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The Zoo Party: A Fun Recap from a Fun Mom

pig farm stuffable animal for birthday partyToday’s guest post is brought to you by  fun-loving, mom-of-the-year, Dana!  Dana is always throwing great parties for her daughter, and she decided to share her awesome Zoo Party Recap with us! Share your thoughts with us in the comment’s section below!

 

 

I tend to go a little overboard for birthday parties for my daughter. When I say “little” I mean every thing MUST match the theme that I started preparing the day after her last birthday.
This year’s theme was “The Zoo”. I was on top of these preparations like a boy scout looking to get the next merit badge. Don’t doubt it, this was the checklist:

  • Venue – Local zoo party room booked well over a month in advance.
  • Zoo Cake – Another thing ordered well in advance with matching zoo theme.
  • Invitations and Thank You cards – Monkeys included for a “wild time”
  • Food – Fruit and Veggie trays made to look like a forest with lion and tiger. (The zoo provided pizza with the party automatically, which was a nice bonus.)
  • Plates and Cutlery – Animal face plates with color matching plastic ware.
  • Activity for kids / party favors – A menagerie of animals from The Zoo Factory.

The children in the party ranged from 3-11.  The highlight of the party for everyone was stuffing The Zoo Factory animals.  The younger children had to have their parents help with the stuffing but that made the activity even more fun for them.  I was worried that a couple of older kids in the party might not enjoy the party favors as much but that wasn’t the case.  They had just as much fun stuffing and playing with them as the younger kids.

In the end due to my obsessive planning everything turned out perfectly. I even received a compliment from one of the parents that I should become an event planner because everything was so wonderful.
In case you are wondering next year theme will be “Bubbles at the Science museum”.

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Great Ideas for a “Stuff-Your-Own Animal” Birthday Party

Stuff-Your-Own Animal Parties

stuff animal birthday party ideas for kids stuffable animalsAll kids love being creative and personalizing their items, their living space, and even their clothes. To present them with a new toy, that they can create to be their own, is to give “the.best.gift.EVER”.

This is a great party idea for a few other reasons too. Specifically, the kids stay busy. Not to mention, “Stuff-your-own animal” parties are easy to clean up after, and they create a memorable experience for your child and his or her friends.

First, look over our collection of stuffed animals; choose a wide array to give kids a selection. Alternatively, you could choose to go with the same animal, if you want to eliminate the possibility of an argument. When getting the supplies, be sure to grab a few extra in case of mistakes.

Set up stuffing stations for the party, and include anything extra you deem fun. For example, since kids are making their own outfits for these animals, you can include things like rhinestones, sequins, and fabric paint to let them create custom fashions on their new friends.

Work on the animals in the beginning of the party, because then you can create even more fun afterwards. One of the best ideas is to create a manhunt. The guest of honor, or the birthday child, hides his or her animal, and the guests must follow clues to find where it is hidden. This creates exciting, educational fun. The person who finds the animal wins a prize. You can give away a cool accessory as a great gift for the winner.

A great idea for snacks is to bake cookies and decorate them like the various animals you’ve stocked up. If you don’t have a hand for decorating, you can find some here.

Create a pre-determined location to place the animals during cake and ice-cream time, to keep the animals clean. Finalize the party with a fairytale about the animals, highlighting each child’s creation with a role in the story.

We promise, you’ll win parent-of-the-year award!

 
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