Da-da-da-da Da-da-da-da, Batman!! Although universally loved, Batman particularly appeals to small boys between the ages of 3-9, especially when it’s birthday time. http://www.birthdaypartyideas.com/html/batman_party.html If your child has been asking for one, it might come in handy to know how to plan a Batman theme party.

There are several different directions you can go with this party, and it certainly doesn’t have to be a Batman birthday. Batman parties are fun for play dates, a special afternoon at after-school care, a cub scout adventure, all sorts of possibilities. Within this page, we’ll be providing guidelines for a generic Batman party, which can readily be tailored to a birthday or another event. However, we cannot overlook Cat Woman and Bat Girl (her costume is available in pink) if there are going to be girls and boys at the event, and of course Robin.

Anyone wanting to be a bad guy may choose between The Joker, Cat Woman (sometimes girlfriend, sometimes enemy), The Penguin, The Riddler, Two-Face, Mr. Freeze, The Scarecrow and many others, some not quite as well known. http://partysupplieshut.com/batman/

When you think Batman, think black. However, don’t forget the Bat Signal. http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/BatSignal It’s fun to incorporate into the party theme. Some images show the bat beacon as white against a dark blue sky, and some portray it as a yellow or orange badge. http://www.batmanwallpaper.net/bat-signal/ You can use one or both in your decorating scheme, or for your crafts and activities – black, yellow and dark blue look very authentic for a Batman party.

If you go online and search “Batman Party Supplies,” you will find a wealth of possibilities. There’s Batman and Robin, Batman and the Joker, and a number of party supplies featuring Batman solo. Within that theme, there are several “Batman alone” designs to choose from. If you plan to incorporate several of Batman’s friends and foe, you might consider mixing and matching so you have other characters included.

Batman invitations are available online, can be homemade, or bought from a party store, or can be custom designed just for your party. Some are online for free. http://www.dltk-cards.com/cards/mbatmanbirthday.html You just need a color printer, or they are available in black and white. The same Internet site has Batman envelopes as well.

Homemade Batman invitations can be fun, if you have a creative flare. Some party planners download clip art and create very special invitations, especially if the event is going to be above and beyond a typical party. Examples would be a Batman party where there is an adventure, a goal, a challenge with villains, or held in a special party facility. There are many possibilities.

If you buy your invitations at the party store, the nice aspect is that they will match your other party supplies, if those are also purchased at the party store.

If you search “Custom Batman Invitations,” you will find sites that create unique invitations just for the birthday boy or guest of honor, with or without a photo. There are many choices if you want your invitations custom made.

If this is going to be a costume party, be sure to mention it on the invitation. It might be noted that the birthday boy is the only Batman, but is in search of sidekicks, bad guys, etc. This may be a problem, especially for the smaller boys, and you may wind up with several Batmen. Just so everyone will know, you can find the entire costume online for as low as $13.00. Search “Batman Costume” and you may find one that costs less to buy, with more accessories, than one you might try to make at home.

For background music, find the Batman Theme and other music on CDs. Play them throughout the party.

Batman parties are fun inside the house, out in the back yard, a combination of both, or in a rented party facility. It all depends on what you plan to do at the party. If your guests are not asked to come in costume, but you would like to have everyone be batman, there are inexpensive paper batman masks available. Search “Batman masks.” Capes may be a bit more expensive, so you may want to make your own with pieces of lightweight cloth, or cheap plastic tablecovers. Cut scalloped edges at the bottom (use a half bowl) and enough cloth or plastic to tie or Velcro the ends loosely together, or tuck into a shirt. If each guest gets a mask and cape, the activities can be very Batman themed.

A great way to have guests enter the party is to set up a card table, draped in black fabric, at the entrance…your front door, for example. Create a sign to hang over the front of the table reading, “Bat Cave.” Have the kids crawl through the cave (under the table) and into the party room. The black and yellow “beacon” symbol can be on the sign. http://www.kids-birthday-party-guide.com/batman-party.html

Coloring is a good activity while waiting for all the guests to arrive. There are free coloring pages online. Just click and print. (The reference site here is in French, but the images are labeled in English, and the images are great.) http://www.123colorear.com/personajes/dibujosparacolorear,batman,2.html For inexpensive decorations, Batman clipart is available for free. Click on the figures and print. http://www.disneyclips.com/imagesnewb6/batman.html The figures are about 5” wide x 4” tall, so they can be placed anywhere to help with the Batman atmosphere.

Hang some fake bats around. There are several different possible ideas - plastic, or festive paper bat decorations.

You can buy fairly standard party food, but give it Batman character names. For example, pizza rolls can become “Penguin Poppers.” A bowl of Bugles can become “Cat Woman Claws.” If you buy a cheap plastic top hat and turn it upside down, it can become “Penguin’s Chips and Dip.” Take a white glove and put the bowl of dip on top of it. “Robin’s Ravioli” – the mini ones in the can.

“Joker’s Jellybeans” or “Riddler’s Rollups” – Strawberry Fruit Rollups. “Two Face’s Cookies” – Oreos! You’ll probably think of more. Next to each food item, put a sign with these names and perhaps a clipart image of the character. Idea – find the clipart, print it out, make the food sign from there.

To keep the drinks easy, pick whatever you like (juice boxes, Capri sun) and put them on ice in a big, open cooler. Print a sign saying, “Batman Beverages.”

A great alternative to cake for a kid’s party is cupcakes. Kids tend to run around a lot. A new trend in cupcake toppers will convert into a party favor. Search “Batman Ring Cupcake Toppers.” You will find Batman rings, which you insert into the top of your cupcakes instead of cupcake picks. Some rinsing is required, but everyone gets a cool ring to take home.

You can frost the cupcakes with Batman theme colors. If the rings are yellow, frost the cupcakes with blue. This looks very cool and tastes good, too. For the birthday boy or girl, you can get a full-on batman birthday candle, or another idea is to find black birthday candles, one for each cupcake. This is fun when it’s time for “blow out the candle.” Everybody gets one, and everybody blows them out on the count of three.