NERF Party Signs

Party signs help keep things organized, and they create a fun party atmosphere. I love using party signage as decor, and today I am sharing the signs I used for my boys' joint NERF gun party... and you can download any of my NERF party signs for free.

As the kids came in, I had a sign that said "Enter Here if you are ready for Battle!" I also had a sign listing all the NERF battle safety rules.

To download the "Enter Here" sign: click on the picture below, right-click, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular 8x10 photo. I attached mine to a piece of dollar store foam core and added a colourful target.

I printed a copy of the Battle Rules and put it in an inexpensive dollar store frame. To download the "NERF battle rules": click on the picture below, right-click, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular 8X10 photo.

I created a food table backdrop using a tri-fold from the dollar store. I added a "Fuel for Battle" sign, trimmed it with orange duct tape, and added some targets made from construction table circles.

To download the "Fuel for Battle" sign: click on the picture below, right-click, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular 8X10 photo.

I created an ammunition depot for all the NERF gun bullets. I printed a sign and put it in a dollar store frame.

To download the "Ammunition Depot" sign: click on the picture below, right-click, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular 8X10 photo.

I had a safety glasses station where all the kids picked up their safety glasses... because "safety first". I printed the sign and put it in a dollar store frame.

To download the "Safety Glasses" sign: click on the picture below, right-click, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular 8X10 photo.

I had a spot for the kids to "Get their game face on". I put a sign in a dollar store frame, and I added some black under eye make up and a dollar store mirror.

To download the "Get your game face on" sign: click on the picture below, right-click, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular 8X10 photo.

One of our games was "Guess the Number of Candies". I put a sign in a dollar store frame and placed it behind a jar of candies.

To download the "Guess the number of candies sign": click on the photo below, right-click, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular 8X10 photo.

I also had a wall of "Target Practice". I printed a sign and placed it in a dollar store frame next to our targets.

To download the "Target Practice" sign: click on the picture below, right-click, save to your computer, and print like a regular 8X10 photo.

I think customized signs create fantastic party decor and add a fun, personalized element to parties. If you are planning a NERF party, I hope you have some fun with my free NERF party signs!

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Find more NERF party ideas (including activities, food, party favors, etc...) here.

*** If you like this post, check out my DIY Parties website here. It's full of easy and inexpensive DIY party ideas. ***

For a closer look, check out the video I made here:

New Year's Eve Ideas for Kids

Celebrating New Year's Eve with kids can be a lot of fun... and you won't have to worry about finding and paying for a babysitter! Win. Win. I'm always a big fan of ringing in the new year with my boys', so today, I am sharing some of my favourite ideas for celebrating New Year's Eve with kids.

1) Countdown bags - I first put together countdown bags for my boys when in 2012, and they have been a New Year's Eve staple in our house ever since. It's a fun way to keep the kids entertained, and it is a wonderful way to build anticipation for the big countdown. Read all about our simple New Year countdown bags here.

2) Photo booth - Setting up a photo booth is another fun way to entertain kids (and to document the fun of the celebration). You can download the props below, print them on card stock, and attach a stick for holding them. You can also inexpensively buy props at the dollar store.

To download my props: right-click on the pictures below, save them to your computer, and print them like regular 8X10 photos.

3) Mocktail bar - Setting up a fun drink station for kids can be a lot of fun. Fruit juice and sparking water can be used with whimsical garnishes like candy stir sticks and gummy bears. You can also have milk in fancy, candy-rimmed glasses for a "milk and cookies" toast at midnight.

4) Party favours - Every party needs a "party favour". I love the idea of midnight kisses (Hershey Kisses in champagne flutes), candy rings or bells to "ring in the new year", and/or breakfast for the next day (cereal in plastic bowls with cute tags.

5) Fortune cookies - Fortune cookies are always fun for kids, and it is simple to turn store bought cookies into a special treat using the tutorial you can find here. You could also turn them into a party favour by adding a tag that says "wishing you good fortune in the the new year"

6) Year in Review Questionnaire - New Year's Eve is the perfect time to review the past year with kids. It's also wonderful to set goals for the year ahead. I love this 2017 Year in Review form, and you can download it for free by: right-clicking on the picture below, saving it to your computer, and printing it like a regular 8X10 photo.

Update: find a 2021 version here.

How do you celebrate New Year's Eve? Do you stay at home with the kids, or head out to an adult party? You can always do both if you do something early with the kids. There is no law against an early countdown. Happy New Year, and all the best to you and your family!

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

NERF Party Loot Bag... with free printable tags

Every party needs an adorable party favour, and I am loving the fun loot bags I put together for my boys' epic NERF themed birthday party. I created two simple party "take aways", and today I am sharing the details of both of our NERF party goodie bags.

The first treat that goes with our "NERF battle" theme is a bunch of water balloons that you hook up to the hose (for simple and quick filling). I attached a little tag that says, "Thanks for coming to our party! Let the battle continue". Cute, right?

I love how colourful these balloons are, and I know the party guests will have fun with them this summer.

To download a copy of the tag I designed: right-click on the photo below, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular 4X6 photo. There are two tags on each page. You can add the birthday boy/girl's name before printing, or you can add it later using a Sharpie.

The second treat that we are gifting to our guests is a selection of goodies from a prize punch I created. I have been making these prize punches for many years (using dollar store supplies), and they are always popular with our party guests.

To make a prize punch:

1) Fill plastic cups with treats and trinkets.

2) Use hot glue to cover the tops of the glasses with squares of tissue paper.

3) Use hot glue to attach the cups to pieces of foam core from the dollar store.

You can allow the guests to poke through the tissue to claim their prizes, or you can have them use a NERF gun to shoot through the tissue. Both ways are super fun!

Don't you love a party favour that fits with the theme of the party? My boys are pretty excited about these NERF party loot bags.

♥ 
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

Don't miss out on any of the fun... follow me on social media here.

     

Find more NERF party ideas here.

For a closer look, check out the video I made here:

DIY Bowling Party

In November, my oldest son turned 11. Up to this point, we have hosted large parties for the boys, but we have decided that after 10, we are going to focus on more simple celebrations. My 11 year old decided to invite 5 of his friends to go bowling, and I added in a few DIY details to make the bowling party theme fun.

We started with a simple DIY invite that I created on Picmonkey. If you design a 4X6 invite on Picmonkey, you can print the invites inexpensively. Mine were $0.19 each.

The main activity at the party was obviously bowling, but I wanted to add a few more activities to make the party fun and unique.

After the kids finished bowling, they were able to "guess the candies in the jar". The party guest that guessed closest to the actual number of Skittles won the jar. Fun, right?

We also had a prize punch (which has become a staple at my boys' parties). It's always a hit with party guests, and you can get the full tutorial here.

Of course, we had to have festive bowling party food. We had pizza and lots of treats at my son's personal "canteen".

And I made a simple "bowling cake". I carved a bowling pin from a rectangular cake and a bowling ball from a round cake. They were simple cakes, but they were cute and went well with our party theme.

And finally, our guests left with adorable bowling party favours (with sweet tags that I designed). You can download the tags for free here. 

I thought the bowling party theme was fun, and I enjoyed planning out all the DIY details. Have you ever hosted a bowling party? What did you do to make the party fun and unique?

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

Don't miss out on any of the fun... follow me on social media here.