Select several dome-shaped rocks from your garden, or purchase stones from a craft store. Before the party, spray paint the rocks bright red, and allow them to dry. As your guests begin to arrive, give each child a rock and a black permanent marker. Have the children add black spots and faces to make ladybug decorations for the table. Write your guests' initials on the bottom of their ladybugs so that they can find their critters to take home at the end of the party. Try our Ladybug Rocks to get some fun ideas.

Garden Grub & Greenhouse Goodies
Consider making a garden-themed cake with a daisy cake pan. Or, make a flower-shaped cake by baking a standard 8"-round cake for the center. For the petals, you can bake a sheet cake and cut petal shapes, or use Hostess Twinkies for a quick solution. Ice the flower's center in yellow and the petals in pink. Place the cake on either a large cookie sheet or a piece of cardboard covered in tin foil. Use green icing to draw the stem and leaves onto the cookie sheet or cardboard.

Serve Ladybug Fruit Treats. For each one, slice a red apple in half, and cut out the core and seeds. Push chocolate chips point-first into the apple's skin to make the ladybug's spots. (Note: You may want to poke small starter holes using the tip of a knife; this will make it easier to push in the chocolate chips.) Serve each Ladybug on a leaf of romaine lettuce.

Dirt Sundaes can be created by serving chocolate ice cream with Oreo cookies crumbled on top. Add to the fun by serving the ice cream in small flower pots (lined with foil or wax paper), and purchase miniature shovels from a local craft store to use as spoons. Check out our Dirt Cups for inspiration.