Age group(s) for this birthday party activity:
Preschool and Younger
Elementary School

Cost of birthday party activity:
Usual cost of food and cake.
Cost of LOTS of plastic bugs, glow in the dark bugs, gummy worms and bugs, and inexpensive magnifying glasses.

Birthday party planning information:
Get ready to be infested! Start by buying a LARGE bag of plastic bugs, usually available in any WalMart type store.

Decorations: Glue plastic bugs to doubled streamers and hang around the room. Compliment with balloons. Leave bugs here and there - window sills, counter tops.

Food: Slice celery stalks into quarters and fill with peanut butter. Make a line of "ants" by placing raisins (or chocolate chips) into the peanut butter.
For over 4 years old: serve fruit skewers that look like caterpillars; slide red and green grapes onto skewers along with berries and melon balls.
Cupcakes: Make Jell-O Jigglers in a variety of flavors according to package instructions. Pour the mixture into muffin tins. When gelatin has set, remove from tins. (TIP: if the gelatin is difficult to remove, warm the pan by briefly dipping hte bottom in warm water.) Top the Jell-O cupcakes with gummy worms and other candy bugs. Sprinkle with colored sugar.

Other suggestions or comments:
Activity: Make bug frames. Using large wooden tongue depressors (available at craft stores), let children glue 4 into a square. Decorate the frame with markers, decorations and plastic bugs.
Go on a bug hunt! Place plastic bugs in the yard and provide magnifying glasses. Don't be surprised if some non-plastic bugs are found.
Favors: In addition to, what else?, plastic bugs and the magnifying glasses, also include gummy worms or bugs, and glow in the dark bugs, available at WalMart type stores.