Food & Party Planning Ideas

2 Years Old Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes Party

Two-year-olds know many nursery rhymes and love to re-enact them. Songs, movement and dance can be incorporated in the party activities.

Invitations

• Send a white plastic egg (labeled "Humpty Dumpty") in a box with instructions to crack and open. Crack Humpty open to reveal a note inviting you to join "all the king's men" at a very special birthday party.
• Or use card stock to draw a two-dimensional "wall' with Humpty on top. On the wall are the "autographs" of such celebrities as Little Miss Muffett, Jack and Jill, Little Bo Peep and the Three Blind Mice. Also on the wall is the name of the invited child and the details of the party.

Party Setting and Decorations

• Hold the party at "Mother Goose's Home." Have the birthday mom dress up as Mother Goose. Display nursery rhyme books open to various different stories.
• Use cardboard to draw a large old shoe, where the old woman lives.
• Continue the Humpty Dumpty theme on the party table by marking a white tablecloth with a black marker to resemble bricks. Use a stuffed white pillow case with Humpty's face drawn in marker as the centerpiece.
• Hang a cow jumping over a moon from the ceiling as a mobile.

Activities and Games

The Nursery Rhyme Clue Game
A pint-sized version of charades, the Nursery Rhyme Clue Game gives children a chance to act out their favorite nursery rhymes. Accompanied by a parent, each child draws a prop from a large box or basket. The props represent a particular nursery rhyme and the child acts that rhyme out. The other children then guess what rhyme is being acted out. When the rhyme is guessed, all the children should then recite it together. Suggested props, nursery rhymes and actions include:

Nursery Rhyme: Jack Be Nimble
Props: Candlestick
Actions: Child jumps over the candlestick.

Nursery Rhyme: Hey Diddle Diddle
Props: A cow or moon
Actions: Have the child moo and jump over the moon.

Nursery Rhyme: Jack and Jill
Props: Bucket
Actions: Child walks up "hill" or stairs with bucket

Nursery Rhyme: Little Bo Peep
Props: Sheep
Actions: The child can baaa like a sheep.

This is a good place for a break. Have all of the children hide and Little Bo Peep must "look" for them. The children should baaa louder as Little Bo Peep gets nearer.

Nursery Rhyme: Little Miss Muffett
Props: Spider
Actions: Sit down next to the spider.

Nursery Rhyme: London Bridge
Props: Oversized Key
Actions: Child "falls down."
If you like, have all of the children play "London Bridge is Falling Down."

Nursery Rhyme: Baa Baa Black Sheep
Props: Yarn
Actions: Baaa like a sheep and show the "wool."

Nursery Rhyme: Pat-a-Cake
Props: A cake pan
Actions: Have the child pat his or her hands.

Party Favors

• A small, well-illustrated book of Mother Goose's rhymes.

Cake Decoration Suggestions

Jack and Jill go up the hill and come back with this delightful cake! If you like, serve miniature pails of jelly beans in addition to the cake.
You will need:

• 9 x 13 x 2 in. Sheet Pan
• Royal Blue, Brown, Kelly Green, Rose, Copper, Lemon Yellow, Black and Orange Icing Colors
• Boy and girl cookie cutters
• Tip: 233 grass bottom border (star technique)
• Tip: 352 leaves
• 35 Royal Icing Drop Flowers
• 1 each boy and girl sugar cookies, decorated
• Tip: 3 outline hill and ice in with spatula, pail writing
• Tip: 17 shell border
• Place drop flowers and cookies on cake
• Tip: 131drop flowers with Tip 2 drop centers - make 1 day in advance
• Tip: 2