree can prepare these little pots in advance to use on your table as part of the decor. When guests arrive, plan a time when they can add their own potting soil, plant one "mystery" flowering bulb and add the magic liquid potion (colored water). They won't know what the flower will look like until it begins to grow at home in their keepsake pot.

MAGIC BUNNY CAKE!
Directions for the fun loving cake pictured to the right.

Magician's Bunny Cake
Two baked cake layers, creamy frosting and a variety of purchased candies magically go together to make a terrific birthday cake.

1 package Betty Crocker SuperMoist party rainbow chip, yellow or lemon cake mix
1 1/4 cups water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
Tray or cardboard, 20x16 inches, covered
2 tubs (16 ounces each) Betty Crocker® Rich & Creamy or Whipped vanilla ready-to-spread frosting
Colored sugars
Black shoestring licorice
2 coconut and marshmallow-covered chocolate cake balls with creamy filling
2 large black gumdrops
1 pink licorice candy
1 large red gumdrop
2 pieces candy-coated gum
2 sticks striped fruit-flavored gum

1. Bake cake as directed for two 8- or 9-inch rounds, using water, oil and eggs. Cut one round as shown in diagram. Freeze pieces uncovered 1 hour for easier frosting if desired.
2. Arrange pieces on tray as shown. Frost head and ears with frosting, attaching pieces with small amount of frosting. Frost tie; sprinkle with colored sugar and outline with shoestring licorice.
3. Arrange cake balls on frosting for cheeks. Insert short strips of shoestring licorice into cheeks for whiskers. Outline eyes with shoestring licorice; add short strips for eyelashes. Use black gumdrops for pupils of eyes, pink licorice candy for nose, red gumdrop for mouth and gum for teeth. Cut striped gum into narrow pieces and place in center of ears. Decorate with magician's hat and magic wand if desired.

Game Ideas
- Egg in Spoon Race
Make a start and finish line, first one there wins.
- Water Balloon Toss
Team who tosses the most without popping or dropping wins.
- Spooning Cotton Balls
Two bowls & blind fold, each child spoons cotton balls or marshmallows from one bowl to the other in one minute, the one who does the most wins.
- Balloon Pop
Each kid gets a balloon to sit on, first one popped wins.