Firefighter Party

Choose two or three relatively calm activities for a two-hour party. Have a few extra ideas ready just in case. Alternate crafts and other sit-down activities with active games to keep the pace of the party moving.

Reading is great between activities. It can be used to keep children occupied while a parent sets out the tableware and cake. Also, reading can be effective at the end of the party, when children are waiting for their parents to arrive. Books for preschoolers and early-elementary age children should be easy to find in your local library or bookstore. Here are some suggestions:

• Jobs People Do -- A Day in a Life of a Firefighter by Linda Hayward (DK Pub Merchandise, 2001)
• I Am a Firefighter by Cynthia Benjamin (Barrons Juveniles, 1995)
• F is for Firefighter by Dori Hillestad Butler (GHB Publishers, 2001)

Having a craft activity set up as guests arrive is a good way to corral the excitement in a positive way, since each person can start working immediately.

Ages: 4 and up

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Playing time: 20 minutes

Players: Any number

What you need:

• 2-inch Styrofoam balls, 1 per guest
• Red posterboard
• Stapler
• Black licorice twist candy
• Red "fruit by the foot" (available at most grocery store kid snack sections)
• Red Lifesavers candy, 3 per hydrant
• Tube of red frosting
• Scissors

Before the party:

1. Spray paint the foam balls with red spray paint. Let dry.

2. Cut the red posterboard into 4-inch x 8-1/2-inch rectangles, one per guest.

3. Follow the remaining directions to make one sample of the finished product to show at the party.

At the party:

4. Roll the length of each piece of posterboard around a foam ball so that the ball sits at the top of a posterboard tube. Staple closed.

5. Using the red frosting, decorate as follows: Attach a Lifesaver to the center of the posterboard cylinder. Attach a Lifesaver to either side. Trim the upper and lower edges of the posterboard hydrant with strips of fruit leather.

6. Wrap one end of the licorice twist with a small piece of fruit leather to form the end of the "fire hose."

7. Using a pencil, an adult should poke a hole through the posterboard behind the Lifesaver in the center of the hydrant. Gently insert the other end of the licorice twist.

Ages: 4 and up

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Playing time: 5 to 10 minutes

Players: Any number

What you need:

• Water balloons
• Large cardboard box
• Paint and/or markers
• Crafts knife or box cutter

Before the party:

1. Decorate the cardboard box to look like a burning house. Use a knife to cut windows and doors. Use paint and/or markers to decorate with flames.

At the party:

2. Equip each firefighter with plenty of water bombs (at least 6 to 10 per person).

3. Tell the children that the fire is burning down the house, and it is up to them to douse the fire with water to put out the flames.

4. Commence the attack! This should be great fun until the balloons run out and/or the house gets soaked. If desired, you can offer small prizes for throwing water balloons through windows or for hitting other targets you draw on the house.

Ages: 2 and up

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Playing time: 15 minutes

Players: Any number

What you need:

• White felt, purchased by the yard if available, and black felt; OR faux fur with black-and-white spots
• Scissors
• Stapler
• Crafts glue

Before the party:

1. From white felt or fake fur, cut two ears for each child using the ear pattern.

2. Cut one 24-inch x 2-inch strip of white or black felt for each child's headband. If you can't buy felt by the yard, you may need to glue two smaller strips together using fabric glue (or use a stapler to staple the strips).

3. Cut darker black felt spots to add to ears.

At the party:

4. Wrap a felt strip around each child's head for size; holding the two overlapping ends together, remove from child's head and staple the overlap to form headband. Cut off excess.

5. Attach ears to the sides of headband with the stapler.

6. Let children glue on their own "spots." Let glue dry before headbands are worn.

Use these trucks for the Fire Truck Relay Race (see next page). If desired, complete the two trucks yourself before the party.

Ages: 5 and up

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Playing time: 20 minutes

Players: Any number

What you need: (for 2 trucks)

• 2 cardboard boxes (a size of 17 x 15 x 15 inches works well)
• Crafts knife and scissors
• Red spray paint or red contruction paper or wrapping paper
• Black construction paper
• 8 aluminum pie tins
• 4 disposable yellow plastic drinking cups
• Aluminum foil
• Two oblong shirt boxes
• White paper
• Glue and/or stapler

Before the party:

1. Cut the bottom out of each cardboard box. The remaining "shells" are the bodies of the two trucks.

2. Cut a 4- x 2-inch hole on each side of each truck, near the top. The children can use these holes as handgrips while racing.

3. Spray the boxes with red paint or cover with red paper.

4. Cut strips from black construction paper to make ladders and grilles for front of trucks.

At the party:

5. Cover the shirt boxes with aluminum foil. Glue 4 or 5 vertical black construction paper lines on each box, to form the grille on the front of the trucks.

6. Glue a grille and two inverted yellow cups (which form headlights) to the front of the trucks.

7. Glue or tie the pie tins to the sides of the boxes for wheels.

8. Glue construction-paper ladders to each side of the trucks; if necessary, glue or staple two ladders together for length.

8. From white paper, cut out small rectangles for license plates. Write "FD 1" and "FD 2" or "Fire 1" and Fire 2" on the license plates and glue into place on the front and/or back of the trucks.