Greek Mythology Birthday Party

Noodlebug turns 7 today and we had a Greek Mythology birthday party in the park yesterday.  Because I am in the middle of a move, we kept it simple!

Noodle has loved Greek mythology for years. Ever since he went through my Barefoot Books inventory and found all the books on the subject.  For his party, my friend Susie created the wonderful Greek Temple backdrop from cardboard.  The perfect photo opp!  My son went as Zeus and I went as Medusa.

All Noodle's friends dressed up as their favorite mythological creatures and characters.  For activities, we had "Paint a Shield," "Paint a Greek Pot," and glitter tattoos.  For "Paint a Shield," I bought packages of 16 inch cake circles. They were the perfect size!  At $6.29 for a six pack on Amazon, it was MUCH easier than hand-cutting circles out of foam core.  I made handles on the back of each shield using silver duct tape.  The kids had a choice of using acrylic paint or paint pens. In retrospect, I would have only had paint pens out on the tables. Much easier and less messy to use.

(Noodle holding his shield!)

For "Paint a Greek Pot," I put out photos of ancient Greek pottery along with mini flower pots and paint.  I got the mini flower pots at the Dollar Store. They came in packs of 3.  Again, using only paint pens would have been best but the kids loved the activity.

I bought two kits of Glitter Tattoos and they were a big hit!  Super easy to use.  Much easier than face painting and less messy. Once the glue sets, the tattoos don't come off so there was no need to worry about them wiping off onto clothing. Plus, the stencils made it easy to get a perfect image every time.

For the grand finale, we had a pinata.  I just got a classic bull pinata and we pretended that it was the Minotaur.  Everyone loves a pinata!

For food, we did fresh fruit, cheese, and pretzel sticks and Noodle baked his own cupcakes.  It was a very simple party in the park but the kids had a great time!

As a bit of a joke, I grabbed a piece of cardboard and made a "burnt offerings" station for gifts.  I just propped up the cardboard in front of a big plastic storage tub.

For favors, we kept it simple.  Each child got one mythological character from the Mythical Realms Toob:

I also printed and laminated this free printable for Communications4all:

I think the kids had a great time.



I can't believe I have a 7-yr-old!

(This post contains some affiliate links to products that I used)

Yee-Haw Cowboy Toddler Birthday Party

The weather held off until after the party was over and a good time was had by all.  The theme for Noodlebug's 3rd birthday party was a western/cowboy theme. 

We made paperbag cowboy/cowgirl puppets:

(my sister-in-law models some puppets)

Designed our own stick horses using yardsticks and brown paper bags:

Panned for "gold" (small toys and fake gold coins) in the sandbox:

And took photos in an improvised photobooth:

 

I got the great photo quote sign from Etsy.

We served my mother's amazing chili, corn on the cob, hot dogs and watermelon.  

I think it was a great success and all 30+ attendees had a good time.

(Noodlebug loved his strawberry ice cream cake)

Now, I think I will go lie down until MY birthday.

The Very Tired Mommy (by Eric Carle)

What a busy weekend! 

Grandma (aka "Tutu") took us all to see Peter Pan in the city.  I wasn't sure how Noodlebug would do with a 2.5 hour play but he was a perfect angel.  Then, Saturday was the big party.

The theme was A VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR.  Tutu made the balloon arch above.  Instead of a cake, I made cupcakes:

I used blueberries for the eyes and nose.

All of the food followed the things that the caterpillar ate in the book. We served apples, pears, oranges, strawberries, and watermelon.  Since the caterpillar ate through salami and swiss cheese, I put a spread of deli meats and cheeses out to make mini-sandwiches along with pickles. Because the caterpillar ate through a "green leaf," I made a spinach salad for the adults.

I set up a small crafts table for the kids. Since they are only two, I premade the butterflies and caterpillars and had them paint the items:

The rest of the time was free play. 

A good time was had by all. Noodlebug officially turns two tomorrow. I can hardly believe it.