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Maud Hart Lovelace’s Betsy-Tacy books have been adored by generations!

You can find many items from our gift shop to plan your child’s next birthday party around a Betsy-Tacy theme.

Ask the girls to attend the party dressed as Betsy, Tacy and Tib, wearing turn of the century style dresses with long stockings and ribbons in their hair.

Party Invitations

Betsy's 10th Birthday Party Note Card - illustration by Lois Lenski
Blank note card folded with envelope - 5-1/2" x 4-1/4" – pale pink card stock.

Back of card has quote from Betsy and Tacy Go Over the Big Hill.

Perfect for birthday party invitations!

Party favor ideas from Tacy’s Gift Shop:

Old-time party game suggestions:

Rigmarole
The children sit in a circle. One child starts a story, and the next child adds on to the story, and so on all the way around the circle. The last child must end the story.

Compliments
The children sit in a circle. The first player turns to the child on her left and “introduces” her to the group, using the first letter of her first name to begin a compliment. For example, “This is Nelly, she is neat. And so on all the way around the circle.

Hide the Thimble
While the children are out of the room, the leader “hides” a thimble in plain sight. The children are instructed to use their eyes only to look for the thimble but, when they find it they should not indicate where it is by gesture or words, but sit down on the floor and wait for the other children to find it.

Hot Potato

Get kids seated in a circle. Have them pass around a potato while music plays. When the music stops, the one left holding the potato is out.

Pins in a Bottle

Get an old mason jar and a clothes pin. Set the jar on the ground. Each person is supposed to stand in the same spot and see how many clothes pins they can drop into the jar without missing

Fishing Game

Cut out fish from construction paper. Attach a paper clip to the back of one side. Then make fishing poles using a dowel or stick, string, and a small magnet tied to one end of the string. Put the fish scattered out on the floor. Let the kids kneel on a chair and go fishing. If giving prizes you could give prizes according to a color coded on the fish they pick up or the person who catches the most.

Guessing Game

Have a jar filled with peanuts, jelly beans, pennies, or any other type of object. As kids get to the party have them write their guess of how many are in the jar on a paper with their name written on it. At the end of the party see who was the closest and they get the jar full of goodies. Hint: Use a small jar.

Memory Game

Put a bunch of odd items from around the house on a tray, give the kids a few minutes to look at them. Then take them away and have them list all the items they can remember (for younger kids, have someone write them down for them as they say the item names). You can make the items relate to the theme of the party. For example, a party with a circus theme might have a clown's nose, a plastic elephant, popcorn, a small ball, etc.

Craft fun

* Make a birthday card for the birthday child. Decorate with scraps of lace, yarn, buttons, markers, Use glue sticks only.

* Cut and color Betsy-Tacy paper dolls (from gift shop) to take home.

Storytime

Reading about Betsy’s 5th birthday party from Betsy-Tacy, Betsy’s 10th birthday party from Betsy-Tacy Go Over the Big Hill or Winona’s birthday party from Winona’s Pony Cart.

Blind Man’s Bluff

Designate who is “it.” Blindfold “it” and spin him/her around several times, then stop. The other players move around “it” making funny noises as “it” tries to tag them. The first person tagged becomes “it,” puts the blindfold on and the fun begins again!

Pin the Tail on the Donkey

The donkey can be made from felt, cardboard or construction paper. Tails can be made from string, cardboard, felt or paper (or a combination of all!). Blindfold each player as they take a turn to play. Spin them around three times and let them loose with a tail. They must try to pin the tail on the donkey in the correct spot (we hope you know where that is!). Use double faced tape for the tails.  He/she who gets closest to where the tail should be wins a prize.

Betsy-Tacy Society, P.O. Box 94, Mankato, MN 56002

www.betsy-tacysociety.org      507-345-9777

Illustration by Lois Lenski © HarperCollins