Backyard Birthday Party

Lily turned 4 on Saturday, but since it was Lobster Carnival we had to plan her party for after the busy weekend. We were all pretty worn out from the weekend and spent a good chunk of our money so I was looking to throw Lily a very low-key and thrifty party. Since she's only turning 4, and she already celebrated with her preschool class last week, I kept the guest list to just family and her cousins.
Keeping with the low-key party theme, our backyard was the host to a Strawberry Shortcake themed celebration (her favourite show!) It all depended on the weather, and it didn't let me down. It was a beautiful evening. No bugs, a small breeze and an amazing sunset as our backdrop. My aunt brought some pink spray-on hair dye for the girls (like Strawberry Shortcake).

I relied on Pinterest and Google for some game ideas that I could put together with what I had at home. I set up a nature scavenger hunt to find things I knew would be in the backyard. It was a hit! Kids love scavenger hunts! We teamed up and wasted a good 30 minutes running all over the yard. I brought out some pillow cases for potato sack races and guests of all ages hopped up and down the grass. 

We played music all night, and the kids danced all over the yard. Lily received some finger paints and paper as a present, so we set up a paint station for some of the kids and they created some amazing masterpieces. 

We fed our guests the typical pizza, chips and pop! No one complained of course. And Strawberry Shortcake themed cupcakes. Because my time was limited, I had the cake and cupcakes made, and they couldn't have turned out more fabulous! I said I wanted Strawberry Shortcake, and I got it!

 

We topped the party off with sparklers, and a bonfire with marshmallows. We sent our little guests home with suckers, sticky hands, and huge smiles on their faces! I was amazed at how little it took to keep everyone happy and entertained. And how small a budget I worked with. Who needs a rental space when you've got a backyard and sun?

I'd love to hear your backyard party ideas!