When it came time to plan my son’s 5th birthday party, there was no question what the theme would be. Dinosaurs. This was a no brainer, based on the sheer volume of dinosaur figures all over the floor of his room, and how much he talked about and played with them. (Dinotrux is one of his favorite shows!)
Now I just needed to figure out how to pull off a simple, fun party for my son. I’d just like to put this out there for all you moms to consider… If you don’t have a lot of time, energy or creativity to put on a party, don’t feel bad! Yes, there are moms who love to spend hours/weeks planning and preparing an amazing party, and baking the perfect cake from scratch, with a completely original design. Great! I say, go for it if that’s something you love to do and it won’t make you (or your family) crazy in the process. It seems like many moms feel this huge pressure to perform an amazing feat and pull off the PERFECT party. I say forget that. Just focus on simple, fun, and whatever you can manage to make your kid happy. (And keep your sanity in the process).
First, I searched for fun party favor ideas online and found these labels on Etsy. They were too cute to pass up. I simply printed the labels from my home computer, and attached them to ziplock bags filled with chocolate malt balls and chocolate covered cranberries from the local grocery store bulk aisle. Easy and fun!
For a fun party game, I found Dig It Up! Dinosaur Eggs activity. The set comes with twelve eggs, chisels and instruction booklet, which includes pictures to identify the dinosaurs once you’ve dug them out of their eggs. The kids got to keep their dinosaurs, which makes another fun party favor.
For decorations, I tried to keep it simple. I hung a dinosaur tablecloth as a backdrop behind my son’s chair, and made a dinosaur scene as a centerpiece on the table. I used the presents we had given him (several large plastic Animal Planet dinosaurs from Toys R’Us) and a dinosaur toy box that opens into a playmat. I filled bowls with snacks and candy, and let the kids pretend they were eating with the dinosaurs.
*Party table, complete with dinos chomping on candy. Cupcake cake, with custom decorations.
My son loved his party, and so did his guests. And best of all… I felt like I had succeeded in finding a good balance between pre-made purchased items, and my own creativity and custom decor. I encourage you to try and find that balance for yourself. It might save you a lot of stress. Just remember, everyone does things differently and that’s the way it should be. Don’t try to be “super-mom”. Just try to be the best YOU can be!