4 Year old birthday party

[DeBora4BobbyL]

August 18th is my DGDs 4th birthday. My DD and I are trying to come up with some frugal ideas. My DGD loves Tinker Bell and any girly. However, she doesn't have a lot of friends her age. They are either younger or older than she is. She will probably gain some friends when she starts school in the fall. However, I am wondering if anyone has any ideas on what to serve and do at such a party where there will be many adults? I am searching for food ideas and game ideas.

[ajrsmom]

I love Tinkerbell and Fairys, too!

For a cake, you can always do the Barbie doll cakes where her skirt is the cake.....know the ones that I mean? They were popular when I was a kid and now they are making a come back.

Use lots of girly colors like pink, purple, light green, yellow..... on balloons and crepe paper.

You need fairy dust!! (glitter) maybe in lip gloss form for all of the ladies and girls or some kind of body lotion with glitter??

You can dress the BD girl as Tinkerbell making a fairly cheap skirt from Tulle and wings. I know there is an easy project for making wings on Martha Stewart's website. She uses wire and panty hose...they are so cute!!


How about fairy wands for everyone? I'm sure you can find an easy craft for those.


This website has some cute ideas + it also has instructions for wings http://www.coolest-kid-birthday-parties.com/child-birthday-party-idea.html. I really like their ideas for the bubbles to make it seem like fairy land. ;)

The flowers hanging from the ceiling are great too!


More good ideas: http://www.kids-birthday-party-guide.com/tinkerbell-birthday-party.html


Can you tell that I am hoping that my daughter gets over the monster truck phase by the time she goes to school??? ;)

[ajrsmom]

Here are some links from FC, too, that might give you some ideas: http://www.familycorner.com/archives/kids/34.shtml

http://www.familycorner.com/family/kids/partyideas/preschool_birthday_party.shtml

http://www.familycorner.com/family/kids/partyideas/princess_birthday_party_ideas.shtml

http://www.familycorner.com/family/kids/partyideas/1.shtml

[ajrsmom]

Just got this one in the Family Fun newsletter. It's for little fairy dolls

http://jas.familyfun.go.com/crafts?page=CraftDisplay&craftid=11049

[DeBora4BobbyL]

I can't wait to look through all these ideas. I had a Barbie cake as you described for my DD when she was little. I will have to check on that as I think it is an excellant idea. I will be back after I have looked through all your links. They sound fun!

[DeBora4BobbyL]

I finally had a chance to look through some of those sites you provided Tami.

Here is what I am thinking, depending on how much energy I want to commit to. If I forgo my party, I will be able to throw a bash for my DGD, but I am still thinking about it all.

For the invitations, I could fold a paper in half and have a gate opening to the actual invitation. It will be like a garden with fairies and butterflies with a gate opening to the inside. On the outside it will say, " Take a peek through the garden gate." On the inside it will say, "The garden fairies have gathered to celebrate a special day for a great little fairy" Capricè, age 4. "Please come join the fairybration."

For activities, I am thinking about getting some plastic wine glasses and have the children decorate them with fairy dust (glitter) and other things. These will be used later in the party for their drinks. I also thought about having the kids make wands with skewer sticks. I am still playing around with that one.

For food, I am thinking about serving Fairy Fizz. It could be some sort of pink punch and have the kids put fairy dust (pop rocks) in it in their wine glasses. We would also have fairy burgers or burgers made into start shapes and hot dog wands. I thought about taking food coloring to some salt so that the kids can put fairy dust on their food. If anyone can think of something white to put on food as fairy dust that I can color, that will be great. I will put the fairy dust in a cheap plastic sprinkle container and lable it, "Fairy Dust." I could probably add some white pepper to that as well. One other thing I saw on the Foodnetwork today was to make fruit wands out of skewers and fruit such as banana pieces, pineapple, watermelon, and so on.

Now for the dessert. I am torn, but when I talk to my DD, I will better be able to make that decision. I could do the Barbie cake and turn her into a fairy with her dress being the cake. Then, I saw a white cake with little fairies and butterflies all over it that was just adorbale. However, the idea that came out of my head is my favorite one. I thought about making cupcakes. Then, at the party smear white icing on them and have the kids decorate the cupcakes with fairy dust, a little fairy, and other candies. I could have a mini cake for the birthday girl that affords her a candle so that everyone can sing to her.

For party favors, I could put together some fairy dust (pixie stix), tattoos, stick on earrings, body glitter, and whatever else I can find. There should be at least one boy there, so I would need to add something besides fairies, but I forgot the other name. I will look it up.

Of course, I would have soft drinks for the adults. That is what I am thinking about right now. I want to add that it will probably be at a park where the kids will play most of the time.

[ajrsmom]

You have some wonderful ideas!

I hope that you decide not to give up your party. You deserve to have a good time with your friends for working so hard this past year at school. Even if you don't do the whole party thing, have the get together with some drinks and cupcakes or have hot dogs and beans then drinks ;)

Just get together!


The kids will have a wonderful time but they have a lot of years ahead of them to have great parties.


I was going to suggest colored sugar for the fairy dust. :)


If you can find star fruit, that would make great wands on a popsicle stick! You can also cut small stars from chunks of cheese and alternate them with something on a skewer.

Love the Fairy Fizz drinks!! How about Jello Jiggler stars?

You can also buy edible glitter. I would forgo the price on it, though, and go with either colored sugar and/or the little tiny colored ball sprinkles (I can't think of the name of it).

Have you decided on any games? I agree with you that the kids will spend alot of time playing. Make sure they get wands with long ribbons to twirl.

Did you see this website? http://www.birthdaypartyideas.com/html/fairy_parties_3.html

This one has a lot of your ideas but one more that I really like..... Take pretzel rods (for wands) dip into icing or white chocolate and then sprinkle with colored sugar or sprinkles.....etc. Voila! Fairy wands!!


I can't wait to see how you finalize things. I wish that I was the BD girl for this one! ;)

[DeBora4BobbyL]

My friend Judy called me tonight. We had a 2 hour blast reminising. I think I will have the party for myself. I told her that it would be very informal. I really miss my friends and I have been fortunate that our hubbys get along. (Except for Judy, but she isn't married. lol) DH took off so that we can have my party as well.

The reason I want to go all out for my DGD is because I have finished undgrad school and am about to begin grad school and I am afraid that I may get too busy to go all out for her again for a few years. My DD is also having some major financial problems so this is the perfect time for Nana to help throw a party.

I actually have the pretzel idea on my party paper. I guess I forgot to put it here. I like the jigglers idea too. My biggest problem will be the fact that I will have to travel from here to there, which is a 2 1/2 drive.

[ajrsmom]

I'm glad that you are going ahead with your party, too. ;)

It's also great that you will help your daughter out by providing a wonderful party for your DGD.

Basically everything that you have mentioned will travel well. If your DD can't make the jello, I would skip it.

Please post pictures of the party. It sounds like a lot of fun! :)

[DeBora4BobbyL]

Thanks! Her birthday is on the 18th of August, so it will be sometime after that when I post pictures. I still have vacation pictures I need to get developed and posted. :D

[VicRae]

Sounds like you have a great plan. I wouldn't change a thing. If you needed to maybe, you could send your daughter thr jello and she could make it at her house. Just a thought.
Have a great time at both parties.
Vicky

[barbszy]

DeBora, couldn't your grandson dress as Peter Pan for the party?

[DeBora4BobbyL]

LOL I will have to tell my DD about the Peter Pan idea. I will give all these ideas to my DD when she comes down on Wednesday. I saved all the ideas in a folder. I have 2 cake ideas and I wish I could share one of them here, but the photo is too big. I don't know who to shrink it without it looking bad. DGD and my DD will be here next week and we can finalize our ideas.

[ajrsmom]

I have 2 cake ideas and I wish I could share one of them here, but the photo is too big. I don't know who to shrink it without it looking bad.

Can you upload it to Photobucket and edit it that way?

Give us a hint!! ;) ;) I am so excited to see what you decide on!!

[DeBora4BobbyL]

Let's see if you can see it now that it is resized. It is an elegant, white cake with fairies, butterflies, and flowers on it. The other cake would be a Barbie type cake with Barbie wearing wings and her dress would be the cake.
844

It took me a few tries, but I think it will work.

[barbszy]

Get out your flower and butterfly cookie cutters! You can make little party sandwiches with them. Just cut the bread into shapes, spread with PBandJ or tuna salad or add a slice of cheese (cut into the shape as well).

Another thing little kids like is jello served in "champagne glasses." Just get the plastic ones at a party store. They're inexpensive and it's a lot of fun.

[DeBora4BobbyL]

Barb, I LOVE those ideas. I saw on FC where a lady is giving her DD a tea party. My DGD is always begging me to have a tea party with her. So, I am thinking about about incorporating that aspect in her party. I could use the cookie cutters to make tea sandwhiches. DD and the kids will be here Wednesday night. So, I will show her all these ideas and see what the birthday girl wants to do.

[DeBora4BobbyL]

Sorry for the b2b. Does anyone know if craft shops have disposable tea cups and small dainty plates that are disposible and would look good for a tea party?

[barbszy]

DeBora, I gave my DD a tea party when she was in first grade. The jello and sandwich ideas are from that party.
I served iced tea, kool-aid and Boost (a local syrup-based drink) in teapots. For the cups, I went to the craft store and got those "color your own" cups that are lucite on the outside, plastic on the inside and a paper insert for in between. When the girls arrived at the party, they colored their papers and then I put the cups together. After lunch the cups were washed and ready to go home as party favors.

It's very easy to mix a tea party with a fairy theme. It was very cute; the girls all got "dressed up" and we all had a lot of fun.

[DeBora4BobbyL]

When I am Midland or Odessa, I will have to look at the craft store and find out what they have that looks like a tea party for DGD. DH was like, "Tea party? Tea sandwhiches? What will we adults eat?" lol I told him that I could make tuna salad, which he loves or something similar. He will survive. This is the last big, cool, fun, thing that Nana will be able to do for DGD before I start school. Then, I will be too busy. She is always begging to have tea parties and she loves Tinker Bell. I think this will be something that she will remember for a long time.

[mamab]

That cake looks great! Very sweet, too. ;)

I think the fact that you're going all out will probably be more important than all the "stuff" you might be doing. Enjoy her during her special day.

[DeBora4BobbyL]

Thanks. DGD heard about my ideas for a tea party and LOVED it. I thought I could do flavored tea and tea sandwiches in shapes appropritate for a fairy party. I will make a seasoning mix of parsley, salt, and pepper. The kids can call this pixie dust and sprinkle it on their sandwiches. For the flavored tea, I thought about giving the kids some Pop Rocks for pixie dust and the kids can put that in their tea. We will also have soft drinks for adults and whoever else wants it. I haven't decided all the other details yet, but I have thought about the jewel jello.

[barbszy]

It sounds like a lot of fun!

For a game, you could get a big pack of that "party favor jewelry." Then use a bunch of wrapping paper scraps. Wrap a piece of jewelry in a paper. Then wrap another piece, with the first package, in the next paper, and so on until you get a big package and use up all the pieces. Then play "hot potato" with the package. Every time the music stops, the child who has the package gets to unwrap ONE layer and keep the party jewelry that she finds. This game was a big hit when we played it at my DD's party.

[DeBora4BobbyL]

Barb, those are cool ideas. I will have to think about those.

So far, the plans are to have a tea party with flavored tea. I will have pop rocks that will become fairy dust for the kids to put in the tea to sweeten it.

Then, we will have tea sandwiches in various shapes. I will mix together some parsley, salt, garlic, etc... (mostly parsley) to make more special fairy dust to sprinkle on or in the sandwiches.

I think that when I bake the cake I will sprinkle come cake confetti into the batter and tell the kids that there is fairy dust inside the cake. We haven't decided whether to have the Barbie cake decorated as a fairy with her dress being the cake or the other one that is white, with little fairies, flowers, and butterflies on it.

I am still planning the rest.

[ajrsmom]

How did the party go?

[DeBora4BobbyL]

It was a hit! I made the flower shaped tea sandwiches ahead of time and put them in baggies. I made instant tea, because I was lazy and offered soft drinks as well. I had fairy wands (pretzel rods with icing on the tip that was sprinkled with fairy dust) and a fairy cake. When I ever get the film developed, I will share pictures. I learned the hard way that cotton candy doesn't last long. lol I had made the fairy's dress with cotton candy. I had to do a re-do or repair job just prior to the start of the party as the dress melted.