Baby Duckie

Rubber Ducky Theme Party Games and Recipes

Duck Swim

Invite your guests to bring their favorite rubber ducky with them to the party! If you have an inflatable pool, or large movable tub, fill it up for the rubber duckies to swim in. If the weather permits, let the children get wet and play too.

No matter what, the children will love seeing the other rubber duckies and watching all the ducks swim together.

Rubber Ducky Placemats

Purchase a coloring book with a duck theme, crayons, thin pieces of cardboard (for stiffening the placemats), and a roll of clear Con-Tact paper. Remove pages from the coloring book and cut the cardboard to match the size of 2 coloring pages. (Cut the Con-Tact paper a little larger). At the party, give each child two pages and let them have fun coloring.

When they’re finished, lay the pictures on top of the cardboard and cover it with the clear Con-Tact paper.

Duck, Duck, Goose

This classic children’s game is perfect for any party. Seat your guests in a circle and let the birthday child begin as the “Goose.” He/she walks around the circle tapping each child on the head, saying “Duck” with each tap. When the birthday child is ready to choose the next person to be the Goose, he/she says “Goose” when tapping the chosen person on the head. That child must get up and chase the birthday child around the circle. If the new Goose does not tag the birthday child before he/she makes it all the way around the circle and sits in the open spot, then the new Goose becomes “it.” If the new Goose tags the birthday child, then the birthday child remains “it” for the next round.

Duck Pond Game

The object of this game is to toss the ducks into the pond. It is even more fun if you have a yellow rain hat for the thrower to wear. If you have an inflatable baby pool, or large tub, use it as the target. If not, decorate an empty cardboard box like a pond, coloring the inside blue. Take turns and help each youngster try to toss their rubber ducky into the pond from a short distance away.

Even if you have to toss the ducks for the children, they will still enjoy the game!

Edible Necklaces

Children will need help with this activity, but they will love making (and tasting) their jewelry. For young kids, Cheerios®, or any plain, doughnut-shaped cereal is the best material to use. Although you can use thread to string the jewelry, a thicker material is easier for kids to hold, as long as it fits through the hole in the center of the cereal. Use thin licorice whips for completely edible necklaces and bracelets.

Storytime

Gather your guests together to listen to a wonderful story! Even though they may not understand all the words, the children will enjoy sitting together and looking at the pictures. This is a great activity for entertaining the kids while everyone arrives, or helping them calm down as the party comes to an end.

Delectable Treats

Rubber Ducky Cake

Make your celebrations even more fun and easy with home-baked treats from Pillsbury®, our favorite brand of baking mixes.
Prep Time: 1 hour (Ready in 2 hours 40 minutes)
Makes 12 servings

Ingredients

Cake
1 (18.25-oz.) pkg. Pillsbury® Moist Supreme® Yellow Cake Mix
1 1/4 cups water
1/3 cup oil
2 eggs

Frosting
1 (16-oz.) can Pillsbury® Creamy Supreme® Vanilla Frosting
Yellow gel or paste food color
Red gel or paste food color
Blue gel or paste food color

Equipment & Decorations
Toothpicks
1 (6-inch) bamboo skewer
2 blue candy-coated chocolate pieces
Black decorating icing
2 wedge-shaped grapefruit jelly candies or large yellow gumdrops

Directions
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour 1 1/2­quart ovenproof bowl, two 10­oz. custard cups and one 6­oz. custard cup. In large bowl, combine all cake ingredients; beat at low speed until moistened. Beat 2 minutes at medium speed. Pour 1/2 cup batter into each greased and floured 10­oz. custard cup and 1/3 cup batter into 6­oz. cup; pour remaining batter into greased and floured bowl. Place bowl in oven first, then custard cups.
2. Bake at 350°F. Bake cakes in custard cups for 20 to 25 minutes; bake cake in bowl for 50 to 55 minutes or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool in cups and bowl for 15 minutes. Remove cakes from cups and bowl; place on wire rack. Cool 30 minutes or until completely cooled.
3. Reserve 1/2 cup white frosting for water; reserve about 1 teaspoon white frosting for eyes. Place remaining frosting in medium bowl. Add yellow food color; blend well. Reserve 3 tablespoons yellow frosting for beak.
4. Trim tops of all cup cakes so that top is flat. Cut about 1 inch off flat side of bowl cake; reserve for later use. Place bowl cake, flat side down, on platter or foil­covered cardboard for body of duck. Cut 6­oz. cup cake in half crosswise to form 2 wing pieces. With toothpicks, attach wing pieces to side of rounded cake.
5. Spread small amount of yellow frosting on flat side of one 10­oz. cup cake; place second cup cake, flat side against frosting, to form head. With bamboo skewer, attach "head" to "body." From reserved 1­inch­thick piece, cut two 1­inch triangles for tail piece. Place small amount of yellow frosting on 1 triangle. Place triangles together; attach to "body."
6. Frost cake with yellow frosting. Spread 1/2 teaspoon white frosting on each side of head for eye; place blue candy in center. Outline "eye" with black decorating icing.
7. Add red food color to reserved 3 tablespoons yellow frosting; blend well to make orange frosting. To make beak, use wedge­shaped jelly candies. Or, flatten large gumdrops and cut into two 1 1/2­inch triangles; insert toothpick into short side of each triangle. Frost candies or triangles with orange frosting. Position on cake for beak.
8. Add blue food color to reserved 1/2 cup white frosting; blend well. Frost platter around "duck" with blue frosting to resemble water.

HIGH ALTITUDE (ABOVE 3500 FEET): Add 1/4 cup flour to dry cake mix; increase water to 1 1/3 cups. Bake as directed above.

Animal Quackers

Fill a bowl with plain animal crackers. Set out for the children to snack on during the party, or send a box home with each child as a party favor. Or, if you prefer, serve “quackers” and cheese instead.

Banana Smoothies

1. Mash 3 medium-sized bananas in a large bowl and add 1 cup (8 oz.) low-fat vanilla yogurt.
2. Thin with 1/2 cup milk, or more, until the mixture reaches desired consistency.

Makes approx. eight 1/2-cup servings.

Simply Delicious Sandwiches

Get the gang together for these fun-shaped sandwiches. Make your child’s favorite kind of sandwich, and use cookie cutters to cut them into familiar shapes, such as triangles, circles, stars, etc. For added fun, cut sandwiches into duck shapes.

Jell-O Jigglers®

1. Purchase several packages of your child’s favorite flavors of Jell-O brand gelatin.
2. Follow the directions on the package to make the popular Jell-O Jigglers®.
3. To make these fun to eat, use cookie cutters to make fun shapes!
4. Lay them out on a platter and let the kids choose the shape they want.

Sunny Lemonade

Sunshine brings a smile to anyone’s face, so your guests are sure to love this sweet treat!

1. Combine 2 cups of sugar, 1 cup lemon juice, and the juice from 6 freshly squeezed lemons.
2. Stir until sugar dissolves completely.
3. Pour mixture into a 2-quart container and fill with cold water.
4. Add ice to cool.

Creative Cupcakes

Your little tots will be delighted when they’re served their own miniature birthday cake.

1. Simply bake your child’s favorite kind of cupcakes or muffins and let them cool.
2. Since elaborate decoration isn’t necessary to please young children, keep it simple. Frost with a thin layer of icing or top them with sprinkles.

Don’t forget to stick a candle in the birthday child’s cupcake!

Cake & Ice Cream Sandwiches

Your ducklings will quack for more after they get a taste of these scrumptious sandwiches!

You will need:
1/2 gallon of your favorite ice cream (or frozen yogurt)
16 small angel food dessert cakes, or 8 cupcakes, or 8 muffins (if you choose to use muffins or cupcakes, cut each one in half to make two sandwich parts)

1. Fill a pastry bag with softened ice cream, or use a knife to spread the ice cream on the bottom half of each dessert cake, muffin, or cupcake.
2. Place the remaining halves on top to finish.
3. Wrap the sandwiches in foil or plastic wrap and freeze.

Decorating Tips

Spread your tablecover on your party table. If your child has any theme-related toys, you can add them to the table for a more festive display. Cut several one-to-two-foot-long pieces of curling ribbon. Curl the ribbon by pulling it between your thumb and the blade of your scissors. Lay the resulting curls on your table for added color.

Hang balloons in bunches for the best effect. If you choose to fill balloons with helium, wait until the party day to ensure they float well! Use balloons to mark the party spot; hang them on the mailbox, near the front door, or tie them to the birthday child's chair to mark the seat of honor.

Place balloons anywhere that strikes your fancy. The more the better!

Gather six or eight streamers and attach them to the ceiling in the center of the party room (or over the table). Use a light fixture over the table, if you have one, as the center point for the streamers.

To create colorful two-tone streamers, put two differently colored streamers back-to-back, twist as you walk them to the wall, and attach at shoulder height.