Care Bears Party Supplies

If you’re looking for gifts for the birthday girl or boy, you’ll probably want to give them at least one piece of Care Bear merchandise. It can be difficult to find Care Bears toys, as many of them are collectors’ items and get snapped up fairly quickly, but if you can find one, another Care Bear to add to the collection will always be a treasured gift. Check out Amazon's Care Bears here.

You can also buy Care Bears videos, such as “Care Bears: Journey to Joke-a-lot,” “Care Bears: Big Wish Movie,” “Care Bears Movie II: A New Generation,” “Care Bears: Oopsy Does it,” and lots of other titles to choose from. At the moment, there are no Care Bears video games.

Kids who like Care Bears are usually attracted to them because they inspire creativity and co-operation, so you can also think about branching out into games and toys that nurture creativity and encourage co-operation. Depending on the age of the birthday boy or girl, you might consider:

Art toys such as Illustory, that let kids create a hardcover book featuring their drawings, or a kit that lets them make their own pop-up book.

Arts and crafts kits that allow them to play with different materials and create something unique.

Co-operation games such as Zingo, where the rules can be adjusted to encourage different levels of co-operation, or board games based on co-operation between the players, such as Princess or A Walk in the Woods.

	Care Bears Care Quest Nintendo Game Boy Advance 2005		US $10.99	More Details

	V Tech V Smile Motion Console 3 Games Elmo Care Bears Alphabet Park Joystick		US $15.00	More Details

	Party Supplies VINTAGE Care Bears Hats Tablecloth Centerpiece Game Plate		US $20.00	More Details

If you’re looking for a no-fuss, no-muss solution to the party favor dilemma, you can go for a pre-made favor kit like the version available on the Celebrate Express website. It includes little toys and stickers, some candy, a Care Bears mask and a pretty box to pack it all into. But if you have the time to create something homemade for the event, here are some ideas:

Buy small, inexpensive tote bags and create Care Bear iron-on transfers using special iron-on paper that works with your computer printer. Iron the designs onto the tote bags for a great keepsake bag. If you have chosen to go with the build-a-bear theme, you can pop each guest’s finished bear into the tote along with some candy, a coloring book and crayons for a perfect goody bag. You could even add small plastic care bear toys which are rather inexpensive at 12 for $3.00!

Go with a rainbow theme. Try to find rainbow bags or bags in different rainbow colors. Fill with rainbow-colored candy, rainbow pencils, a rainbow of crayons, paints or pencil crayons, rainbow stickers and temporary tattoos. Celebrate Express has a large selection of rainbow party supplies to choose from too!

Make a batch of sugar cookies in bear shapes and ice them in pastel colors. Look for small, inexpensive plush bears at the dollar store or toystore and purchase as many as you’ll need to give one to each guest. Wrap each bear, plus a decorative bag or box of bear cookies, in a clear sheet of mylar and tie with a big ribbon.

You may be able to find a pre-made Care Bears-themed cake at your local bakery, supermarket or Dairy Queen, but if you’re having difficulty finding something premade, or you prefer to make a homemade birthday cake, you’ll find lots of great options in this article. There’s something for every skill level, from advanced baker to novice.

Care Bears cake: You can find a number of cake options when thinking of a Care Bear cake, including a cake pan in the shape of Cheer Bear. Note: this option is for expert bakers only, as it requires advanced icing techniques. You can also bake and frost a simple sheet cake, and top it with official Care Bear cake toppers, also available on the Sugar Craft website. The sheet can be simply frosted in vanilla and then sprinkled with rainbow confetti, or you could frost the cake in long rainbow stripes for a really eye-popping effect.

Rainbow and “cloud” cupcakes: Instead of one big cake, you can bring out a platter of easy-to-serve cupcakes. Frost the cupcakes in vanilla icing and then use different colored sugar crystals to create rainbow-striped cupcakes. Use a sheet of paper to create a sharp edge as you sprinkle the red sugar, then use it to mask the red stripe as you shake out an orange stripe next to it, and so on, until you have a rainbow. You can also create a rainbow effect by cutting up licorice strips in every color and laying them on top of the cupcake. You may be able to find red, yellow, green, blue and purple licorice at your local specialty candy store, or order online at Licorice Candy Twist. For the “cloud” cupcakes, pile mini-marshmallows all over the tops of the vanilla-frosted cupcakes. Alternate rainbows and clouds on the serving platter. Or you can put little Care Bears on the top of each cupcake, you can get a set of 8 for $3.00!

“Hidden Rainbow” cake: This cake can look quite plain from the outside (although you can dress it up if you like) but when you cut it into slices, a spectacular rainbow is revealed! Divide homemade batter or a vanilla cake mix into five bowls, and add a different color of food coloring to each bowl (red, yellow, green, blue, purple). Scoop each bowlful into the baking pan separately, creating layers of color. Bake as usual, and frost with big billows of Cool Whip if you want a “rainbow hidden in the clouds” effect. You can serve the cake plain or dress it up with rainbow confetti sprinkles. When you cut the cake, the beautiful, swirling, multicolored inside will amaze the kids.

“Belly Badge” cupcakes: Create a “belly badge” cupcake decorating station. Frost cupcakes with a smooth white frosting, and put out bowls of candies in the shapes of hearts, stars, rainbows etc. You can also put out squeeze tubes of colored icing, colored sugar and sprinkles. Tell the kids that these are “belly badge” cupcakes that they can decorate themselves.

Care-a-lot cupcake stand: If you are looking for an easy but stunning cake presentation, whip up a batch of cupcakes in pastel colors (or purchase them from the bakery or supermarket) and set them on this cardboard “Care Bears” cake stand from Sugar Craft. It’s an easy-to-assemble presentation piece that you can set the cupcakes on, and it’s loaded with Care Bears charm!

	Wilton Care Bears Cake Pan from 1983 with insert pan 2105 1793		US $8.95	More Details

	Care Bears Wilton Cake Pan Insert 2005		US $20.00	More Details

	Wilton Care Bear Cake Pan from the eighties		US $8.00	More Details

	Vintage Wilton Cake Pan 1983 Care Bear		US $19.99	More Details

Whether the Care Bears birthday party takes place indoors or out, you can have a “Care Bears Teddy Bear picnic.” In fact, an indoor picnic can sometimes feel like even more of a special occasion, because it’s so unusual! Lay plastic tablecloths on the ground for the kids to sit on. You can serve them on paper plates or you can buy some inexpensive baskets from the dollar store and give each child their own “picnic basket” with sandwiches, veggie sticks, etc. in it.

Mini-sandwiches: Kids love things that are as small as they are, and it’s easy to make mini-sandwiches in a variety of flavors. Use brown and white sandwich bread and cut the crusts off. Fill the sandwiches with a variety of fillings: egg salad, cheese and tomato, ham, turkey slices etc. Then cut each sandwich into four. Cut some into squares and others diagonally into triangles for variety.

Bear paw sandwiches: These take a bit of effort, but the kids will love them. Using plain white bread and a sifting of cocoa powder, you can make tasty sandwiches that look like little bear paws. Using a round cookie cutter, cut out circles of white sandwich bread. Fill with peanut butter, or peanut butter and Nutella, or plain Nutella, or honey and cream cheese. Next, create a template for sifting cocoa to create the “paw.” Using construction paper or thin cardboard, cut out a big circle and three smaller circles to look like the pads of a bear paw. Lay the template over each sandwich and sift cocoa over the top to create the “paw print.”

Rainbow punch: Add different colors of food coloring to white grape juice and freeze in ice-cube trays to make different colored ice cube. Make a clear punch with half white grape juice and half 7-Up. Drop the multi-colored ice-cubes in the punch just before serving. They will look very pretty for the first little while, although once they all melt, the punch will be a pinky-purple color.

Other snacks to fill the baskets with:
An apple or orange
“Pre-dipped” carrot and celery sticks (carrot and celery sticks in a paper cup filled part-way up with yogurt dip)
Bear-shaped graham crackers
“Rainbow” jello (a clear plastic cup with three colors of jello or jello pudding layered in it)

Here are some ideas for Care Bear themed activities you can offer at the party:

Belly badges: Buy some 8 ½” x 11” sheets of labels and cut out big circles. Set up a craft table where the kids can use felts, crayons, glitter pens and an assortment of stickers to create their own “belly badge.” Once their belly badge is complete, peel off the backing for them and stick it on their tummy over their shirt or dress. They can wear the belly badge throughout the party.

Face-painting: Have a face-painting station where kids can have a heart painted on their nose (just like a Care Bear) and a Care Bear symbol of their choice painted on their cheek. Care Bear symbols include, shamrock, heart, rainbow, star, sun, flower, lollipop, cloud, moon. It’s a good idea to print all the choices out on a piece of paper so the kids can point to the symbol they want. You’ll need someone to staff the booth for you—another parent, a friend or an older neighborhood child or teen.

Pot-of-gold search: With so many rainbows, shouldn’t there be a pot of gold somewhere nearby? Hide gold coins and have the kids search for them. For each coin they find, they receive a little prize (a candy, a few stickers, a cute pencil or novelty eraser, etc.).

Build-a-bear: This activity takes quite a bit of preparation, and you’ll need access to a sewing machine, but it will be a real hit with the kids. Using a simple bear-shaped template, cut bear shapes out of different coloured felt or craft foam. You’ll want to select a range of rainbow colors: red, orange, blue, green, etc. Sew or glue two bear shapes together so that they can be stuffed with cotton batting. They don’t need to be fat and three-dimensional, you just want to give them some volume and softness. Cut out a white felt or craft foam circle for each bear’s tummy and glue it in place. You’ll need one bear for every child invited to the party. Next, you’ll need an assortment of stick-on googly eyes, ribbons, iron-on craft shapes and fabric pens—anything that the kids can easily decorate their bears with. At the party, set up a build-a-bear station. Have each child reach into a covered basket or opaque bag and pull out a bear: having them choose a bear sight unseen means there won’t be fights over who gets which color. Once they have a bear, they can stick on googly eyes, draw in features and decorate their bear however they like.

For a Care Bears birthday party, it’s all about fluffy clouds and rainbows galore! There are different options depending on whether you plan to hold the party indoors or out.

INDOORS

If you’re looking for a quick and easy way to decorate the room, you can always purchase pre-made Care Bears decorations from your local party supply store or online. There’s a decoration kit from Celebrate Express that includes mylar and regular balloons, tablecloth, centerpiece and all the paper plates, cups and napkins you’ll need as well.

But there are lots of imaginative ways to make the decorations extra-special if you have the time to put into it. Whether you start with a pre-made kit or decide to do everything from scratch, here are some ideas to help transform an indoor space into a Care-a-lot wonderland.

Recreate Care-a-lot castle: It’s easy! The Care Bear’s castle is made up of very simple shapes, so if you can find some large sheets of white construction paper, you can recreate the castle right in your home. Roll two tubes of white cardboard into “turrets” and use staples or tape to close the seam. Then roll a third tube that’s wider and taller than the first two, and tape or staple it shut as well. Staple the two turrets, top and bottom, on either side of the wider tube. Then make three cones out of pink construction paper to fit the tops of the three tubes. These are the pointy roofs of the castle. Secure these to the tops of the tubes with tape. Finally, cut an arched entryway out of pink construction paper and glue it to the middle tube, and cut out two heart-shaped “windows” for the two turrets on either side. The final touch is three green triangular flags—one at the top of each pointed roof. Unless you use heavy-duty cardboard for this project, the castle will be fragile, so you might want to put it somewhere where it can be admired, but not crushed by excited youngsters.

Fill the room with rainbows and clouds: Rainbows and clouds are an important part of the Care Bears style, so fill the room with as many of them as you can! Some ideas are:

If you have one wall clear of furniture, you can create a huge rainbow out of red, orange, yellow, green and blue balloons. Start by building an outer arch of red balloons, attaching them to the wall with puffy, double-sided tape (the puffy tape tends to hold better than the thin variety). Then create an inner arch of orange that closely follows the line of the red. Continue to build arches in sequence out of the remaining rainbow colours. This can look spectacular if you have the space for it. You can also create the rainbow by scrunching up colored tissue paper and sticking it to the wall with double-sides tape. You can create “clouds” at the bottom of the arch by purchasing white cotton batting for stuffing pillows. You can find cotton batting at a fabric or sewing supply store or craft store.

Drape red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple crepe paper across the ceiling and let it trail down the walls. Hang cotton batting “clouds” from the light fixtures using fishing line.

Fill the room with Care Bears: Make a big (3’ x 2’) bear template and cut bear shapes out of a rainbow of construction or craft paper. Use a Sharpie to draw in the bear faces if desired. Tape the bears up on the walls, and stick a white circle on each bear’s belly. When the guests arrive, invite them to use crayons to choose a bear and draw a “belly badge” on the white circle. When the party is over, you can unpin each bear and give it to the child who drew its belly badge.

OUTDOORS:

If the weather permits an outdoor party, you can turn the yard or garden into Care-a-lot. Some ideas for decorating the outdoors include:

Make a balloon rainbow: If you can rent a helium dispenser, you can have a lot of fun with balloon decorations. Create a balloon rainbow by tying red balloons to fishing line or red ribbon and tying each end to a beanbag or other weight. Then make a smaller arch out of orange balloons, then yellow, and so on, all the way down to the smallest purple arch.

Make a Gathering Tree: The Care Bears like to play around the Gathering Tree, and if you have a tree in your yard, you can create your own Gathering Tree for the kids to play around. Decorate the tree in rainbow colors with crepe paper and balloons. Twine the crepe paper through the branches and let the ends hang down. You can also twin the rainbow colors all the way up the trunk, or decorate the trunk in bands of color: first red, then orange, then yellow, then green and so on. You could also hang small bags of jelly beans in rainbow colors from the lower branches.

You can also make a rainbow by twining crepe paper through the slats or links of your fence.

There are lots of options for Care Bears birthday party invitations! Because the Care Bears are so popular with kids, you are likely to find lots of great-looking invitations at your local stationery, party supply or dollar store. You can also order invitations online at places such as Celebrate Express. You can also find invitation designs that you can download and print at home. Try visiting the Family Shopping Bag for a selection of free Care Bears invitations.

But if you’d like to create something more original and personalized, here are some ideas:

Cut cloud-shapes out of pale blue construction paper and glue red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple ribbons to the bottom so that they create a rainbow-colored fringe. Print out the party invitations in a smaller cloud-shape on white paper, and glue to the invitation.

Create a simple bear-shape template (you can find one by searching online, or click here) and use it to trace bears onto different-coloured construction or cardstock craft paper. Use pale colors to capture the Care Bear feel. Then print out the invitation copy on your computer and cut it out in a circle to fit each bear’s tummy, creating the “belly badge.” If you want to get fancy, you can cut out two circles, glue the invitation directly to the bear’s tummy, and then glue a second circle over the invitation, creating a flap that can be lifted to reveal the invitation. Decorate the top circle with stickers: rainbows, hearts, stars, shamrocks, lollipops, etc.

Incorporate some of the Care Bears language into the invitations. For the rainbow invitation, an example might be, “You are invited to travel over the rainbow and join [birthday boy/girl name] for a Care Bears birthday celebration!” For the bear-shaped invitation, the copy might read, “You are PAWS-itively invited to a Care Bear birthday party! We couldn’t BEAR it if you didn’t come!