In order to organise a Great Children’s Birthday Party you need to plan everything well in advance and this includes making the home made cake!  A cake made by you especially for your Son or Daughter will really make them happy, there is just something extra special when you go to the effort of making it for them.

Littlest Pet Shop Birthday cake by cakejournal, on Flickr

Don’t panic if you are not a world class baker or if you failed at your last cake decorating venture.  I am going to share with you how to decorate a birthday cake that will make your kids say WOW!

Think of your child’s favourite super hero, cartoon or story book character.  Maybe it’s an action figure or a doll, maybe it’s one of those strange things from the Night Garden (cbeebies), just hold onto that image in your mind and get ready to transform it into icing!

To make the cake you will need, you will need decorating tips, an icing bag, a ‘non-toxic’ drawing implement (a non-toxic child’s coloured pencil is fine) and a piece of rice paper.

Tip: You may want to buy several pieces of rice paper so you can practice a few times before your Children’s Birthday Party – it may also be a good idea to practice on something really simple like a clown’s face.

You can normally find rice paper in the cake decorating section of your super market or in a specialty cake decorating store – you can buy it online, if you have enough lead time to wait for the delivery.

Let’s get started:

1. Select a cake mix your child will like (chocolate, banana, etc).  Go back to that image you are holding in your mind of your child’s favourite character and find a picture which will fit onto the top of your cake.  Select the image from a magazine, an online photo printed on your printer, or other source.
2. As it’s your child’s birthday party, using a picture of them is also a great idea!
3. Do all the necessary baking and then let the cake cool while you start to have fun and focus on your drawing.
4. Now place the piece of rice paper over the picture you wish to trace.  Trace the edges and all of the critical dividing lines you’ll need (e.g. the edge of a coat tail or the laces on a shoe) to give you a guide.
5. After you have traced the shape, cut it out carefully, and set it aside with the original picture so you can use that for reference when you start icing.
6. Ice the cake with any solid colour you wish.
7. Now put the rice paper on top of the cake, fill an icing bag and use a small tip to outline the shape of the picture.  Use dark icing for the outline.
8. Once the outline is finished, fill in the detail inside the pattern.  Start with the tiniest details first (like shoelaces and buttons) in dark colours, using the small writing size tip.
9. Complete the design by using lighter colours to fill in the colour of your picture, ie: a clown’s hair or the action figures costume, using a star or other shaped tip and placing lots of dots of icing in the coloured area until you have filled out that part of the design.
10. When you have finished the picture, change your tip back to the first one you used for outlining the picture at the beginning and then go over the whole outline again, go over the lines you originally created to make sure they are clearly defined.

As for the rice paper, it will disintegrate into a rice-based, edible substance that is invisible on the cake and everyone will wonder how you became such a talented artist overnight!

You can decorate the sides of the cake with an appropriate tip and place small dots of icing or other shapes randomly around the sides.  If your children’s birthday party has a theme you could choose items that match the theme to go around the cake.

It is now time to stand back, get the camera and take a photograph of your masterpiece; after all it won’t last long at your children’s birthday party once they blow the candles out!

Have fun,

Wayne

If you want to take great photographs of your Children’s Birthday Party there are a few rules to follow so you can capture the essence of the day and not end up with a full memory card or roll of film that is out of focus and shot a second behind the action.

Photographing children, especially in a party environment can be especially challenging because children have lots of energy and a short attention span, this combination can be the kiss of death when it comes to taking pictures.

So, how do you capture great pictures of your Children’s Birthday Party?

Firstly, do not be distracted by the other things going on in the room.  Concentrate on what you can see in that little square.

Is the subject clearly visible?  Is the focus sharp or blurred?  If you are using a digital camera you can focus and zoom to get what you want in the digital image and then you can crop it later if it’s not quite right.

Don’t worry about getting your child in the middle of the picture.  The background and other people around your child help capture the mood of the party.  The main thing is that whatever you plan to photograph (the kids at the table, or your child blowing out the birthday candles) is clearly visible.

Try to keep things simple.  There is no need for a lot of patterns or colours to make a picture interesting, in fact try to avoid them because these are likely to take the focus off the subject.

Children at a Birthday Party are highly unlikely to sit still so don’t expect them to do so for a photograph.  Action shots are usually more interesting than static shots, anyway, so hold onto your camera and be ready for those spur of the moment opportunities.

Some of the best pictures of Children’s Parties are when your child is focused on an activity or a game.  They are less self-conscious about having their picture taken and you can usually capture the mood of the part very well when they are engrossed in something fun or interesting.

If you have a zoom lens on your camera, don’t be afraid to get a close-up shot!  You don’t always have to have the background setting for definition.  Sometimes, particularly with young children, just the expression is priceless!

It is usually difficult to take a lot of the same picture at a Children’s Birthday Party because, as mentioned earlier, they just don’t sit still for long enough.  It is better to try and take pictures in succession, capturing the action a few seconds (or a minute) apart.  That way you will get a choice of interesting shots and one will probably be the one you want to frame.  Digital cameras are great for this because you can take lots of pictures and then delete the ones you don’t want.

Taking pictures outside:

If your Children’s Birthday Party takes place in the summer you may want to take pictures outside but if you do you must avoid taking them in direct sunlight.  It makes your children squint, can cause glare, wash out colours and create shadows and ‘red eye’ effects where you don’t want them.

Try taking your pictures in what the photographers call ‘open shade’, so that you have the diffuse sunlight but your subject is not in deep shadow.  As an example, you might take the picture under the broad limbs of a tree.  You will have some cover from the sun, but you won’t need a flash.  If you are using a 35 MM camera in ‘open shade’, use ISO 400 film (or faster).

Taking pictures indoors:

Sometimes you do not have the advantage of having natural light for your photographs so if you have to shoot pictures indoors be sure to add enough ambient light to illuminate the room but not to cause glare.  If you are using a flash on your camera remember that the flash is only useful if you are within a few feet of the subject.  Otherwise, the light from the flash disperses to the point where it doesn’t light up much of anything and is a waste of time.

You must also be careful using a flash with young children (12-18 months) as some children will cry or become disoriented with lots of flashbulbs going off.

To finish, we will leave you with these simple tips to make your photographic experience more pleasurable for everyone concerned, and still ensure that you will get those crucial shots of your Children’s Birthday Party.

• Consider the time and place of the party and be prepared with plenty of the right film (and the right speed, if you are using a 35 MM) for the particular room, outdoor event or lighting scenario.  If you are using a digital camera, be sure you have plenty of memory cards so you don’t run out!
• Consider if you will need a flash or not.  Take some pictures with a flash and some without if you ensure you have some good shots.
• Tired children never make good photograph subjects so if possible try and make sure your child is well-rested before the party starts so you don’t get pictures of them crying at their party.
• A big tip is to take pictures at the same level as the kids – get down on your knees or sit in a chair.  Many people over look this and end up with pictures of the tops of their heads or upturned faces!
• Take lots of pictures and shoot fast.  Children move quickly, so if you only take a few pictures, you may find you have captured nothing but a blur on film.
• Wait for the shot you want if it is critical.  Don’t force your child to pose or remain in one position for a long time.  Wait for the right shot that reveals your child’s personality through casual or candid activity.
• Remember to take plenty of close-up shots with your zoom lens.  That way, you don’t intimidate or distract your child by getting right in their face, but you get that beautiful close-up you want.
• Consider props!  If your child just got a teddy bear for a present, or they have a birthday balloon, get a close-up shot of the child with it.  It will make a great framed picture and be an ever lasting memory of your Child’s Birthday Party!

You may not have considered using play time to help your new baby develop, but that is exactly what healthy infants need!  There are many specifically designed toys for babies and when used properly you will help your child grow.

Not only is visual, audible and sensory stimulation important for your child’s development, but if you offer your child this kind of stimulation from an early age, your child will become more involved in the world around him and his natural curiosity will lead the way.

There are many toys for children out there and although a baby is not ready

Courtesy of rachel_a_long, on Flickr

for the toddler toys yet, they can use toys that will help them develop their coordination and motor skills.

Choosing the right toys for babies is not that complicated.  Here are a few tips to consider;

In the beginning, your baby can’t hold a toy or sit or stand to play with an object, but she can watch mobiles and brightly coloured cot ‘hangings’ that will help her focus her eyes.

Her vision is a bit fuzzy but she can see things that are about 20-30 centimetres from her face.  So, in addition to mobiles, you can decorate the walls around her cot with animals, figures or brightly coloured shapes with lots of contrast.  She will love that!

Many mobiles also play soft music which your young baby will find enjoyable.  Make sure you mount the mobile well out of baby’s reach and that it is fastened solidly to the cot or other surface, and choose a mobile that has lots of colour and shape.

You can also play a music box or a CD or tape with lullabies or soothing music your child will love.

As your baby gets a little older, he will love to look at his own reflection in the mirror.  Many baby toy stores sell safe, plastic mirrors that can be mounted on the cot or playpen.

Very soon, your child will start to turn over and even sit up.  When your child is sitting in a walker, a swing or a high chair, you can give them brightly coloured shapes to handle.

There are many options, including plastic ‘rods’ that fasten onto strollers or walkers and fasten across the front with circles, squares and other shapes attached to the rod.  These shapes can be twirled, spun or pushed back and forth and make for great play for your young child.

Soft, sturdy, washable fabric books allow your child many hours of practicing motor skills as they grow.  They can flip pages, look at animal shapes, letters and numbers and YOU can wash their favourite toy without any fuss.

One of the best toys for your babies motor skills development is the old and faithful rattle.  It allows your baby to practice by grasping and moving these baby-friendly shapes – and he is rewarded with an interesting rattling or rolling bell sound.

When your baby is old enough to hold and snuggle a stuffed animal, there are great options for child safe bears and other animals that make noises, talk, sing and play music.

By all means, when you are looking for toys for babies, or toys for children of any age, be sure they are age-appropriate toys, labelled as such by the manufacturer.  Do not put makeshift toys or toys for older children into your child’s cot.

And stay away from toys with small pieces that may detach from the toy or be pulled off by little hands or budding teeth.

Try to buy toys that can be easily washed and be sure you don’t use toxic or strong detergents or cleaning fluids on your child’s toys.  Remember, your baby will put EVERYTHING in his mouth!

Wayne