Birthday party ideas: Creepy crawlers

Send little insect lovers to inspect plastic bugs in Mason jars, paint terracotta flowerpots and play pin the spots on the ladybug.

Send out invitations covered with plastic bugs that will make their skin crawl!

Fill painted flowerpots with stone candies, gummi worms and a magnifying glass for bug watching.

Let the kids dig in to some real grub! Serve ants on a log (sliced cucumber with cream cheese and raisins), snail wraps (tightly wrapped tortillas cut into small pieces) and stick bugs (thin pretzels dipped in chocolate). Freeze gummi worms in ice cubes to cool off drinks — watch the kids squirm with delight as the ice melts and the worms float to the top! And try out these Spider and Bug Bites and a Creepy Crawly Cake.

Make an 8 in (20 cm) square chocolate cake. Frost with chocolate buttercream icing. Line edges with green flat licorice to create grass. Then create a dirt box with flaky chocolate bars, gummi worms and other creepy crawly insect candies. You can also try sprinkling cookie crumbs over top for a truly soiled look.

Ladybug Bites: Spread herb cream cheese over a round cracker. Arrange two cherry tomato halves on top for ladybug wings. Place a blueberry above the wings as the head. Insert chives or pieces of black licorice for antennas. You can also use black-tinted cream cheese mixture to pipe spots onto wings.

Spider Bites: Spread herb cream cheese over a black- or charcoal-coloured cracker. Place 3 stick pretzels or crispy chow mein noodles on each side of cracker. Top with another black or charcoal cracker. Using cream cheese as glue, attach two small red candies for eyes.

Butterfly Bites: Spread herb cream cheese over a round cracker. Arrange 2 blueberries down middle of cracker for the body and then attach 2 pretzels for the wings. Use ½ of a small green grape for the head and 2 pieces of black string licorice for antennas.

This party is unlike any other with squirmy worms, bugs and chocolate dirt. Your future entomologist won't know where to look first.