Birthday Party Themes: Garden & Bug, Pajama, Backwards, and Willy Wonka Party

For birthdays at our house, we just have family over. My kids are 4 and 18 months, so I haven't really felt the need to have a "friends" birthday party-yet. When we were growing up, we had certain ages that we could have a birthday party and invite our friends. I think it meant more to us kids than expecting a huge bash every year. So I thought when I do my kids parties with friends, it will be fun to go "all out." and have a theme. Here are some fun and memorable birthday party themes.

A Garden and Bug Party. I think this party is great for ages 4 to 6. First, send out your invitations. A ten cent packet of seed, with a typed invitation glued on the back. You could say "spring has sprung" (if you have a spring birthday) or Halle is "growing like a flower," "Fly" on over to (your address), and hope you can "Bee"there!

Decorations. You can find great deals at dollar stores such as windsocks, aprons, garden markers and fake flowers. Use green, yellow and red balloons for grass, bees and ladybugs. You can make bees and ladybugs out of construction paper easily and hang them on the walls if you are indoors. For centerpieces, you can get tin pails or watering cans at Target or the dollar store, and put gummy worms on the table around them. Let the kids take them home as a favor.

Food. I think if you pick an "off time" to have the party, make it easier on yourself and serve snacks. Ants on a log (celery with pb and raisins- ants), Pepperidge Farms makes butterfly shaped crackers, Sargento has flower shaped cheese, whatever drink you choose, serve it from a watering can. Flower shaped sugar cookies, and dirt cups are a great dessert. For Mariel's recipe on dirt cups, click here.

Games. If you have a sandbox, hide prizes in it, have have the kids look for them. If you don't have a sandbox, a plastic pool would work. Pin the bee or ladybug on the flower, decorate terra cotta flower pots, with paint, markers and stickers. Break open a flower, ladybug or bee pinata.

You can get great party favors at OrientalTrading.com:

Here are a couple more theme ideas for ages 6 to 12:

Pajama Party: Have kids come in pj's and serve breakfast. Donuts and ice cream for dessert.

Backwards Party: Print invitations so kids have to read them in a mirror, have and exit sign at the front door. Put the chairs facing out and tablecloth on the floor, eat cake first then pizza, sing "angry birthday to you" ect.

Willy Wonka Party: Send chocolate bar invitations with a "golden ticket," have kids make their own factory out of graham crackers, chocolate icing and candy, fish out of a kiddie pool with cocoa water, have a candy store with jars of candy, they can make a party favor candy bag to take home, "fizzy lifting" drink- cream soda.

Party On!

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