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Community Corner

Celebrate National Pizza Party Day

Inexpensive ways to have fun on National Pizza Party Day, Sunday, May 15.

Believe it or not, there is actually a National Pizza Party Day.  In fact, it is on the same day as National Chocolate Chip Day, Sunday May 15.  Who can pass up an opportunity to eat pizza and cookies?  Not me, that’s for sure! 

At first glance, the word party may send you running for the hills.  But the beauty of these wacky celebrations is that you can be as elaborate or as simple as you like.  The following ideas give you a sampling of both.  

Décor

* Start by putting on some Italian music  (Christmas Tree Shop usually has CDs for less than $5).

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* A red and white checkered tablecloth is a great way to give your house the feel of an old pizzeria. 

* Ask a local pizza place if they will give you a pizza box or two—These can be used as both a decoration or to serve your finished pizzas in.

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* Write out the menu—Use a small chalkboard or poster board to a menu board that you would find at the entrance of a restaurant.

Activities

Pretend Play

My Very Own Restaurant 

  • Use any and all pizzeria type pretend food.  Don’t forget the dishes, pizza cutters, pans and oven mitts. Allow the kids to create the restaurant however they would like.
  • A pretend cash register or calculator can be used at the take out counter.
  • Kid-sized aprons and small notebooks for taking orders
  • Menus for local pizza places
  • Empty Pizza Boxes and empty Parmesan cheese containers

Playdough

My kids have a cute little cooking set that they use to make all sorts of food (that I got at for free at a yard sale). But that isn’t needed, simple rolling pins and pretend pizza cutters are great. Circle and triangle cookie cutters are another way to create playdough pizza.

Crafts

* Make your own Chef hats: http://familyfun.go.com/crafts/chef-hats-craft-664871/

* Paper or Felt pizzas

  • Cut a large tan circle for crust
  • For sauce, cut an irregular round red shape a bit smaller than the crust. 
  • Cut thick yellow strips for the cheese
  • For toppings, red circle pepperonis, green slices for peppers, etc.
  • Paper pizzas will require gluing the pieces together.  The felt version can be used repeatedly.

* Pizza Coloring Sheets…It doesn’t get any easier than this.  Click the link to print: http://www.leehansen.com/coloring/Parties/index.htm

Let’s Get Cookin

Kids love making their own pizza, so break out the rolling pins, aprons and let ‘em at it!  It keeps them busy and you do not have to make dinner!  Plus, it’s usually cheaper than take out.

Ingredients:

  • Pizza Dough (I use the refrigerator kind which typically runs about $2.50/each but the bakery also sells dough for about $1.00) 
  • Tomato Sauce (Shaw’s had jarred sauce for $1.49 last week)
  • Shredded mozzarella cheese (32 oz. for $9.49 at Shaw’s)
  • Variety of toppings; pepperoni, onions, hamburger, eggplant, ham, pineapple (Tip-leftovers often make great toppings, so shop your fridge first)

Instructions:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  • Spray baking pan (one per pizza) with cooking spray to prevent sticking
  • Have the kids roll the dough to desired thickness on each baking pan
  • Allow the kids to form an assembly line to layer the sauce, cheese and desired toppings. (Tip-A divided plastic snack tray works well as a toppings caddy)
  • Cook to package instructions
  • Cool and cut into slices, kitchen shears work best

Games       

* Learning to Listen Pizza Palace game by Noodleboro.  We got this on clearance a while back, but it’s a cute game if you happen to stumble upon it.  Also could work as decorations if you were planning a pizza themed birthday party.     

* Pizza Party Bingo- Download the cards and instructions from, http://www.questexperiences.com/quest2/products/pizzabingo.asp Have the kids yell PIZZA when they win!

* Pass The Pizza

Use a piece of pretend pizza to pass while the music plays, when the music stops, the child holding the pizza is "out!"

Continue until you have the winner-no prizes necessary, kids enjoy the prestige of winning and don’t need any more toys.

* Musical Pizzas

Just like musical chairs-substitute chairs for pizza themed spots such as, red circle cutouts-pepperonis, pizza coloring sheets (that the kids colored previously) and tops of pizza boxes

* Pin the Pepperoni on the Pizza

  • Cut a medium sized circle out of brown paper.
  • Decorate the circle as a cheese pizza.  Color the inner circle red (leaving enough brown for the crust) and gluing yellow strips of paper for the cheese.
  • Cut out small red circles from paper for the pepperonis (to pin).
  • Put a scotch tape roll on the back of each pepperoni as you blindfold the child whose turn it is.

* Pizza Delivery Obstacle Course: You can play this pizza party game in teams or individually. Using a pizza delivery box as the pizza, the kids try to deliver it despite many obstacles.  Obstacles are only limited by space and your imagination.  Obstacles could include, climbing over pillows, crawling under a table, walking around scattered chairs, etc.

***

Some of the above ideas have been adapted from the following websites:

http://www.kids-cooking-activities.com/kids-homemade-pizza-party.html

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