Garden Party

Garden Party

Ages

3-12

Invitations

On a standard sized card or cardstock write on the front, “You’re invited to a Bloomin’ Fun Birthday!” Write the birthday party details on the back of the card. Attach the card to a silk flower and hand deliver. You can also purchase die cut flowers and glue them on the front of the card with the party information on the back.

You can also attach your invite card to a small terra cotta pot with floral ribbon. Inside the terra cotta tuck in a packet of flower seeds or place green plastic Seran Wrap inside the terra cotta pot and fill it with green jelly beans, rock candy or gummi worms.

You may also want to make a flower out of construction paper. Write, “Happy Birthday (your child’s name)” in the middle of the flower and write the party details on each of the petals of the flower.

Decorations

Decorate with spring colors such as, green, pink, lavender, yellow and light blue.

Use mini terra cotta pots as place settings for each child. Fill the terra cotta pots with green Seran Wrap and fill them with green jelly beans. Add a silk daisy and place in the middle of the jelly beans. You can also make flower sugar cookies and bake them on popsicle sticks and place those in the middle of the jelly beans. Write each child’s name or decorate the pots with permanent craft pens.

Use larger terra cotta pots as snack or candy holders in the middle of tables.

Use terra cotta or plastic pots lined with napkins to hold party utensils.

Place colored streamers on trees and branches outside. They will blow in the wind during the party.

Make large tissue paper flowers and place around the party area and on tables. Instructions can be found at www.birthdayinabox.com

Tin pails and watering cans can be used to hold flower arrangements. You can also tie some helium balloons on them to use as balloon weights.

You can make a banner on the computer or at a printer store that says, “Welcome to (your child’s name) Garden Party!”

Make a lollipop flower garden. Use sheets of colored foam from the craft store and wrapped lollipops. Buy pre-cut or cut out flower shapes out of the foam and poke a hole through the middle of the flower. Slide the foam flower onto the lollipop stick to create the flower. Add a foam or paper green leaf to the stem, if desired. Push all the lollipops into a grassy area in the ground. Label the area, “(your child’s name) Flower Patch. Let the children pick and eat the flowers.

Activities

Guessing game: Who Am I? – This is a flower or vegetable guessing game. As the children arrive, tape a seed packet picture to each guest. Have them receive clues from the other players to guess which flower or vegetable they are.

Have spring face painting

Have the children decorate plastic or foam visors. Provide a variety of materials for them to decorate with.

You can also have the children decorate their own plant stakes. You can find small wooden ones at a craft store or go to a garden center to find some plastic ones.

Decorate smooth rocks as garden characters. Provide paint, brushes and googly eyes.

Pipe Cleaner Garden: You will need, one 2” terra cotta pot for each guest, one Styrofoam ball for each guest to fill the bottom of the pot, green crinkle paper, 6-10 green pipe cleaners per guest, large buttons and/or large beads, green crepe paper, scissors and glue.

Directions: Squeeze glue around the inside of the bottom of the pot. Put a Styrofoam ball on top of the glue. Cover each ball with a small pile of crinkle paper. Push beads or buttons onto pipe cleaners and push the pipe cleaners into the Styrofoam. (You may want to glue the buttons onto the pipe cleaners and let them dry). Cut out leaves from crepe paper and glue them into place at the base of the pipe cleaner stems.

Sunflower Seed Flower Craft: You will need, sunflower seeds, white glue, heavy construction paper or cardstock, glitter or small dried beans and green pipe cleaners (one for each guest).

Directions: Use a mug as a guide to draw a circle on a piece of construction paper for each guest. Hand out one piece of construction paper to each guest. Show the children how to glue the sunflower seeds onto the construction paper. The points of the seeds should be facing outward. These are the flower petals. Then let them glue a second row of seeds inside the first row. To fill the center of the flower pass out either glitter or small dried beans and let the children glue them in place. Add a pipe cleaner as a stem and glue it to the construction paper. This will complete the flower. Let the pictures dry and they will be ready to take home after the party.

Watering can relay: Divide children into teams. Use a small watering can to move water from one bucket to another. First team done wins!

Fill the vase relay: Teams transport a bouquet (one bloom at a time) from a bucket to a vase. You can use silk flowers bought at a craft store if you do not want to use real flowers. The fastest team wins!

Dirt shoveling relay: Use a kid safe shovel to carry dirt from a pile to a bucket. The team to finish first wins!

Have children hit a garden themed piñata.

Play a game of Plant the Seed. Using large seeds, such as sunflower seeds or dry beans, give each child 10 seeds. Have each child take turns standing in front of a cleaned out gallon plastic jug. Whoever can drop the most seeds into the jug is the winner.

Food

Serve punch from a clean plastic watering can.

Cut sandwiches from a flower cookie cutter.

English muffin pizzas – Children can make their own pizzas using English Muffins and any toppings you provide. Toppings can include, pizza or spaghetti sauce, mushrooms, olives, shredded mozzarella cheese, pepperoni and sausage. Once the children put their toppings on their pizza bake them on a cookie sheet for about 7-10 minutes under the broiler. They are done when the cheese is melted and the pizzas are crispy.

Make flower shaped rice krispy treats with candy sprinkles mixed inside. They are colorful and delicious. Make the rice krispy treats according to the package, add in candy sprinkles, let cool and cut with a flower shaped cookie cutter.

Worms in dirt – Layer clear plastic cups with chocolate pudding and crushed Oreo cookies. Add Gummi Worms on top of the final layer. Serve with small plastic shovels to use as spoons, if desired.

Finger Jello – This is just like Jello Jigglers. When I was younger, my mom would call these finger jello. This was way before Jello Jigglers ever came out. Make the Jello Jigglers according to the Jello package. You can use any color you prefer. Once the Jello has set, cut the Jello into flower shapes using a cookie cutter. Keep cold until ready to serve.

Ladybug fruit treat – Cut a red apple in half and cut out the core and seeds. Push chocolate chips, points first, into the apples skin to make the ladybug spots. You may need to use a toothpick to make the holes before you push in the chocolate chips.

Vegetable patch – arrange veggies in a row on a platter to make a vegetable patch. Add a small metal (lead free) or plastic pail of dip in the corner.

Additional food ideas can be found in the recipe section.

Goody Bags/Prizes

Fill small watering cans, flower pots or small metal pails (found at craft stores) with a variety of garden themed items such as, a packet of seeds, kids gardening gloves, bug gummi candies, flower shaped cookies and stickers.

Buy kid sized butterfly nets available at dollar stores and fill them with any of these, seed packets, bubbles, a flower cookie cutter, bug stickers, a mini frisbee, sidewalk chalk, squirt gun, magnifying glass and miniature kites.

You can also send home a silk flower to each guest in a garden themed goody bag. Add bug candy and stickers to the bag and anything else you can find that’s garden related.

Thank You Cards

An easy way to say thank you is to add a little note card to the goody bags.

You can also take pictures of the children during the party and send them out to the party guests with a note card saying thank you.

You can also make the cookie lollipops, add a thank you card saying, “Thank you for coming to my party. Together we have made our friendship Grow stronger.”