Clifford Birthday Party Ideas - The Big Red Dog Theme

Clifford birthday party theme will be ideal for a group of kids who love Clifford and puppies, period. This page will help you plan an outstanding event! Your gang will have a lot of fun!

Resources:

Invitations

Make your Clifford party invitations look like dog houses. First, cut out large rectangle (a dog house shape) from white cardstock, and a triangle from red cardstock (to glue on top of white rectangle to make a roof).

Write your party details in the center of the dog house starting with "Hi, my name is (birthday child's name). I and my big red dog Clifford would like to invite you to a special party celebrating my __th Birthday!" Then include the rest of your Clifford birthday party information.

Secondly, you can print a picture of Clifford onto white invitation cards. Paste a picture of your child right next to the Big Red Dog! Write party details starting with "Hi, my name is (birthday child's name) and this is my dog Clifford!" Put theme stickers on the invitations and envelopes.

Finally, you can make your Clifford birthday party invitations shaped like large dog bones. Before deciding on what your invitations should look like, talk to the birthday child. He or she will be proud to be involved in party planning!

Decorations

For Clifford party decorations, use red, blue, white and yellow colors. Hang balloons and streamers in those colors everywhere. Play Clifford theme party music in the background.

Print an image of Clifford and post it on the fence. Write a sign that says "Beware of Big Red Dog!" and put it on the fence as well. Draw dog paw prints on your driveway with red chalk leading to the front door. Put up a sign near the entrance that says "Welcome to Clifford Birthday Party!"

Fill your Clifford party room with dog houses made from extra-large cardboard boxes - one for each kid with his or her name over a simple cut-out door (or wait until the kids arrive if you think they'll choose special dog names). As an alternative, you can purchase "Color-your-own" dog house activity kit (available from party stores), and have the kids color the house during the party.

Cut large dog-bone shapes out of brown construction paper, and scatter them around the area along with dog bowls. Hang some Clifford theme posters on the walls. Cut dog paw prints out of red construction paper, and put them everywhere.

Cover your Clifford birthday party table with a theme cloth. Place Clifford blowout or Mylar balloon for a centerpiece. Tie balloons to the backs of the chairs. Hang a personalized "Happy Birthday" banner in the area.

Guest Arrival and Introductory Activities

*Puppy Transformations: As kids arrive, use face paints to turn them into puppies. Provide your Clifford birthday party guests with dog ears, noses and whiskers.

*Decorate Doggie Accessories: Involve the kids in decorating puppy bowls with stickers and dog collars. You can make collar shapes out of foam strips attached with Velcro. Kids can decorate them with sticky foam shapes, sequins and other decorative items.

*Coloring Posters: You can get Puppy Velvet Coloring Posters from a party store, and have the children decorate them with colorful markers.

Favors

Fill Clifford party favor bags with such items as whistles, Play-Doh�, dog-bone cookie cutters, crayons, Clifford theme sticker sheets, blowouts and rings.

Clifford Birthday Party Games

*Ruff, Ruff, Meow: At Clifford birthday party, turn "Duck, Duck, Goose" game into "Ruff, Ruff, Meow." Be sure to have lots of open space for kids to run around.

*Follow the Big Red Dog: Choose one player to be Clifford and have all the other kids line up behind him. Play upbeat party music. The leader makes all sorts of creative dance moves, and the rest of the line follows. (If he or she needs some help, you can make some suggestions for dance moves.)

Pick a new leader every couple of minutes. Play until everyone has had a turn, or until children are ready for a new game.

*Paw Print Relay: Before Clifford birthday party, cut four paw prints out of red poster board (or cardboard that you color red).Each should be about 12-15 inches across.

Divide your party guests into two teams and give the first person in each line two paws. These paws become the only thing kids can step on as they travel from the front of the line, around a chair, and back again.

Have players place one paw on the floor, and step on it. Then they place the next paw on the floor in front of the first, and step on it. Next, kids pick up the first paw and place it in front and step on it, etc.

Your Clifford birthday party guests will be rolling in laughter as they watch their teammates race to the finish line!

*Clifford's Dog House: You can get a Dog House Decoration kit from a party store. Get the kids to decorate the dog house with markers provided.

*Pin the Nose on Clifford: Draw a large Clifford picture on red poster board. Cut nose shapes out of construction paper (marking each with a guest's name). Put a double-sided tape on the back of the "noses."

At game time, blindfold the kids one by one, spin them around, and get them to stick the nose on Clifford where it belongs.

*Jell-O� Eating Race: Prepare one bowl of Jell-O for each guest. Line the bowls up on the ground and put a popular puppy's name on the front of each bowl (e.g., Dino, Muttly, Scooby, Huckleberry, Clifford for the birthday child, etc).

Players must keep their hands on the floor next to their bowl throughout the game. When you ring the dinner bell (or yell Din Din!), all the contestants begin eating their Jell-O. The first pooch to clean his or her bowl completely, wins!

*Dog Bone Hunt: Before the Clifford party, draw and cut out cardboard dog shapes. Next, hide them on the floor around the house. At game time, have your "puppies" look for them on hands and knees.

*Best Bark Contest: Gather the kids around in a circle. Have them compete, one by one, in "barking" contest. Let them be creative and come up with their best bark.

You can enlist several of your family members, friends and neighbors to judge the competition. When every guest had a turn, award prizes for the most real, funniest, loudest, craziest, etc. bark - so everyone has a chance to win!

*Dog Trainer Says: At Clifford birthday party, "Simon Says" becomes "Dog Trainer Says." The commands can include: Growl, Wag your Tail, Sit, Lie down, Roll over, Jump, Stay, and so on.

*Feed Clifford: Draw a big red dog on a cardboard, and cut out dog's mouth. Let your Clifford birthday party guests "feed him" by tossing bean bags (or socks filled with dried beans) into Clifford's mouth. Give each child 3 tries - the kid with the best aim, wins.

*Dog and the Bone: Divide the kids equally into two teams of puppies and have them stand on the opposite sides of the yard. Place a plastic dog bone or dog bone cutout (or candy bar or a pack of gum) - in the middle of the yard between the two teams. Give the members of each team a number - one, two, three, and so on - then repeat the same numbers for the other team members.

When an adult helper calls out a number, the two players with that number must run to the center of the field, try to grab the "bone", and run back without being caught by the other player. Continually put out new pieces of "dog bones" and call new numbers. The team with the most dog bones at the end of the game, wins.

Clifford Birthday Cakes:

*Clifford Cake: Bake a regular sheet cake. Print a picture of Clifford. Next, put the picture on the cake, trace the outline and ice each section accordingly.

*Bone Cake: Bake one 9x13" cake and 4 large cupcakes. Cut the cake in half lengthwise. Place 2 cupcakes on each end of the rectangle. Frost the entire cake with chocolate or white frosting.

Clifford Birthday Party Food Ideas:

You can let the kids eat the food out of stainless steel bowls like Clifford would.

*Dogs in a Blanket: Purchase hotdogs, refrigerator croissants and cheese. Slice hotdogs lengthwise and cut cheese into strips. Unroll croissants and stuff them with hotdogs and cheese. Roll croissants back up and bake until golden brown.

*Saucy Dog Bones: Cut bone shapes out of refrigerator dough bread sticks (using a dog-bone cookie cutter). Then bake according to package directions.

While the bones are still warm, brush the tops with butter or a little olive oil, and sprinkle with generous amount of parmesan cheese. Pour spaghetti or marinara sauce into individual bowls. Give one bowl to each child so they can dip and eat their delicious doggy treats!

*Clifford's Favorite Snacks: For this Clifford birthday party recipe, you'll need 1/2 cup of each of the following ingredients in a large mixing bowl: peanut butter, margarine, white sugar, brown sugar and one egg. (Mix all the ingredients until well blended.)

Add 1 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour, 3/4 tsp of baking soda, 1/2 tsp of baking powder and 1/4 tsp of salt. Mix well. Blend in 1/2 cup of English toffee pieces and 1/2 cup of chocolate chips. Chill dough for 1 hour.

Roll dough into 1/2 inch balls and put 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Flatten each ball with a fork. Bake at 375�F for 10-12 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove from oven, cool and serve in a bowl.

*Edible Dog Collars: Use long licorice for stringing material, and use hole-in-the-center cereals like Cheerios�, Fruit Loops�, etc. String the licorice through candy, and have it for dessert.

*Banana Dogs: For this Clifford birthday party recipe, you'll need 8 small bananas, 8 hotdog buns, peanut butter and jelly. Spread 1 tbsp of peanut butter on each half of the buns. Place one banana, and add 1 tbsp of jelly. Cut in half if desired.

*Doggie Snacks: Put doggie snacks (crackers, mini pretzels, M&Ms, grapes, raisins, cheese balls, etc.) in baggies for kids to munch on.

*Sandwiches (cut into bone shapes)
*Pizza
*Bone-Shaped Sugar Cookies
*Corn Dogs
*Ice Cream

Clifford Birthday Party Drink Ideas:

*Slurpin' Sarsaparilla Soda: Fill several ice trays with water, put a cherry into each compartment and freeze. Place 1 tbsp of grenadine syrup into each of the beverage glasses. Then drop a frozen cherry ice cube into each glass. Pour cream soda into kids' glasses as they watch. They will be amazed as their drinks turn pink and foamy.

*Clifford's Fabulous Fizzy Punch: For this Clifford birthday party drink, you'll need 10 oz of frozen strawberries (partially thawed), 10 oz of frozen raspberries (partially thawed), one 12-oz can of frozen lime juice concentrate, one 32-oz bottle of ginger ale (chilled), one 32-oz bottle of club soda (chilled) and 1 pint of vanilla ice cream.

Puree berries in a blender and combine with lime juice concentrate. Refrigerate until serving time. When ready to serve, pour mixture into a punch bowl and add ginger ale, club soda and scoops of vanilla ice cream.