Give your party guests a ton of everyday materials to work with and see what kinds of bizarre creations your budding inventors create!

What you need:

• Various materials, including things like aluminum foil, plastic utensils (no knives), paper, magnets, newspaper, toilet paper and paper towelrolls, buttons, dried pasta in different shapes, yarn, straws, pipe cleaners, construction paper
• Glue stick
• White glue
• Plain white index cards or place setting cards
• Marker or pen

Instructions:

1. Have an art table set up with various materials and encourage children to build their own unique invention by gluing whatever objects they like together with white glue or a glue stick. Children may choose to layer objects on a piece of construction paper, or create an abstract three-dimensional sculpture!
2. Ask each child to give his or her invention a name and describe its function. Write the name on the index card or place setting card.
3. OPTIONAL: When all children are finished, arrange the inventions on a table with their respective description cards and have a wacky invention art exhibit later in the party!

The Imagination Movers love to find new ways to use everyday things. Now your guests can do the same with this art project.

What you need:

• Potatoes pre-cut in half (various sizes)
• Washable paints
• A supply of construction paper or craft paper

Instructions:

1. Place pre-cut potatoes in center of table and pour paint into bowls large enough to allow children to dip the potato into and cover the entire cut side with paint.
2. To create variety, carve simple designs (squiggly lines, stars, hearts, letters, numbers, happy faces, etc.) into the potatoes using a knife or tip of a letter opener before the children arrive.
3. Let each child select a piece of paper and show him or her how to use the potato as a "stamp" by dipping it in the paint and then firmly pressing the potato onto the paper.

Your preschoolers can strum along with Mover Smitty and Mover Dave after making one of these simple homemade guitars!

What you need:

• Rectangular tissue boxes (one per child)
• Empty paper towel or toilet paper rolls (one per child)
• Rubber bands (4-5 per child)
• White glue
• Washable paints (optional)
• Stickers (optional)
• Hobby knife
• Unsharpened pencils (one per child)

Instructions:

1. Prior to guests arriving, trace a circle around end of a paper towel or toilet paper roll onto short side of tissue box. Cut out traced circle using hobby knife.
2. Have children select a tissue box to use as the body of their guitar and decorate with paints or stickers.
3. Have children choose a paper towel or toilet paper roll to use as the neck of the guitar, and help them glue end into the hole you have cut into the short side of the tissue box.
4. Once paint on tissue box is dry, give each child 4-5 rubber bands and help them place the bands around the box lengthwise, making sure they stretch across the open tissue slot.
5. Help child place an unsharpened pencil between the rubber bands and the tissue box on the opposite side of the "neck" (creating the "bridge" of the guitar).
6. Encourage the new band members to strum away!

Mover Rich, Mover Scott, Mover Dave, and Mover Smitty are always finding new and curious ways to use ordinary objects in their everyday adventures. Give your preschoolers the chance to put their creative imprint on a story in this fun game that's sure to get everyone giggling.

What you need:

• A big sack or bag filled with various household objects (from common kitchen tools to silly artifacts). Suggestions include things like an eggbeater, a large paintbrush or roller, a baseball hat, a flashlight, pair of sunglasses, a child's cup, and so on.
• A story for the reader to tell (can adapt a children's story of your choice or use the one below).

Instructions:

1. Have the children sit on the floor facing the storyteller. The storyteller will have the bag of objects sitting behind him or her.
2. Explain to the children that you have a story to tell, but it's missing some of the words, so they have to help tell the story.
3. As you tell the story, stop as you get to a plot point in the story (the main character loses something, finds something, describes something, etc.). It's time for the children to fill in the blanks.
4. Have a child come up to the bag of objects, close his or her eyes, and choose an object. Then ask the child to explain what happens next in the story using whatever object they pulled from the bag. Encourage him or her to be silly and creative and explain how the object fits into the story!
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 as necessary until everyone has had a chance to play a role in the storytelling!

Sample Story:

Once upon a time, there was a little girl named Dakota who lived in a [BLANK - HAVE CHILD EXPLAIN HOW THE OBJECT WORKS AS A HOME, NO MATTER HOW SILLY].

While she loved pretending playing doctor, her favorite thing to do was to invent things, like the time she made a super rainy day rain catcher out of a [BLANK - HAVE CHILD EXPLAIN HOW THE OBJECT FUNCTIONS AS AN UMBRELLA].

One day, a new family with a little boy named Jonah moved into the neighborhood. Dakota was so excited, especially when she found out Jonah loved to invent things, too. Jonah's favorite invention was his automatic earthworm detector which he made out of a [BLANK - HAVE CHILD EXPLAIN HOW THE OBJECT WORKS].

Jonah invited Dakota over for a swim, but their pool toys were still packed. "No problem," said Dakota. "It's time for a brainstorm!" So they put their heads together and invented a fun, new pool toy using a [BLANK - HAVE CHILD EXPLAIN HOW THE OBJECT WORKS].

After swimming, Dakota wanted to show Jonah around the neighborhood. Since he didn't have a bike, they invented a homemade scooter using a [BLANK - HAVE CHILD EXPLAIN HOW THE OBJECT WORKS]!

Soon the sun was setting, and Dakota had to go home for dinner. Her mom was just about to mix up the ingredients when the blender stopped working! "No problem," said Dakota, "I'll just invent a super mixer-upper using this [BLANK - HAVE CHILD EXPLAIN HOW THE OBJECT WORKS]!"

By the time she was done with dinner, Dakota was exhausted (it's tiring brainstorming all day)! When it was time to go to bed, Dakota's mom read her a book, gave her a hug, and tucked her into her [BLANK - HAVE CHILD EXPLAIN HOW OBJECT WORKS AS A BED].

Sweet dreams, Dakota!

Preschoolers love balloons, and these balloon-inspired relay races will help them remember that every idea is a good idea!

What you need:

• A large space for running around
• A variety of inflated balloons (filled with air, not helium!)

Instructions:

1. Line children up along a starting line and mark a finish line about 20 feet across the yard or room.
2. Explain the directions to the children: they must transport the balloon from their starting point to the finish line without using their hands. Demonstrate that they can kick the balloon, use their knees, legs, elbows, chests, or any other part of their body to propel it forward, but if they use their hands they have to pick up their balloon, go back to the start line, and try again. Encourage children to get creative about how they "carry" their balloon to the other end of the course.
3. Give each child a balloon, give the starting commands, and let the fun begin!

The Imagination Movers love to dance and jump around. Give your party guests that chance to show off their best Imagination Movers moves in this fun twist on freeze tag!

What you need:

• Lively music
• A large room or yard

Instructions:

1. Tell the children it's time to boogie! Explain that while the music is on, they should dance to their hearts' content. You'll be calling out different dance moves. Make up your own or use our suggestions below. Then when the music stops, the children must freeze exactly where they are in the exact position they were in.
2. Turn the music on and, after playing it for 10 to 15 seconds, abruptly shut it off. See who freezes first and who keeps dancing long after the music has disappeared. Repeat, varying the length of musical clips.

Dance move call out suggestions:
Kick, shimmy, hula, turn, jump, nod your head, bounce, twirl, shuffle, walk, skip