International Youth Day 2012

Happy International Youth Day! For those of you like us, who until recently,  were in the boat of "what exactly is this?" Here's a great informational page. But in short, it's a day created by the UN to partner youth across the world with UN officials to discuss issues facing the future generation. Of course this just makes our girl power princess hearts swell! It's never too early to be the change you want to see. Visit their Facebook page and see how you and your princess can contribute to royal rulings for the future :)

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Mary Poppins Party

Earlier this week we brought you to a magical party location that whirled and twirled with beautifully decorated animals and music. Le Carrousel in Bryant Park that is! I know when we think of carousels Mary Poppins is one of the first characters who come to mind. Our Mary Poppins has been lucky enough to get quite a few invitations to parties this year. Which makes her pretty popular over here at Princess Headquarters. So we put together an inspiring pin board to help you pull together your very own Mary Poppins party! Of course no party would be complete without a visit from Mary herself :) But before for we get ahead of ourselves....here's some highlights from the board.

PARTY SET UP

Most Mary Poppins parties can be broken down into two themes. Jolly Holiday with the carousel, light pastel colors, and some supercalifragilistic on the side. The other theme we noticed was the "all the other time Mary Poppins." With a more traditional black and red London color theme, kites, chimney sweeps and a giant Mary Poppins bag. We've compiled a little of everything. Who says you can't have it all?!

Cute themed invitation.

Non-Jolly Holiday color theme. LOVE the wall decal decorations. 

Pretty carousel inspired sweets stand.

"Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down"

Sweets and treats inspired by a day at the races.

ACTIVITIES!!

NYPP sincerely believes that no party is complete without some inspired activities. These are just a few examples below. The best part is that these activities can be adjusted to fit an age range of 3-10. So great options for mixed gender and mixed age parties!!

Create your own kite! Or for little ones under 5 provide the kites pre-constructed and ready for them to decorate with stickers and crayons. 

A music station with instruments lets anyone become a one man band. Or become a group band and let Mary lead a sing along!

Remember the amazing chalk art that Mary, Bert and the kids jump into  to go to the races?  Hand out some chalk and let your guests go to town on the drive way or sidewalk. 

Dressing for a party is almost as fun as attending the party. Encourage your guests to come in their afternoon English best. Hats and white gloves? Oh why yes please!

In other Mary news...our very own Mary Poppins will be at Pier 1, Riverside Park on August 18th for FlyNY Kite Festival. She'll be there beginning at 11am and providing FREE face painting!! See you there :)

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The Reading Corner: A Very Fairy Princess

The New York Princess Party reading corner blog posts are to showcase "princess approved" children's books from our royal library. Happy reading!  

This week in the reading corner we bring you an adorable book written by none other than Julie Andrews and Emma Walton Hamilton. Yep...THE Julie Andrews. How could it not be something wonderful?! The story invites little ones and grown up princesses alike to "Let their inner sparkle out!" The story follows a whimsical girl named Gerry who is convinced she is real life very fairy princess. She spends her days practicing all things fairy princess and ready to solve any problem that may arise in her kingdom. Christine Davenier provides wonderful illustrations!

A Very Fairy Princess is the first in a series of three books that follow our heroine Gerry. Check out all of them on the official book website! Happy reading :)

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Whimsical Party Location - Le Carrousel in Bryant Park

Ooh! Aaah!

As we covered in our 2012 Olympian blog post, us New Yorkers need to make the most of this beautiful summer weather! So today we explore the whimsical party location of Le Carrousel in Bryant Park. (Among some fun linkage to other carousels in NYC). First, a little history lesson! According the internet (which is always reliable) The word "carousel" has been traced to twelfth-century Arabian games of horsemanship called "carosellos" or "little wars." The game consisted of riders tossing a small perfumed clay ball from one rider to another. By the 16th century these games spread to France where the events were elaborated; people wore fanciful costumes and engaged in tournaments of drama called "Carrousels." Eventually the art form became more tactile, as artists began to sculpt crudely shaped horses. In the late nineteenth century American artists broke from European tradition. To the dashing horses, artists added an entire menagerie of elegant animals, often accompanied by flowers, bells, plump cherubs, and flashing mirrors.

The carousel in Bryant Park was built specifically to compliment the aesthetics of the park by artists located in Brooklyn. They offer all sorts of GREAT birthday party packages starting for as little as $360. When you save that much money on your party location, it gives you the perfect excuse to add a little extra something special....like a visit from Mary Poppins and Bert! We had the privilege to attend a party at Le Carrousel earlier this summer and had a blast!! Contact us for pricing starting as low as $275 for a character visit and activities.

Don't get discouraged if Manhattan isn't your Burrough. Time Out NY Kids just came out with a list this past month of carousels all over the 5 Burroughs! With these whimsical party locations, the sky's the limit on your theme party this summer. Next posting we'll be sharing some Mary Popppins themed party inspiration straight from our Pinterest page. So......

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Happy Friendship Day!

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Calling All Olympians!

With the 2012 Olympics well underway in London and the fantastic summer weather here in NYC, it could not be a better time for an outdoor Olympian themed party! We searched our memories for our favorite field day activities growing up, as well as did some Pinterest scouring to put together an amazing new board for your party inspiration. Let's take a look at some of the highlights!

SET THE STAGE

Greet your guests at an athlete's registration table and provide any materials for the party. (Team jersey, favors etc.)

Cupcakes are an easy way to serve guests quickly and don't require extra tableware. 

This is an adorable and creative themed table.



ACTIVITIES!

A relay race gets pretty silly when each contestant must relay in the style of card selected.

3 legged race is the ultimate team work!

This looks hilarious and fun! Shower caps are put on and topped with shaving cream or whip cream. Then the team mate must see how many cheetos they can get to stick a landing.

A small balance beam is an easy DIY with a couple blocks and a 2x4.

Kids can get crafty with a medal decoration craft.

Lucky for you we have characters AND party coordinators who can lead children through games at your Olympian party! Better yet, book your party before the end of August and your birthday child will receive a free gift at the time of our visit!!

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The Reading Corner: The Best Birthday Party Ever

The New York Princess Party reading corner blog posts are to showcase "princess approved" children's books from our royal library. Happy reading!  

Join this birthday girl as she plans the ultimate birthday bash! Who cares if it's not for another 6 months? Authors Jennifer LaRue Huget and LeUyen Pham capture that special feeling all little girls have on their birthday. Highly recommended for story time on your little princess's big day or leading up to the excitement :) Maybe you'll pick up some over the top party inspiration along the way!

Click image to purchase on Amazon!

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