| So you've got young boys who love Pokemon and | | | | characters and made up HP numbers (I did not take |
| their birthday is fast approaching? Never fear, help is | | | | the time to look up each characters real HP number, |
| here. Both of my young sons love Pokemon, they | | | | that is too much work, just put down any HP |
| are ages 6 and 9. What is Pokemon you say? | | | | number you want, but only have one character with |
| Pokemon means "Pocket Monster" in Japanese. The | | | | the highest HPiv. Package of 6 darts (about $2.50) |
| crazy characters evolve into different characters and | | | | 4. Pokemon Master tracking - There is no doubt your |
| they use pokemon moves to "fight" each other | | | | kids are familiar with Ash Ketchum if they like |
| causing "damage". This craze has originated in Japan, | | | | Pokemon, he is a Pokemon master. In order to make |
| but is highly popular here in the US. The Pokemon | | | | it fun and to get the boys to want to get the slips |
| characters all have an HP number, how much the | | | | of paper I put inside the balloons, I created a |
| Pokemon is worth and the higher HP cards are highly | | | | Pokemon Master chart to track each party guests |
| coveted young boys. Anyway, back to your party | | | | characters and HP values. I used a large white |
| issue. I just threw a great Pokemon party for my | | | | posterboard and wrote Pokemon Masters at the top |
| son's 9th birthday. He loved it and his friends had a | | | | and used some Pokemon stickers to decorate with. |
| blast. Below are some great ideas for you and they | | | | You can buy Pokemon stickers, or use sticker paper |
| are EASY and INEXPENSIVE to do. I sat down one | | | | in your printer and just print some Pokemon cards or |
| night and came up with some games that I could | | | | Pokemon characters from the internet. I then divided |
| easily make the supplies for and they would be fun | | | | (using a black market) the posterboard into how |
| to play. Below is a summary list of the games we | | | | many party guests I have a made a large square for |
| came up with and read on to get the details of each | | | | each of them. As the boys gathered the Pokemon |
| one. Keep in mind, these are EASY, FUN and | | | | character slips from popping the balloons, I had |
| INEXPENSIVE and I will tell you exactly how I did it | | | | another adult log in their Pokemon characters and |
| and what you need:o Pass the Pokeballo Pin the Tail | | | | their associated HP Values onto the Pokemon Master |
| on Pikachuo Pokemon Balloon Dart Throwo Pokemon | | | | chart. I just had it taped to my back door and the |
| Master Trackingo Gliscor Bean Bag Score | | | | boys loved coming over to see what their Pokemon |
| 1. Pass the Pokeball If you are remotely familiar with | | | | scores were. I gave a prizes for the highest HP sum |
| Pokemon, you will know about pokeballs. To play this | | | | in each round of darts. One child may pop a balloon |
| game, I went to a craft store and purchased a | | | | with the Pokemon character slip of paper that said |
| LARGE Styrofoam ball, they seem to range in price | | | | Metagross 90 HP and his second pop may have been |
| from $5 to $11. I also bought some red washable | | | | Snover 60 HP, we recorded these both onto his |
| craft paint while I was at the craft store. Paint half | | | | square on the Pokemon Master tracking posterboard |
| the ball with the red craft paint, let it dry, then use | | | | and his total HP for the round was 150 HP. If he had |
| black electrical tape to tape around the | | | | the highest score that round, he got a prize. I let the |
| circumference of the ball right where the white | | | | boys throw 2 darts a piece for each turn. I also gave |
| Styrofoam joins up with the red paint. This made the | | | | a prize for the lowest HP score, so noone felt left |
| PERFECT pokeball. Quick and easy and inexpensive. | | | | out. Have an adult record the names and HP numbers |
| Then we had a small keyboard (cheap one) that | | | | to keep it moving. At the end of all the balloon |
| could be automatically set to play music. If you don't | | | | popping I gave a prize to party guest who found the |
| have a keyboard, use anything that can make music, | | | | Shadowlugia 300 HP slip of paper, as it was our |
| cd player, musical instrument, drum set, guitar, | | | | highest HP value "card". |
| anything that plays music and can be stopped and | | | | Supplies recap:i. Large white poster boardii. Sharpie |
| started. Have all the boys sit in a circle and they have | | | | Markeriii. Pokemon stickers to decorate the tracking |
| to hand the pokeball to each other in a circular | | | | poster with |
| fashion. They cannot throw the ball. I would then | | | | 5. Gliscor Bean Bag Score - If you have any type of |
| start the music on the keyboard and close my eyes | | | | existing bean bag toss game at your home, |
| and stop it after 20 to 30 seconds. I closed my | | | | commandeer it for this game. We had a bean bag |
| eyes, so I wouldn't know who was going to be | | | | toss game that had 6 small bean bags. If you don't |
| holding the ball when the music stopped. Whoever is | | | | have one, you can make bean bags easily out of old |
| holding the ball when the music stops is out, then | | | | socks and uncooked beans, just tie the socks in a |
| play again until there is only 1 player left. Give the | | | | knot after putting in the uncooked beans, PERFECT!. |
| player who is left a party prize. | | | | I used another white poster board to draw a |
| Supplies recap:i. Large Styrofoam ballii. Red craft | | | | Pokemon character on. We chose Glico for his shape |
| paintiii. Electrical tape | | | | as it would be good to toss the bean bags into his |
| 2. Pin the Tail on Pikachu - Pikachu is one of the main | | | | belly! I used the Gliscor Pokemon card to look at to |
| pokemon characters and if your kids like Pokemon | | | | draw the character on a large white poster board, |
| they like Pikachu. For this game, I found a good | | | | then we colored with crayons based on how the |
| picture of Pikachu. I used a picture out of the | | | | character looks on the card. Then I lined up the |
| Pokemon Handbook that we have, but if you don't | | | | existing bean bag game hole and cut a similar hole in |
| have one of those, use a pokemon card of Pikachu, | | | | the character's belly and taped the two together. If |
| or print a picture of Pikachu at I bought a package of | | | | you don't have a bean bag game you can attach |
| 10 white posterboards at a discount store. Look at | | | | your poster board to, you can cut a hole in an old |
| the picture and draw a large picture of Pikachu to | | | | piece of plywood, or tape your posterboard |
| cover most of the posterboard (1 sheet). Don't draw | | | | Pokemon character with the hole in it to a laundry |
| his tail. Use a separate posterboard to draw enough | | | | basket, anything that will basically catch the bean |
| Pikachu tails (shaped like a lightning bolt) for each | | | | bags. You want the bean bag catch place to be tilted |
| party guest to have one. After I drew the Pikachu | | | | up slightly at the top, so the game is doable for the |
| and then drew the tails, I had my kids color the | | | | boys. Have the boys throw the bean bags from |
| Pikachu and tails, they loved helping. Cut out the | | | | about 12-15 feet back and try to get a Gliscor score!!! |
| Pikachu tails. I had an old cork board that I was able | | | | Any Pokemon character will work for this game, just |
| to mount this Pin the Tail on the Pikachu game onto | | | | cut a hole about 6 inches wide in the posterboard |
| so it had a sturdy back and could be hung up outside. | | | | wherever you are wanting the bean bags to go |
| Put the name of each party guest on one of the tails | | | | through. They played this a lot and several of them |
| and right before they play, add a single strip of | | | | scored by getting a bean bag in the hole of Gliscor's |
| double sided tape. When you are ready to play this, | | | | tummy! I gave prizes to the ones who scored in the |
| use a bandana to cover the eyes of your party | | | | hole, if noone got it in the hole, I gave a prize each |
| guests, spin them around in a circle twice and direct | | | | round for the party guest with the bean bag closest |
| them towards the Pikachu. Don't allow them to feel | | | | to the hole. You can knock off the bean bags of |
| their way around, wherever they touch the Pikachu | | | | other players! They loved this competition. |
| they must put the tail on there, otherwise the kids | | | | Supplies recap:i. Existing Bean Bag toss game if you |
| who go last will be able to tell where to put the tails | | | | have oneii. If not, plywood with hole, or laundry |
| by feeling where the other kids tails are pinned. Give | | | | basket and something to hold the board or basket |
| a prize to the party guest who gets Pikachu's tail | | | | on an angle with the top tilted up off the ground a |
| closest to the right spot. | | | | bit to make the game doable for the boysiii. White |
| Supplies recap:i. Picture of Pikachuii. Large white | | | | poster boardiv. Picture of desired Pokemon |
| posterboard for drawing picture of Pikachuiii. Large | | | | characterv. Crayons/marketsvi. Bean bags (existing or |
| white posterboard for drawing multiple Pikachu tails | | | | home made) |
| onlyiv. Double sided tapev. Bandana | | | | The boys at this party were between the ages of 6 |
| 3. Pokemon Balloon Dart Throw - Kids love to pop | | | | and 9 and they absolutely loved playing these game. |
| balloons and throw darts, so put these two things | | | | We also ordered a Pokemon cake from a local |
| together in a fun and easy activity. The night before | | | | supermarket bakery and it looked awesome. I had |
| the party I bought 50 balloons at a party store. Each | | | | also ordered Pokemon birthday theme plates, cups |
| Pokemon character has an HP value, or a points | | | | and napkins and a tablecloth. It was all very easy and |
| value. For example, Pikachu might be 60 HP, | | | | looked great. |
| Shadowlugia 300 HP, etc... You can find the names of | | | | PRIZES |
| many Pokemon characters in a Pokemon handbook | | | | For prizes, I went to several of the dollar stores and |
| or you can find them online at Take some plain white | | | | discount stores and bought cheap glow sticks, light |
| paper and cut it into strips that are about 1 inch high | | | | up pens, blow up baseballs and footballs, crazy |
| by 3 inches long. Write the name of a different | | | | bounce balls, sound makers that make poot sounds |
| Pokemon and their HP Number on the strips. We had | | | | (they loved those!), glow in the dark aliens, stretchy |
| 6 boys at the party and I blew up 45 balloons. For | | | | snakes, packages of gummy worms. I decided which |
| example, you might write Ryperior 90 HP on a slip. | | | | prizes to give and I put a sign on the prize bowl that |
| Make each slip of paper with a different character | | | | said "Momma's prize bowl, hands off please!" That |
| and add the HP number (use multiples of 10 only for | | | | way they couldn't pick through the goodies that |
| the HP values). We used each character name only | | | | were prizes, they did trade a few prizes between |
| once but reused the HP 50, HP60, HP70, HP80, HP90, | | | | each other. I recommend looking for fun cheap items |
| etc... However we only had 1 character (Shadowlugia) | | | | that are about $1.00 or less, stay away from the |
| that had the highest HP of HP300, no other card had | | | | truly junky toys that break immediately or noone in |
| the HP300 on it. Fold the slips of paper small and | | | | their right mind would want, that will just waste your |
| poke it inside the balloon prior to blowing up the | | | | money. |
| balloon. I then used an air compressor to blow up the | | | | GOODY BAGS |
| balloons quickly and tie them in a knot. You will see | | | | For goody bags, I added candy like individual |
| the little slips of paper inside. I stored the balloons | | | | starburst, small M&M's packages, and gummies. I |
| overnight in large trash bags and they stayed aired | | | | also found small silver alien stuffed toys ($1.00 a |
| up fine. I purchased a set of 6 darts at a sports | | | | piece) and I had ordered Pokemon wrist sweat |
| store to use for this game. If you have a large cork | | | | bands from an online party supply, these were very |
| board, attach the balloons with push pins to the cork | | | | cool! Last but not least, I bought two 10 card each |
| board. Have the party guests stand back about 8 | | | | packs of Pokemon cards and divided those up so |
| feet and throw 2 darts a piece and try to pop the | | | | each goody bag got 3 Pokemon cards in it as well. I |
| balloons (like a traditional carnival game). If they pop | | | | divided them up so not all the higher HP cards were |
| a balloon have them gather up and keep the slip of | | | | in a single goody bag, spread around the fun! They |
| paper with the Pokemon character on it and the HP | | | | loved these cards in their goody bags and it was an |
| number (see the next Pokemon Master tracking as | | | | absolute blast of a party. Don't let this sound hard, I |
| to what to do with the slips of paper and keeping | | | | did all of this listed above plus I blew up 100 water |
| track of the HP numbers). They loved to pop these | | | | balloons for use in the water balloon launcher just by |
| balloons and they loved finding the slips of paper to | | | | doing a little bit in the evenings starting about 1 week |
| find out which Pokemon character they had and | | | | before the party. You can do this too and give your |
| what was the HP number. We played several rounds | | | | son the best Pokemon party ever! I hope these |
| of this game! | | | | ideas are useful to you, they really are EASY to do, |
| Supplies recap:i. Bunch of balloons (have at least 40 | | | | low cost and fun, your party goers will love it! |
| or more)ii. Plain white paperiii. Names of Pokemon | | | | |