My bunny girl turned 10 at the end of May and we had her birthday party over the weekend. She had asked for an "Ancient Egypt" theme this year and it turned out pretty well! I was getting all the last minute stuff together when the kids came running in from the backyard to say Middle Brother had jumped off the slide and hurt his arm. Uh Oh. He was crying pretty hard, not the usual kind of crying that's over and done with, but the kind where you know something's really wrong. So, Dad ran him up to the hospital and sure enough he had a buckle fracture near his wrist. Poor baby. He was back to his normal self when they returned home and the party got started. Nothing like a little excitement to start the day!
So, first off, everyone had to have Egyptian eye makeup...

Then, they designed their Egyptian collars (with inspiration from a few books)...



An Egyptian Feast including flat bread, 4-bean salad, cucumbers, grapes, dates, and Fig Newtons ; ). I bought the paper goods at Target - a new line (at least for me) called Isabelle Party that I thought was really pretty and appropriate for our theme...

The kids traced an ankh pattern (an Egyptian symbol of life) onto flattened Sculpey and cut it out. I got the ankh template from this site. After baking, they painted them and added a coat of Mod Podge.


We played a simple game I made up called Crocodiles in the Nile. I made
a path across the backyard lined with blue crepe paper to be the Nile
River. The kids had to run the length one at a time, while the adults
threw ping pong balls at them. If they got hit (bit by the Crocodile),
they were out. Simple, LOL, but the kids thought it was fun.
I printed out templates from this website for the kids to make pyramids.

For the favors, I tucked the goodies into homemade mummies and hid them around the yard. The kids had to de-code some hieroglyphics to find where they were hidden. I used this site and this one for translating and printing the clues.


To make the mummies, I shaped some newspaper into a cone shape and trimmed across the top to even it up. Then, I added a paper ball head and taped it in. I bought two inexpensive white sheets and ripped them up for wrapping. I wrapped around the mummy one complete time, tucked in some favors, wrapped again, tucked in the rest of the favors and then a final wrap to cover it all. I spray painted them gold (only on one side though, as I was running out of daytime).


They all had fun unwrapping their mummies. The idea was to mimic when the Ancient Egyptians were preparing their dead for the afterlife and they tucked charms and amulets into the linen wrappings.

We finished up with a Nile birthday cake and presents...

I almost forgot, I also downloaded some Egyptian music from iTunes and played it in the background. I love getting themed music for parties, I think it adds the final touch.
Found you through the Crafty Crow website and love this idea! My 6 year old son is obsessed with Egypt (only 6 year old I know who can name Zawi Hawass on sight! lol) and this would be a great idea for his birthday party this summer. I'm already thinking how I can possibly fix up a sand box to be 'excavated'!! Thanks for sharing!
Posted by: Mamie | January 13, 2010 at 11:52 AM
those are awsome ideas im making my sweet 15s an egyptian theme and i am OBSESSED with egyptian stuff
Posted by: Giovanna | November 12, 2009 at 05:54 PM
uh... thank you for this
Posted by: Revistas Sexo | November 11, 2009 at 11:48 PM
What a fabulous idea. i have also been obsessed with EWgypt since as far back as I can remember. i recently had an egyptian themed party for my 50th - I was in "de-nile" and everyone dressed up etc. I wish I had seen your site and would have loved the ideas you had!!! You are extremely creative!!!
Posted by: jo | October 22, 2009 at 06:52 PM
lol this is so awesome im 16, and my friends are having an egyption themed sleepover, like i know yours was for kids, but teenagers dont all need to be out drinking, we can do the kids stuff too xD
Posted by: susie love | March 26, 2009 at 01:41 PM
SUPER cool!!!
Posted by: Nevis | September 22, 2008 at 01:53 PM
What a great party!!!!
I will definitely do that for the next birthday! Love the mummies!
Posted by: Miri | July 30, 2008 at 07:47 AM
I bow down to you, what a party! I am keeping these ideas in my head! My 5, soon to be 6 year old, had an Ancient Egyptian birthday party last year and up until last week wanted the same theme this week. Now it's Colonial but I'll be ready in case it switches back! Got any ideas for a Colonial birthday?
Posted by: Tracey@Paper Dolls for Boys | May 08, 2008 at 04:56 PM
Fantastic party. The king tut exhibit will be here soon I may have to have an egyptian theme party to go with it. Yours looked like great fun.
Posted by: Laura | April 06, 2008 at 06:59 PM
You are awesome!! I love it when people really get into a theme - right down to the music - perfect. I'm so happy to have found your wonderful blog.
Posted by: Mary | June 25, 2007 at 01:22 PM
Wonderful! I just found your site and am bookmarking it. So many great ideas for doing stuff with kids. I love all your homeschooling ideas, too. I don't homeschool, but I like to supplement their public education with fun and educational stuff at home.
Thanks again.
Posted by: Wendy | June 21, 2007 at 06:53 AM
love to read your blog and the pictures are just the greatest. I love you
Posted by: Gus Griffin | June 11, 2007 at 06:02 PM
What an awesome party!!!! Loved all the pictures. Cool!!
Jennifer (toadhaven.com)
Posted by: Jennifer | June 08, 2007 at 06:39 AM
Wow! Great post and beautiful pictures :) Everyone had a memorable time as usual. Hugs, Cassi
Posted by: Cassi | June 06, 2007 at 03:47 PM