Dragon Universe by Mega Bloks

We planned our Dragon Universe party about 2 weeks in advance and as luck would have it, Mother Nature would decide that the unseasonably warm weather in Minnesota should grind to a halt the day we planned the party. As a result we had a much smaller turnout for the party than we expected, but it also turned out the kids got twice the men and dragons they would have if the party had been full. The 5 kids present loved the development of getting twice the bounty!

I was a slacker and didn't look at the hostess gift until the night before. 200+ pieces and I realized that the hostess gift wouldn't be built for the party. I displayed it in the box, along with the door prize gift. (The next day after the party the winner of the door prize and my kids had both built the dragon air ships. It took a while but it was really fun for my kids and I!)

We colored space universes on cardboard and opened our dragons or Alliance members. The kids helped one another build the toys if they couldn't do it on their own...or they asked my husband or I to help.

They gathered around the computer to see the games on CD, grazed on veggies and dip and spent a whole lot of time imagining and playing with the men, the speeders and the flying dinosaurs. I'm not sure who they decided was bad or good, but I know they all had a good time.

My own two big kids spent at least the next three days playing Dragon Universe. For kids who have 462,468 toys, this is a long time of engagement.

Webkinz Jr. Catering to the Younger Fans

I was given the opportunity to host a Webkinz Jr. party for my kids and 7 of their friends. To help with my party Webkinz and MomSelect sent me a party package complete with Webkinz Jr. friends, coloring books, music CDs, trial codes and supplies for a couple of crafts the kids could do at the party.

Tonight was the night for the party. My kids have been excited for this for weeks since we received the box of goodies! Webkinz Jr. is aimed at 3-6 year-olds, but I can't host a party like this without including all of my kids so my 8-year-old and my 2-year-old each received a party bag as well as my 6-year-old. We invited 7 friends and had 5 friends able to attend. We ended up with (including my kids) 2 8-year-olds, 2 6-year-olds, 1 5-year-old, 1 3-year-old and 1 2-year-old.

We started out making puppets and bracelets courtesy of the supplies sent in the party pack. The crafts took up about an hour of our 1 1/2 hour-long party.

After we finished the crafts, the kids had some snacks (they also ate during the creative process) then I brought out their new Webkinz friends. One of the boys couldn't believe that I was giving him a present like that and it wasn't even his birthday!

All the Webkinz Jr. friends we received are very cute, very soft, and the kids all thought they were great too. We had kitties, puppies, giraffes, elephants and mice. The online world offers several learning experiences for the kids that are fun too!

The kids were excited to head home and check out their new friends online as well. One of the things I've always liked about Webkinz is that there is a physical toy that the kids get attached to along with the virtual world.

I deem the party a success. Eight happy and excited kids!

I have a few free 15-day trial codes available if you'd like one for your 3-6 year old to try it out. Send me an e-mail if you're interested cool_zebras at hotmail dot com.