My son and I were lucky enough to see Cathy Rigby this summer flying through the air in the play Peter Pan. So much fun! We left singing the songs and my son has practiced being Peter Pan and Captain Hook since that magical day. When it came time to pick the theme for Quinn’s 5th Birthday Party it was a simple choice- we were going to think happy thoughts and fly off to Neverland with a Peter Pan Birthday Party. So sprinkle a little pixie dust, believe in fairies and join us on a magical journey.
DECORATIONS FOR PETER PAN BIRTHDAY PARTY
I always start a birthday party with a theme. Decorations are an easy way to transform your normal house into a world of lost boys, fairies and a boy that won’t grow up.
As guests approached our home they were greeted by a line of blue, green and yellow balloons that led to our front door. I used helium balloons and secured them with small metal garden stakes. Using white butcher paper I created a sign that read “Welcome to Neverland” by painting letters with glue on the paper and then generously sprinkling with green and gold glitter.
Due to our huge group this year (24 kids!) we set up two picnic tables in our dining room. Simple lime green paper tablecloths, kelly green plates and turquoise napkins gave a Neverland feel. I purchased AMAZING Peter Pan Hats from the Etsy shop arainydayplay. The hats served the purpose of table decorations, plus the perfect “goodie bag” gifts. The kids loved them!
On two large pieces of white butcher paper I painted in glue “Welcome to Neverland” and “Think Happy Thoughts”. Before the glue dried I sprinkled green and gold glitter on the letters. I love how it turned out!
ACTIVITIES FOR PETER PAN BIRTHDAY PARTY
With large groups of children I like to set up theme stations. For our Peter Pan Birthday the activities included Make Your Own Treasure Chests, Make Your Own Magic Wands, Tinkerbell Playdough and The Lost Boys Tattoo Parlor. Click on the pictures of the Treasure Chests and Tinkerbell Playdough to learn more about the projects.
Make Your Own Treasure Chest
Tinkerbell Birthday Party
I transformed our Melissa and Doug Grocery Store into the Lost Boys Tattoo Parlor. I cut out leaf shapes from glitter craft paper and taped them directly onto the top of the grocery store. A simple white sign and print out of Peter Pan completed the look. We substituted the fruits and vegetables for a variety of temporary tattoos.
I purchased fabric craft wands from Discount School Supplies and we decorated them with Crayola markers. These were a hit! My kids are LOVING running around with their magic wands!
After the activities we enjoyed a simple pizza lunch. I learned my lesson two years ago when I took the time to make theme food and then realized young children don’t really care. In our home take-out pizza is the perfect treat and I don’t have to worry about all the prep and cleanup. I pre-order the day before so that I don’t have to worry about forgetting to call the day of the party.
After pizza we went outside to run around and give the kids a chance at the Peter Pan piñata. Click on the image for more details on how to make your own piñata. You will be surprised how easy it is to make!
Make Your Own Piñata
PETER PAN BIRTHDAY PARTY CAKE
It wouldn’t be a birthday party without a little cake and ice cream! I love making cakes and this one was a lot easier to make than it looks. I doubled my favorite Barefoot Contessa Chocolate Cake Recipe and used a rectangular cake pan and two 9 inch circular cake pans. Using chocolate buttercream frosting I frosted the rectangular cake and then placed the circular cake on one side of the rectangle and frosted with the chocolate buttercream leaving space for the waterfall. I placed the other circle cake on top and frosted again leaving space for the waterfall. The waterfall is made with buttercream frosting tinted with natural food dye. The Peter Pan figurines make the cake complete!
PETER PAN BIRTHDAY PARTY GOODIE BAGS
I created simple goodie bags using small white craft bags. I cut out Peter Pan hats using green and red construction paper and wrote each child’s name in red marker. Each child received a goodie bag with chocolate coins from the piñata, necklaces (Mardi Gras beads), YumEarth lollipops and gummy bears, their Peter Pan hats, wands and treasure chests.
We ended the party by running around outside as our bubble maker surrounded us with simple childhood fun!
Thanks so much for joining us in Neverland! Spread the happy thoughts by sharing this post on Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter. Come join the fun by Liking the Homegrown Friends Facebook Page. Leave a comment to let me know you stopped by!
