Epic DigitalHD Outdoor/Camping Party! #EpicDay @FHEInsiders #‎EpicTheMovie‬ #sponsored

EPIC is available on DigitalHD now and on Blu-ray and DVD on August 20, 2013!  Purchase Epic  DigitalHD on iTunes for $12.99  or purchase Epic [HD] on Amazon for $14.99!  I am so excited to share this amazing film with you.  As a Fox Insider blogger, I was selected to  throw an Epic viewing and camping party at my house!

Check out my ideas, pictures and more and host your own Epic DigitalHD Outdoor/Camping Party and gather the kids for one last party before school starts!

We have a fire in the fire pit, S’mores are almost a must in the summer, but when you have a number of kids over, you may not want all the kids roasting over a fire. I highly suggest adult supervision or adults making the  S'mores over the  firepit to avoid the children getting burned!

You can also get the same great S'mores  taste in Hershey’s S’more Trail Mix!  My daughter loved the prep work in making this treat for our guests.  It was super simple to make and tastes great!

Hershey’s S’more Trail Mix:

• Marshmallows -I used bite sized ones
• Graham Crackers -I used Honey Maid Lil Squares
• Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Drops

Instructions

1. Empty all ingredients into a large bowl or bag, gently toss to combine.
2. Store mix in an airtight container.

The Leafmen are always busy trying to fight against the forces of evil, but they need healthy foods to keep them running! Take a tip from them and make snacks for your little ones that use natural ingredients like fruits and vegetables. These recipes are as fun to make as they are to eat and they’re perfect for little Leafmen!

 M.K.’s Ants on a Log:

• Celery
• Peanut Butter 
• Raisins

Rinse celery and cut stalks into about 3 inch long pieces.   Spread peanut butter on each piece and top with raisins.  Super simple and kids love them!

Fruit Salad is a Summer must and living near the Amish, we can pick up melons at ridiculously low prices!  The above salad is just made with cut up musk melon, cantaloupe, watermelon and pineapple chunks.  You can add any fruit really, these are in season now and easy to find!

Grilled dogs, kielbasa, burgers and veggies!  Something for everyone!

When you fire up the grill, don't just use it for the meat!  We love to cut up veggies (zucchini, squash, mushrooms, carrots, broccoli, etc. soak in Italian dressing and grill them up.  Even my picky eater loves veggies this way.

We also had regular S'mores, bug juice, mini fruit pizza cookies (another way to sneak in fruit in yummy cookie form), chips, etc. 

Help the kids plant a seed, explore the backyard, and capture bugs before settling down in a tent or on the patio with some hot coco to watch Epic on a portable device.

We are fortunate that we have a few bug catching devices. We have the good old homemade mayo jars with a piece of screen lid, the dollar store bug carriers and two super fun bug vacuums!  So a fun activity for the kids is to run around the yard and catch bugs.  We live out in the country, so you never know what kind of bugs you will find!  Please note, no bugs were harmed and the children let all bugs go! 

click to enlarge

Other Activities:

• Nature hunt/Insect hunt
• Create your own hummingbird feeder
• Bird Racer game
• Paint your own birdhouse/make your own "leafman" garden. 
• Flower Discovery!

We also picked up birdhouses for the kids to paint!  You can find them at any art and craft store, Walmart, dollar store, etc.   Once done, I sprayed each one with a quick coat of clear sealer!  The girls created also their own activity... flower discovery!  Basically they went around the yard and picked a bunch of flowers and examined them with their magnifying glasses!

Want the kids to experience camping, but too young to be outside in the yard alone or the weather puts a damper on your plans?   Camp inside!  My kids love this!  We just move the  furniture in the living room and set up the kid size tents and two/three kids can fit in each tent!  Since the DVD is not out yet, we watched the DigitalHD version.  I streamed it from my iTunes account via my laptop and plugged the laptop into the the big screen TV (the cord was purchased at Radio Shack... those guys are amazing and point you in the right direction).  Instant movie experience for the kids as they laid peering out of their tents watching the film!

The night was completed with gift bags provided by Fox for each of the little campers!  The Gift bags include:

• Epic Activity Sheets
• Epic Flashlight
• Epic Magnifying glass
• Epic woven tote
• Epic coffee mug & coco
• Epic bug viewer
• Epic plant growing kit

Fun activity sheets to help your have an epic Epic movie party!  Just click the image to open up  a larger version or PDF version of each one!

   

Make sure to enter the #Epic Blu-ray #Giveaway! 

More about the film:  
From the creators of Ice Age, the year’s funniest, most exhilarating animated adventure comes home as EPIC debuts on Blu-ray Combo Pack, Deluxe Edition Blu-ray, and DVD this August 20 from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. Directed by Chris Wedge (The Ice Age Franchise) and featuring an amazing voice cast including Colin Farrell, Amanda Seyfried, Christoph Waltz, Jason Sudeikis, Steven Tyler, Pitbull, and Beyoncé, the blockbuster film comes home just in time to help families become one with nature and end the summer in Epic style.

Transported to a magical world, a teenager (Amanda Seyfried) is recruited by a nature spirit, Queen Tara (Beyoncé Knowles), to help the “Leafmen” save their existence – and ours – from evil warriors. The whole family will love this fast-paced thrill-ride, with its astonishing animation and all-star voice cast that includes Colin Farrell, Oscar Winner Christoph Waltz, and Steven Tyler!

Every Blu-ray and DVD comes with the Epic Coloring and Storybook Builder app. The app will allow kids to create their own Epic story and share it with family and friends.

The EPIC Blu-ray combo-pack includes Blu-ray, DVD and DigitalHD and comes complete with exclusives that will have kids both engaged and learning about the environment, just before heading back to school. With special features including an overview of what life as a person two inches tall would be like, to discovering all of the different bugs from the film, EPIC is the perfect gift for families to enjoy from summer to the holidays!

I want to thank the great folks at Fox for allowing me this privileged to host a viewing party!

Disclosure: I am a Fox Home Entertainment Insider.  I was able to host an Epic party and received a digital copy of the movie and items to host the  party.  No other compensation was received and any opinions expressed are my own