Diary of a Wimpy Kid Party - Third Wheel Edition

I love nothing - nothing! - more than a good party based on a kid's book.  We had two home runs this week. In this post, let me tell you about our latest celebration - Jeff Kinney's publication of his seventh book  on 11/13/12, The Third Wheel.

I knew it was going to be good because I lucked out and picked up a 2013 Wimpy Kid calendar signed (in silver, no less) by Jeff Kinney at ALA. That would be the centerpiece of the party that we would schedule on the eve of the book's publication.

We downloaded the event kit from Abrams books to help us decide  what games and activities to use at the party. They have always been generous in making bookstores and libraries look good with the latest trivia, games and puzzles.  We chose the Shame Game and trivia from this year's event kit;  downloaded masks from the Wimpy Kids Club and used the "Worm Chase" activity from a previous party (a picture of a worm colored by the kids and glued on a craft stick in honor of Rowley being accused of chasing kindergartners with a worm on a stick).

It's not a Wimpy Kid party unless we take a toilet seat, prop it atop a wastebasket and let kids chuck mini-cereal boxes into it. And of course there were "Mom Bucks" aplenty that we made and gave out with abandon for any and no reason.

Best of all, School Library Journal and Abrams Books (bless their hearts) made a live webcast of Jeff Kinney available today at noon (our party started at 3pm).  During the webcast, I took screen shots and made notes to share with the kids in a word doc. To start the party off, we spent 15 minutes just recapping what Jeff had said. The kids were rapt. The webcast should be available more widely in an archived version in a week or so.

Finally, to the mad delight of the kids, we picked for the lucky winner of the calendar and six magnetic Wimpy kid bookmarks we had purchased. The rest of the kids received a ridiculous but highly prized monkey pen.  Everybody was happy and books and literacy = fun won again!

For other Wimpy Kid parties we've done, check here and here .

Wimpy! Wimpy! Wimpy!

Yes, the Ides of November marks the publication of the sixth book in the fabulous series of everyone's favorite middle school slacker, Greg Heffley, and his always amusing exploits as chronicled in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. Since we will use any excuse to host a Wimpy Kid book party, we threw a pre-publication bash yesterday that was easy, fun and very popular with the kids (and adults) that attended.

Key to our success is - we contacted the publisher for an events kit. That resulted in special game pages - but also in delivery of a stand-up display, free posters, bookmarks and pencils!! Thanks Abrams!  You made my job uber easy.

We started out having the kids put their names in a sock for a grand prize drawing for two Wimpy pens we scored as swag at the ALA exhibits.  After reading a letter from the author (part of the Abrams events packet) and talking a bit about the books, we played two games of Wimpy trivia bingo (also from the packet).  The fan-kids knew most of the answers which is what makes this so much fun.

This was followed by our....um, more active party games. Since snow, blizzards and icy weather are prominently featured in Cabin Fever, we decided to let kids "ice skate" on the carpet by stepping on paper plates and gliding around the room. Simply boffo.  This was followed by our ever-popular Manny Cereal Toss - kids got chances to try and toss mini-cereal boxes into a toilet seat placed atop a waste basket. This never fails to please the crowd.  We wrapped up with the kids dividing into two teams, crumpling up recycled paper into snowballs and having a snowball fight.

We had lots more stuff but ran out of time.  So kids took home a word search and Zoo Wee Mama cartoons to fill in the word balloons.  Now if we could just get those ten new copies of the book in and processed....

For more Wimpy Kid parties we do check here and here.

Wow! Wimpy Kid Party

Ok, this is simply a crime - putting on a party so crazy and fun...and I actually get paid to do this!  We hosted a Diary of a Wimpy Kid party this week during our Afterschool Adventure series of programs.  We opened it up to anyone who wanted to attend and got a pack of rabid fans.

We made up some "Mom bucks" ahead of time and used them to give out to kids throughout the program during games and activities. Here's what we played:

• Wimpy Kid Trivia questions - Mom Bucks to kids who answered correctly.
• Cheese Touch Game - used a piece of plastic cheese and played like "hot potato". Players received a Mom Buck when eliminated. Last kid with the cheese picked up two Mom Bucks.
• Greg's Dressing Room Requirements - from the "Do-It-Yourself" book - kids each got a chance to add an outrageous requirement.
• Clothes Relay Race -teams had to fold 2 shirts, a pair of socks and a pair of tightie-whities and run across the room with them. Two Mom Bucks to the winning team; one Mom Buck to the losing team.
• Wimp Yourself Website (wimpyourself.com) -  each kid got to wimp themselves.
• Manny Cereal Toss - Kids got a chance to try and toss three min-cereal boxes into a toilet seat placed atop a waste basket.

All kids then got to trade in Mom Bucks for a munchie snack bag that "Dad" had hidden. The kids and we had a wild time and it was great to celebrate a book with so many fans.  Big thanks to PUBYAC posters Danielle Dungey, Ann Hardginski and Hannah Owen who shared their own successful party tips.

Check out other Wimpy Kid parties here and here.

Wimpy Kid Fun!

This is me wimpy-fied! Just in time for the movie premiere on March 19 and our big afterschool party scheduled for March 15. Are the kids going to have fun with this or what?

Thank you to 100 Scope Notes and Mishaps and Adventures for this great Wimpy Kid link. I will keep everyone posted with how our party goes.

Check out our Wimpy Kid parties here and here.