Do you have nieces and nephews who just love ladybugs? Valentine's Day is the perfect time to show your love bugs some ladybug love! Throw a Ladybug Love Bug Valentine's Day Party!

To kick off your party, send a unique invitation. Make a giant ladybug using black and red construction paper. On one side, write, “Love bug, lady bug, are you red and rounded with black spots all over you? If you look like me, then won’t you come and play at a Love Bug Party this Valentine’s Day?” Provide the rest of the details as well.

Decorate your party room with black, red, and white balloons. Draw black spots on some of the red balloons. Given that this is also a Valentine’s theme, decorate your table with a red-and-white tablecloth covered with hearts. A pot of fake grass filled with plastic ladybugs would be a lovely centerpiece. For the tableware, mix and match your thematic colors. If you can find black and red polka-dotted party ware, even better!

For additional decorations, place black spots all over the party room walls, and as a footpath to your front door.

For a craft, have the kids make their very own love bugs. Pre-cut red and black circles out of construction paper, or provide the kids with the paper and have them cut their own. Have the kids use the circles to make bug bodies and spots. In addition, have markers, crayons, and glitter glue available for decorating.

Another craft idea is to have the kids paint love bugs on small clay pots. They can paint as many bugs as they like. These small pots can be taken home as a goody from the party.

Make Ladybug Puppets using red socks, pipe cleaners, and fabric paint. This is another craft that can be taken away as a goody. The kids can play with their puppets during the party as well.

For games, play Pin the Spot on the Love Bug!

If you decorated the room with black spots, write numbers on the backs of some of the spots and have the kids go looking for them. When they find one, give them a small prize.

Provide heart-shaped sugar cookies and have the kids decorate them with icing and sprinkles.

Play Love Bug Says just as you would play Simon Says, but try and give directions that a ladybug would give, such as, “Do the jitterbug!”

For the love bug menu, cut all food into heart and/or circle shapes. Small sandwiches with different fillings, gelatin jigglers, red fruit and yogurt dips, fruit punch, heart-shaped gummies, and a creative ladybug cake are perfect foods for this party.

For the love bug favor, if the kids decorated clay pots, finish them off by filling them with chocolates wrapped in red and black foil.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Photo: ababaka
Published: February 6, 2017