Mickey Mouse Birthday Party – Part 1 of 3

May 14, 2013 by Tracy

This year is very strange for me. Dates and holidays seem to spring up suddenly. I know they are coming and have them noted on my calendar, but I just seem to run out of time preparing for items. Finding myself grabbing a card on the way out the door or waking up a tad early to wrap a gift, I just feel out of balance.

Working around illnesses and friends’ schedules just added to the delay to my daughter’s birthday party this year. I appreciate her so much as we celebrated her birthday on the day she turned 3. Then we waited until we found a non-soccer, non-event running, and non-illness Friday evening to host my daughter’s Mickey Mouse birthday party.

Though choosing the party date ended up being more challenging than choosing the theme, we started the birthday party process with choosing the theme.

Part 1: Choosing the Theme

Long are the days when I could ask, “Do you want a princess party?,” and get an immediate, “Yes!” Now, the process must begin months in advance to weed out the list compiled during brainstorming.

Discussing the Theme

When the question was first posed to my youngest daughter, her siblings were present. Of course, they wanted to “help” choose her birthday theme to something they wanted. Let’s just say, the first session was unproductive.

The next time we discussed her birthday party, brother and sister were at school. In chatting with my daughter, she needed some choices. Going back to party ideas we have hosted for other family members, I suggested Strawberry Shortcake, princess, Mickey Mouse, or Good Night, Gorilla (party based on the book by the same title).

Choosing the Theme

As an avid Mickey Mouse Clubhouse viewer, she excitedly chose Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Daisy, Donald, Goofy, and Pluto because they all get included. I was thrilled with her response as my son chose the same theme for his 3-year-old and 4-year-old parties and my oldest daughter had a Minnie and Daisy party for her 3-year-old party.

Reinforcing the Theme

Realizing that I had most of the supplies, I fed my daughter’s excitement in the weeks prior to her party by asking her which games she wanted to play, allowing her to choose the colors for her cake, and helping to remind me to look for Mickey Mouse items at the store.

By keeping her focused on the party elements, my daughter never wavered in choosing the theme for her 3-year-old birthday party. As the days approached for her party, I worked with her to prepare a party itinerary which I will share next week in Part 2. The last installment of this series will reveal the execution of that itinerary.

In using time wisely to create a special memory of my daughter’s third birthday, we started by choosing the theme. Knowing where we were going allowed us to find party favors and ideas to add to our celebration. Though I needed to start earlier this year in choosing the theme, we did decide which gave us direction to plan her Mickey Mouse birthday party. Happy theme choosing!

Question: How do you or your children get through the process of choosing the theme for a birthday party?

2012: My Upcoming Family Events

September 25, 2012 by Tracy

Photograph Credit: Microsoft Images

When I shared my upcoming 2012-2013 events last week, I failed to mention my upcoming family events. As I wrote the other post, I was in the midst of planning, searching, and nailing down vendors and acts for our Fall Festival. With school projects on my mind, I only shared the school-related events.

On Monday afternoon, my toddler kept asking for “her cookie.” Figuring she wanted a cookie, I offered her one. But she didn’t want that cookie, she wanted “her cookie.” Really confused, I asked if she could show me. To which she trotted off to get the weekly ad from the Sunday paper. Then, I realized the miscommunication.

Toddler’s Birthday Party

Over the weekend when I went through the newspaper, I found the advertisement with all the birthday decorations. With my toddler close by, I asked her what kind of birthday party she wanted. She worked her way through the sales flyer naming the characters until she chose Mickey Mouse.

Though her birthday is not until the winter months, my toddler is ready for her Mickey Mouse birthday party and “her cookie.” The cookie part is because brother and sister each got a large chocolate chip cookie to share on their birthdays.

With a one-track mind, I think I need a distraction less my toddler remembers every day for the next few months. 😉

Halloween Bash

In skipping our annual Halloween Bash last year due to illness after the Fall Festival, I return to planning this year’s Halloween party. While shopping with my older children on Saturday, we found some cute Halloween crafts in the Target $1 Spot section as well as a Halloween game.

For accountability, I mentioned our party to a friend to put on her radar around Halloween. I still have a few details to work out, but I usually keep the same schedule to make planning simple and the party predictable. My kids love knowing the plan and repeating the games.

In using time wisely, my toddler’s birthday party and our Halloween bash comprise my upcoming family events. Thankfully, I have hosted both of these themes in the past, so recreating or tweaking these ideas will save me money, energy, and time. Happy planning ahead!

Question: What events are on your calendar or radar this fall and winter?

Blue’s Clues Birthday Party – Part 3 of 3

April 24, 2012 by Tracy

Though I plan each birthday party, I know that there will be changes. I never know how my children will react on the day of the party. Sometimes they are all in and ready to play everything while other times they do not want the attention focused on them.

Having learned from past birthday parties, I try to have a backup plan or at least another option for those moments.

For my toddler’s Blue’s Clues party, we chose a theme and planned an itinerary. On the day of the party, we carried out our plan. I enjoyed the process as my toddler allowed Daddy, grandparents, and siblings to help her. Though the party was not perfectly executed, a bit of spontaneity kept everyone on their toes. 😉

Welcome

Since my toddler cannot turn the door knob on our front door, my son and older daughter opened the door when the guests arrive. My toddler remained down the hall waiting for her guests to come see her.

Games – Part 1 of 3

Blue’s Clues

After our guests arrived and had a few minutes to play, we began the game of Blue’s Clues. For our party, Blue was looking forward to something at this birthday party, and she left 3 clues to help us figure out Blue’s Clues.

The 6 children then began searching for Blue’s Clues. (We hid one clue at a time to avoid finding them out of order. During setup, Paul placed the first clue. Though I could have cut the clues out of paper, I just used the clues from her Halloween outfit since they were nice and big.)

The birthday girl found the first clue on the living room ceiling fan. It was really cute. The older children took turns drawing the clue in our handy-dandy notebook.

Hide and Seek Blue

During setup, I hid 6 Blue’s Clues items (2 figurines, 2 stuffed animals, and 2 bath mitts). With the 6 children paired up, the two 6-year-olds searched for the figurines while the two 4-year-olds and two 2-year-olds looked for the stuffed animals and bath mitts. Each child found one item. How cute it was to watch the older ones help the younger ones after finding their own.

Lunch

With our party beginning at 10:00 a.m. and the younger children used to eating lunch around 11:00 a.m., I tried to keep them on schedule. The children found their seats at the table, set with tableware, silverware, and place cards, while the parents served the food.

While the children ate at the table, the adults filled their plates and ate in the living room.

Games – Part 2 of 3

Pin the Paw on Blue

After lunch, we played the Blue’s Clues version of Pin the Tail on the Donkey. The older children were blindfolded, but the younger ones just closed their eyes or placed the paw on Blue. 😉

Open Presents

The children all sat on the living room floor and waited for the birthday girl to open her gifts. Sometimes opening the presents is the hardest part with keeping the children back to removing the toys from the packaging to the commotion.

However, this gift opening session went very well. While the grandpas removed the toys from their packaging, we continued with our games.

Games – Part 3 of 3

Blue’s Clues

During lunch, I placed the second paw print on my daughter’s portrait. When the participants found it, we drew the clue into our handy-dandy notebook.

While drawing the second clue, Paul placed the third clue on a candle. The guests quickly found the third clue, added it to our handy-dandy notebook, and deciphered Blue’s Clues. Blue was ready for the birthday girl to blow out her candle.

Sing, Blow Candle, and Cake

After singing, my daughter blew out her candle (with help), and we served cake at the table with the children sitting in their lunch seating arrangement.

Thank you and Goody Bags

As the children finished their dessert, they went to play. My daughter then distributed the goody bags, made from brown paper bags with a paw print and a guest’s name on the front. The goodies included: blowouts, straws, flying disks, jewelry (girls) and action figures (boys).

Play with new toys and goody bag items

The participants finished the party by checking out the new toys and their goody bags. Throughout that morning, they enjoyed playing with each other while celebrating my daughter’s second birthday.

With an itinerary in place, I followed the plan to keep the party moving and to remind myself when to hide the clues and what activity to complete next. The party was fun for all and wore out our toddler. Upon telling her friends goodbye, she got her blanket and crawled upstairs. She was ready for her nap. 🙂

When planning birthday parties, I consider the theme, plan an itinerary, and enjoy the execution. Happy planning!

Question: Does your child like or avoid the attention at his/her birthday party?

Blue’s Clues Birthday Party – Part 2 of 3

April 17, 2012 by Tracy

Last week I shared how Paul and I chose our toddler’s 2-year-old birthday party theme of Blue’s Clues. After making the theme choice, I had more decisions to make.

Since my two older children had a Blue’s Clues party for their first birthday, I had many items. However, I had no games. With my toddler joining in the games of her older siblings, we had to have a game of Blue’s Clues.

For those unfamiliar with this children’s program, Blue is a female dog that does not talk. To get her idea across, she marks three clues with her paw print to help us find the answer. Each segment follows the same basic sequence with the clues changing from episode to episode. The repetition is fantastic for learning sequence and order.

Keeping the guest list to our family, extended family, and one close friend’s family, I planned the following 2-hour morning birthday party for 8 adults and 6 children (ages 2 to 6):

Blue’s Clues Birthday Party Itinerary

Welcome. Greet each guest as she arrives, and escort to the living room to play or color Blue’s Clues coloring pages.

Games – Part 1 of 3. When all the guests arrive, the games will begin.

1. Find the First Clue: In determining what Blue wants to do today, we will need to play Blue’s Clues. With the first clue hidden, the participants will search for Blue’s Clue. Once found, we will add the clue to our handy-dandy notebook.

2. Hide and Seek Blue: Prior to the party, I will hide six different Blue’s Clues items (2 figurines, 2 stuffed animals, and 2 bath mitts). Each participant will seek one item.

Lunch. The table settings will include name cards for each child. The adults will help serve the children in the dining room and then relax and eat in the living room.

The menu:

Ham and cheese sandwiches

Chips and dip

Carrots, celery, and olives

Fruit salad: strawberries, cantaloupe, and bananas

Games – Part 2 of 3.

3. Pin the Paw on Blue: I will cut out 6 paw prints and write one participant’s name on each one. After blindfolding one child, he will turn around and placed the paw on the printout. The younger participants will either close their eyes or just stick the paw print on Blue.

Open Presents.

Games – Part 3 of 3.

4. Find the Second Clue: Another paw print is hidden. When the participants find it, we will draw that clue into our handy-dandy notebook.

5. Find the Third Clue: The participants will find the last paw print. We will add the last clue to our handy-dandy notebook and decipher Blue’s Clues.

Sing, Blow Candle, and Cake.

Thank you and Goody Bags.

Play with new toys and goody bag items.

With the itinerary set and most of the decorations unpacked, I waited for help to arrive before decorating the space and preparing the food.

With a plan in place, I scheduled time for play, games, food, other games, presents, more games, dessert, thankfulness, and goody bags. Next week in Part 3, I will finish this Blue’s Clues birthday party series with our execution of the planned itinerary.

Question: How detailed do you plan for a child’s birthday party?

Blue’s Clues Birthday Party – Part 1 of 3

April 10, 2012 by Tracy

Nailing down a theme for an event early helps to guide the rest of the planning. With a theme of character, color, or holiday, you can coordinate food, decorations, and favors. Sometimes getting to the theme is a journey.

Choosing a Theme

Prior to my daughter turning two, Paul and I wavered back and forth on the theme of her party. Having had a pink princess first birthday party, she missed the Blue’s Clues theme that our other two children had for their first birthday. Also, my toddler loves Blue and dressed as her for Halloween.

The other option was the custom party I created for my oldest daughter’s second birthday party centered on the book, Good Night, Gorilla. Both of our girls love this book as there are repetitive themes throughout the pages – colors, moon, balloon, animals, banana, etc.

Knowing that our toddler would probably outgrow both themes by next year, we paid attention to her playtime activities. During the weeks before her birthday, the reading of Good Night, Gorilla faded, but Blue remained in the coveted corner of her crib. Though I wanted to repeat the Good Night, Gorilla birthday party, this was not my party. My daughter loved and cared for Blue, so a Blue’s Clues birthday party we did.

Though the planning, shopping, and executing falls on my shoulders, I chose to consider my guest of honor’s wishes above my own. Though I already knew the answer, I still asked my toddler to choose her theme. By doing so and allowing her to help with the decorations, tableware, and games, I demonstrated my love and my willingness to create a fun party for her.

With the theme chosen and most of the decorations gathered from my older two children’s Blue’s Clues birthday parties, I had a game plan. Next week in Part 2, I will share our Blue’s Clues birthday party itinerary. To be continued . . .

Question: Did you choose themes for your child’s first or second birthday party?