A construction workers day is fun even when the work is done.
Construction party fun.....Which little boys (and girls) don't enjoy building, creating, digging and getting dirty?! A construction theme is the perfect party for all those little workmen, especially for kids ages 3 to 8 years.
Your construction party invitations could go something like this:
Foreman XXXX needs your help to build a mega birthday bash
Building work commences on: (date)
Shift hours: (time of party)
Dress for construction as we anticipate a mass of destruction
Report to the site boss: Address & Tel
Print images of dumper trucks off your computer and stick to strong craft paper
Fold yellow craft paper in half and cut out a construction workers hat using a template. Write the name of the guest on the outside and the construction party details on the inside.
Write the details on architect drawing paper, roll up and secure with a ribbon.
Also give them a tool belt or a Nail Apron
which is perfect as they are light weight and not expensive.
Tell the kids that their construction party mission will be to fill their tool belt with tools which they will earn throughout the party. This always gets the kids excited and raring to go!
Arm yourself with a whistle or portable microphone and tell the workers that they have to report to the site manager on hearing it. This is a great way for getting the kids together for hand washing, eating and games.
A construction party is really an outdoor kids party theme so rummage around the garden shed and find all those old planks, wheelbarrows and plastic spades that could do with an airing.
Sign boards - Put up a "Construction Site" notice to the entrance to the party area. Place other signs around pointing to particular construction area points such as 'Toilet', 'Canteen', Tool box', 'Danger kids at work'.
Shift workers sign in book If the kids are old enough, get each worker to sign in as he arrives and to maybe draw a small picture. This serves as a wonderful keepsake for the birthday child.
Balloons - Yellow, orange and black balloons are the colors to go for.
Construction tape - Buy a role of yellow and black caution tape and use it to make off the construction area. If you don't want kids to enter certain rooms in the house with muddy feet, use the tape to block off doorways.
Workmen's rest area - Create a rest area for those tired workers. Set up the food table here and some camping chairs. Use a wheelbarrow as storage for any birthday presents and another filled with ice for storing cold drinks.
Orange cones - Get hold of some
Orange Cones and use them to line your driveway. Try asking your local police station, hardware store, local council or school gym if they could loan you some.
Find lots of construction party decorating ideas at the stores below
Construction party work makes for hungry and thirsty workers so have enough on hand, especially cold drinks.
To save on washing up and time, serve ready made food in brown paper bags or food boxes - just like the real thing! Make sure to write each child's name on their cup and food bag.
Brick sarnies Brown bread sandwiches with kid friendly filling cut into rectangular brick shapes
Rockcorn - Small bags of popcorn
Muscle milk shakes - All workers need strong bones so a fruity milk shake is the perfect answer
Juice Serve orange and yellow juice drinks to go with the color scheme
Construction cookies - Homemade cookies in the shape of a truck, tools or whatever you choose. Alternatively make round cookies and decorate with orange, yellow and black icing.
Construction site cake -
Prepare a basic square or rectangular chocolate cake using a packet cake mix or my all-in-one cake recipe all-in-one cake recipe. Cover with chocolate frosting. The messier it looks the better as it is meant to be a construction site!
Crush different colored biscuits and place in small piles around the cake to resemble dirt piles. If you can find mini shovels to go in the piles that enhances the look. Place small plastic construction vehicles around the site cake and yellow and orange candles.
Make a sign saying "X's Construction Party Site" out of a tooth pick or small wooden skewer and some card. Put some plastic construction tape around the edge of the cake - cut the width if necessary. Voila, a quick and easy cake.
Construction party kids need to be kept busy from time to time so check out some of my party activity ideas below:
Wheel tracks - Get hold of some cheap construction vehicles that you don't mind getting dirty plus some large sheets of drawing paper. Make up bowls of water based paint and get the kids to dip the wheels of the vehicles in the paint and then roll them over the paper to make different colored tracks.
Paint your truck - Using wooden trucks, arm the kids with paintbrushes and paints and let them customize their own truck. Do this early on in the party so that they have time to dry before they take them home.
Tool boxes - In advance collect enough shoe boxes (one for each child). Ask at your local kids shoe shop as they always have empty ones that are to be thrown out. Spray paint them in various colors and then get the kids to customize them with stickers. You can use them later as favor boxes or to put their painted truck in (see above).
Landscape gardener - Give each child a plain terracotta flower pot and let them decorate it with paints. When dry, everyone goes outside digs the soil and fills their pot followed by a flower seed or mini shrub. These can be taken home later.
House Painting - No house is complete without a lick of paint. Get one or two large cardboard boxes and cut out holes for windows and doors. Put up a sign saying "Workmen's Den" and tell the kids it needs painting before they can use it. You'll end up with a multi colored den but who cares!
For the construction party games you could give out prizes of plastic tools to fill their tool belts (see construction party costumes). Try and make sure that each child wins equal amounts of tools to avoid any tears.
Wheelbarrow driver Lay up a course using orange cones - set up two lanes. Split the kids into two teams and each team member must push a child sized wheelbarrow round the cones and back again. Then the next team member has a go. Fastest team to finish wins.
Workmen's relay Split the kids into teams and line them up at one end of the garden. Give them a box of workmen's clothes (hat, dungarees, gloves, boots) and they take it in turns to run to another box where there are some tools. They grab a tool, run back to their team, remove the clothes and then the next team member repeats the process. First team to have collected all the tools is the winner. For younger children, you could miss out the dressing up part and just have them collect the tools.
Pin the arm on the crane Draw a picture or a large crane (minus the arm). Make the crane arm separately out of stiff card. Blindfold each child and get them to pin the arm on the crane. The person nearest to the correct point to the winner.
Digging for tools In a large sandbox, bury lots of small plastic tools. Give each child a spade and getting them digging.
Build your house Using wooden bricks, Lego or small empty cereal packets, see who can build the tallest house within a set time limit.
Fill the bucket Split the kids into teams and give each team a bucket of rocks (rolled up newspaper balls). Place a separate empty bucket a few feet away (adjust the distance for the age group) and the team has to throw their rocks into the empty bucket. The team who gets the most rocks gets a prize.
Where are my tools? Hide a number of kids plastic tools around the garden including one special tool which you could tie a yellow ribbon round. Send the kids off to find as many tools as they can and the person with the most and/or the special tool gets a prize.
Pass the hammer Pass the parcel type games are always popular and even my nine year old son still likes them. We usually adapt it to the sort of theme party that he is having. For a construction party, sit the kids in a circle put on some music and get the kids to pass round a tool box which you have filled with candy. When the music stops whoever is left holding it gets a candy.
Musical trucks Give each child a truck (cardboard box) that is big enough for them to sit or stand in. Place the boxes in a circle and put on the music. The kids run round the circle and when the music stops they have to rush to get in a truck. Last person to get in their truck is out. Alternatively you could have one less truck than children so the child who doesn't manage to get into a truck is out but I do find that the little ones can get quite upset playing it this way.
Piñata Having a piñata is always a great success at kids parties. Most of the party stores below stock pinatas.
which is perfect as they are light weight and not expensive.
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