A “Garden” Party

You know how once kids figure out how awesome birthdays are, they pretty much talk about it year round?  Jade has been planning her 6th birthday ever since she turned 5.  Early on in the school year, she learned about Johnny Appleseed and planting seeds to grow trees.  She came up with an idea to plant seeds and have a garden party for her next birthday party; mind you, this was sometime in September/October and her birthday is April 30th.  The idea blossomed from there and pretty soon, we were indeed having a garden party for her 6th birthday.  But not in the traditional sense. 

The party was more a garden theme than a “garden party,” because—well, because—we don’t have a garden!  Every year it has rained on Jade’s birthday.  We were hoping it would be different in New Jersey, but the gray clouds were looming.  To be safe, we set up inside and opted to still play games outside, weather permitting.

Jade came up with a few really cute ideas for her party.  One was decorate garden hats.  The party led out with that while all the kids showed up. 

 

  

Then each of the kids colored and glued a bumblebee to a clothespin for one of the games.

 

 

After the hats and bumblebees were finished, the kids visited the treat table for a snack. 

  

 

Then we went outside to run around! 

The first game was bumblebee tag. Each child clipped the clothespin they had decorated to their shirt.  They had to catch each other to steal the clothespins and clip them on their own shirt.  The game was definitely a hit!  Lots of giggling ensued. 

 

 

 

Next was a game Jade came up with.  Instead of “Duck, Duck, Goose,” we played “Flower, Flower, Butterfly.”

 

We wrapped up the outside games with “What time is it, Mr. Gardener?,” played like “What time is it, Mr. Fox?” and a few rounds of “Dancing Butterflies” (otherwise known as “Dancing Ninjas” to our Hong Kong friends or “Freeze Dance” to our New Jersey friends).

  

When we went back inside, all the kids decorated a flower pot with their name using sparkly stickers.  Then they each planted flowers and seeds, as per Jade’s request.

  

Finally, it was time for cake and presents!

  

  

 

   

Jade’s party was an absolute blast, and I’m not just saying for the kids—it was for me too!  I enjoyed every minute entertaining those cute kids!  It was a complete delight to plan, prepare, and execute.  I know that the whole thing is completely unnecessary, but it’s what I like to do!  It made it that much more enjoyable having Jade old enough to help in the planning and preparations.  Then to see her have such a wonderful time with her friends was icing on the cake!  After it was over, she told me, “It was so much fun, I wish it was just starting!”  You know that makes a mother’s day.

 

We actually celebrated Jade’s birthday as a family one week earlier.  It was a few days before her birthday, but Cody had a work trip and would be gone.  She wasn’t too disappointed she got to open presents early.  Jade received a few oddly shaped packages this year.  We opted to get her some outdoor “toys” now that we can enjoy outdoor hobbies a bit more.  Most notably, she received a fishing pole and hockey sticks for the whole family!  You can tell Daddy helped pick out the gifts this time around. 

 

 

 

 

Although the excitement to start a hockey game right there in the living room was high, it didn’t take long for Mom to annex the sticks to outside!  (Every party has a pooper…)

 

I used half a cake to practice rosettes for her birthday party cake.

  

On the day of Jade’s actual birthday, she opened a new birthday outfit to wear to school. 

  

She got to wear a birthday crown at school and take cupcakes in to share with her class.  She was very specific in her request to have sky blue and white swirled cupcakes for school.  I tried my best.  When she saw them, she said, “they’re better than I even thought!”  That definitely made the effort worth it! 

  

That night we had the other half to her pre-birthday cake, because everyone has to have a cake on their birthday! 

  

This girl is a social butterfly, a rule follower, full of fun, thoughtful, imaginative, friendly, artistic, and smart.  I love her with all of my heart!