Undersea Fish Birthday Pinatas: Underwater Birthday Idea Theme, Dolphins, Whales

We adore birthday pinatas and think these colorful, swimming creatures would be great for an underwater, sea exploration theme birthday party.   Pinatas come hollow so you can fill them with whatever you wish. We suggest filling the pinata with treats like Swedish fish and individual-sized packages of Goldfish crackers.
What about a Dolphin Pinata, a bright blue smiling fish that both kids and adults will love? Coordinate it with other blue decorations such as a blue punch and blue Jello snacks.    Enjoy the outside playing with a beachball. Consider having some beach-theme items such as plastic beach pails and tools as party favors.

The Clown Fish Pinata also adds a splash of color to any underwater theme birthday party. It’s designed for parties up to 10 kids.  If you’d rather not have kids wacking the pinata (or eachother) with a baseball bat or broomstick, you can also pull a ribbon to release the booty.  We love the idea of buying several fish pinatas and hanging them at varying lengths from the ceiling, giving the impression of being inside of an aquarium.

This Killer Whale Pinata is actually very cute and sweet. Decorate your table with bright green streamers representing seaweed. Store gifts in a “treasure chest,” which could be an old trunk you decorate with foil wrapped coins and seaweed streamers. Also, an aquarium makes a wonderful and educational birthday surprise for a child. Otherwise, these adorable underwater theme pinatas are the next best thing!

Old Fashioned Cowboy Birthday Party For 1st Birthday and Kids

Throwing a cowboy birthday party for your child is an absolute blast. A cowboy theme, with its vintage fun, western wear and decorative options is fun and easy to put together. Imagine making “wanted” posters with the faces of the guests. We think it’s a great theme for both cowboys and cowgirls, so grab your hat and let’s ride!

Cowboy Invitations

A great cowboy invitation helps set the tone for your event. Think cacti, barndancing, cowboy boots, lassos, and of course cowboy hats. It’s a common theme for a 1st birthday party, but we think it works for any age (kids and adults!) so you can adjust the style if it’s cowboy invites for a 1st Birthday or for older kids and adults. A photo of the little buckaroo in a cowboy shirt also makes an adorable invitation. You’ll can also find wonderful wild west vintage illustrations that older guests will love.

Cowboy Party Supplies

One of the great things about a cowboy party theme is that it sets a casual tone, and no fussy food or decorations are expected. Consider outfitting all of your guests with red kerchiefs or bandannas. They are relatively inexpensive, but will add a cowboy flair even if people don’t dress the part.

You’ll also find packs of cowboy party supplies such as the
Cowboy 1st Birthday Classic Pack for 8 for groups of 8 or 16 guests that include cowboy party hats, cups, plates and balloons in one package. These usually run between $30 and $40 dollars.

Cowboy Decorations

If you can host the party outside, blankets and hay bales make fun outdoor seating under the trees. Serving buffet style on picnic tables is as fancy as you need to get.

We love these Cowboy Giant Wall Decals that can be used as party decorations and then become part of the cowboy or cowgirl’s bedroom decor when the party’s over.

Country and western music, along the lines of “Happy Trails” is both kitschy and fun. You may want to provide water guns for a shootout. On the other hand, if you decide not to host your cowboy party at home, you could combine the party with a trip to a horse stable, and horseback riding for older children.

For other cowboy games, we like other vintage activities like playing jacks, cards, tops or marbles that can also serve as party favors.

Cowboy Food

Ah, the birthday chuckwagon. Luckily, preparing food for hungry cowboys and cowgirls is pretty straightforward. Options like grilled burgers, sloppy joes, baked beans, tortilla chips and corn on the cob go over well. The idea of the cowgirls and cowboys drinking juice from their canteens is cute too. Have old fashioned taffy and candies add to the vintage feel.

A cowboy birthday cake can take many forms. There are cake pan molds in the shape of cowboy boots or hats that make an impressive cake.   As one idea, check out this Horseshoe Cake Pan. A sheet cake with sheriff stars and rope-like swirl decorations is sure to be a hit as well.

Kids Eco-Friendly Birthday Party Ideas – Awesome List!

Kiwi Magazine, dedicated to organic family topics, published this wonderful list of eco-friendly birthday party ideas.

Here are just a few:

“Bookworms: Have each kid bring a new or gently used book for a book exchange. Then have everyone sit a circle and contribute to making up a story. Write their tale down on recycled paper, and let the kids decorate it with green paints, soy crayons and markers.

Support the Community: Call your local fire or police station and ask for a tour. Perhaps in lieu of gifts, the families could donate money to the station.

Birthday Olympics: Set up a series of fun activities including relay races, jump rope and kickball. For treats, hand out organic cookie “medals” or energy bars for kids such as Clif Zbar.

Backyard Eco-camping: Start the party at dusk. Set up tents in the backyard, tell spooky stories, gaze at the stars and identify constellations. For treats, have kids make their own organic s’mores and trail mix. Older kids can have a sleepover in the tents.

Finger Paintin’ Fun: Use eco friendly paints and recycled paper to let the kids create their own masterpieces. The kids can take these home as favors or you could hang them up in your child’s room.”

Kids Birthday Party Ideas & Games – Eco-Friendly.

Birthday Balloon Character Models For Party Decor

These balloon models featured in the Telegraph are for the UK talent show X Factor, and would make an incredibly fun birthday idea as well.   Imagine if you could get a detailed balloon model in the likeness of the birthday boy or girl?  What a surprise!  You may not know that the art of balloon modeling goes far beyond the simple balloon animals like bears and giraffes you’d see at amusement parks.  (Although they’re very cute and a great type of party entertainment). Some detailed balloon models take a day or more to complete and employ highly specialized techniques.

X Factor: John and Edward balloon models latest party craze – Telegraph.

Where the Wild Things Are 1st Birthday Party: Wild Rumpus Birthday!!

We’ve been so thrilled by the gorgeous home birthday parties we’ve been seeing lately for both kids and adults.   This one, from the Hostess With the Mostess (hwtm) blog really stood out as an adorable first birthday party idea beautifully executed.  Using Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are as a party theme, she combined purchased reusable paper decorations, homemade items and a sweet costume from Etsy. We loved the colors and the creativity involved from decorating fallen tree branches with die cut leaf decorations and pretty wrapping paper as a table runner.  She had a delicious array of kid-friendly healthy foods like cut fruits, apple sauce and popcorn balls.

REAL PARTIES: “Wild Rumpus” Birthday.