Frozen Birthday Party

Like a lot of girls right now, my daughter wanted a Frozen birthday party.  My husband, who is a little Frozen crazy too, wanted to give her a big Frozen party for our family and close friends.  I was hesitant.  With my husband’s big family, parties are not exactly fun to plan and carry out.  But since Kayla was so excited, I decided to go ahead and do it.  The party was a success, but did require a lot of work to plan out.

As life sometimes happens, the morning of the party, Kayla woke up sick with an upset stomach.  Although the party went well, we didn’t get to put up all the decorations and do everything we planned, but we did get mostly everything done.  Kayla was a trooper while we set up for the party and during 3/4’s of the party.  Toward the end, her upset stomach started to catch up to her.

Here are some highlights from the party.

We had cardboard stand ups so the kids could take pictures with them, and we used the Olaf one to play Pin the Nose on Olaf.  The kids loved them.

We played Sven’s Buckets, and used fake snowballs to throw into the buckets.  This was my daughter’s favorite game/activity at the party.

Then we played Pin the Nose on Olaf.

Next up was building a snowman with Olaf stickers.  I had a set of Olaf stickers for all the kids where they have to put him together.  I also had other Frozen stickers, so they could create their own Frozen ornaments.

I decorated a cake table for Kayla’s Frozen cake and Olaf cupcakes.  It came out really pretty.

Kayla got a lot of present, and only about a third of them were Frozen related.  Which was fine with us because she’s getting plenty of Frozen stuff on her actual birthday and for Christmas.

Party planning

Frozen Fridays

As with many kids right now, especially little girls, my daughter loves everything Frozen. We have the dvd, the cd in the car, posters on the wall, several shirts, gym shoes, a backpack and lunch bag, an Elsa costume, coloring books, reading books, dolls, etc. The list goes on and on. Whatever we can find in the stores and online that is reasonably priced, we buy it. Although she has only watched the movie a handful off times, she has listened to the cd more times than I could possibly remember.

Due to this current obsession, I decided to do “Frozen Fridays” over the summer. My husband is always out fishing on Friday nights during the summer, and my daughter and I are free to do whatever we want for the evening. Since I am a stay at home mom, some Fridays can seem to last forever. My solution is to find activities for us to do to keep us busy. Each Friday, I would come up with different Frozen themed activities for us to do together. Although at times it has been a lot of work, it has also been fun.

Here are a few of our Frozen Friday activities:

Make your own Olaf

Make your own Frozen Cakes

Make Frozen Rice Crispie Treats

Frozen Jello

Snowball Cookies

Blue Frozen Sugar Cookies

Those are just some of our Frozen Friday activities. What type of Frozen activities have you done with your kids? I would love to hear about them, and see pictures.

Best Rides and Attractions for Preschoolers at Disney World

I’ve been to Disney World many times. The majority of my visits were when I was young, but I have been three times as an adult. I remember the rides I loved as a kid. They stand out in my mind and bring back great memories. There is nothing like being a child and going on some of the Disney classic rides for the first time. It truly is magical.

Last year when preparing for our trip, and my daughter’s first time going to Disney World, I did a lot of research. One of my main areas of focus was rides. I wanted to make sure I knew in advance what rides she was able to ride on (height requirements), and which ones were age appropriate for her. I knew there may be a few rides that she would be tall enough to get on, but she may not be quite ready for yet, for one reason or another. Luckily, since it was Disney World, she was able to ride on lots and lots of rides on our trip. She was thrilled since she is already a ride junkie.

When we went on our trip last November, we went the week before Kayla’s 3rd birthday. A year later, we are planning on going again, this time the week before her 4th birthday. Once again, I find myself researching rides to see what rides she will be tall enough to go on, and what rides are appropriate for her age. I don’t think any parent wants to take there kid on a ride that is going to traumatize them, or that will ruin their child’s love for rides. In all honesty, I think that most of the rides at Disney World are fairly tame for kids that are thrill seekers. But there are rides, for more timid riders, that may be a bit much.

So here is my list of the best rides and attractions for preschoolers at Disney World.

Magic Kingdom

– Dumbo

– It’s a Small World

– Peter Pan’s Flight

– PeopleMover

– Winnie the Pooh

– Mad Tea Party

– Regal Carrousel

– Jungle Cruise

– Magic Carpets (just like Dumbo, but with Aladdin’s carpets instead)

– Railroad

– Buzz Lightyear

– Enchanted Tales with Belle (not really a ride, but still cute)

– Under the Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid

For more daring preschoolers, like my daughter, there are even more options. Some of these have height requirements, so make sure your little ones are tall enough. I am focusing on rides that are for kids 5 and younger.

– Astro Orbiter

– Big Thunder Mountain (40 inches or taller)

– Barnstormer (35 inches or taller)

– Haunted Mansion

– Pirates of the Caribbean

– 7 Dwarfs Mine Train (the newest family roller coaster, 38 inches or taller)

– Splash Mountain (40 inches or taller)

There are all types of stuff for youngsters to enjoy at the Magic Kingdom. Some of my favorites as a kid were the Enchanted Tiki Room, Country Bears, and Carousel of Progress (which is also great for getting out of the heat).

Epcot

– Spaceship Earth

– Journey into Imagination with Figment

– Gran Fiesta Tour (World Showcase, Mexico)

– Seas of Nemo and Friends

– Soarin (40 inches or taller)

– Test Track (40 inches or taller)

– Turtle Talk with Crush

There are other stuff for the little ones to do, but some of it won’t hold their interest very well. We actually used Ellen’s Energy Adventure to put our daughter down for a nap last year. She stayed awake up until she saw the dinosaurs, then she fell asleep on my lap. Kids also enjoy the kidcot fun spots. It can keep the kids entertained while adults and older kids check out the shops.

Animal Kingdom

– Dinosaur (40 inches or taller)

– Kali River Rapids (38 inches or taller)

– Kilimanjaro Safaris

– TriceraTop Spin

There are a lot of shows, trails to see animals, and areas to keep the kids busy at Animal Kingdom. This was my husband’s favorite park because it’s more laidback. Not as many rides. There’s a lot of nature. It also has an education aspect to it.

Hollywood Studios (MGM to those of you that haven’t been there in years.)

– Great Movie Ride

– Star Tours (40 inches or taller)

– Toy Story Mania

– Tower of Terror (40 inches or taller)

Hollywood Studios is a great place to see lots of shows for the little ones. They have the Muppets, Disney Junior, Beauty and the Beast, and Voyage of the Little Mermaid. There aren’t a ton of rides here, but the shows and atmosphere make it worth it. And now this year they have a Frozen Sing Along that will delight all the little Frozen fans.

Disney World’s four theme parks are definitely geared towards kids and families. They have plenty of rides for young kids, with just enough stuff for older kids and adults to stay interested. I hear parents all the time worry about taking kids under 5 to Disney World because they think the little ones won’t have enough to do. Believe me, there will be more than enough stuff to keep your little one entertained at the World. It’s well worth the money.