16983

Outer Space Party -2yr- Rocket Ship Tent

November 2007

Dana in Lee's Summit, MO  USA

Runner Up

Because my son loves to look for the moon in the sky I went with an Outer Space" theme for his 2nd birthday party. I based the theme around invitations I purchased from Taylor Card Company called "Man On The Moon". They have a large moon (where the printing goes) with a whimsical astronaut planets and stars. I printed them myself. They read:  ...2...1...Blast Off!!!  Please join us for an "Out Of This World" party celebrating Alexander Gerling's 2nd Birthday!  Blast off Saturday November 17 2007 Count down begins at 1600 (4:00 p.m.) Splash down will occur at 1830 (6:30 p.m.)  Space Station Raytown YMCA 10301 E 350 Highway Raytown MO  R.S.V.P. to Alex's parental unit Dana Gerling (555)555-5555  Notice the countdown started at 2 since it was his second birthday.  About six weeks before the party I mailed out a "Save the date" refrigerator magnet that I printed on my computer. I purchased magnet paper and found a cute star background on Yahoo images. The magnet read:  The Countdown Begins! Save The Date For Alexander Gerling's 2nd Birthday Party! Saturday November 17 2007 4:00 P.M. It's Going To Be A Blast! *Invitation Will Follow  I mailed both the save the date and party invitations in envelopes with space stickers on them. The return address labels had an astronaut on them with my son's name as Space Ranger Alexander Gerling. Of course I used flag stamps! 

It took me about 4 months to plan the whole party and 2 hours with the help of 5 people to set the party up. It was so worth it in the end! We held the party at a local YMCA party room. To get in the room you have to go through a set of double doors. We covered the windows on the doors with black paper. My daughter is an excellent painter so she painted each panel to resemble a control board. We printed "LAUNCH STATUS CENTER" and "CONTROL STATION" on gray cardstock and attached them to the top of the panels. She painted "screws" on the corners of the cardstock. One panel had an on and off switch a panic button dials and readouts. The other one had clocks a keypad and dials and readouts as well. The two small windows on the left of the door were also covered with black paper. The top one was painted with ...2...1 and the bottom panel read Blast Off!!! We tied an astronaut balloon and purple balloon that read happy birthday with stars all over it next to the doors.

Above the door was a personalized banner I purchased from Birthday In A Box. It had a rocket ship and outer space theme to it and said "Happy Birthday Alexander". As the guests arrived I was there to greet them. I gave each child a Space Ranger badge/necklace and a glow bracelet before they could go "into space". I purchased the glow bracelets at a local $1 store. I made the necklaces using stretch string colorful beads and metallic star beads. Each necklace had two space charms that I purchased from Oriental Trading (OT). For the name badge hanging from the necklace I used foam sheets (also purchased from $1 store) and attached a space name tag to each one (OT). I used my scrapbooking eyelets for the hole in the badge and attached it to the necklace with a lanyard hook.

The guests went through the doors and "into space". All of the lights were off in the room except for the two emergency lights that have to stay on. I covered those is blue paper so a little light would come through. Hanging from the ceiling were glow in the dark stars and planets I strung on fishing line by drilling small holes in them. I also hung blow up space shuttles astronauts and planets I purchased at a local store called US Toy. I also purchased glow spheres and hung them from the ceiling. The door at the far end of the room was covered with black paper with an astronaut in space painted on it. I attached glow in the dark stars around him. The two windows at the back of the room were also covered with black paper. One was painted with an alien in a space ship and the Earth and the other with Saturn and Neptune. They also had glow in the dark stars on them.

The gift table was between these two windows. It was covered with a purple table cloth and had silver fringe skirting around it. I placed a strand of blue Christmas lights under the table at the edge of the fringe skirting to give it a "glow". Two groups of balloons were placed on the ends of the table. There were five long tables arranged like the 5 on a dice that were for the guests. The chairs that were provided were black and kind of space looking. The guest tables were covered with black table cloths then sprinkled with star confetti. I made balloons weights using purple mylar paper I purchased at the $1 store and sand from my son's sandbox. I tied them with silver metallic ribbon. Each weight had a group of balloons tied to it. The balloons were blue silver purple with happy birthday and stars printed on them and blue star shaped metallic balloons. I placed a group of balloons on each table.

I purchased tap lights in the shape of stars and moons and placed one on each table. To add more light there were glow necklaces on the tables as well. Each table was then sprinkled with Milky Way bars Starburst Pop Rocks and Orbit gum. There were two long tables along the main wall for the cake and food. Behind these tables I hung two sets of white Christmas netting lights and put in the blinking bulb so they twinkle like stars. I hung three full size black flat sheets from the ceiling over the lights and attached metallic stars in purple silver and black to them. The tables were covered with black table cloths and had metallic blue fringe skirting around them. Lighting the top of the tables were two sets of blue rope lights wrapped in silver star garland and tap lights shaped liked stars and moons. For dinner we served fried chicken potato salad baked beans rolls veggies and dip and asteroids (cheese balls). I placed all of the food in foil pans and used silver utensils. The plates and napkins were silver and the forks were black and silver. Alex's main birthday cake was a rocket ship blasting to the moon. I covered a large cake board in metallic blue paper.

I baked two cakes using the Wilton football and soccer ball pans. I iced the moon in grey icing then covered it with rolled fondant tinted gray. I used a wine stopper to make "craters" in the moon of various sizes. I then stuck a flag pick on the moon. For the rocket ship I iced it white then covered the middle part in white rolled fondant. I covered the tip of the rocket and part of the bottom in rolled fondant tinted blue. I outlined between the colors with butter cream icing tinted a lime green then filled in the rest of the bottom of the rocket ship with the lime green using a back and forth motion. I attached "fins" to the rocket using cardboard cut out in a diamond shape covered with foil. There were two on the sides and one of the top. I then tinted fondant yellow and orange and made "flames" that were attached to the end of the rocket. I finished it off by making a window on the top with the green icing and placing blue dots on top of it. Green dots lined the edge of the blue on the top and bottom. I wrote "ALEX" in blue on the side of the rocket. Using yellow buttercream icing I piped stars on the cake board around the moon and rocketship. Since this wasn't enough cake to serve everyone I made cupcakes baked in the foil liners. I iced them gray and dented the icing with the wine stopper to resemble "craters" on the moon. I placed a flag pick in each cupcake and then placed them on my cupcake stand from Wilton.

They had a rocket ship on them and said "Happy Birthday". I also purchased purple plates and napkins at the $1 store to go with them. The forks were silver and were placed in a foil pan as well. I utilized the kitchen area for the drinks. There was a large window opening to the kitchen with counter space so I hung blue fringe skirting in the window from the inside of the kitchen. It went down far enough to cover most of the opening but leave enough for the cups. Silver blue and black metallic stars were attached to the fringe skirting. The cups were purple and black. They were filled with ice so the guest could fill them with their choice of beverage. There was Sprite Coke Diet Coke and of course Tang the drink of the Astronauts! Next to the kitchen so there would be some light I set up two fun stations. Both of the tables were covered with purple tablecloths and had a group of balloons on them. On one table there was Moon Sand in different colors for the children to play with. I also place a rocket ship and glow necklaces on that table.

The other table had space sticker scenes I purchased from OT as well as small black paper bags with a package on crayons in each and a coloring/activity book for each child. Using sticker paper I used the same astronaut that was on the return address labels and typed "Alex's Out Of This World Birthday Party" above him. Below him I typed "November 17 2007". I printed and cut them to size and attached them to the front of the black bag. I made the coloring/activity book by finding space related puzzles and coloring pages on the internet. I then made several copies of each one. For the cover page I used the same astronaut clip art and typed "Alex's Out Of This World Coloring And Activity Book" above him. Below him I typed "Thank You For Coming!!!". These were printed in color. I grouped the pages together and stapled them in the upper left hand corner. The children got to take the sticker scenes colors and books home with them. At the other end of the room were more things to do.

I purchased a rocket ship shaped tent from Target. The kids loved it! I also purchased a bean bag toss game from OT with an outer space theme. As each child played the game I gave them a kaleidoscope for a prize. My favorite thing was an astronaut cutout that my daughter painted. I purchased a small thin sheet of MDF at the local home improvement store. I painted it with white primer. Searching the internet I found an astronaut standing and holding his helmet. Using my projector I blew it up and traced it onto the board. I cut out the neck opening and sanded it so it wouldn't be sharp. My daughter painted him and my brother-in-law made a stand so he would stand straight up. The whole project cost me $5.00! It's nice to know handy people! At the party I had each child stand behind him and put their head in the neck while I took a picture. I am going to have the pictures printed and use them for my thank you cards. The parents had a lot of fun with this one as well! After the birthday boy blew out his candles and the cake and ice cream were served presents were opened.

Since there were 48 guests I had my sister write down his gifts and who they were from. I can remember who gave him what though. From the time the guests arrived until they left there was space related music playing on the surround sound system they had in the room. My husband searched the internet and used some of his Star Trek DVDs to put together a CD of space sounds transmissions and music. It really added a lot to the party! As the guests were leaving I made sure each child had their crayons coloring/activity book sticker scenes kaleidoscope name badge and glow bracelet. I then gave them their goodie bags. They were purple treat bags tied with silver ribbon. In each one was a Moon Pie (The original ones. I found them at Cracker Barrel.) Starburst a Milky Way bar Pop Rocks space pencil and space note pad.  The party was a great success. You could see it in the children's eyes and even the parents loved it! Even though my son is only 2 the theme of the party was a hit with him as well. He was in awe of everything. That made the party even more special and rewarding! I can't wait to plan his 3rd birthday party. I hope I can top this one!"

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