Who can resist Elmo? He is so cute and so loving that each child who sees it instantly falls in love with him (and it is well known that children are the pickiest in choosing their friends). Thus, if you are thinking of throwing a birthday party for your little one and do not know what would be more appropriate, then try an Elmo birthday party!

It is not only a party that will give you lots of opportunities for decorations and overall organizing, but it is also that type of age appropriate event where all children will have a great time. Below you can read some ideas of making your Elmo party planning and organizing easier.

Invitations

The invitations are the first thing that your guests are going to see, so if you want to make a good impression from the beginning make sure that you dedicate your time to create nice invitations that your guests will love. If you have no time to craft the invitations all by yourself, then you can purchase them from a local party planer or you can download them from the internet. Just make sure that you choose some that focus only on Elmo and not on the entire crew from Sesame Street. Otherwise you risk confounding the themes!

Ready to cut and glue? Then purchase some red, white and black cardstock paper, orange pop-pons and some fluffy material and place them all on your working table. With a scissor cut round pieces of the red cardboard, which will be the invitation. Then cut two smaller white pieces and make the eyes, an orange oval for the nose and a large smile out of black paper which is going to be the mouth. Then cover the remaining red surface with fluffy fabric. On the back write all the party details as well as the RSVP number.

Decorations

Because this is a toddler party you will need to use vivid colors so that they will always have their attention attracted by something. Children tend to get bored easily, so you will need to decorate your party space so that they will have fun only by exploring it! Use red balloons, a colorful tablecloth (search for one with Elmo or the characters from Sesame Street) and lots of Elmo toys all over the place.

Have at least one Elmo toy with which your children can play and make lots of Elmo faces out of cardboard (similar to the invitations) which you can attach to the wall. You can also make some red hearts, as Elmo is a loving little monster. Make letters out of black paper and use them for garlands. Also put some on the table as décor.

• View Elmo decorations

Activities

As mentioned previously, you will need lots of energy and imagination to keep little children busy. This is why you have to think of more activities and have some backup plans if everything does not work well. With young children you can never know, so it is always better to anticipate than to be taken by surprise! You can start by creating some Elmo hats or visors (choose red ones and glue a paper mouth, eyes and nose to look like Elmo) and then hide them all around the party area. Ask the children to find them and wear them during the party, thus marking them being part of Elmo world.

Then give them some Elmo pages that they will have to color while waiting for the other ones to come. If you have invites that usually get late, this will be perfect for keeping the others distracted until the late-comers arrive.

Purchase some red Play Doh and ask children to make their own version of Elmo as well as other things which they believe it will go great with it. Then have them share their creation and explain what they wanted to do. Another great thing is to download puzzles and other Elmo related games from the internet and have then at hand if some of the kids get bored before the other finish their clay projects.

Bubbles is another thing children enjoy, so as long as you can offer them bubbles to run after, they will be more than satisfied. You can have one bigger bubble machine or give each of them bubble wands.

The hats and the bubble making devices can be given home as favors.

Treats

No Elmo party would ever be complete without pizza! You can order some or you can make small pizzas yourself. They are easy to make and if you do them at home you can come up with fun designs and shapes that will make them even more attractive to children. Elmo cupcakes and a big cake with Elmo’s figure on it are a must for this party too. Also, bring some fish-shape snacks to remember his pet fish.

If you are now imagining all that and think how much fun your little one will have, then there is no point in fighting it! The next birthday party for your child must be an Elmo party!

• View Elmo party supplies

Elmo has been a phenomenon for years! Every toddler loves him, and it would be hard to imagine a better Christmas or birthday present for them than one of the toys inspired by the little, red and cute Elmo. Yet, choosing between the numerous Elmo toys available on the market can be quite challenging, as they are all beautiful and well made. This is why below you will find a quick review of four of the most popular such toys. Study them carefully and make a decision accordingly. All are available at discount prices at Amazon.com:

1. The Original Tickle Me Elmo

This soft, red toy will instantly become your child’s favorite. It giggles when tickled once, laughs when tickled twice and bursts into hysterical laughter when tickled three times or more, yet not before warning the child that “That tickles!”

This is one of those classical toys, which instead of fading away with time have increased their charm and popularity. It is no wonder that children still place this toy on top of their Christmas wish list!

• Get The Original Tickle Me Elmo at Amazon

2. T.M.X. Tickle Me Elmo

The “suped-up” Tickle Me Elmo T.M.X. caused a sensation when first released. While the Original Tickle Me is designed for being carried all over and being held in arms all day long, the T.M.X. is a toy bought mainly for the way in which it does when it is tickled. Apart from giggling and laughing, this toy (launched 10 years after the Original TM) slaps his belly, falls forward, stands up and falls again, as well as kicking up his legs over his belly. And all this because of the hysterical laughter!

To trigger such reactions your child will only have to tickle it on the belly, chin and toe. Just imagine how much fun your child will have watching it! It also comes with some secret combinations of positioning hands, legs and pushing buttons in order for Elmo to begin hiccuping, singing “I’m a Maniac!” (my daughter loves this one!) and lots of others.

While this is a hilarious toy, it is not a good idea to let your child sleep with it as it is not as comfortable as stuffed toys. Regardless of its exterior fluffy image, the T.M.X. is a great and fun companion to dance and play with.

• Get the T.M.X. Tickle Me Elmo at Amazon

3. Tickle Baby Elmo

Toddlers need small toys which they can take in their arms and cuddle all day long. Yet, both Tickle Me Elmo toys were rather big for them to grab and carry everywhere. The 9 inch Tickle Baby Elmo solved this problem! The Baby Elmo is not only smaller, but also cuter than the first two versions presented as it has a white diaper that points to its innocent status. Plus, all creatures wearing diapers are closer to children’s hearts as they feel these resemble them!

This toy has two spots where it can be tickled: tummy and feet and he can also laugh hysterically when tickled for more than three times. Baby Elmo also wiggles its head and says funny things when tickled, so that the children will have lots of fun looking at it. In addition to that, he is soft and huggable, so that your child will be able to sleep with him.

• Get the Tickle Baby Elmo at Amazon

4. Fisher-Price Elmo’s Tickle Hands

If you love to tickle people, then do it professionally with this pair of fluffy Elmo Tickle Hands! What is new and interesting about them? When you put them on and start tickling somebody, the hands will start to vibrate, producing a pleasant sensation to the wearer. Also, famous Elmo sayings and a new Elmo song can be heard when wearing the hands (or just touching them). Thus, they provide more means of entertainment so that your child will be continuously kept occupied (mine certainly does!)

You will also receive a DVD teaching you and your children the exact steps for the Elmo dance suitable for the song. It will be an easy and fun exercise to do with you little one!

• Get Elmo’s Tickle Hands at Amazon

Elmo toys are great birthday and Christmas gifts for toddlers. They are easy to use and at the same time elaborate enough to keep the children tied to them for a long time! Most children who have received an Elmo toy remained faithful to it all their childhood! What about your child?