Rock Climbing Party Favors
Maude's Rock Climbing Party is this weekend. And I'm determined to get the favors finished, or at least decided, today.
My first thought was:
Nalgene bottles with rock candy and a bandana inside, with maybe a carabiner attached to the Nalgene handle.
I still like that, but I'm also in a mode where I'm trying to use what we have on hand, and I happen to have a stack of brand-new heavy-weight orange tees. (What? Why?!) Well, I bought them to silkscreen as party favors for Ralph's 8th birthday — but they didn't arrive until the day of the party — and they've been sitting here in their packaging ever since. I don't know if I'm up for silk-screening, but I might be able to do something cool with bleach or maybe an iron-on.
So my second thought is:
Cool-t-shirt with rock candy and a carabiner.
Really, it all comes down to how much time/energy I've got this week. Your thoughts?
Labels: kids, make something
posted by Gabrielle of Design Mom at Wednesday, March 14, 2007
17 Comments:
Let's see...I've seen all the above items & all go over well. The kids really like getting gym t-shirts. Nalgenes filled with a tee or candy usually go over well. Also, I've seen little bouncy balls shaped like rocks. I definitely wouldn't get real locking carabiner; kids just like the cheap ones. The keychain carabiners seem to be a hit. Also, someone gave me these cute rock climber magnets. I'll email you a picture, since they got them in some little cheap gift shop in NY. Of course, I don't know where to get any of the above items. Sorry. If I think of anything else, I'll send it.
What a great party idea! I didn't get into rock climbing until college, and I love it. I like the nalgene and rock candy idea...poprocks candy are always fun too. Chalk might be fun too...maybe some side walk chalk?
I think it would be adorable to have a little silhouette of Maude's profile silkscreened onto the back of the shirt, on the other side of the inside tag, below the collar.
or maybe on the front where a polo emblem would be?
I grew up a climber so I used to go to climbing parties all the time. One of my favorite favors was one where the mom had us tie-dye shirts before. For favours she took tons of polaroids (which the parents sorted) and then gave us each a fake 'biner (those keychain ones, you can find them at REI and other like stores in different shapes such as dolphins and hearts) that linked them all together. I think she put a small penlight on the keychain too. It wasn't much as far as favours go but I loved it. I spent FOREVER telling my parents every last detail of the party - with the polaroids to prove how much fun it was. At another party, a mom gave us each small kid-sized Nalgenes and then put us on a treasure hunt to find stickers she'd hidden for us all over the rock gym. The stickers had our names, or things that were popular at the time, and we put them on our Nalgenes to individualize them. That was pretty cool too. I still have that one.
At yet another party, we decorated a pet rock which we got to take home. That one wasn't as cool, though. I remember thinking it was really pointless at the time and I couldn't have been more than 9. And for one of my sister's, my mother bought a bunch of postcards of mountains and famous climbers but I can't remember what else she did with them.
We also used to get bubbles and moon-shaped bouncing balls and those little animated flip books alot in favor bags. Sometimes climber families can be a bit stingy on the candy side of things.
Which reminds me that as far as candy, I wouldn't know. Sorry. Maybe fruit leather would work well with rock candy?
Good luck!
maude is so lucky! it's going to be such an awesome party.
i like the t-shirt idea... i'd do an iron on. you could make a cool logo that says something like "maude rocks" but sub. in each guest's name, so they have a personalized t-shirt to wear in the warm spring weather.
of course, the water bottle filled with rock candy would be awesome too. but be warned... rock candy is surprisingly hard to come by.
can't wait to hear about it after!
I've had good results reverse tie-dyeing pigment-rich tees with bleach. I think I've used about a half-dilute bleach/water solution, added the tied or rubber-banded tee and stirred it until I saw the color change. I did a quick rinse to avoid too much harsh bleach damage to the fabric. I bet you could do the silhouette idea w/ bleach & a stencil, too.
thumbs up for using what you have...though the other idea is so great, too.
Hi Gabby, For Sam's rock climbing party, we gave away Clif (get it) bars, and carabiners. The real biners were about the same price as the fake ones. We tied them together with string, and Sam put a thank you note in them. We have extra biners if you want them
Here is a slogan idea for your t-shirt:
Climbing Rocks!
Meaning both "we are climbing on rocks," and "climbing is excellent!"
The kids would have a ball painting their own shirts, and it would save you the work of making them all, but it might not have the aesthetic outcome you are looking for ...
What fun ideas. My oldest is turning 2 next month; I wish it made sense to throw him a rock climbing party.
I love the idea of the rock candy, and carabiner so cute and theme fitting! I also think using what you have is genius...I say silk screen if you have the time, I love original tees!
As for any new ideas on the party favors, climbers use these adorable multi-colored chalk bags it would be perfect if you could find something similar and inexpensive to fill with the goodies. Last climbers use fabulous accessory cording it runs anywhere from $.40 a ft. to $8 a spool, it would make great bracelets!
I feel like my kid is the only one that doesn't rock climb... how does one start this hobby?
They are all cute ideas. I always have ideas that require more time than I can actually do...so I say to do yourself a favor and do the easy thing.... :-)
The awesome thing about Nalgene bottles is they are indestructible.
i like the bottle with candy idea. but t-shirts are always fun too if you have time. it sounds like a wonderful party.
So many great ideas! I heart Design Mom Readers.
How about little bags full of chalk? Do kids like chalk still?
SO sad we're going to miss it! It all sounds great - and you should post on the wonderful invites you did! I promised Emily that we'll take she & Maude climbing when we get back in town! Enjoy the day.
I'm planning a climbing party for my son's 6th birthday coming up in April- that's actually how I came upon your site- lucky me! Great blog, great ideas! I totally want to copy your rock invites. The climbing gym sent us invitations and they are HIDEOUS!
Anyway, my favors are going to be Sigg water bottles for the kids (much better than the little bags of junk we always get from parties!) and originally, I thought custom M&M's with things like "you rock" or "rock on" but they are a little pricey. candydirect.com has some terrific rock looking candies that are bulk, so I can bag with a cool tag. Lots of places will imprint the carabiners, too, and that would be cool. I do sell lots of green kids' stuff, including the Siggs, so please check it out- www.monkeygrassonline.com.
Sorry for the plug!
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