In anticipation of the release of Kung Fu Panda opening, Dreamworks Studio and Hewlett-Packard joined forces with blogging groups in major cities to host Panda Parties. I attended the Panda party hosted by the D.C. Metro Moms and took home all sorts of great ideas on how easy it could be to turn a family movie into a celebration. Since movie tickets (and the gas to get to the theater!) are so pricey, why not get the most bang for your buck?

One of the fun ideas was to practice mastering the tricky art of using chopsticks. The party planners used gummy bears and Froot Loops as beginner foods. The gummy bears were easy to grasp and if that proved too frustrating, the Froot Loops could be speared right in the middle.

Another why-didn't-I-think-of-that idea was to use small Chinese take-out food boxes to safely transport Play-Dough figures children made of the animals in the movie. The boxes are the perfect size and the plain white boxes are fun for small artists to decorate as well.

Face painting is another fun idea that kids enjoy. Tempra paints wash off relatively easily and pandas are really just a series of circles, but it's a good idea to practice on a piece of paper before committing panda art to skin.

After viewing the movie, there are sure to be a lot of kung fu moves flying in your house. Why not let your child embrace his or her inner ninja and let them try their best karate kicks on soft items headed to the recycling bin? Cardboard boxes (with any metal staples safely removed) and styrofoam egg cartons or blocks can serve as great items for chopping and kicking. Set up a competition with scoring numbers for the judges to hold up for best form, best expression or best karate yell.

We're currently experiencing unseasonably hot weather which means many families are headed to the theater for an entertainment option out of the blazing heat. Moviefone can give you all the movie showing times in your area and allow you to purchase tickets ahead, preventing the sadness of driving across town to a sold-out show.

Kung Fu Panda Party(click thumbnails to view gallery)