Feature Friday: 6th Birthday Book Party
What theme would you expect a soon-to-be six-year-old to choose for her birthday party? Princess? Mermaid? Unicorn? All great ideas, but if you are Collette R., your dream is to have a book party theme!
Collette and her mom, Brittany, planned ahead to make this dream birthday come to life. Brittany involved Collette in coming up with activities and ideas, and consulted her on the details of food and decorations. They also sat down together to come up with a guest list, and created the invitations together. By involving Collette in the planning and doing, she really felt invested in her own party, and learned a little bit about party planning in the process.
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Here is how the day of the party went down:
Book Party Prep:
Brittany baked the cupcakes, and Collette helped to decorate them.
Collette loves cupcakes, so instead of a cake (which can be expensive with LOTS of leftovers) Brittany whipped a batch of strawberry flavored cupcakes and Collette decorated the tops with tiny dollhouse sized books.
When possible, get activities set up and ready to go before guests arrive to avoid potential stress and chaos.
Welcome:
Collette made a sign to welcome her friends.
The idea was to have them all sign the white board when they came in. This was darling, but later Brittany wished she had done a welcome banner. Some of the younger guests drew over the signatures later, but a banner could have been saved.
While waiting for all the guests to arrive, Brittany (who is a natural child-whisperer) got the party going by reading an activity book and led the actions to go along with it. This was a great way to break the ice and get some excited wiggles out!
Book Party Activities:
Collette chose her very favorite books to read at her party.
Reading books of course! One thing that made this book party special for Collette was being able to choose her very favorite books to share with her friends. Brittany read three short books, and then explained (while she now had everyone’s complete attention) the next activity.
Decorating Mini Book Bags: Brittany and Collette had set up long tables covered in plastic tables cloths, and had a small canvas bag ready at each place. Fabric markers and puff paint were available to decorate the bags. Collette says this was her favorite part of the party. There were about 20 little girls and boys, and three extra moms helping out for this part. It’s every birthday-mom’s nightmare to send a child home from your party with permanently stained clothes, but having the extra hands helped. The fabric pens dry almost immediately, but the puff paint takes a few HOURS, especially if it is applied thickly. Just plan ahead, and some space, for drying time.
Getting some energy out outside while the craft dries inside.
Book Races: While the book bags were drying, the party moved outside for some games. Brittany says she was most nervous about this portion because she didn’t feel like she had solid book-themed games. But each guest borrowed a book and after a few “book races” (books being balanced on heads or held up like platters) the guests started creating their own games!
Little authors and artists at work.
Create a Book: A few days before, Brittany had assembled some small, blank books out of white printer paper and cute colored cardstock. She cut the paper down so the “books” would fit in the book bags, folded them in half and stapled them. Easy! And so cute! The guests came back inside and decorated the outsides of their books with pencils, markers, crayons, and foam stickers. Some of the guests drew pictures in their books, and others wrote short stories. Brittany says this was her favorite part of the party, because afterward she read Collette’s and her brother’s and some of the guests’ books. What a sweet memento!
Party Refreshments:
The party was strategically held in between meal times. Brittany had planned to order pizzas, but as the party got going, it was clear there were plenty of refreshments. Brittany and Collette kept it simple, pink lemonade, kettle-corn, individually wrapped cheeses, animal crackers, watermelon chunks, and “mini book” cupcakes.
Wrapping it up:
Last, but not least, after refreshments and singing to the birthday girl, everyone gathered to open presents.
With a little bit of time left over before parents come to pick up the guests, Brittany put on some music and let the party goers dance and dance! This was great because it got everyone moving again and having fun together.
Book Party Sources:
Amazon
Collette chose to read her three favorite books.
- “Barnyard Dance” is a favorite from her baby/toddler years and we did the actions
- “Time for a Hug” which she loved as a baby and still loves now
- “Once Upon a Cloud” is the favorite “read by herself” to share with her friends.
Activity Supplies
- Miniature Dollhouse Books
- Small Natural Canvas Tote Bags
- Fabric Markers Multi-Color Set of 12
- 3D Fabric Paint 20 colors, 1 oz
Target
Zurchers
- Pastel Assorted Plates 9″, 8 ct {The octagon plates are no longer available. These scallop plates are from the same collection}
- Neon Star Happy Birthday Lunch Napkins, 16 ct
- Trend Letter Banner
Other
I purchased the metal bucket for napkins and cutlery at Smith’s Marketplace. They have lots of great stuff that comes and goes seasonally, so you need to check it out from time to time.
Book Party Success!
Inviting 20 little girls and boys of different ages to a party can be daunting. Because Brittany and Collette planned together, they were able to think of activities that Collette and her friends would actually like doing. Not everyone loves crafts, but by alternating physical activities with sit-down activities it helped control wiggles and short attention spans. The party activities needed to be planned and items ordered in advance, but overall, the party was simple and still theme oriented.
Collette says it was the party of her dreams!
Feature Summary:
This party was presented by a dear friend and the ultimate Hostess, Carrie Ann Rhodes. The party was done by her niece {the birthday girl} and sister-in-law Brittany. I love, love, LOVE that Collette chose books. I happen to be pretty partial to books myself and it warms my heart when young ones do too. I’m collecting great book party themes and hope to create a whole “library” for you in the future. Let me know if there are any book themes you’d like to see.
This party was well planned for developmentally appropriate activities. The back and forth is helpful for young ones that can’t sit still for long stretches. My favorite part of this book party birthday was the involvement of our Mini-Hostess, the birthday girl. It can be tough for perfectionist planners {who me?} but it’s soooo important for the children to be involved in any aspect they can. Not only do they remember the party long after the candles are blown out, but they begin to appreciate what’s required to pull off an event. As they get older, having them involved in the party budget and purchasing decisions is a great way to strengthen money management skills. Money is such an abstract concept for so many children! {and some adults!} Great job Collette and Brittany!
If you have a party you’d like for us to consider for a Feature Friday, and join the Halfpint family, please contact us on our Submissions page. We’d love to show off all your hard work!
Until next time,
What a fantastic theme idea! I love it! One of my daughters is turning 7 in August, and I may be shopping your resource list!
If only my sister knew this. She is 21 haha is it already too late? Great post!
What a FUN party idea!
I love the book decorations on the cupcakes – that’s super cute!