Kids bored with lunch? Get ready for a serious dose of creative juice that they’re sure to love! Funky Lunch has an entire gallery of artistic sandwich creations – from Hello Kitty to Sponge Bob and everything in between… there’s even a Grand Piano design with the top propped up!

These ideas are super cute for kids parties – or just anytime you want to make the little ones feel special. (I actually love the Flowers design at the top for adult tea parties or baby/bridal showers too!)

A few more favorites pictured below: Lion, Caterpillar, Crocodile, Giraffe, and of course… the Grand Piano (complete with keyboard & all)!

I have to say this is one of my favorite things I’ve stumbled on in a while – many thanks to Lil’ Peanut Patch for the find!

Most of us immediately think of kids toy sets when we hear the brand name “LEGO“, but did you know that they also make fun kitchen & dining accessories too?! Here are a few fun LEGO entertaining finds for the young & young at heart!

Pictured above: Kitchen Storage Set – 4 stackable acrylic containers in 3 different sizes with 4 colorful lids ($29.99/set), fun Egg Timer (currently sold out at lego.com but can be found elsewhere), 1×1 Salt & Pepper Set ($4.99), and Kids Cutlery with Silicone Studs – make mealtime more fun ($24.99/set)!

Pictured above – fun stuff for LEGO-themed parties! Minifigure Ice Lollipop Mould (Here’s a pic of the ice pops actually made.), Minifigure Cake Mould ($17.99), and Minifigure Cookie Cutters ($7.99).

These Ice Invaders silicone ice cube trays are way too fun! The perfect addition for any 80’s party or alien/outerspace birthday theme, they also make a great novelty gift idea for gamers or children of the Awesome 80’s! Tray measures 8.5″ x 5″.

($7.49 at perpetualkid.com)

There’s more to Easter egg decorating than what comes in a box! Give your eggs a fun, crafty look this year by dying them in extra-bright shades of your favorite hues, then decorating them with ribbon, stickers, thin strips of scrapbook paper, and faux flowers. Use clear-drying glue to attach the details.

{Resources: various ribbons from Michaels; fuzzy stickers from Target; faux flower by Prima; scrapbook paper by American Crafts.}

What are YOUR favorite ways to decorate Easter eggs?

This one’s for the kiddies… a fun little craft project + “friendly” holders for all those Easter Bunny treats!

(Full instructions for both versions after the jump…)

PAPER BUNNY CUP Treat Holders

You’ll Need:
white paper cup
white cardstock
pink felt or pink cardstock
2 wiggle eyes
small pink pom-pom
medium white pom-pom (for tail)
white chenille stems
scissors, glue, glue dots or a stapler

Directions
• From the white cardstock, cut 2 large white ovals for the bunny ears. Trim one side of the oval off so it’s squared off at the bottom.

• Cut 2 smaller oval shapes from the pink felt (or paper) for the inner part of the ear. Glue the pink ovals in the center of the white ear shapes and set aside to dry.

• Cut white chenille craft stems into short pieces for the whiskers. Use craft glue or glue dots to attach the whiskers to the cup, then glue the pink pom pom on top for the nose.

• Attach the ears to the back rim of the cup with a stapler or glue dots.

• Glue the white pom pom to the back of the cup to create a cotton tail.

• Fill with a colorful Easter grass and candy treats!

*****

PAPER CHICK CUP Treat Holders

You’ll Need:
yellow paper cup
orange cardstock
orange chenille craft stems
2 wiggle eyes
yellow craft feathers
scissors, glue/glue dots, stapler or tape

Directions
• From the orange cardstock, cut a small triangle for the beak and glue it to the front of the cup.

• Glue the wiggle eyes above the beak.

• Cut six 3/4-inch pieces of orange chenille stem for the chick feet. Twist three pieces together at one end for each foot. Attach the feet to the front of the cup with glue dots or tacky craft glue.

• Staple or tape a few feathers to the back edge of the cup, making sure they peek out over the top.

• Fill with a colorful Easter grass and candy treats!

Parenting.com has a fabulous birthday cake gallery/tutorial that is nothing short of AMAZING! Each of the 31 cakes in this gallery comes with step-by-step instructions on how you can recreate it at home. There’s some serious creativity & resourcefulness going on here!

Pictured at top: Castle cake – featuring ice cream cone turrets…SWEET!

Pictured below: Pirate Ship and Soccer Ball cakes. (The use of Oreo Crisps for the soccer ball is GENIUS!)

This Lion cake design is adorable too… especially the chow-mein noodle “mane”!

More favorites pictured below: Purse Cake with Giant Tootsie Roll handle, Train Birthday Cake – Engine (also check out the entire train cake) ,Ladybug cupcakes, Snake cupcakes, Dump Truck cake, ridiculously clever French Fries cake (toasted pound cake slices with red frosting dip!), Shark cake, and Monkey cake.

Click here for a thumbnail view of all 31 cakes!

There are some people that are creative with food, and then there are others that are just PURE GENIUS! Bakerella easily falls into the latter category – just take these ridiculously clever “Snow Globe Coca-Cola Cupcakes” for example, which she made from upside-down mini coke bottles, red baking cups, and lots of sweet stuff.  I bet the folks at Coca-Cola are even impressed!  Learn how to make them here.

Will there be pint-sized guests at your turkey day table? Big holiday meals like Thanksgiving feasts and Christmas Eve dinner often take up a lot of time, and little ones can get antsy sitting at the table for so long. Luckily, kids party planning expert Lisa Kothari has shared some fun, easy tips with us on how to keep kids entertained during special holiday meals. Head over to Entertaining 101 to check it out!

And if you’re looking for some Thanksgiving craft projects to keep kids busy, Parents.com has some fabulous ideas:

Pictured above {clockwise from upper left}: Friendly Fowl, Yarn Turkey Centerpiece, Napkin Buddy, and Turkey Sign.

Pictured above {clockwise from upper left}: Painted Rock Placecards, Plymouth Rocks, Teepees & Houses, and Give Thanks Banner.

Happy Halloween! If you’ve got little ones, here are a few fun ideas to try with them today… starting with the fun Slime Punch pictured above (love the presentation ideas on this one!).

Pictured below:
• Batty Cake – This is both a dessert & a cool halloween decoration all in one!
• Bat Cookies – How cute are the eyes on these little guys?! Get the cookie recipe + a fun presentation idea…
• Hocus Pocus Hats – with a surprise inside!
• Gummy Mummy Mini Cupcakes – gummy candy strips + m&m’s make for super-cute tiny treats!

Pictured below:
• Frosted Pumpkin Cupcakes – I love the super-easy decoration idea on this one. Parents includes a link to a cupcake recipe for these too, but to keep things easy just bake up a batch of boxed cupcake mix and then have fun with the decoration!)
• Quick Spooky Snack – This is actually great for any age. Just combine a package of Chex Party Mix with candy corn and black and orange M&M’s.
• Creepy Creature Cake – Yes…the hand coming out of this cake is definitely creepy! (and clever!)
• Cookie Lollipops – Treats on sticks are always super cute! I’ve seen the Halloween sprinkles used in this picture at both Target & Michael’s.

Not only is this Mummy Candy Holder idea from Parents a fun little Halloween craft project for kids, it can definitely be put to good use at your Halloween party too! A super-cute way to serve colorful candies or Spooky Snack Mix…. click here for complete instructions.