Ultimate Kid Birthday Parties
Your Online Resource to Party Planning
Last Update: 4 February 2011
Ultimate Kid Birthday Parties
Your Online Resource to Party Planning
Last Update: 4 February 2011
First, thanks Erica for your Caterpillar Birthday Party Submission...I know the readers are going to love it!
Let me tell you, there are some great ideas in this party that I know you could use in your future Caterpillar Party.
The party information below mirrors all party plans found on this site.
Starting with the invitations and finishing at the thank you notes, you are going to find everything you need to throw that Ultimate Birthday Party!
Once again, thank you Erica for these wonderful party ideas and I hope the readers will be able to utilize them in their future parties!
Check out the ideas on the right for the perfect items for your Ultimate Party!
Send Your Caterpillar Birthday Party Submission TODAY!!!
-- Ultimate Caterpillar Birthday Submission --
-- Ultimate Caterpillar Birthday Submission --
For the invitations we drew freehand our own version of the caterpillar's story on a circle in pie wedge shapes. We then placed a second circle with the appropriate size cut out window over it, held together with a brass fastener. When you turned the top circle you were able to see the whole story emerge through the cut out window. The last "window" read "all too quickly she had become . . ." and when you turned the invitation over there was a butterfly fluttering with the words "a beautiful butterfly." Our guests really seemed to love the invitations because the toddlers who came were familiar with the story and could "read" the invitation.
-- Ultimate Caterpillar Birthday Submission --
-- Ultimate Caterpillar Birthday Party Submission --
The paper goods were simply bought at the dollar store, solid colors to match the use of primary colors. To soften it for my daughter we added pink into the yellow, green, and red. For the various snacks, we tried to offer some of those from the party and even placed a few holes in things like the strawberries and cheese.
-- Ultimate Caterpillar Birthday Party Submission --
As guests arrived they were given homemade butterfly wings that had been made with tissue paper glued between two pieces of poster board. The wings had elastic ties that went over the children's shoulders, like a backpack would. It was cute to see them running around the yard.
-- Ultimate Caterpillar Birthday Party Submission --
-- Ultimate Caterpillar Birthday Party Submission --
Cake: For a cake, I made my daughter her own little butterfly cake. For everyone else I used the book as inspiration and created a cake similar to the picture. I placed two 9x13 cakes together (long sides together) and with various frosting and layers created the three dimensional effect of Carle's drawing of a chocolate cake. Then I cut a round hole out of the cake and placed a cupcake which I had frosted red with a face to resemble the caterpillar eating his way through the cake.
-- Ultimate Caterpillar Birthday Party Submission --
For favors, I personalized each child's bag of goodies by using cookie cutters to make butterfly nametags out of foam for the girls and created a version of the caterpillar for the boys. I ran a chenille stem through each side so that they could hang them up when they got home. Inside the paper bag that I scrunched like a cocoon where butterfly shaped cookies, stickers, butterfly and caterpillar pencils and erasers, and a few other seasonal treats.
-- Ultimate Caterpillar Birthday Party Submission --
-- Ultimate Caterpillar Birthday Party Submission --
For an activity, we had all families participate. We had everyone participate in what we called the Very Hungry Caterpillar game. My husband and I had painted all the food from the story onto 2-3 foot pieces of cardboard and cut them out and attached them to wooden stakes. There were 16 pieces all together. They were placed all over the yard, with directions on the back of each food for an activity to be completed. Guests were then given a bingo-like sheet that had all 16 foods drawn on it. They also had stickers to make sure they visited each stop on the hungry caterpillar's journey. Activities ranged from dancing to hopscotch, hitting balls off a tee to climbing through a tent. It was very entertaining and we enjoyed watching the adults the most complete these silly tasks. We made one of the activities a leaf with two cut outs so that each team or guest would have their picture taken. These pictures were later sent with the thank you newsletter.
-- Ultimate Caterpillar Birthday Party Submission --
For thank you notes we always write a newsletter recapping our child's year with a "story" about the party. This year we enclosed the pictures taken during the hungry caterpillar game and sealed the envelopes with butterfly stickers. Everyone seemed to have a wonderful time despite their age and the game was such a big hit that my neighbor borrowed it for a family reunion she was throwing. It was very inexpensive because the invitations and decorations only required paper, markers, paint and cardboard. The most expensive purchase (aside from food) was the wooden stakes for the food cut outs. But it was worth it and we've used them for other projects since. This theme was really fun and imaginative. It would work well for girls or boys. I hope it inspires you to choose some of your child's favorite books for party theme ideas.
-- Ultimate Caterpillar Birthday Party Submission --