Do you have a little one with a birthday coming up? Then it's time to celebrate! Your kid will be as happy as a clam with any of these summer birthday party themes. Continue reading "5 Summer Birthday Themes for Kids" »
December Birthdays
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas, and you know what that means? It's December and it's time to celebrate all your favorite December babies! If there's a month made for fun festivities, it's this month. So what are some of the best ways to celebrate December birthdays? Well, we put together a short list of some of our faves: Continue reading "December Birthdays" »
Batter Up – Baseball Themed First Birthday
Recently I got to celebrate my son's first birthday. Being just one-year-old, he's not quite able to voice preferred theme ideas for his party, so we went with something pretty universal and characteristic for a warmer-weather birthday bash. We picked baseball, and I'm so glad that we did. More specifically, we stayed in the red and white category and utilized everything from borrowed baseballs to old Coca-Cola glass bottles. It was fun, and I want to share how we pulled it off!
Make it a Joint Affair
Probably the best decision I made when planning this party was to combine it with some friends of ours whose little boy was born three days after ours. To share all the details that come with trying to pull off a halfway decent party is so nice. It was my friend's idea, and as soon as she suggested it I was sold. We were able to split costs on food and decorations, PLUS we could use both of our connections to borrow a lot of things that ended up being staples at the party–like our tables, centerpieces, and most importantly our venue!
Be Flexible
When rain pulled the plug on our initial plans of having it on a baseball field, we used a local high school field house (for free!) that ended up being the most ideal location possible. It was indoor, but still roomy enough for kids to run around and be crazy for a little while. My favorite thing about it, other than the intense sporty feel of the place, was that it was a perfect indoor playing ground for the kids. Having it indoors brought to mind how chaotic the party may have been on a huge baseball field. The kids were more contained, yet were in a location where they didn't feel contained. When I was dreaming up this party I envisioned a baseball diamond, but having to re-think it provided us with more insight on how to improve the flow of the party.
Choose Two Colors
We decided to stick with red and white for almost everything we contributed to the party's visual. Even the food was mostly red and white. It made it pop and actually made it easier to shop for essentials. I had a few clear vases that I filled with red candies to add a little flair to the food table. We borrowed baseballs from friends that we sat around as decoration. We had only a few long tables that we placed around benches for seating and they had red (disposable!!!) tablecloths on them.
The Coca-Cola bottles I mentioned were borrowed as well and were clear with red and white writing on them. We used them as one of the table centerpieces filled with white daisies. Not EVERYTHING was red or white, but for the most part we tried to stick with those colors so that the baseball theme would really stand out. You can choose the colors of your favorite baseball team, as well!
The Food
Our party was right after lunch, so we just provided snacks. Like I mentioned, we scattered clear vases with red candy in them around the food table. That was easy decoration, plus, it was another food option for our guests.
Any party's biggest food contribution is always the cake. We decided on cupcakes after looking online and finding a cute and easy way to ice cupcakes so that they looked like baseballs. We iced the top layer with white and then used red icing for the baseball stitches. It was super easy, just a little time-consuming.
We devoted an entire afternoon to our cupcakes. Our party was fairly small, so we ended up making about 50 cupcakes and we probably could have used more. I recommend coming up with a rough estimate of people you are expecting and doubling that number when you're deciding how many cupcakes to prepare. You can always let people take some home.
Instead of making individual cakes for the birthday boys to eat, we made two oversized cupcakes iced like baseballs. Neither one of us owned an oversized cupcake pan (I don't know anyone who does) so we improvised Continue reading "Batter Up – Baseball Themed First Birthday" »
Throwing a Frugal First Birthday Bash
When my daughter turned one last fall, it was all I could do not to go all out and spend lots of money on a big bash. After all, it was her first birthday! Not actually having the tons of money to spend, I had to be frugal for my little girl’s big day. First birthday parties can be big productions if you have the money and time to put into them, but if not, there are plenty of ways to still throw a great party.
Utilize The Season: Instead of buying every single Minnie Mouse party item the stores have to offer and never using any of it again, make it about whatever season your little one’s birthday falls on. My daughter’s birthday is in October, so we put pumpkins on the tables, used hay bales for seating, cooked up a couple crock-pots of chili and had her party right in our backyard.
However, if your child's has a spring birthday, take advantage of the nice weather and rent a pavilion at a park. Most of the time they are free and there are plenty of natural options for entertainment for the kids. You can also have beautiful arrangements with fresh, spring florals and use food that's in season to create tasty treats.
Get Family Involved: Most likely your family members will be just as excited (if not more) to celebrate with your little one. So, take some stress off yourself and let them help. Delegate between them, having someone make their own pot of chili while someone else handles a couple of yummy desserts.
Chances are, your mother-in-law is going to be dying to pitch in as much as she can. Recruit moms and siblings to help run errands or help decorate once the big day arrives. This frees up your time to set up party decorations or do last-minute prep.
Do It Yourself: The internet is full of DIY ideas for parties. This route tends to be a little bit more budget friendly, and it gives your child’s party a personal, rather than completely commercial, touch. One thing we did for my daughter was order cheap prints online of her first year of life and display them in a timeline for guests to enjoy.
It was fun to go back and pick a couple of pictures of her from each month and see how much she had changed in only a year. Your family will love to see the transformation. Party favors, while not totally necessary, are still a fun way to put a finishing touch on the festivities, which again, you'll find lots of ideas on Pinterest that are definitely DIY friendly.
Realize it’s Not About You: When it comes down to it, the day is really for your child. Keep in mind that they are not going to notice, or even remember, that you hand wrote/stamped/decorated all 47 of the party invitations. They are just going to enjoy being around everyone they love. Add to that by getting to open some carefully selected presents and eat cake, and they will be smiling for days.
Make Your Birthday Party Extra Special Using Butterflies
Celebrate a birthday with butterflies! Have a BUTTERFLY BIRTHDAY BASH releasing live butterflies. When planning a butterfly themed birthday party, keep in mind that the temperatures need to be above 60-65 degrees for your butterflies to fly.
It is recommended that the birthday party participants be 5 years of age or older. A few suggestions include making a butterfly-shaped birthday cake. Instructions can be found on the internet or created by your local bakery. Give the guests some packets of easy-to-plant butterfly garden seeds to take home. You can order child-sized or adult-sized butterfly wings from several companies. A pair of bug glasses and some handmade antennae would complete the outfit. The guests can make a butterfly craft during the party. The grande finale would include an outdoor butterfly release. Each participant can release one individually, or you may choose to release them all at one time from a decorative cage. You may want to have someone else plan your butterfly party as your time may be limited.
Article written by Linda Marchman, owner of Social Butterflies. She has raised butterflies for seven years and is a director of the Association for Butterflies, a member of the International Butterfly Breeders Association, the Butterfly Society of Virginia and is a Certified Master Gardener.
This information about butterfly releases was brought to you by Wedding and Party Network, your leading resource for planning weddings and parties.
How To Create A Clown Town Kids Birthday Party
Need A Party Theme Or Idea For A Kid's Birthday Party? Think Clowns!
Clowns are great for birthday parties. They are fun and make little ones giggle. So throw a clown town kids birthday party. How? Hire a few professional clowns. When you hire the clowns find out which special skills they have, such as balloon animals, face painting or magic tricks. It is important to know what the clowns will be doing to entertain the children.
In Clown Town Everyone Has A Job (Skill)
Hire several clowns with different skills and set up little towns (performance areas) for the children to visit. Use cardboard, paint and markers to create the backdrop for each town. For instance, you've hired 3 clowns: one who does juggling and magic, one who does balloon animals, and one who paints faces. Create a "stage with curtains" for the magic-juggling clown. Now the magic-juggling clown has the perfect place to perform his magic for the kids.
You can do the same thing with the balloon animal clown. Draw a circus tent or zoo setting on a piece of cardboard. Be sure to sue bright colors when you paint the cardboard.
The face painting clown will need more than a backdrop. This clown will need a chair or stool for the kids to sit on while she paints faces. Paint animals, balloons, butterflies and superheros on the cardboard. This backdrop will contain all the images the clown will paint on your kiddos faces.
Not An Artist? Easy Tips For Creating Party Backdrops
If your not good at free hand drawing, use coloring books. Grab a page out of a coloring book and have it blown up at a copy store. Using the enlarged page as a pattern, you can now trace the pattern on to the cardboard. Another decorating option can be found at your local party supply store – decals and stickers.
Making A Sturdy Clown Town
To set up your clown town, use more cardboard to brace the cardboard towns. You will angle the cardboard in similar fashion as a desk top picture frame. If the party is outside or in a garage attach the card board to the walls or fence with packing tape.
Decorating The Party Food Table
Decorate your food and gift tables with balloons and streamers. Use colored craft paper as tablecloths and place your snacks, clown party cake and punch on the tables and call it the snack town.
The kids will love the clown town. The clown town layout is great for managing large groups of kids. Each clown town can handle a different set of kids. For example, send one group to the magic clown and another group to the face painter. By rotating the smaller groups, each child will have a better opportunity to see the clowns perform.
WeddingandPartyNetwork.com is happy to bring you this party planning idea.
Babies First Birthday Party Time Capsule
These party ideas for a first birthday party came to me while I was enjoying the 18th birthday celebration of a niece. I was thinking back and wondered why didn't we do a special time capsule that we could bring out for her today.
My time capsule idea is to throw a first birthday party, as you normally would, but you'll want to have a few extra items:
- Note cards that have the babies name imprinted on them. These cards will be handed out to the party attendees; aunts, uncles, grandmas, grandpas, and so forth. Have them write on these cards special sayings or wishes for the baby.
- Also purchase one of those novelty newspapers that has all the big events that happened on the baby's birthday. Hire a videographer or if you're into videoing do it yourself. Video all the party and just like the note cards have each party member, give a good piece of advice for the baby that they will need when they turn eighteen.
- Don't forget to include music. If possible, get a CD with the most popular songs of year. You could play this CD during the party if you like and that way it will also be in the video or you can have the videographer incorporate it into a video production for you.
You can do this each subsequent year for each birthday party, and then at their 18th birthday you can bring out your time capsule of memories. This time capsule captures their life and keeps all the mementos in an easy to keep and easy to add-to way.
I know my sister-in law wished I would have thought of this idea 18 years ago. Oh, I almost forgot! You'll need a good secure box that can contain the capsule items. Also, label it well so you can keep up with it year after year.
Chalk It Up Party
Chalk Theme Party
This party idea came to by way of my neighbor, an ever inventive father of two. His daughter’s birthday was soon approaching. Since he is a single father in need of party help, I suggested he choose a party theme related to one of his daughter's favorite activities. It seems Christina, 4 soon to be 5, was into drawing. In fact, her dad said he had works of art everywhere in his house.
So the party girl was into drawing and this lead to Chris (the father) to decide a party outside on his driveway would work. His plan was to get several tubs of sidewalk chalk for the entertainment part of the party. The little party Picassos could draw all over his driveway to their hearts content.
The day before the party Chris power washing his driveway and sets up some tables he rented. On the day of the party, I helped him by stringing some colorful streamers and balloons, as well as assembling the party favors bags. Each child received a bag of party favors containing coloring books with crayons, black craft paper with chalk (black works best for chalk) and some bubble gum and assorted candies. The cake was an airbrushed version of one of his daughter’s art pieces. The cake was so cool! Christiana squealed with delight when she saw her own drawing on her birthday cake. Between the cake, the party favors and sidewalk chalk entertainment, the kids had a blast. Chris could not have picked a better party theme for Christina's birthday party.
I suggest, if your going to have Chalk It Up Party, you do it in early spring or early fall. Driveways either cement or asphalt get extremely hot during the summer months and can burn bare feet and knees. You’ll find this theme is a minimal effort party that young kids can enjoy. As a parent you can pull it together in a short amount of time and clean up is a breeze.
A New Approach To Tween Girl Parties.
Planning A Party For Your Pre-teen Daughter?
Of course you can always do a party for your tween girl using the many tween idols of the day; Hannah Montana or High School Musical. While these are great themes, every party your child has been to in the last six months has been a Hannah Montana party. UGH!! By now you've grown tired of the same theme, but your tween's birthday is drawing near. So what to do?
Creating Your Own Teenage Superstar
Ask yourself what does my tween girl want? To be glamorous and dress up like older (teenage) girls. You know the phrase 12 going on 20. So for one day, her birthday allow her to be a teenager (with full adult supervision of course). Employ a teenage girl and maybe her friends to do the tween girls make up and hair. Buy a few inexpensive foundations, and eye shadows, lipstick for the teenagers to use on tweens. Create a runway decorated with streamers and lights. Have the tweens walk the runway as the teenagers vote on who has the best style. You can even give the winner a special prize. For party favors give mini little lip gloss along with some inexpensive nail polish and bracelets. Hanging out with real teenages is the best part for these tweens.
If it is a small party, you can have the tweens make their own pizza. If not, order pizza from your local pizza parlor. For the "cake” choose something unusual like cup cakes or fancy cookies. Create a special drink for the tweens or serve an assortment of canned sodas.
Using a popular tween idol for a themes is certainly okay, but it can also be fun for you to do a creative party such as the one above. Plus this is an added bonus teenagers like to be idolized by the younger set as well so you get bring the two groups together.
"Favorite Things" Theme for Teen Birthday Party
A great party idea for a teen party or a kids party is to make it a "favorite things" party. This idea works whether they’re 12 or 18, boy or girl. Although, this idea might be best for a 13th, 16th or 18th birthday party.
Have the event on their favorite day of the week, choose invitations in their favorite color, decorate with their favorite team colors or theme. For example, if they really love a particular baseball team, decorate with those colors and set up the site to look like a stadium. Serve their favorite baseball foods, beverages and dessert. For activities, choose their favorite games and movies, along with their favorite movie snacks.
Another party idea is to have your guests dress in accordance with the theme. You can also do this if the birthday boy or girl is really into a particular hobby or if they love a certain vacation destination, like music or the beach.
The important thing with this teen party idea is knowing your guest of honor. So if it is a surprise, enlist the help of his or her friends. This way you can really tailor the party tho their favorite things. Including their interests will make this an unforgettable birthday party that truly reflects their unique personality and style. What would be an ordinary party will become a fabulous celebration.
