PARTY ON, BABY!
FROM CLASSIC TO CREATIVE, THESE BIRTHDAY IDEAS WILL HELP YOU THROW
THE GROOVIEST PARTY ON THE BLOCK
Sick of Sesame Street soirées? Bored of Blue’s Clues bashes? You’re not alone. While the thought of attending—
or hosting—another kiddie party with a theme conceived in the aisle of the local party store may seem like the only
option, it’s not. Trust us—an original, swingin’ birthday shindig that’s fun for both kids and adults isn’t a figment of the
imagination. Below, find our suggestions—from decorations to favors—for kickin’ kids' birthday parties sure to break
you from your Rugrats rut.
HAVE A BALL
For your favorite baby baller, why not throw a sports-themed bash? You can tailor the theme to whichever sport is in season during your child’s birthday, or include them all for a full-on sports extravaganza.
The Invitations: Luckily, sports-themes invitations are easy to come by. We love these from Tickle Bellies because they’re the right mix of cutesy and sporty (prices vary depending on amount ordered, www.ticklebellies.com).
The Setup: Arrange tables around a central play area where kids can crawl or run. Lay down blankets or a tarp if you’re outdoors and the ground is wet, and scatter a variety of balls around so the kids can play with them.
The Decorations: Tie your colors into those of the game or your favorite team’s colors. If you’re featuring basketball, use lots of orange; for baseball, red white and blue is ideal. For table decorations, sprinkle sports-themed confetti ($2.50 per packet, www.chicoparty.com) on your table. For centerpieces, use cheerful yet not-too-feminine sunflowers ($29.99 for a bouquet of seven stems, www.proflowers.com). Arrange peanuts and Cracker Jacks around the base of the base for a ballpark feel.
The Food: If the weather’s warm, host a simple yet classic All-American barbecue featuring hot dogs, grilled chicken sandwiches and veggie burgers. If it’s cold, set up a chili bar with all the fixins. Side dishes can include potato salad, cole slaw, chips or baked beans. For scattered snacks, what’s more appropriate than Beer Nuts, peanuts and Cracker Jacks? Serve everything on plates shaped like the sports ball of your choice, which can be found at most party stores.
The Cake: Many grocery stores offer sports-themed designs that resemble a football, soccer or baseball field or a basketball court. If you’d prefer to go the specialty cake route, ask for a cake shaped and decorated like your favorite team's jersey, them put your child’s name on the back, with his age showing the jersey’s number.
The Favors: Despite the decidedly dude-ish theme, these favors are perfect for boys and girls. Wrap Gund’s MVB My First Sports Bag ($15.89, www.amazon.com) and Circle of Friends’ Tommy & Sean’s Home Run Root Beer Shower Gel ($6, www.circle-of-friends.com) in tissue paper that coordinates with your party’s colors. For extra oomph, add a sticker or tag featuring a sports-themed design with a message like “With love from (your child’s name).” If you’re a crafty type, make t-shirts for each child saying “Team (your child’s last name)” on the front, and the guest child’s last name and your child’s age on the back, similar to they style of a sports jersey.
HOP ON OVER TO MY PAD
Your frog princess’s special day will be adorably honored—especially if she’s named Lily —with this pink and green frog-themed fiesta.
The Invitations: We adore these frog prince/princess invitations from Dinky Designs (www.dinkydesigns.com, for prices call 866.663.4659). Choose your wording, as we did in this sample, to fully coordinate with your theme.|
The Setup: Amidst the tables, set up a kiddie pool as your froggy pond, and include plastic lily pads purchased from a craft store like Michael’s (www.michaels.com for locations) If the weather’s warm and you host your party outdoors, the kids can hop in. If you prefer to not deal with water, cut out lilypads from large pieces of green felt, which you can purchase at a craft or fabric store.
The Decorations: Focus on pink and green, weaving the colors into the table cloths, balloons and flowers. If you’d like to include flowers, choose fragrant stargazer lilies, which will complement your colors beautifully and tie into your theme ($39.99 for five stems, www.proflowers.com). If you prefer balloons, ask your local party store or florist to create a pink and green balloon centerpiece, or inquire about frog-shaped Mylar varieties. Create a sweet centerpiece on the gift table with an array of Tad and Lily plush toys from learning toy authority Leap Frog (prices vary, go to www.amazon.com). Your child can keep and enjoy them once the shindig is over or you can give them away as favors once your guests exit.
The Food: Unless you’re into serving frog’s legs, there’s really
no theme-perfect food for this party. Just about anything will work.
Serve everything on pink or green plates and with plastic utensils in
a coordinating color.
The Cake: Ask for a cake in the shape of a frog
with pink and green colors. If you’d prefer a less amphibious option, ask for the cake in the shape
of a crown.
| The Favors: In keeping with the frog theme, for kids up to age two, give boys Leap Frog’s Learn-Along Tad and girls Learn-Along Lily, plush toys that attach to the stroller and sing learning songs ($9.99 each, www.leapfrog.com). For older children up to age 6, choose Leap Frog’s Code Word Caper DVD, which teaches phonics ($14.98, www.leapfrog.com). | |||
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BARNYARD BASH
Ideal for a birthday girl or boy, this barnyard-themed birthday bonanza— complete with a petting zoo and pony rides, if you dare—will be one your child and his friends remember always.
The Invitations: These whimsical invitations from Tickle Bellies introduce your guests to your down-on-the-farm theme (prices vary depending on amount ordered, www.ticklebellies.com). Add a little hay or hay-like confetti to the envelope for added fun (available at craft stores like Michael’s, go to www.michaels.com for locations).
The Setup: If you have them or can rent them, opt for casual picnic-like tables and cover them with red and white checked tablecloths. Scatter mini hay bales (available at craft stores like Michael’s, www.michaels.com for location) around the party area and give each child a pint-sized cowboy hat when they enter ($26 for 12, www.plumparty.com). If you go the petting zoo or pony ride route, you’ll need space—preferably outdoors. To acquire those animals, look online or in your local phone directory. If you’re in the New York/New Jersey/Connecticut area visit www.piedpiperponyrides.com, in the Dallas area, visit www.dallasparty.com, in the DC area visit www.ponytogo.com and in the Boston Area, contact McDonny’s Farm at mcdonnysfarm@yahoo.com.
The Decorations: For centerpieces, group balloons in single-color bunches, with a different color at each table. In the center of each balloon arrangement, include a Mylar balloon in the shape of a farm animal, with a different animal at each table. Plush barnyard animals can also make adorable decorations. Simple red plates and plastic utensils will work well with your décor—dress them up by using bandannas as napkins ($20 for 12, www.plumparty.com).
The Food: In keeping with the theme, go for a Southern barbecue vibe— think pulled pork, barbecued chicken, chili and cornbread. You should be able to locate such a restaurant to do your catering—just check your local phone book. Place chips—barbecue, naturally—in silver galvanized buckets on the food tables or around the area for snacking.
The Cake: Request a cake in the shape of barnyard animal, or have a sheet cake decorated as if it were a farm scene. Individual cupcakes can also be cute. Just adorn the tops of each one with a barnyard animal-shaped cookie or figurine, which can be found at most party stores.
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The Favors: Encourage reading by giving each guest a copy of Sandra Boynton’s “Barnyard Dance” ($6.95, www.amazon.com) to take home along with a pig-shaped soap ($1.50 each, www.tabenterprises.com). |  |
—Chelsea Kaplan
Click here to read all about Senior Editor Chelsea Kaplan's life with child in her blog, “I'm Somebody's Mother?”
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