There are so many creative uses of puzzles when it comes to planning a children's party... My kids love puzzles!

The problem is that puzzles can really hit your budget hard when you're planning a party for 8, 12, or even 15 kids! But I have a solution...

There is a little known manufacturer that actually sells blank puzzles that you can run through your printer and print any picture you want on them. This same manufacturer also provides black and white puzzles that you can color and blank puzzles that you can stamp and draw on.

Think about all the things you could do with a blank puzzle!

• Print out a special party theme picture on a blank puzzle for guests to color. This would be a great activity to keep them busy while you're greeting guests. It could kill a lot of time while they pull it apart and put it back together too!

• Print a picture corresponding to your party theme on a puzzle (in color) to make a great inexpensive and totally unique party favor or prize.

• Create puzzle invitations. You could send them out all broken up and then the recipients would have to put their puzzles together to find out about your party. How fun!

• Give each child at your party a blank puzzle and let them create their own picture puzzle using markers, crayons, paint, etc. as a craft activity for your party. They'll love it!

• Create puzzle thank you notes... make a card on a puzzle, break it up and send it out to your guests to put back together.

• Print a picture of each child (taken from the party) on a puzzle and send it out as a thank you for attending. Parents will love that idea!

• Blank puzzles make great crafts for parties... Besides just coloring on them, you could offer some party themed rubber stamps to let the kids create their own unique puzzles. This doubles as both a craft project and a party favor!

• Computer printed and blank puzzles could not only be used as invitations, thank you notes, and favors, but they would also make great place settings.

• This manufacturer also makes very large blank puzzles that you could offer at your party for the kids to work together to make one giant life-sized puzzle... kind of like a graffiti board. This would be a big hit at "big kid" parties and slumber parties!

I'm sure there are a lot of other great ideas for things that you could do with these puzzles. They even have some ideas on their website if you want to check it out.

This is a product that I've personally used with my kids and they were a big hit.

If you're looking for something new and unique to do at your party that will get the other parents asking, "Where did you get that idea?" then you have to check into blank puzzles for you party!