It is a whole lot cheaper to avoid buying all the Minecraft-licensed stuff and, fortunately, you can do a lot with only a little, as I describe below.
For invitations, I downloaded some Minecraft fonts and fired up Microsoft Word to create the invitations. Minecrafter V3 and Minecratia were the two I used.
For the cake, I went to my local Publix (which makes the best birthday cakes I've ever had), and had them make a layered chocolate and vanilla cake with white buttercream frosting and red squares of varying sizes on top. This is to make it look like the cake that appears in the game itself.
For an extra Minecraftian sugar kick, I went I to a candy store and bought goodies that looked like Minecraft objects. I used the placards from the party printables site I used for the Bingo game (see below). This was a big hit with the kids! Of course we had to have an adult serve out the candy - otherwise it would have been like a pack of wolverines fighting over a fresh kill!
Now for the best part - the activities!
We are having his party in a private room at a local pizza place, so the activities are going to have to need a small footprint and not be messy. Here is what I have come up with:
Minecraft Tile Puzzle Craft
It is tough coming up with an easy, low cost crafting activity - but I was inspired by a recent trip to a Lego event where you assembled a small 2" by 2" square and added it to a specific location on a larger board, which ultimately created a mosaic of a larger picture.
Legos are expensive, but thanks to the work of this site that has color-by-number Minecraft pictures, you can do your own with just a little work!
You will need the following materials:
Well, that's all I've got. I hope this is helpful to you. The party was a big success and everyone had fun. All that and I saved quite a few bucks in the process!
RESOURCES
Here are links to the resources I will be using:
Minecraft Fonts
http://textcraft.net/download-fonts.php
Minecraft Bingo Game
http://catchmyparty.com/blog/free-printable-minecraft-bingo-game
Gravel Pit Explorer Tiles Template
Now for the best part - the activities!
We are having his party in a private room at a local pizza place, so the activities are going to have to need a small footprint and not be messy. Here is what I have come up with:
Minecraft Tile Puzzle Craft
It is tough coming up with an easy, low cost crafting activity - but I was inspired by a recent trip to a Lego event where you assembled a small 2" by 2" square and added it to a specific location on a larger board, which ultimately created a mosaic of a larger picture.
Legos are expensive, but thanks to the work of this site that has color-by-number Minecraft pictures, you can do your own with just a little work!
You will need the following materials:
- Hard copies of one or more color-by-number pictures
- White card stock
- Foam board (found under school supplies at your local retail store)
- Glue stick
- Box cutter / razor knife
- Colored Sharpies
Glue the picture to the foam board and then cut the grid into squares using the box cutter. I've found 5x5 squares work best. Be sure to keep up with the key so you know what color goes with which number!
When you have a drawing cut out, write down a sequential number order on the back side. If you are doing more than one picture, be sure to use different colored Sharpies! You can also color the side of the foam board for extra help in keeping the pieces together.
The great thing about this activity is that you can have many kids working together to put the picture together without having to take turns or wait on a particular person. This is a great first activity so people that arrive late can still participate without holding up the party. It is also good for younger siblings who may be tagging along to the party.
Gravel Pit Explorer (a Jenga game variant)
This game is the one I am most looking forward to trying out, since this is my own idea. If you have ever played Minecraft, you know that you have to watch out for gravel blocks. Unlike all the other non-liquid blocks, they will always fall to the ground if whatever is beneath them is removed. This can be very dangerous if you are digging over your head!
The premise of the game is that each player wants to find and extract the most valuable ore without causing the surrounding gravel to collapse. To create the game, you need the following materials:
16 Cobblestone
11 Coal
9 Iron
7 Redstone
The great thing about this activity is that you can have many kids working together to put the picture together without having to take turns or wait on a particular person. This is a great first activity so people that arrive late can still participate without holding up the party. It is also good for younger siblings who may be tagging along to the party.
Gravel Pit Explorer (a Jenga game variant)
This game is the one I am most looking forward to trying out, since this is my own idea. If you have ever played Minecraft, you know that you have to watch out for gravel blocks. Unlike all the other non-liquid blocks, they will always fall to the ground if whatever is beneath them is removed. This can be very dangerous if you are digging over your head!
The premise of the game is that each player wants to find and extract the most valuable ore without causing the surrounding gravel to collapse. To create the game, you need the following materials:
- 1 Jenga game
- Avery address labels 5160/8160 (30 per sheet, 1" x 2 5/8")
- This template
- Scissors
16 Cobblestone
11 Coal
9 Iron
7 Redstone
5 Gold
3 Lapis Lazuli
2 Diamond
1 Emerald
You can either assign a point value to the ore types or you can play more loosely. What is neat about the game is that as it progresses, you will begin to see ore before having to move pieces. (You will want to mix up the blocks before each game and keep people from looking during set up!) Then the challenge becomes whether to go for it or take a chance in picking an unknown block.
The game ends when the Jenga tower falls. If you want, you can punish the one who causes the tower to fall by having him or her lose one of the most valuable ore claimed during the game.
Creeper Knock-Down
A classic game with a Minecraft theme. Knock down the creepers using a ball or another ranged weapon!
You will need the following materials:
Pin the Pixelated Tail on the Pig
Another classic game - Pin the Tail on the Donkey, but with Minecraft style! Instead of a donkey, you will make a Minecraft pig. For added fun, instead of a blindfold, you can use the Minecraft masks you can buy at Target and tape up the eye holes so there is no peeking.
You will need the following materials:
Pink, white, and black construction paper (lots of pink)
Minecraft Bingo
This one is as simple as you can get, thanks to the great work of Jillian over at CatchMyParty.com. Just print off this template and get a couple bags of Skittles or M&Ms for board pieces.
2 Diamond
1 Emerald
You can either assign a point value to the ore types or you can play more loosely. What is neat about the game is that as it progresses, you will begin to see ore before having to move pieces. (You will want to mix up the blocks before each game and keep people from looking during set up!) Then the challenge becomes whether to go for it or take a chance in picking an unknown block.
The game ends when the Jenga tower falls. If you want, you can punish the one who causes the tower to fall by having him or her lose one of the most valuable ore claimed during the game.
Creeper Knock-Down
A classic game with a Minecraft theme. Knock down the creepers using a ball or another ranged weapon!
You will need the following materials:
- 6-12 green plastic cups
- Black Sharpie
- Toy bow & arrow (or a wiffle ball)
Pin the Pixelated Tail on the Pig
Another classic game - Pin the Tail on the Donkey, but with Minecraft style! Instead of a donkey, you will make a Minecraft pig. For added fun, instead of a blindfold, you can use the Minecraft masks you can buy at Target and tape up the eye holes so there is no peeking.
You will need the following materials:
Pink, white, and black construction paper (lots of pink)
- Poster board (if you don't want to hang it directly on the wall)
- Minecraft 3-D Mask (or a regular blindfold...but not as much fun!)
- Masking tape for the pig tail game pieces
Again, this is pretty self-explanatory. One tip though is to have each kid put his or her name on the tail so you can keep up with who wins!
Minecraft Bingo
This one is as simple as you can get, thanks to the great work of Jillian over at CatchMyParty.com. Just print off this template and get a couple bags of Skittles or M&Ms for board pieces.
Just read off the numbers/pictures randomly. Stress to the kids that they can't eat their markers until they get a Bingo. The kids can eat them after the game!
I'm not big on having a highly competitive game at a birthday party so having the reward for getting a Bingo to be able to eat their pieces makes it fun because everyone wins and the ones that are done still sit quietly as they eat their candy. This worked really well at our party!
Well, that's all I've got. I hope this is helpful to you. The party was a big success and everyone had fun. All that and I saved quite a few bucks in the process!
RESOURCES
Here are links to the resources I will be using:
Minecraft Fonts
http://textcraft.net/download-fonts.php
Minecraft Bingo Game
http://catchmyparty.com/blog/free-printable-minecraft-bingo-game
Gravel Pit Explorer Tiles Template
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