We celebrated my daughter's 5th birthday last weekend with an outdoor fairy tea party. It was a beautiful day (especially for September!), and we had so much fun.
I loved all of the birthday party tips that Carlee gave, and I want to share a few more highlights and tips from our recent birthday party experience.
Ask for help. I was lucky to have a few of the other parents offer to stay and help with the party. It was great to have some extra adults around. When one of my friends arrived, she said "Hand me your camera. I'll take the pictures." I loved having a "photographer" to document the party, and take pictures of all of the little details (like our wooden fairy path below).
Play games. I think the classic kids party games are pretty fun. We played pass the parcel (the gift inside was a teeny chocolate), and bean bag toss.
Keep the food simple. We served a fruit tray, a veggie tray and honey sandwiches. Everyone could find something that they liked, and it wasn't too difficult to prepare or messy to clean-up.
Serve mini-cupcakes. I have a set of mini silicone cupcake liners and I love them. Most adults only want a taste of cake, and most kids don't finish a whole cupcake anyway, so I think that mini-cupcakes are the way to go for little kids parties.
Give a gift suggestion. Many people will bring a gift to birthday parties, even if they told that they don't have to. This year, I included a note that said, "Please don't feel obligated to bring a gift, but if you would like to bring one, I know that my child would love _____." I think that most people want to give a gift, and want to bring something that they know will be liked. I gave the suggestion of art supplies, and my daughter ended up with some great art supplies, books, and a few other really lovely things.
Our fairy party was a great way to celebrate my daughter, and have fun with friends. She is my oldest, so maybe in a few years, I will see birthday parties a bit differently. Over all though, I think that we hit on the essential elements for a successful party: friends, fun, and food.