A family in my town has 3 children, a boy who is 4 and twin girls who just turned 2. One of the twin girls has been battling leukemia since she was a baby and this week after trying many things and battling through she has been sent home with a couple weeks left to live. This is a mothers worst nightmare and I can't even imagine what this family is going through. It breaks my heart. A meal roster has been set up to take the pressure off of this family so they can spend every last minute with their dear girl. I have been rostered on next week but also want to bless this family with a cake for the children. I want it to be for all the kids as this is hard on all of them but am stuck for ideas. I don't know them personally so I asked the organizer what the kids liked she said typical little girl things like dora and fairies and the boy is a typical boy so maybe superheros? Not much help. Does anyone have any ideas on what I can do to make this special?

Oh my God, it kills me to hear that. Maybe you should make cupcakes with fondant character heads. Ask the family two things that each kid likes, then if for example one girl likes Dora and tinker bell, another likes Angelina ballerina and Mifi, finally the boy likes Thomas the tank engine and bubble guppies, you can make each kid ten or twelve cupcakes: five and five for Dora and tinker bell. Etc..

My heart goes out to the family and all of the community that pitches in to help.
I like the cupcake idea too but I wouldn't ask the parents any questions if you can help it.
How about candy decorations? I made this cake with a rainbow of M&M's on it. You can use that kind of design for a cake or for cupcakes.
http://cakecentral.com/gallery/2380360/rainbow-wishes
I'd just want to make it look like fun! If you didnt want to use M&M's you can try small colored cookies or animal crackers !
Theresa

OMG that's just so sad. Cant even begin to imagine what they must be going through. They will be in my prayers ....

Since all the kids are still pretty small, I would suggest a Candyland sheetcake with some candycane fence around it . Some whirly pops, coins, marshmallows etc. A Very vibrant colorful cake that looks like a " Happy Place"

You can get all kinds of candy at http://www.candywarehouse.com/

Good Luck I think you are doing a wonderful thing for that family

Rakhi

Lisa~~I think the M&M cake shown above is a superb idea!

For kids that age (2 and 4), I prefer to avoid anything that may cause choking like hard candy, fondant or gum paste, etc. If this is a very young 2 year old, you could compromise with dots of multi-colored buttercream in lieu of the M&M's.

Kids LOVE to get age-appropriate/safe plastic toys on their cakes and cupcakes. You may wish to purchase age appropriate plastic, fairies/dora/superheros, and place them on individual cupcakes that are in the same style as the cake.

I like Apti s idea, didn t think about that when I suggested fondant on cupcakes. Buttercream instead is cool.

Thank you so much everyone! I loved the candyland idea......and you are right I won't put candy but might make it a giant kid in a candy store look to it with fondant. Maybe with a big cupcake on the top and cake pops down along the sides and fondant lollies. I have used fondant before with little kids, have never thought about choking. Will have a think about that one.

Lisa, I have 3 grandkid's who have attended pre-K thru their current 6th grade. I've been very involved in their school activities through the years and had input from teachers and the Director of the Before/After School Care Programs on baked goodies brought to school.

The Director said she has seen many instances of choking on small objects with the pre-K and Kindergarten kids so she will not allow ANY kind of hard candy or fondant/gum paste decorations that could cause a child to choke.

Here is an example of 150 cupcakes made for the after school program to go along with a cake I made for the Director. They are very simple white and chocolate cupcakes, with just a squirt of 1M chocolate frosting, some sugar sprinkles and a Wilton candy melt for decoration.
http://christinascakes.shutterfly.com/pictures/323

That's why I think that age-appropriate, safe, plastic toys are terrific for 2 and 4 year olds. They get a huge kick out of choosing THEIR toy, licking off the frosting and playing with it.

I think this is such a wonderful thing you are doing. Anything you do they will love, just because they will feel special. If anyone is interested there is a not for profit group called "icing smiles" and it is just for this purpose. When any family is going through a hardship because of a sick child, cake decorators, amature or professional, donate their time and talent to families in their area. You can google it. It is organized so that they have your name if you are interested and if someone in your area is in a rough situation like this, they get in touch by email and ask you if you can do a special cake for either the sick child and/or their siblings. I am signed up, but have not gotten a call yet. It's a wonderful thing to put a smile on the faces of a child and their family with a cake.

You re right art gal, anything she does will be special.

Thanks artgal, yes I have seen about icing smiles and think its such a fantastic thing. Its something that has been on my heart for awhile. I am in New Zealand and there is nothing like this here so this situation has certainly got me thinking about it. Might be time to start something like this here.