A few shots from my son’s birthday party. He turned one. So basically the party was for his older brother (2.5) and his buddies. I took a lot of shortcuts by outsourcing to a local grocery store for catering and to a local bakery for cupcakes.
Loads of fun.
I was indeed exhausted at the end of the night (4-7 pm party window) but also elated at the excitement and mess. I laughed as I picked up the post-party.
The things that ended up every which way astounded me. Kids are truly amazing to watch in action. I set up a bunch of “activity stations” for the kids to explore and, wow, did they explore in ways I never imagined they would…Here are a few things we did…
Playdough Table
Lemon & Blueberry Playdough
InstaSnow Winter Tub
Water Bead Tub
Colored Pasta and Lacing Tub
Dinosaurs Invading the Island of Sodor Train Table
Light Table
Customized Party Favor Bags from Whimsy Sweet on Etsy
We also had a designated “quiet area” with pillows, books, and puzzles. Of course, even that room turned a little wild. I also scattered baskets of cars, legos and sensory discovery bottles, and texture boards throughout a few rooms for the children to discover.
We had a blast! You live and you learn when throwing a party. Most importantly, you just gotta let go. For example, the insta-snow and the water beads quickly became one as kids scooped and combined the tubs. It was fascinating to watch. Another point, for my toddler’s next birthday (3), we’re moving out of the house where there is more space for people to move and explore.
Finally, if you are so fortunate to have the luxury of a house cleaner, wait until after the party to have the crew come over to clean (and you should have some help, you deserve it). I almost made the mistake of having them come before the party. That would have been a huge waste as our home turned into a (good kind of) disaster minutes after the first guests arrived….just a little tip.
Thanks for reading…
Marnie