Saint Patrick’s Day is right around the corner — and what a better way to have some fun with your babiekins than throwing a colorful party? This party was originally produced by the Babiekins team for our second print issue ever, and we thought it would be perfect to showcase it on the blog, along with some tips on how to recreate this party at home.
Play it Retro with the Kids’ Party Decorations
Use simple, vintage items | Mix it up! Use a healthy mix of modern and vintage decor. We found most of our vintage children’s and party items on eBay. The bright colors and illustrations are just too fun to pass up. And play it retro. Let’s face it, it’s tempting to spend way too money. But the reality is, kids are perfectly okay with simple crafts, food and games.
Go Classic with a Twist for the Kids’ Party Games
Ring around the soda | We used bright colored soda bottles and fun sparkly bracelets from Target as a simple set up for our “bottle throw” game. Set the bottles up on the floor, and then have each bracelet be worth a certain amount of points. Have each child toss the bracelets onto the bottle neck — whoever gets the most points at the end of the game wins a prize!
Donuts on a string | Using string, hang colorful donuts from a horizontal stick. The little party-goers have to try to eat the swinging donuts without using their hands! Make your stick a little bit more fun by wrapping colorful tape around it, or by painting it.
EGGcellent race | It’s important to get the kiddos active at a birthday party — how else will they get rid of all that sugar energy? We set up an egg race. It’s a classic game, but always fun! Before the party, take eggs and poke a hole at the top and bottom. Blow the egg yolk out and rinse out with water. You will have to let your egg dry for a couple hours, just to make sure there is no moisture inside. We then took gold permanent markers and drew polka dots all over our dried eggs. This made the eggs feel like they were part of the party! You could easily use paint, paper and glitter, too, to create a fun look for your own event.
Donkey lost his tail | A vintage pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey poster brings a quirky touch to the game. Using funny masks as blindfolds adds character, too!
Musical what? | Yes, musical chairs! I know, I know! This is the oldest game in the book — but kids LOVE it! We used a vintage record player to play our songs, and the kids thought that the “big CD thing” was so cool!
Make Cleanup Easy with Papers and Crayons
Simple, disposable dishes | Don’t create dirty dishes off you don’t have to! There are so many cute paper plates available, so finding something to fit your party is easy. We mixed and matched different paper plates, then paired them with vintage hankies as napkins for guests. We had a paper tablecloth on hand, but it’s also fun to just use plain old white paper. Be sure to hand your guests crayons if you do, so they can write all over the table and make silly drawings.
Pick glass jars to showcase fun party items, or your kiddos favorite toys. We filled vintage gum ball machines with colorful gum and colored feathers, and filled a jar with vintage noise makers. The kids had fun guessing what color gum ball they would get — and they had a blast running around making noise with the vintage noise makers!
Extend the Fun with More Party Activities for Kids
Make colorful playdough for the kids to play with, and then get creative. Then let them take a ball of dough home! Here’s our favorite recipe.
Make a shamrock money cake!
Make a leprechaun trap — set up a makers station and let kids get to work.
Kids are so full of joy — we think the colors and mood of a kids’ party should be bright and vibrant to match. Happy party planning!
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Credits // Photography: Gretchen Easton | Wardrobe Styling Heather Rome | Creative Direction and Prop Styling Priscila Barros | Hair and Makeup Sue Anne Tiger
// Decor TASSEL GARLAND and CONFETTI PINATA Studio Mucci | Dot Decals Urban Walls | BALLOON WITH TASSEL Stephanie Shives Studio | Mini piñata (On gift) Corner Blog Store // Food CAKEPOPS Stuck Up Cakes | CANDYSTICKS Oriental Trading Company | CAKE Robin’s Nest | DONUTS BabycakesNYC // Games ICE CREAM PIÑATA AND GOODIES Oriental Trading Company // Supplies TREAT BAGS Hey Yo Yo | TOYS & CANDY TREATS Oriental Trading Company // Clothing and Accessories FLOWER PIN Bella Sorella Couture | STAR DRESS Nununu | RED SANDALS Salt-Water | PLAID BUTTON-DOWN Vintage | BOW TIE Bella Olivia Tutus & Accessories | BANANA SWEATSHIRT Shampoodle | GINGHAM CHECK SHORTS Toobydoo | STRIPED DRESS Livly // BALLET FLATS Gap | STRIPED BOW Bella Olivia Tutus & Accessories | GREEN SHIRT Bor*z | DENIM PANTS Shampoodle | BLUE GIRAFFE DRESS Anive For The Minors | YELLOW DRESS Toobydoo | PINK OXFORDS Target
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This post has been sponsored by Hey Yo Yo. Hey Yo Yo is a friendly little shop for paper straws and bendy straws, party supplies and all things vintage, happy, FUN! Whether you’re searching for cupcake decorations, plastic charms or a smoking monkey, Hey Yo Yo has a little magic to make your day special.
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