The menu, decorations, and tees for a fun watch party celebrating Rick Riordan’s “The Lightning Thief” being released on Disney+ as a TV series

Aiden's party was months ago. I'm not exactly the most dedicated blogger in the world...but I just had to post about this party. I have t...

Today my class watched the film, The Lightning Thief. Riordan’s book was our last read aloud, a book I look forward to sharing each year. I thought instead of a normal post, I’d write down the things I most loved about sharing this book with my students. 10. The obsession that sweeps across my classroom regarding Greek Mythology. All mythology books end up checked out. Kids love to study the myths. 9. The kids that sneak copies of the book home so they can finish before I do and read ahead in the series. 8. My boys that have formed their own Riordan fan club on their own time. Hello, engagement! 7. The indignation when students learn that others skipped the first series to jump into the Heroes of Olympus series. “But they missed the origin!” Rock on, my Nerdy Book Club students. J 6. The excitement the students showed in creating their own mural of Camp Half Blood. Can’t wait to see it when they finish! 5. Their earnest faces when they begged to watch the movie. Like I would say no. I abhor watching movies at school – but as an extension to the book? With opportunity to debate? I’m in. 4. The glee when I announced we could have a “blue food and drink” party with the movie to celebrate Sally Jackson’s one act of rebellion against Smelly Gabe. 3. The fun food and drinks that showed up in my room today. Yum. 2. The whisperers of dismay and then excitement as students watched the movie and became caught up in the story. 1. The fun discussions over minor changes (Annabeth’s hair, eye color, minor characters left out) vs. major plot differences (Kronos?) Each year I am beyond thrilled by the level of engagement students show throughout this unit. Today we dismissed early for Thanksgiving break. I had some boys hang back and ask me if there was a way to get a “family tree” for Greek Mythology. I said I could look one up and then they told me not to worry about it, they’d create their own. I smiled, gave them a hug, and sent them on their way. Love this book, movie, and my students. What a great start to our break.

Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief is a great book to read with your kids and discuss. The Percy Jackson movie... is a dumpster fire, but good to discuss.

I’d say the Lightning Thief birthday party was a huge success. The smiles I saw on T’s face were enough validation for me that I (or rather we) gave him a fantastic party. In fact, a fe…

The menu, decorations, and tees for a fun watch party celebrating Rick Riordan’s “The Lightning Thief” being released on Disney+ as a TV series

Fans of the series of best-selling books for middle grade readers will find a lot to like. Their parents? Not so much.

I’d say the Lightning Thief birthday party was a huge success. The smiles I saw on T’s face were enough validation for me that I (or rather we) gave him a fantastic party. In fact, a fe…

The menu, decorations, and tees for a fun watch party celebrating Rick Riordan’s “The Lightning Thief” being released on Disney+ as a TV series

Looking for more than simple chapter questions? This resource includes unique novel activities and novel projects that students can complete while reading Rick Riordan's The Lightning Thief. These are great for enrichment or for gifted and talented students, too!There is a The Lightning Thief projec...

I recently read The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. So much that I have put together this Percy Jackson inspired party, which would also be great for a classroom or a library. Percy's birthday is August 18th, so if hosting a party in his honor, that would be the best day. Have the kids read the book first, so they can talk about it around the campfire (either real or a paper mache one). The theme is Percy Jackson and Camp Half-Blood. Invite attendees into a world of Greek mythology and educational fun with Percy and members of the camp. Encourage attendees to dress up as their favorite Greek god or Percy Jackson character. Set up a food table filled with Percy Jackson inspired goodies such as: -cans of diet coke -blue jelly beans -blue cupcakes -grape juice -blue Hawaiian punch -a BBQ cookout Use these free printables to decorate. Set up stations featuring different gods and activities featured at Camp Half-Blood. Some ideas for stations & activities At each station, put a "Meet the God" sign with details of what they are known for, and a photo of them. When guests arrive, give them a bracelet and at each station provide them with a bead to add it upon completing the activity. - Ocean bottles with Poseidon, God of the Sea - Poseidon is, of course, Percy's father, so this station would be to create ocean bottles with him like this one from the Austin Children's Museum. - Enjoy dirt cake with Demeter, Goddess of Agriculture - source: Taste of Home - Sword and shield making with Ares, God of War - Let the children create their own shield, with representations of which house they are in. Don't forget the sword! *ask your local pizza shop to donate the circle cardboard - Trivia with Athena, Goddess of Wisdom, War, and Useful Arts - 1. Who is Percy’s father? Poseidon 2. What does Grover frequently eat? Diet Coke cans 3. Where do Percy and his mother go for vacation? The beach 4. What learning disorders did Percy suffer from? ADHD and dyslexia 5. Who is the Greek god of war? Ares 6. Who is Annabeth’s mother? Athena 7. Before going to Camp Half-Blood, what school did Percy attend? Yancy Academy 8. How old is Percy in The Lightning Theif? 12 9. What is Mr. D's real name? Dionysus 10. What cabin was Percy first placed in? 1, Hermes cabin 11. Who does Annabeth have a crush on? Luke 12. What was Auntie Em's real identity? Medusa 13. What animal/creature is Grover? A goat/satyr - Campfire and book discussion with Hephaestus, God of Blacksmiths and Fire - 1. Why do you think Percy was diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia, rather than something else? How does this make him relatable? 2. What clues did you find which led to the eventual discovery that Percy’s father was Poseidon? 3. If you were at Camp Half-Blood, which house do you think you’d be placed in? Is it your first choice? 4. Grover is seen as an outcast with few friends. Percy is often defending him against his classmates. We soon find out that Grover is, in actuality, protecting Percy. Why do you think he posed as “helpless” and let Percy think he needed defending? 5. What parallels does Percy have with other “troubled youth” who struggle to control their emotional impulses? Can you think of other book or movie characters who have similar experiences? 6. The demons usually take form of seemingly harmless entities, such as the old ladies and the teacher. Why do you think the evil characters took these shapes, instead of something more obviously evil? 7. What is Percy’s first reactions about who he meets at Camp Half-Blood? Is he surprised at what he learns about his new life? 8. Before reading the book, how familiar were you with Greek Mythology? Do you feel you have a basic understanding of it after reading The Lightning Thief? 9. What did you think about the The Lotus Casino? How would you have felt if you had entered the video game haven? 10. There is a recurring theme of children from divorced, or split families. Do you think this is a reflection of our modern culture? Why or why not? 11. What was your favorite part of the book? Do you have a least favorite? 12. Who do you relate to most in the book? Other activities -Find Zeus' lightning bolt: hide a lightning bolt and/or create a treasure hunt to find it. The person or "house" who wins gets a prize (such as a Percy Jackson t-shirt, a bead for their bracelet like the half-bloods in the book, etc.) -Capture the flag -After the activities, reward the children with a final bead for their bracelet, just like in the book -End the program with a viewing of the movie Additional resources: -For details on the Greek Gods, visit Rick Riordan's website for the book -Check out this party kit for fun stuff to do with all the books in the series -All about Camp Half-Blood -Camp Half-Blood Daily Activity Schedule

I’d say the Lightning Thief birthday party was a huge success. The smiles I saw on T’s face were enough validation for me that I (or rather we) gave him a fantastic party. In fact, a fe…

The menu, decorations, and tees for a fun watch party celebrating Rick Riordan’s “The Lightning Thief” being released on Disney+ as a TV series

We have been working our way through the first several chapters of The Lightning Thief as we brave our cold winter weather. Today I wanted to share with you the Challenge/Response work that we've been doing as we learn more about Percy Jackson. I have been asking my students to cold read chapters. Basically this just means to read the assigned chapter for homework before I talk to them about it. I think this is important because they need to practice the stamina of reading lengthy passages on their own. I feel like sometimes we spend so much time prepping with vocabulary and background knowledge that our students don't really have to read the chapter or passage or story to get the "gist" of it. Even my low readers have figured out how to slack off on a chapter and get away with it. Just being honest friends, you know they do it. One way that helps guarantee the cold read is to have students use post it notes and tag specific information. For the first few chapters of our novel, we looked at Challenges and Responses of Percy. At first, I did this assignment with my students, modeling what I was looking for. I talked to my students about looking at Chapter 1 and finding a Challenge that Percy had to face. Then we had to look critically for the Response that Percy had to the Challenge. Finally, I wrote what I could infer about Percy's character. Next, I had my students go through the chapter in their triad groups and model the same behavior. They wrote the Challenge/Response on index cards and then shared the inferences with discussion. My students continue this technique when they read and we add to the charts in our room about Percy's character. This helped us as we started to look at the archetype story of The Hero's Journey. I'll blog about that soon. My students did a fabulous job looking at this story structure! How do you insure that your students do your "cold read?" Do you teach the Hero's Journey? I would love to hear how you use it in your classroom! Don't forget.. There is still another day to pick up this awesome Tricky Math bundle from Educents. There is also a huge TpT sale starting tomorrow! My store in on sale. I'm getting ready to use my Salt in His Shoes activity as I begin my biography writing unit. It's a great way to introduce biographies and how we can pull character traits for writing from picture books. I'm also using the inspirational quotes to reinforce our character ed curriculum and as a way to create leads when we write.

My daughter Talley turned 10, (double digits!) last week and we held a "Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief" birthday party. The Percy J...

For the next two weeks the Cambridge-Isanti High School Theatre department is taking on one of the most popular teen books series of the last two decades with The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical.

My daughter Talley turned 10, (double digits!) last week and we held a "Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief" birthday party. The Percy Jackson books, and movie, are very popular around children her age. Talley helped plan most of the party; she had lots of good ideas. In the books, Percy's mom always liked to make him blue food; so blue was the color of the evening. Percy's father is the son of the mythical character Poseidon, God of the ocean, so I guess the blue signifies the ocean, Poseidon's realm. The girls were so cute and we had such a fun time! I am including reminders of my "It's a Wonderful Life" Link up Party on all my posts. Share all the "wonderful" holiday things going on in your life! Click HERE for more details. There will also be a few giveaway gifties! Talley and I made these string balls together; we thought they looked like bubbles in the ocean. Here is a long view of the table. I placed lightning bolts in the glasses. We served blue Hawaiian punch. An individual place setting. The girls loved the candy cane tucked in the napkin ring. Here's an side view of the table. The candy centerpiece was fun to put together. Who knew there were so many kinds of blue candy? At the end of the party, the girls took home a cellophane bag filled with the blue candy. We added some pictures of the Greek "Gods" to the candy centerpiece. What would a party be without a cake? Talley said she wanted a lightning bolt cake so that is what she got! Tati (Polka Dot Pantry Sweets) and I made the cake by just drawing a lightning bolt freehand and then cutting around the pattern. We just used one cake baked in a 9x 13 pan and cut it out twice. Next time, for ease, I would make two 13 x 9 cakes so I could make a larger cake. I piped "blue" ice cream (just vanilla with blue food coloring in it) into a little ramekin for each girl. I softened the ice cream before piping and then put the ramekins back in the freezer. Percy Jackson Treasure Hunt Talley planned a treasure hunt for the girls. She adapted the clues from the website "Make it Do." The First Clue The first clue was hidden under one of the dinner plates. This clue said the following: "Ares is the god of war, he loves to fight and not much more. He's hidden a clue in orbs untold. To find them out, you must be bold ! So take his weapons and use them well , within the orbs a clue may tell." In one of the orbs (balloons), the next clue was found. The girls used sharp pencils, and just one hand, to pop the balloons. The Second Clue In the balloons the second clue was found and it read as follows: "Look above, beyond the wall In the sky Zeus rules all. Climb to his realm and do not fall. If you’re lucky you’ll feel no jolt from Zeus’ mighty Lightning Bolt." These lightening bolts were hung from my shower curtain. The girls took turn choosing lightning bolts. One of the bolts was marked with a clue. We did this by candlelight. The Third Clue The clue on the designated bolt read as follows: "There's much to fear in Hades' home, for in his kingdom the dead to roam. Descend, descend to darkest black, and if you survive a clue bring back." The girls then headed down to our basement. But first, to enter they had to throw gold drachma (gold coins) into a pot, before they could cross the River Styx. Then they found the third clue in Hades -- in my laundry room; rather ironic because when the wash is backed up, it feels like Hades. Here is the skeleton they found the fourth clue in. The Fourth Clue This is the clue that Talley devised: "It's quite frightening to see the bolt of lightning. If you can see it, it won't strike. It might be something you like, so go ahead and eat your treat and know forever that you can defeat." Hidden in the laundry room was the lightning bolt cake. We also darkened the basement and searched for the fourth clue by candlelight. We took the cake and went upstairs for cake and ice cream. The girls were then given a"blue pearl" necklaces to celebrate their "Victorious Quest." This,is just a blue bead strung on waxed string. In the movie, the kids were given blue pearls as they traveled on their quest to find the lightning bolt. = Each girl was able to take home one of the "blue bubbles." I really enjoyed this party, and so did the girls. I might suggest adding a Percy Jackson Trivia Quiz, we didn't do this, but it might be fun. Table Information Trusty Placemats: Wal-Mart Square Plates: Tai Pan Trading Napkin Rings: Wal-Mart Napkins: Ross Bubble Glasses: Tai Pan Trading Silverware: Oneida Damask Rose Silver Candlesticks: Target String Balls: Home Made Today, and every day, I am thankful for my Savior Jesus Christ who made all good things possible. He made it possible for us to repent and to live again with all our loved ones. Not that I want to leave this life anytime soon, I am really looking forward to that great reunion in Heaven where I can meet loved ones. What conversations we will have! Thank you for dropping by Red Couch Recipes today! Posted With the Following: Made By You Monday, Market Yourself Mondays, All About You

We have a huge Percy Jackson fan in our house. He answers to the name of Connor, and I, for one, think that his Percy obsession is fabulous: it inspired him to beginning reading Greek mythology, AND it also inspired him to suggest to his father that we take an educational trip to Greece and Turkey (the latter being the actual locale of Mount Olympus). And his father is considering it. And his hummus-lovin' mama is overjoyed that his father is considering it. So, this Lightning Thief-themed table at Reading Rocks really caught my attention: The gold-plated chargers were edged in blue, and in the centers were the symbols of the different Camp Half-Blood cabins and other images inspired by the book. The giant glittered lightning bolt in the middle of the centerpiece is surrounded by white lights on little filaments. The whole thing was very sophisticated and "big kid." Love it! Magic Treehouse never caught on in our house, although we own some of the books, and Connor used two of them (The Knight at Dawn and Mummies in the Morning) to justify his costume selections for Storybook Parade, in kindergarten and first grade, respectively. Our school is pretty strict about Storybook Parade. You have to have on your person the book that explains your costume, and the book has to be a REAL book - you can't show up dressed as Hanna Montana carrying "The Unauthorized Hanna Montana Biography" and not expect to be sent home to change. We already had a kick-booty knight costume, procured from Bombay Kids - RIP, BK - and an equally awesome mummy get-up, and it was Connor's idea to tie them in to the Magic Treehouse books. And, yes, he did read them before the parade. I am hoping that the Treehouse series catches on with Parker. We already moved them into his room, so, you know, there's that. If he does end up loving them, then I know what's coming to a birthday party near him: this table. With these placemats. We already have an original painting of the main MT characters, created by one of the teachers at our school the year that I was PTA president. See, we have this thing called Patio Party. It's an annual spring affair, and it works like this: each grade level is assigned a type of furniture (kitchen stool, side chair, Adirondack chair, outdoor kids' picnic table - selections vary from year to year), and each teacher has to figure out how to decorate his or her piece of furniture, with help from the students, and then the finished products are auctioned off to the parents. The bidding is brisk, because we hold the Patio Party in late May. On a patio. That is outside. Where the ambient temperature is in the high 90's, if you're lucky. People are movitated to buy, because the quicker everything sells, the quicker you can get into the air conditioning. Some classes decoupage their pieces, others paint - a few woodburn and stain. Thumbprints are popular. These get turned into bees, or ladybugs, or fish, and the kids sign their names under their critters. An integral part of Patio Party, I discovered during my tenure with the PTA, is the airing of grievances. The teachers kvetch that the furniture takes too long to prime, the shellac is too sticky, they don't get their unfinished pieces early enough in the year, and there's not enough time during the school day to complete their designs. Et cetera, et cetera, ad nauseam. The parents (myself included) complain about having a house overflowing with kid-painted furniture. And everyone complains about the heat. We have purchased four Patio Party pieces: a kitchen stool (not painted by my child's class, but it was the same Martha green as my retro countertops, and, also, the bidding had stalled, and I wanted to see the auction do well, and, also, I wanted to get out of the heat); a chair that my son uses for a desk chair; and a picnic table that is too small for my children to use anymore, but we still have it in the backyard, where it serves as a de facto plant stand. Yes, I know I said four, and I also know that I just described three things. Number four was an adorable chair decoupaged by Connor's (and now Parker's) kindergarten teacher. One of the highlights of being in Ms. Sylvester's class is the second-semester hatching of the baby chicks (tons more fun than the airing of grievances). So, it is not surprising that Connor's class opted for a baby chick theme. The decoupage involved images from a kids' book about chickens (I forget which one), and surrounding the decoupaged areas were thumbprint chicks signed by the kindergarteners as well as kid-drawn chicken feet. We bought the chair, after a very spirited bidding war - and then we gave it to Connor's classmate, Annie, who was moving to Austin, as a farewell gift. Don't think me too much of a humanitarian - did I mention that my small house is overflowing with kid-decorated furniture as it is? Being an occasional painter of canvases, the year that I was president, I said, stop the madness already. Here are some canvases. They dry in, like, a nanosecond. They don't involve a lot of surface area. The bids might not get as high as they did for some of the furniture, but the profit margin will be the same, because canvas is cheap. Parents will like them, because of some of the aforementioned reasons - smaller, cheaper, etc. Oh, and because there's always that one parent who leaves with a bad taste in their mouth because they REALLY wanted their kid's class project and got outbid, we'll photograph all of the art and print notecards, which we will sell in assortment packs. Yeah, I was all about mixing it up as PTA president. Note to file: PTA folk don't like mixing up, particularly when the mixing up involves actual improvements or refinements. Improvements and refinements (and, Lord forbid, outright corrections) deprive them of their God-given right to complain. This should be the PTA motto: "If it's broke, don't fix it. If you fix it, we will have to stop complaining. If it ain't broke, THEN you should fix it. In the sense of screwing it up. So we have new things to complain about." So the canvas thing only lasted my year. And, also, I swore off being PTA president. But a number of teachers and parents told me that they did appreciate the respite, however brief it may have been. One of those teachers is a fabulous artist, and she painted the Magic Treehouse canvas that hangs in Connor's room. It features the Girl Main Character and the Boy Main Character, and also a mouse which I assume is the Mouse Main Character. Again: we never really got into these books. But I loved the painting, and Connor enjoyed it for awhile. He's pretty much outgrown it, and I have thought about donating it to the school library, but now I'm thinking I need to hold onto it, for a tablescape to be styled later. Speaking of Storybook Parade - which I vaguely recollect that I was, before I went off on a MAJOR Patio Party tangent - Parker was the protagonist of "How I Became a Pirate" this year, so I took a photo of this table for him: Easily implemented (particularly if, like the McGlincheys, your closet overfloweth with Mardi Gras beads and doubloons), high-impact and super-cute. Like my Patio Party canvases. Which. Did. Not. Catch. On. Sigh.

My daughter Talley turned 10, (double digits!) last week and we held a "Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief" birthday party. The Percy Jackson books, and movie, are very popular around children her age. Talley helped plan most of the party; she had lots of good ideas. In the books, Percy's mom always liked to make him blue food; so blue was the color of the evening. Percy's father is the son of the mythical character Poseidon, God of the ocean, so I guess the blue signifies the ocean, Poseidon's realm. The girls were so cute and we had such a fun time! I am including reminders of my "It's a Wonderful Life" Link up Party on all my posts. Share all the "wonderful" holiday things going on in your life! Click HERE for more details. There will also be a few giveaway gifties! Talley and I made these string balls together; we thought they looked like bubbles in the ocean. Here is a long view of the table. I placed lightning bolts in the glasses. We served blue Hawaiian punch. An individual place setting. The girls loved the candy cane tucked in the napkin ring. Here's an side view of the table. The candy centerpiece was fun to put together. Who knew there were so many kinds of blue candy? At the end of the party, the girls took home a cellophane bag filled with the blue candy. We added some pictures of the Greek "Gods" to the candy centerpiece. What would a party be without a cake? Talley said she wanted a lightning bolt cake so that is what she got! Tati (Polka Dot Pantry Sweets) and I made the cake by just drawing a lightning bolt freehand and then cutting around the pattern. We just used one cake baked in a 9x 13 pan and cut it out twice. Next time, for ease, I would make two 13 x 9 cakes so I could make a larger cake. I piped "blue" ice cream (just vanilla with blue food coloring in it) into a little ramekin for each girl. I softened the ice cream before piping and then put the ramekins back in the freezer. Percy Jackson Treasure Hunt Talley planned a treasure hunt for the girls. She adapted the clues from the website "Make it Do." The First Clue The first clue was hidden under one of the dinner plates. This clue said the following: "Ares is the god of war, he loves to fight and not much more. He's hidden a clue in orbs untold. To find them out, you must be bold ! So take his weapons and use them well , within the orbs a clue may tell." In one of the orbs (balloons), the next clue was found. The girls used sharp pencils, and just one hand, to pop the balloons. The Second Clue In the balloons the second clue was found and it read as follows: "Look above, beyond the wall In the sky Zeus rules all. Climb to his realm and do not fall. If you’re lucky you’ll feel no jolt from Zeus’ mighty Lightning Bolt." These lightening bolts were hung from my shower curtain. The girls took turn choosing lightning bolts. One of the bolts was marked with a clue. We did this by candlelight. The Third Clue The clue on the designated bolt read as follows: "There's much to fear in Hades' home, for in his kingdom the dead to roam. Descend, descend to darkest black, and if you survive a clue bring back." The girls then headed down to our basement. But first, to enter they had to throw gold drachma (gold coins) into a pot, before they could cross the River Styx. Then they found the third clue in Hades -- in my laundry room; rather ironic because when the wash is backed up, it feels like Hades. Here is the skeleton they found the fourth clue in. The Fourth Clue This is the clue that Talley devised: "It's quite frightening to see the bolt of lightning. If you can see it, it won't strike. It might be something you like, so go ahead and eat your treat and know forever that you can defeat." Hidden in the laundry room was the lightning bolt cake. We also darkened the basement and searched for the fourth clue by candlelight. We took the cake and went upstairs for cake and ice cream. The girls were then given a"blue pearl" necklaces to celebrate their "Victorious Quest." This,is just a blue bead strung on waxed string. In the movie, the kids were given blue pearls as they traveled on their quest to find the lightning bolt. = Each girl was able to take home one of the "blue bubbles." I really enjoyed this party, and so did the girls. I might suggest adding a Percy Jackson Trivia Quiz, we didn't do this, but it might be fun. Table Information Trusty Placemats: Wal-Mart Square Plates: Tai Pan Trading Napkin Rings: Wal-Mart Napkins: Ross Bubble Glasses: Tai Pan Trading Silverware: Oneida Damask Rose Silver Candlesticks: Target String Balls: Home Made Today, and every day, I am thankful for my Savior Jesus Christ who made all good things possible. He made it possible for us to repent and to live again with all our loved ones. Not that I want to leave this life anytime soon, I am really looking forward to that great reunion in Heaven where I can meet loved ones. What conversations we will have! Thank you for dropping by Red Couch Recipes today! Posted With the Following: Made By You Monday, Market Yourself Mondays, All About You

My daughter Talley turned 10, (double digits!) last week and we held a "Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief" birthday party. The Percy Jackson books, and movie, are very popular around children her age. Talley helped plan most of the party; she had lots of good ideas. In the books, Percy's mom always liked to make him blue food; so blue was the color of the evening. Percy's father is the son of the mythical character Poseidon, God of the ocean, so I guess the blue signifies the ocean, Poseidon's realm. The girls were so cute and we had such a fun time! I am including reminders of my "It's a Wonderful Life" Link up Party on all my posts. Share all the "wonderful" holiday things going on in your life! Click HERE for more details. There will also be a few giveaway gifties! Talley and I made these string balls together; we thought they looked like bubbles in the ocean. Here is a long view of the table. I placed lightning bolts in the glasses. We served blue Hawaiian punch. An individual place setting. The girls loved the candy cane tucked in the napkin ring. Here's an side view of the table. The candy centerpiece was fun to put together. Who knew there were so many kinds of blue candy? At the end of the party, the girls took home a cellophane bag filled with the blue candy. We added some pictures of the Greek "Gods" to the candy centerpiece. What would a party be without a cake? Talley said she wanted a lightning bolt cake so that is what she got! Tati (Polka Dot Pantry Sweets) and I made the cake by just drawing a lightning bolt freehand and then cutting around the pattern. We just used one cake baked in a 9x 13 pan and cut it out twice. Next time, for ease, I would make two 13 x 9 cakes so I could make a larger cake. I piped "blue" ice cream (just vanilla with blue food coloring in it) into a little ramekin for each girl. I softened the ice cream before piping and then put the ramekins back in the freezer. Percy Jackson Treasure Hunt Talley planned a treasure hunt for the girls. She adapted the clues from the website "Make it Do." The First Clue The first clue was hidden under one of the dinner plates. This clue said the following: "Ares is the god of war, he loves to fight and not much more. He's hidden a clue in orbs untold. To find them out, you must be bold ! So take his weapons and use them well , within the orbs a clue may tell." In one of the orbs (balloons), the next clue was found. The girls used sharp pencils, and just one hand, to pop the balloons. The Second Clue In the balloons the second clue was found and it read as follows: "Look above, beyond the wall In the sky Zeus rules all. Climb to his realm and do not fall. If you’re lucky you’ll feel no jolt from Zeus’ mighty Lightning Bolt." These lightening bolts were hung from my shower curtain. The girls took turn choosing lightning bolts. One of the bolts was marked with a clue. We did this by candlelight. The Third Clue The clue on the designated bolt read as follows: "There's much to fear in Hades' home, for in his kingdom the dead to roam. Descend, descend to darkest black, and if you survive a clue bring back." The girls then headed down to our basement. But first, to enter they had to throw gold drachma (gold coins) into a pot, before they could cross the River Styx. Then they found the third clue in Hades -- in my laundry room; rather ironic because when the wash is backed up, it feels like Hades. Here is the skeleton they found the fourth clue in. The Fourth Clue This is the clue that Talley devised: "It's quite frightening to see the bolt of lightning. If you can see it, it won't strike. It might be something you like, so go ahead and eat your treat and know forever that you can defeat." Hidden in the laundry room was the lightning bolt cake. We also darkened the basement and searched for the fourth clue by candlelight. We took the cake and went upstairs for cake and ice cream. The girls were then given a"blue pearl" necklaces to celebrate their "Victorious Quest." This,is just a blue bead strung on waxed string. In the movie, the kids were given blue pearls as they traveled on their quest to find the lightning bolt. = Each girl was able to take home one of the "blue bubbles." I really enjoyed this party, and so did the girls. I might suggest adding a Percy Jackson Trivia Quiz, we didn't do this, but it might be fun. Table Information Trusty Placemats: Wal-Mart Square Plates: Tai Pan Trading Napkin Rings: Wal-Mart Napkins: Ross Bubble Glasses: Tai Pan Trading Silverware: Oneida Damask Rose Silver Candlesticks: Target String Balls: Home Made Today, and every day, I am thankful for my Savior Jesus Christ who made all good things possible. He made it possible for us to repent and to live again with all our loved ones. Not that I want to leave this life anytime soon, I am really looking forward to that great reunion in Heaven where I can meet loved ones. What conversations we will have! Thank you for dropping by Red Couch Recipes today! Posted With the Following: Made By You Monday, Market Yourself Mondays, All About You

One of the more challenging programs that I created earlier this year was a Percy Jackson book party. This book series (as well as the others by Rick Riordan!) is always a popular choice with our 4th and 5th graders. I've only actually read the first book in the series, The Lightning Thief, but that was enough to pull out major themes and events to base activities off of for our event. To begin the party, we read a selection from the first chapter of The Lightning Thief. Each kid then got to spin a Twister-like spinner split into sections to decide which Camp Half Blood cabin they belonged to. In the book each cabin belongs to a different Greek god or goddess and I picked out 4 of the major cabins (Zeus, Athena, Poseidon, and Ares) to use. I made up simple stickers with the names of the cabins for the kids to wear once they spun. The other activities we did are listed below - campers get a bead on a necklace for each year of camp completed in the book series, but we made bracelets instead with plastic lacing. Pin the Eye on the Cyclops is pretty self explanatory and the Greek mythology guessing game I made up is just pictures of the deities that kids had to match up with their names. The scavenger hunt was the hit of the party - kids had to look for pictures of items that were significant in the book series which were hidden around the Children's Room. These included Poseidon's triton, Zeus's lightning bolt, the Golden Fleece, Athena's owl and the Roman Eagle standard. If you're thinking about planning a Percy Jackson book party, check out the links in the paragraph above or the links below for PDFs of the resources I created for our book party. Feel free to download and print them or use them as inspiration for your own event! These websites were also incredibly helpful to me: percyjacksonbooks.com (all of the images used in the resources I created are from this website) rickriordan.com Camp Half Blood wiki PDFs: Scavenger hunt bookmark lists Greek gods & goddesses matching game Camp Half Blood stickers & scavenger hunt items I hope this inspires you to create your own book party - the resources are free for you to use, but if you do use them, credit is appreciated! :) Enjoy!

I’d say the Lightning Thief birthday party was a huge success. The smiles I saw on T’s face were enough validation for me that I (or rather we) gave him a fantastic party. In fact, a fe…

I’d say the Lightning Thief birthday party was a huge success. The smiles I saw on T’s face were enough validation for me that I (or rather we) gave him a fantastic party. In fact, a fe…

Check out these activities for Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief book including novel study samples and teaching ideas.

Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (/title/tt0814255/) (2010) User Rating: 6.0 Based on the (2005) novel: "The Lightning Thief" by Rick Riordan (/name/nm2292894/)

I recently read The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. So much that I have put together this Percy Jackson inspired party, which would also be great for a classroom or a library. Percy's birthday is August 18th, so if hosting a party in his honor, that would be the best day. Have the kids read the book first, so they can talk about it around the campfire (either real or a paper mache one). The theme is Percy Jackson and Camp Half-Blood. Invite attendees into a world of Greek mythology and educational fun with Percy and members of the camp. Encourage attendees to dress up as their favorite Greek god or Percy Jackson character. Set up a food table filled with Percy Jackson inspired goodies such as: -cans of diet coke -blue jelly beans -blue cupcakes -grape juice -blue Hawaiian punch -a BBQ cookout Use these free printables to decorate. Set up stations featuring different gods and activities featured at Camp Half-Blood. Some ideas for stations & activities At each station, put a "Meet the God" sign with details of what they are known for, and a photo of them. When guests arrive, give them a bracelet and at each station provide them with a bead to add it upon completing the activity. - Ocean bottles with Poseidon, God of the Sea - Poseidon is, of course, Percy's father, so this station would be to create ocean bottles with him like this one from the Austin Children's Museum. - Enjoy dirt cake with Demeter, Goddess of Agriculture - source: Taste of Home - Sword and shield making with Ares, God of War - Let the children create their own shield, with representations of which house they are in. Don't forget the sword! *ask your local pizza shop to donate the circle cardboard - Trivia with Athena, Goddess of Wisdom, War, and Useful Arts - 1. Who is Percy’s father? Poseidon 2. What does Grover frequently eat? Diet Coke cans 3. Where do Percy and his mother go for vacation? The beach 4. What learning disorders did Percy suffer from? ADHD and dyslexia 5. Who is the Greek god of war? Ares 6. Who is Annabeth’s mother? Athena 7. Before going to Camp Half-Blood, what school did Percy attend? Yancy Academy 8. How old is Percy in The Lightning Theif? 12 9. What is Mr. D's real name? Dionysus 10. What cabin was Percy first placed in? 1, Hermes cabin 11. Who does Annabeth have a crush on? Luke 12. What was Auntie Em's real identity? Medusa 13. What animal/creature is Grover? A goat/satyr - Campfire and book discussion with Hephaestus, God of Blacksmiths and Fire - 1. Why do you think Percy was diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia, rather than something else? How does this make him relatable? 2. What clues did you find which led to the eventual discovery that Percy’s father was Poseidon? 3. If you were at Camp Half-Blood, which house do you think you’d be placed in? Is it your first choice? 4. Grover is seen as an outcast with few friends. Percy is often defending him against his classmates. We soon find out that Grover is, in actuality, protecting Percy. Why do you think he posed as “helpless” and let Percy think he needed defending? 5. What parallels does Percy have with other “troubled youth” who struggle to control their emotional impulses? Can you think of other book or movie characters who have similar experiences? 6. The demons usually take form of seemingly harmless entities, such as the old ladies and the teacher. Why do you think the evil characters took these shapes, instead of something more obviously evil? 7. What is Percy’s first reactions about who he meets at Camp Half-Blood? Is he surprised at what he learns about his new life? 8. Before reading the book, how familiar were you with Greek Mythology? Do you feel you have a basic understanding of it after reading The Lightning Thief? 9. What did you think about the The Lotus Casino? How would you have felt if you had entered the video game haven? 10. There is a recurring theme of children from divorced, or split families. Do you think this is a reflection of our modern culture? Why or why not? 11. What was your favorite part of the book? Do you have a least favorite? 12. Who do you relate to most in the book? Other activities -Find Zeus' lightning bolt: hide a lightning bolt and/or create a treasure hunt to find it. The person or "house" who wins gets a prize (such as a Percy Jackson t-shirt, a bead for their bracelet like the half-bloods in the book, etc.) -Capture the flag -After the activities, reward the children with a final bead for their bracelet, just like in the book -End the program with a viewing of the movie Additional resources: -For details on the Greek Gods, visit Rick Riordan's website for the book -Check out this party kit for fun stuff to do with all the books in the series -All about Camp Half-Blood -Camp Half-Blood Daily Activity Schedule

Teaching The Lightning Thief chapter by chapter? Templates and background information give your students the novel unit they deserve!

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