Making Birthday Parties a gift from your Growing family!

Psalm 139:13-14

New International Version (NIV)

¹³ For you created my inmost being;
    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    your works are wonderful,
    I know that full well

Birthdays are a very special time!  With our growing family, preparing for a birthday party in the last year has felt like a a choice between sacrificing family time or sleep.  This year I thought I would include our kids in preparing for Abram's 1st Birthday Party and it was a huge hit!  No late nights...okay maybe one....a few more messes, but overall an incredibly cute party with some great family fun preparing everything.  Here are some of the easy ideas that worked well for us!

 Choosing a Theme and my Rule of Thumb

I am a big fan of having a theme for a birthday party, especially when little ones are involved.  You can direct their little artists hands around that theme and you will have a cute and cohesive party.  We landed on "Winter ONEderland" since it was looking a bit snowy outside.  The theme was big enough that the kids and I could be creative and I could pull from our Christmas decorations as well.

As a rule I give myself a few weeks to get ready for a party.  Spreading the preparations out help you and your family enjoy the process instead of feeling rushed.  Also it build anticipation for the special day!!! 

 Flour + Water = Fun!

With our theme in mind, I decided that a penguin would be the easiest pinata for us to create.  Pinatas have become a birthday party staple at our house.  They are incredibly inexpensive to make and the kids LOVE helping out.  We usually break the pinata making into multiple days, which helps keep them interested and provides me a little break to rebuild my patience and clean up the kitchen :)

Making a Pinata

Day 1:

Supplies:

Balloon

 1 cup Flour

 2 cups Water

 approx 1/2 inch strips of newspaper (my kids help cut the paper)

 string

1. Blow up Ballon to size that you would like your pinata to be

2.  Mix Flour and Water in a bowl

3.  Hang Ballon from ceiling or light by a string

4. Place newspaper over work surface

5.  Take a strip and Dip into Flour solution, remove excess

6. Place strip on Balloon

7. Repeat until the entire balloon is covered with 2-3 layers, but leave an opening at the top, near the string for putting in candy  and prizes.  Reinforce this area around the opening with an extra 2-3 layers so that it can handle the weight of the pinata when it is hung.

8. Allow to dry overnight

Day 2:

Supplies:

Paint

I had my kids get on their paint smocks and they helped paint the "Base Color" for our pinata. Only having them work with one color helped minimize the mess and simplify the painting process....no cleaning brushes between colors!  This year we were making a Blue penguin so they helped paint the entire pinata blue.  Once this step was completed, I let them know that mommy would finish it later once the paint dried. When they were in bed I added the details.

Day 3:

Supplies:

Small Candy and/or Prizes

This is a favorite step for the kids and there little hands are simply better at putting the little prizes and candy into the hole at the top of the pinata.  Once this is done I punch two holes about 2 inches from the top on opposite sides for the ribbon that we will hang the pinata from. 

Abram with his Penguin Pinata

  

Making a Game

I swear that "Pin the Tale on the Donkey" is the most versatile game EVER!  Just consider your theme and what you could "pin".  We landed on "Pin the Fish in the Pond"  because Penguins love Fish! 

Supplies:

Poster Board

Markers

Construction Paper

I created the overall background  and let the kids help out with the details, extra coloring and their own special touches.  Keep it simple and enjoy their imaginative ideas.  Who knew they had rainbows at the North Pole!

Fancy Food Labels

I may be known for labeling food for my guests, since I can be a creative cook.  I kept the menu very simple for this party, but still thought it would be fun to make themed food labels.  I decided on penguins and cut out the construction paper, allowing the kids to glue and decorate them.  Then I added a little label with the food description.  They were adorable!

 

Decorate the House

This is where having a theme is really fun.  I just set the kids down with some markers and paper and let them create masterpieces.  I later added their names so they could get some "kudos" from our birthday party guests. 

Birthday Party Snowmen by Asher-dasher

A Snowman than snuck into art class by Anika

Pick a Book

Take a trip to the library or look through your own collection as a family and find a book that fits your birthday theme.  Reading a book gives a nice quiet activity for your littlest party guests and your kids will love picking out a book for the party.

Accept Help from Talented Family Members!!!

I am so blessed to have a mother that can make the most amazing birthday cakes and treats.  Consider your family and friends and the talents they were given by God.  Don't hesitate to make a call and ask for their assistance, they will be flattered!  This helps lessen what you need to accomplish and is also a great opportunity to speak with your kids about how someone else is using their Talents to help your family.

Abram with his special Penguin cake

Nana is a talent Cake Maker!  Look at that happy little birthday boy!

______________

 So the next time you see a Birthday a few weeks out on your calendar, consider adding some laughter and a few messes to your "To-Do" list by including your family in the preparations.