Scooby Doo Birthday Ideas

THEME:

Shaunna sent in this wonderful idea!

Take your Scooby Doo party a step farther and do a Scooby Doo MYSTERY theme!  Watch a few Scooby Doo shows to give yourself a bit of inspiration.

• use Halloween decorations including webs, bats, ghosts, cauldrons, etc.  Throughout the house 
• play spooky music in the room where'd you'd left the gifts -- lead the children there to find an old piece of parchment with a story on it (you can make parchment with regular paper and tea or coffee).
• make up a story about a ____ haunting the house, Oh no!  The ghost has stolen all the birthday presents!  You'll have to follow the clues to find them.   (The ____ depends on what time of year your party is at and how young the children are...  If your birthday is in February, you might want it to be a leprechaun, near Halloween perhaps a Ghost, if it's in December, perhaps an elf, for younger children perhaps a kitten stole everything).
• Here are some potential clues:
  • "There is a bat in the room of play, knock him down and he'll show you the way!  (make a bat pinata:
    • Cover a large balloon or punch ball (from the dollar store) with paper mache (see how to paper mache directions if you're not sure how to go about it).
    • Make sure to leave an unmache'd space where the tie is.
    • Let dry.  Once dry, pop the balloon and remove it.
    • Masking tape on some bat wings cut from cardboard  (see bat wing template for the shape),
    • Fill the pinata with treats through the hole where the tie was (you can put the treats in small baggies if they're not wrapped already).
    • Cut a round circle of cardboard and poke a hole through it.  Slide a thin rope through the hole and put the entire circle in the pinata.
    • Cover with masking tape and add another couple layers of mache.
    • Let dry again.
    • Paint black and add painted, paper or craft supply facial features.
    • You could make something other than a bat (a fish or bird, for example).  See the pinata ideas on this site for extra inspiration.
  • "Pin the Bone in Scooby's mouth and get a hint to lead you south."  Pin the tail on the donkey type game. -- the winner could receive a compass and directions to head one or two rooms south.
  • "In a basement there'll be lots stuff.  You can make ____, it won't be tough!"  (fill in the ____ with the type of craft you'd like the kids to make).
  • "Dance and find a place for you, the last one standing will get the clue!"  (play a musical chairs game with the winner receiving the clue and perhaps a small prize)
  • "Go to the place where you would dine, solve the puzzle for another sign!"  (they have to put together a jigsaw with the next clue + eat cake and treats) 
    OR
  • "A Scooby Snack and a little break, maybe even a piece of cake" could lead you to the kitchen instead.
  • "With so many friends to help you out, you'll solve this mystery, without a doubt! Go back to the place where you began and discover the treasure, I know you can!"  (a treasure chest is there with something for each of the children + this is where and when the birthday presents can be open).

ACTIVITIES/GAMES:

Keri contributes:

• Make a BINGO game using pictures, signs or words from the series.

One viewer suggests:

• Doggy Doggy Where's Your Bone
• Relay Race:  children carry a dog biscuit on a teaspoon.

DECORATIONS:

One viewer suggests:

• Brown, yellow and blue streamers and balloons would work well with the Scooby Doo color scheme.
• Any spooky halloween decorations would work great at a Scooby Doo party.  A Haunted House theme is perfect (plus it's wonderfully inexpensive since you likely have most of it around already).

FOOD

The purchase of one appropriately shaped cookie cutter can go a long way!

• Check out the Mystery Machine cake ideas sent in by viewers:
  • Cake by Lisa
  • Cake made by Angie
  • Cake made by Julie
• Make a Giant Dog Bone Cake.  Bake two four cupcakes and one rectangular loaf cake.  Set two cupcakes at each end of the rectangle cake, to make bone shape.  Frost with brown or yellow frosting.
• I made dog bone shaped Peanut Butter & Jelly (make sure the guests aren't allergic!), egg salad, & bologna/cheese sandwiches, dog bone shaped cookies with brown and yellow frosting, dog bone shaped yellow Jell-O jigglers (make a big cookie sheet of jello jiggler and cut out once set).
• The children can decorate their cookies with icing and sprinkles as a food activity.
• Pizza!
• "Scooby Snacks" can either be goldfish crackers, trail mix or bits and bytes.
• Serve treats in clean dog dishes.
• Glue small images (from coloring pages or clipart) onto toothpicks.  Let dry.  Stick in the top of cupcakes for an instant theme party treat!