Ready, Set, Color Party

Crayons inspired this birthday bash.

Supply each of your child's pals with a pack of crayons before the party. Write or print out party details on hanging tags. For fun, have the birthday boy or girl add a drawing. Attach to crayon boxes with yarn.

What's more fun than an afternoon of coloring? Cover your floor with sheets of art paper, and fill several containers with crayons. Then step back, and let the little artists show off their stuff!

A coloring book keeps creativity flowing after the party's over. Simply print pages from sites like www.crayola.com, and bind with a decorative cover. Add a pocket for kids to stash crayons.

• Patterned paper and stickers from Me & My Big Ideas; visit www.meandmybigideas.com.

This clever cake will really draw the kids to the table!

• 1 box (18.5 oz.) yellow-cake mix
• 2 cans (16 oz. each) vanilla frosting
• Blue, green, orange, red, and yellow food coloring
• 5 Yodels or Ho Hos
• 1 cup dark-chocolate-fudge frosting
• Green sour-licorice strips

1. Using pound-cake variation (add instant pudding and 1 extra egg), prepare cake mix according to package directions for one 9" x 13" cake. Cool cake completely.
2. Divide 1 can of frosting among six small bowls. Tint bowls blue, green, orange, red, yellow, and light green (mix a drop of yellow with green food coloring). Place light green in resealable plastic bag. Trim one end of each Yodel to form crayon tips.
3. Place Yodels on wire rack. Microwave one bowl of frosting 5 to 10 seconds in microwave, or until consistency of slightly whipped cream. Pour over one Yodel, and let set; repeat with remaining colors and Yodels.
4. Trim cake to make level, and invert onto serving plate. Measure 4" in from center of one short end of cake. Score one half-circle from corners to 4" mark. Following score mark and using a serrated knife, cut out 1"-thick flat piece of cake (to create opening of crayon box). Reserve 1/2 cup vanilla frosting. Tint remaining frosting orange-yellow. Frost half circle with vanilla frosting; frost remaining cake with orange-yellow frosting. Pipe green frosting onto bottom corners of "crayon box," and spread with small knife. Pipe a green outline on white frosting. Place row of "crayons" on cake, trimming to fit. Put chocolate frosting in resealable plastic bag, snip off corner, and pipe lines and circles onto crayons. Place licorice strips to outline green frosting on bottom corners. Serves 16.

Copyright © 2003. Reprinted with permission from the May 2003 issue of Parents magazine.