5162

Balloon Birthday -1yr- Five Round Balloons Cake

Nov 2002

Kim in Hudson, Wisconsin, USA

Special Mention

Balloon Birthday Party - 1Yr. Old Twins (boy & girl) who love balloons.  I wanted a theme that would be fun for both, the twins and older children. 

We took a photo of the "birthday kids" to Target and had them print a photo-greeting card that said, "Soon we will be one, please come join the fun!"  With the details of time, date, etc.  centered below it.  The photo invitations were then rolled into a deflated balloon and placed in an envelope.  The guests would then have to blow up the balloon and pop it to read the invitation.  The invitation was a hit and set the theme for the party.  

We decided to have the entire party outside in the backyard to add to the atmosphere and theme (and to accommodate 32 people comfortably).  We rented tables and arranged them in a T where the babies could easily be seen blowing out their first candle. 

The tables were covered in white plastic with balloon streamers taped down the middle of the tables, giving everyone plenty of room for their plates.  The balloon pattern on the plates really added a lot to the table, as well.  We inflated 350 balloons with helium and blew up at least 50 more.  The yard was beautiful! 

We tied balloons to string and wrapped the tree trunks with it, and then hung a bright smiling sun piñata from a tree.  

The cake was made of five round/circle cakes of different sizes (glass bowls work great, if you don't have pans).  I placed all of the cakes on a large breadboard (covered with aluminum foil), in one big bunch like a big bunch of bright colored balloons!  Each was frosted a different color, and ribbon was placed under each cake, to represent the string.  The ribbons were joined at the bottom of the breadboard and tied into a very pretty knot, so they wouldn't blow away.  Each balloon had one word: Happy, 1st (with a number 1 candle) Birthday, Hannah, & Henry!  And to answer the big question with twins -- they each got their own cake! 

The food also kept with the theme: A brightly colored fruit salad (blueberries, grapes [red & green], and strawberries), Round balloon-like burgers, Round potato chips (Pringles), 7-layer Jell-O, Beans, and Coleslaw.  Needless-to-say, the food table was also decorated with balloon steamers.   

Games for the children included: a balloon obstacle course, pop-the-balloon by sitting on it, balloon piece pick-up, and of course the piñata.   The obstacle course was designed for the older kids where they would have to crawl under balloon fences and keep a balloon between their knees through each station. 

They also had fun trying to pop balloons by sitting on them, the little kids just kept rolling off.  Balloon pick-up (for the safety of our babies), consisted of all the children picking up pieces of popped balloons in the yard.   Each piece was worth a point, and rewards were given based on points.  The kids had a lot of fun competing, and we didn't have ANY balloon fragments left from the party. 

The piñata was the last event, where every child giggled and laughed and filled their homemade goodie bags (colored bags with cut-out balloons attached) with piñata treasures (candy and small toys).  Each child went home with an age-appropriate goodie bag filled with balloon related items found at Paper Warehouse and Party City. 

Hannah and Henry had so much fun playing with the balloons, ripping open birthday wrap, and demolishing their birthday cakes which caused relatives to cry from laughter.  It was an unforgettable day!

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