Costume
Several weeks in advance, you can begin making robot costumes from cardboard boxes. Spray paint all the boxes. Cut head and arm holes in the larger ones for the bodies (try on your child to ensure an easy fit). Smaller boxes can become robot "helmets"—just cut holes for their eyes, mouth, and neck. Decorate with wires, foil, buttons, pipe cleaners, and cardboard tubes. Avoid arguments over robots by tagging boxes with guest names in advance.
For the robot walk
Create your own game using images culled from the Web. Print an 8-by-10-inch robot image from the Web for each guest attending. (Like these, from AKidsHeart.com). Print out a matching five-by-seven-inch print of each image. Each image should be distinct, so color them in with your kid the week before to make them unique. (Make sure the five-by-sevens match their larger partners!) Laminate the large images.
For the dance, spread the laminated cards on the floor randomly and tape them down. Play music, and instruct the bots to dance around to it. When the music stops, every dancer must step on an image. Pick one of the five-by-seven-inch cards from the deck ... and the bot standing on the corresponding image is the winner!
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