Even parents will recognize the stories about Emily Elizabeth and her big red dog, Clifford. The picture book series has been around for many years, with the cartoon series and new books recently put on the market. With the wholesome stories and loveable characters, why not make Clifford the theme for your next child’s birthday party.

For a Clifford party, a fun event would be to have Clifford come to meet the kids! Many costume shops locally (and online) rent Clifford costumes for a reasonable fee. Have Clifford come to meet the guests, take pictures of the guests with Clifford as take home souvenirs, and maybe even have Clifford sign some autographs! (Get another adult volunteer or your teen babysitter to help out by being in the costume for 30 minutes or so.)

Clifford can go home to eat (or get a bath, or take a nap) after a short time and you can begin the party games. An enjoyable game that is educational is bingo. There is a unique ABC bingo game with a Clifford theme that you can find at many discount stores! One game is enough for a large group to be able to play!

After bingo, you can have the guests go digging for treasure – puppy dog style! In a large kiddie pool full of sand, bury toy bones of every shape, size and color. If you want to make it a competition, know the exact number and have the guests find them all. The person to find all the bones in the shortest amount of time wins! Those guests that have real dogs at home can take the bones home and give their pets a treat!

Once you’ve finished digging for treasure, you can play some games that Clifford and his friends, T-Bone and Cleo, love to play. Hide and seek and freeze tag are two of their favorites! They also love playing on the “doggie playground”, so if you have a swing set and a slide in your yard, you can build in some free time for outdoor activity.

Food at a Clifford party is easy. You see people having dinner and picnics all the time in the books and the television show. Dishes like pasta are usually a big hit with young kids. You can also tempt them with delicious turkey and cheese sandwiches. Any kind of fruit, vegetable and dairy product can be offered, because more than likely it has been shown at least once in a Clifford episode.

Once the presents have been opened and the party is winding down, you can have the guests gather around a large open area and put together a puzzle or two with cute Clifford pictures. You could put out several of the paperback picture books and easy readers for the guests to enjoy, too. If you wish, you could play one of the many Clifford television series episodes for the guests, as well. Any of the above are calming activities that will get the kids ready to be picked up.

Paper products are easy to find for a Clifford themed party. You can find all kinds of paper products, like cups, plates, napkins and streamers! You can find your invitations and thank you notes in an identical or similar design, too. Just look at your local party outlet store or at a party retailer online. (Tip: when buying online, leave plenty of time for shipping!)