23863

Legends Of Zelda - Create Foam Shields

June 2012

Denise in Apex, NC USA

Special Mention

INVITATIONS: You can order from Birthday Express some pretty cool ones, or create one using a picture on the web. I did an email and instead of using my child's picture, I used a Link picture. 

DECORATIONS: Again, Birthday Express offers a whole package, they are the only place that I am aware of that has any party supplies for the LoZ. I bought some basics, but then followed the color scheme of green,red, blue -green tablecloth, red, green, and blue balloons with r,g, or b ribbon. Same color scheme streamers. You can also do some wall murals by drawing forest or dungeon scenes on butcher paper, or go to Party City and buy pre-made scenes that might follow similar themes in Zelda. 

ACTIVITIES: We bought foam at the local craft store, and cut a general shape of a shield for each piece (pick whatever size you prefer, too large and it may get flimsy- we used about the size of a sheet of paper). Pick whichever shield shape you prefer as they vary in the game. Deku is pretty easy, as is Hyrule. Basically you just need to cut corners off. Also cut some rectangular strips of foam that you can attach as shield handles. Buy pre-made foam stickers- we used art deco that contained circles, squares, hearts, triangles, etc. And some letter shapes as well.  We got some brass brads about 1 long (size 4 I think) at Office Max.  We also bought foam markers (quick drying). Show the children how to attach the handles by punching the brads through the front of the shield and then through the rectangular strip on the back side- fasten. Place one brad on top and one on the bottom of the rectangular strip and you now have a handle. Let the children decorate the front with the stickers and markers as they wish. The triangle shapes work really well for the tri-force symbol. 

GAMES:  We used a game from  Eeboo called the mailbox party game but you can adapt it to match the theme. You can cut out different colored rupees on cardstock in the appropriate colors for Zelda. If you use 8 different boxes (treasure chests would be good or just use a small cardboard box)- you will need 8 different colored rupees per child (each child gets 1 of each of the 8 colors). Write the child's name on the rupees. Make 8 extra blank (1 of ea color)  rupees and place one on each treasure box. Hide the 8 boxes in different locations. Give each child their rupees. Explain that when the game starts they need to deliver each of their different colored rupees to the box that has that color rupee on it. You can let everyone finish and then verify that each child put the correct rupee in the correct box or make it a timed event and count who has delivered the most rupees correctly. Alternatively you can assign points to each color rupee just as in Zelda and add up points for those that were delivered correctly. Have prizes for the winner or each child and let the children pick their prizes based on scores (winner goes first etc).  

COSTUMES: you can buy link costumes tees hats all over the web amazon etsy Much Needed Merch has some great tees that make the child look like Link- have shields on them too. Goes nice with a Link hat.

PARTY SNACKS: I didn't have a ton of great ideas here. However you can make a punch - red blue or green and serve in bell jars or the craft stores have small jars that sort of look like the potion jars you can serve them in. 

CAKE: You can order edible sheets to place on a cake (bake it or order from somewhere just a plain iced cake). I ordered sheet cake with just yellow frosting no borders. Then I drew Link on it. If decorating isn't your thing you can order the edible sheet or even some figurines off amazon that can be used on the cake and then given to the child after the party.

FAVORS: Birthday Express has favor boxes complete with items but you can also create your own if you like. I bought their empty boxes (but treasure chest boxes at the local party store would work or any sort of 'sack' might work. I filled it with the following: Zelda tattoos (birthday express) Zelda stickers (Birthday Express) Gold Scale candies in clear treat bags (were gold colored sixlets from Party City) Ocarina (really just a whistle/flute from Party City) Potions (bubble jars for .25 cents at Party City in red/green/or blue- they were sort of octagon shaped small bottles) and Bongo Bongo hands (green sticky hands from Target that you slap on the wall- but Party City also have the hand clapping plastic toys or hand erasers that would work). You could also find red foil wrapped chocolate hearts for life hearts to either give as a game prize or a favor. Black sixlets or round candies in a brown bag would also make a great bomb bag for the favor boxes. "

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