With a wide variety of characters, the Backyardigans has become an instant favorite with kids all over. Both boys and girls enjoy the adventures of Tasha, Austin, Pablo, Uniqua and Tyrone. Not only that, but these cartoons help to show children that they can go anywhere, so long as they use their imagination! What a great party theme for your child’s next birthday party.

To start out the party, why not have everyone make a mask of their favorite character? Just find a coloring book, copy all the characters’ faces on a sturdy paper and let the guests color and cut them out. With yarn, you can tie them on. Or, go to NickJr.com and you can print out character finger puppets that you can all make together.

Next, you can play a game of “ghost” hide and seek. Have one guest be Tasha, who is never afraid of ghosts, while all the other guests are ghosts hiding from her. When “Tasha” finds a ghost, have the ghost try to scare her. Once all the ghosts are found, a new “Tasha” can be chosen and you can start again.

After playing hide and seek, get out a few soccer balls and all the guests can become “Soccer Monsters”! Split the guests into pairs and they can dribble the ball back and forth. After some kicking practice, you can have all the little monsters try to make a goal. Allow each child to make at least one goal and pass out certificates of achievement with a “Backyardigans” theme border or clip art on it.

Now, why not let the kids dance? One thing that the Backyardigans characters love to do is dance! Get a CD of popular kids’ songs, or even Backyardigans tunes, and allow your guest to create some dance moves of their own. If you are better at singing, you can always teach your guests a song or two from some of their favorite episodes.

Food at a Backyardigans party is easy to choose. At the end of every episode, one character invites everyone else over for a snack! You can choose from pretzels, cheese crackers, carrot sticks, graham crackers, milk, hot chocolate, and an endless list of other yummy treats. Before the party, have the guests tell you of their favorite Backyardigans snack choice and have it available for everyone to enjoy.

At the end of the party, when presents have been opened and guests are good and tired, why not show one of the currently available “Backyardigans” DVDs? This will give everyone a quiet time to relax after all that activity, but still be entertaining and enjoyable. All the episodes are relatively short, so parents won’t have to wait long if they arrive in the middle of it. If you don’t have that much time, or are avoiding the television at your party, you can always read one of the numerous books based on the movie to the guests.

Party supplies, like cups, plates, napkins, decorations, invitations and thank you notes, with a “Backyardigans” theme are not currently available at many party store outlets. However, there are some kits available on the larger auction websites, like eBay. If you start your party planning early enough and win the bid, you supply needs won’t be a problem. Even with plain, but colorful, paper products, your party is sure to be a big hit! (Tip: when ordering online, leave plenty of time for shipping!)