This year we decided to throw Jude a half-birthday party. I wanted our little Christmas baby to experience the fun of a backyard birthday bash. So he chose the theme (surprise, surprise) and I got to work.
How to Nest for Less was a great resource for free printables. I added a little poem (written by Jason) that explained why were throwing a half birthday party.
We tried to keep it simple, yet fun. It ended up being on one of the hottest days of the year so a wading pool was added to the activities at the last minute.
The decor was mostly fire trucks and firefighters set up all around to be played with. Also, a DIY fire truck piñata (pictured above) was hung over the food table until it was time to hit it open.
First, the little ones were greeted with fire helmets
and coloring pages.
Then we did a little firefighter training with an obstacle course. They carried a big ball while balancing on a rope, placed the ball in a tire and "climbed" a ladder (laying on the ground). Next they had to fill a bucket with water and splash it through the ring of fire (Jason holding a hula hoop), this was a huge hit. Lastly, they slid down the slide and became official junior firefighters.
We served a simple lunch of finger foods, including: turkey wraps, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, fruit kebabs, fresh veggies, and kettle corn.
The piñata was a lot of fun. This mama made it a little too sturdy, but it meant everyone got plenty of turns. Note: do not put chocolate in a piñata if you are expecting 100 degree weather.
And of course it's not a party without cake. I made two kinds of cupcakes: yellow with chocolate frosting and red velvet with cream cheese frosting. Jude made a big half-birthday wish.
It was so fun to see Jude and his friends have such a good time. It really was a fun party; I had a great time putting it together and hosting it.
We sent everyone home with a few goodies: bubbles (Target), fire engine stickers, firefighter rubber ducks
, and wooden fire trucks (Target dollar aisle).
It was so much easier to host a party in June than the end of December. I highly recommend half birthday celebrations for all those Christmas babies out there.
Here's to celebrating our little ones anytime!
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