FIREFIGHTER PARTY

What child doesn't look up to the brave firefighters? Let your birthday boy or girl get a chance to imitate their hero. You and your guests will put out fires, rescue babies and enjoy some refreshments when your work is done. What a hot party!

INVITATIONS

You will need white, red, and orange construction paper, glue and a red marker. Cut out orange and red construction paper in the shape of a fire. Glue them on the bottom of the invitation. Across the top write the words: Where's the Fire? It's at ____'s Firefighter Birthday Party. Include the date and time of the party, your address, and R.S.V.P. and your phone number.

DECORATIONS

Hang red and orange "fire" streamers from the ceiling. Use red plastic fire hats as place settings at the table. (You might be able to get these from a local fire station). Print the name of a different guest on each hat. The Fire Engine cake can be the centerpiece of the table.

Dalmatian Dog Place Mats

You will need black and white construction paper. Cut white construction paper into a large circle. Using a black marker, draw a face of a Dalmatian dog onto the paper. Cut out black ears and black spots to glue onto your dog's face. Put a small piece of pink paper for the tongue.

MENU

Serve "Fire House Dogs" (recipe below) with potato chips and a fruit plate. For the grand finale, serve "Put out the Fire Punch" and Fire Engine Cake.

Fire House Dogs

Use 2 packages of refrigerated crescent roll dough and 2 packages hot dogs. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Wrap each hot dog in a crescent roll and place on a cookie sheet. Bake for 14 to 16 minutes. Serve with ketchup and mustard.

Put out the Fire Punch

Mix 2 liters of ginger ale with one pint of strawberry ice cream.

Fire Engine Cake

Bake a sheet cake using your favorite mix. Frost the cake with white icing. Using red cake decorator icing from a tube, draw the outline of a fire engine on the cake. Oreo cookies can be used for the wheels.

ACTIVITIES

Save the Baby

Time children as they race through the obstacle course to save a baby (doll). This can be set up in the backyard. Children can climb a ladder and go down a slide then climb through a tunnel (empty box set on its side) then they will use the hose to pretend to put the fire out before they save the baby. The little firefighter that completes the obstacle course in the shortest time will win a small prize.

Hot Potato

Have children stand in a circle. Set a kitchen timer for a minute or two. Use a stuffed Dalmatian dog to play the game of Hot Potato. Children will toss the animal around the circle until the timer goes off. The child holding the animal when the timer goes off must sit down. Continue playing until only one child is standing. Give a prize to the winner.

Stop, Drop and Roll

Divide the children into two teams. This game is to be played outside in a yard. An adult calls out "Fire, Fire. Stop, drop and roll." The first child from each team will lie on their side and roll down a hill until they get to a designated spot. They stand up and call out the same thing to their next team member, who then rolls down the hill. This continues until all of the children have finished the race. The first team to have all of their members down the hill wins the relay. This will also reinforce the important concept of stop, drop and roll.

Dalmatian Dog Mask

Copy a picture of a Dalmatian dog from coloring book pages onto thick paper. Have children color masks with crayons or markers. Help them cut the masks out. Be sure to cut out holes for the eyes. Punch a hole on each side of the mask with a hole puncher. Measure off two pieces of string that are eight inches long. Tie one piece of string through each hole. Place the mask over the child's face and tie behind their head. Children can pretend to be Dalmatian dogs.

FAVORS

Guests can take hoe the red plastic firefighter hats they wore during the party. Other ideas are squirt guns, fireball candy, and fire safety coloring books, which you can get from a fire station.