How to Organize a Shopkins Party

04/07/2017

Written by: @GabDiesendorf

If you have a child aged anywhere from 4 to 10, you’re probably familiar with Shopkins. Kids and parents both adore them, each for their own reasons – kids, because the tiny collectible toys are adorable; and parents, because they are a relatively cheap treat. My daughter prefers them over most of her more expensive toys, and loves trading with her friends, so it came as no surprise when she said she wanted a Shopkins-themed party for her 6^th birthday. Luckily, Shopkins are a genuine well of inspiration because they are so diverse and colorful.

Invitations and decorations

When we started planning our party, my daughter initially wanted us to have handmade invitations, each with a unique drawing. That, of course, proved to be a bit too ambitious, but luckily, there are a lot of really cute Shopkins party supplies available. You can buy or make your own cupcake toppers, water bottle labels and food labels. We also got plates and hats. As for the decorations, we cut out and painted a few giant Shopkins out of cardstock. A lot of the iconic ones, like D’lish Donut, Kooky Cookie and Googy, are pretty easy to make, even if you aren’t particularly artistic. We also had a lot of balloons and streamers in pink, fuchsia, blue and purple.

Tasty treats and stylish drinks

As there are literally dozens of food-shaped Shopkins, this was one of the easiest aspects of the party to take care of. All our water and juice was served in Sippy Sips cups, which are actually really cheap and easy to make. The menu was entirely Shopkins inspired, much to the delight of the children. They all loved pink glazed donuts (we used this recipe, but added some food coloring to the glaze, and decorated with sprinkles), cookies, popcorn, mini muffins, pretzels, and, of course, a huge Cheeky Chocolate cake.

Super cute party favors

No party is complete without party favors. After all, they are a great little token of appreciation to let your guests know just how much you love having them at your party. Luckily, this part was a no-brainer. Shopkins themselves are perfect as favors. They come in a cute little crate or shopping cart of their own, they are small and cheap, and yet, there is no doubt that the guests will be thrilled. Kids just can’t get enough, and I have to admit it brought me real joy to see all those little faces light up when they saw they each got a brand-new pack to take with them. We created a punch game which made the whole thing even more exciting.  Alternatively, if you have the time, skill and energy, you can make loom band bracelets and use Shopkins as charms.

Games for everyone

The thing with parties for six-year-olds is – you have to keep them busy all the time. First of all, we set up a coloring station – a small table with a few seats, plenty of crayons and a bunch of coloring pages. This proved to be a great move, and it served as a place of rest for kids who weren’t into a particular game. We also printed and cut out blank masks in Shopkins colors, with plenty of stickers, glitter and felt-tip pens to decorate them. And of course, the kids enjoyed playing with their Shopkins. There was no need to structure this time – in fact, Shopkins are excellent for free play, which promotes healthy development through playing.

The party turned out to be a huge hit, and I must admit we had a lot of fun planning it and preparing everything. The most important thing, of course, was that the little ones had the time of their lives.