Birthday Party Themes: Pizza Parlor, Star Wars Jedi Training, & Fairy Party

Every May, I nearly go broke.  What’s with everyone having their birthday in May?!?  I refuse to have a baby in May, just because I’m stubborn.  I get my kicks out of being a nonconformist.  Oh, and then there’s Mother’s Day in May.  It’s not that I don’t think that every one of these birthday people are special, but the trouble IS…I want them ALL to KNOW they are special…and, that can get expensive.  Of just mine and the Beard Man’s immediate family members…we’ve got 8 gifts to give this month.  Not to mention the one for the little kid up the street who invited the kids to his birthday party.  9 presents.  I’m actually starting a foundation called, No More May Babies (NMMB).  I’m thinking of staging a protest outside the hospital sometime this week.  Email me for more information.

Whether you are a May Baby Offender, or not…we could all use some birthday party ideas for the kiddos, right?

Invites
A pizza shaped card, inviting all to the grand opening of the birthday child’s pizza parlor.  OR, say something like, “Any way you slice it, ______’s turning 6!!”…”here are the cheesy details:”.

Decor
Red & White checked tablecloths, Red balloons, Framed Chalkboard with menu items, hanging grape vines, white Christmas lights, Italian music playing in the background, etc.

Party Activities
1.  Give everyone their own blank apron, upon arrival.  Let everyone at the party sign each others aprons, or put their hand prints (from paint) on them, (or just leave them blank).
2.  Make chef hats together.
3.  Play “Dough Toss” by pairing the children into teams of two.  Everyone stands facing their partner, close together at first while they toss the dough back and forth.  Each time they catch it (without dropping) they both take a step back.  The team that can dough toss the furthest without dropping, wins!  Have a prize for the winning team.  Play a couple times.
4.  Play “Add On” game, pizza style.  Have everyone sit in a circle.  The first person says “I’m making a pizza with _______ on it.” (and they fill in the blank with whatever they want).  The next person has to repeat the sentence, saying the ingredient the first person said AND adding on their own.  If you forget an ingredient in the chain of repeats, you’re out.
5.  Play “Pin the Pepperoni” on the pizza.
6.  Make personal pizzas!  Either use homemade dough, store bought (at the bakery counter) dough, or Rhode’s Rolls.  Just make sure they have been stretched out into individual portions ahead of time, and risen.  Have a line up of toppings and let the kids make them to their liking.
7.  While the pizzas are cooking, open presents and have free time.
8.  Serve a dessert pizza in place of the birthday cake.  There are several ways to do it…you could make an actual birthday cake that is frosted like a pizza, you could do a fruit pizza, or chocolate birthday pizza.  There are recipes all over the internet.  Place the cake into a pizza box with the lid propped open.
9.  Send everyone home with their apron, chef hat, and any leftover pizza.

 Invites
“Seven years ago, a baby boy was born.  He was named Shane and was strong in The Force.  He is now of age to begin his training at the Jedi Training Academy.  You are invite to learn the ways of the Jedi alongside him.  If you are up to the challenge, make your way to: address.  Please inform the Jedi Council regarding your acceptance ASAP.  May the Force be with you!”  You could even suggest attendees wear their Star Wars costumes or plain light colored shirt and dark pants.

Decor
Black tableclothes, black and blue balloons, dark room, white Christmas lights, Star Wars music in background, Star Wars action figures around the table and room, wall appliques, cardboard cutouts, 

Party Activities
1. While waiting for all the guests to arrive, give them a Star Wars coloring page.
2.  Introduce the Jedi Training Master (your husband, brother, father??) who will take them outside, issue their lightsabers and take them through the training course.  You could use the toy lightsabers (your own and borrow some from the neighbors, so there is one for everyone) OR make them with swimming noodles (cut to size) and pvc pipe shoved in the end for a handle.  You could also easily (no sew) make them each a Jedi uniform.  Just get approx. 1 yard per child of tan material (for the boys) and white material (for the girls).  Fold it in half and cut out a moon shape in the crease for the head to pop through.  Using the same material, cut a strip to tie around the waste and the shirt.  Done!
3.  Start training by teaching basic sword-swing combinations, get everyone to do it in unity.  Give the combinations names and test the trainees. Have the Star Wars music playing outside.
4.  Have them practice their combinations while having balls rolled at their feet.  They must dodge them.
5.  Toss several balloons in the air and have them use their lightsabers to keep them afloat.
6.  Blow bubbles and have all of the trainees destroy them before they hit the ground.
6.  Let them take turns fighting Darth Vader to show off their skills.  When they have successfully defeated him, pronounce them official Jedi’s and invite them to the Jedi Feast.  You could even make certificates.
7.  Serve pizza from “Pizza the Hut” with green “Yoda Soda”.  Make “Wookie Cookies” and serve the cake.
8.  Let the play in the yard, practicing their new skills until their parents come.  Let them take home their Jedi poncho and lightsabers (if you made them)…and, maybe a goodie bag!

Invites
  Buy a different silk flower for every girl coming and make them into hair clips to attach to the invite.  In the invite, tell each girl to come to the party wearing their flower in their hair and that it will also be their fairy name (Fairy Rose, Fairy Lily, Fairy Tulip, Fairy Daffodil, Fairy Gardenia, etc.)  You could ask the girls to come wearing leotard, tights, and tutus (and you will supply the wings).

Decor
Curly willow branches and white lights around the front door (or back door if you’re doing it in the back yard) with a bubble machine blowing bubbles.  Fresh flowers in vases on the tables.  Use fairy colors, pink, blue, light green and purple.  Have music playing from The Nutcracker, Barbie Fairytopia, dreamy music, etc. Make canopies over the tables out of sheer fabric, hang down fake butterflies.  Hang balloons (not helium) upside down from the trees.

Party Activities
1.  Have each fairy first stop at the Fairy station where they get spruced up with fairy wings (you can find them online for around 5 dollars each, already fancy.  Or, you can buy cheaper quality ones that are fairly plain and have the girls glue sparkles, flowers, and gems on them.)  Have them spread on some sparkle lotions, spray with floral body mist, face sparkles, nails painted, etc.
2.  Make fairy wands and/or fairy halos.
3.  Have someone you know that is a dancer (could be a teenager in the neighborhood) come and teach the girls a “Fairy Dance” to perform together…or for the parents when they come to pick up at a certain time.
4.  Play “Pin the Wings on the Fairy”, “Fairy, Fairy, Toad” (like Duck, Duck, Goose), Fairy Freeze Dance (play music and have the girls dance until the Fairy Godmothers waves her wand, the music stops and everyone has to freeze…start the music again).
5.  Serve ranch dip in a hollowed out cabbage (with chips and veggies to dip), white chocolate dipped strawberries, marshmallows on sticks that are dipped in pink candy melts and rolled in sparkles, cotton candy, green grapes, chicken salad croissants, star shaped ice cubes in punch, fairy tale sugar cookies.
6. Make fairy dust necklaces for the girls to take home (Fill vials (ebay) with fine glitter, attach a ribbon to make it a necklace.  Use the following poem: “Fairy love and fairy light, bring sweet dreams to me tonight.  Fast asleep, I curl up tight, as fairies guard me through the night.  Each new day, I greet the sun, ready for more magic fairy fun.”
7.  Check out this amazing (quite over-the-top) fairy party, here.

* A few more party ideas here and here.  Make your own felt party banner, here!