Posted on the front door: Welcome to Grandma's Sweet Times Cafe. Enter at your own dental risk.
Here's a simple, silly, idea for a little family theme party. Last Friday night, we had our grandkids over. I decided we should have a "theme" for the evening...
We have a mail slot right by the front door, where this sign was posted. Ever since we've lived here, the little hands appear through the slot when the door bell rings. This time, I placed chocolate chips in their hands.
The four kids quickly discovered the evening was to have a "sweet" theme! With dinner cooking, I started them on a scavenger hunt of sorts. Nursery Rhymes with clues as to the whereabouts of hidden treats, were written on cut-outs from old magazines. The older (Junior High aged) boys were nice to play along. Their clues were harder.
SEW A FINE SEAM...
Sweet, fruit bars were waiting to be found. For instance:
"Pussy cat, pussy cat, wilt thou be mine?
Thou shalt not wash dishes, nor yet feed the swine.
But sit on a cushion and SEW A FINE SEAM,
And eat strawberries, sugar and cream."
The fruit bar was hidden away with my sewing machine in the closet.
GRIND HIS BONES...
"Fe-Fi-Fo-Fum,
I smell the blood of an Englishman
Be he alive, or be he dead,
I'll GRIND HIS BONES to make my bread."
A food processor would be a good place to grind bones wouldn't it?
After the game, I got dinner ready, while the kids played "Pounce."
Dinner Menu:
SWEET Potatoes
SWEET and Smokey Chicken
SUGAR Snap Peas
Raspberry Trifle for dessert
For the evening's entertainment, in keeping with the SWEETNESS, "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory." Gene Wilder is always funny and extra odd in this one, and the Umpa-Loompas were, well, memorable. Chocolate rivers, golden tickets, and a bunch of really bratty kids, had us all laughing.
It just takes one simple idea, and then you can build a whole evening around it. Print a little sign to hang on the door, to let everybody know something fun is going to happen. Come up with a menu, and maybe a game of some kind and a movie. Tie it all together around the theme, and there you have it!