Silas Turns 4!

Silas turned 4 and I decided to throw him a baking party.  Now, that might seem strange, but Silas TRULY loves baking.  He bakes cakes (with his lego), he serves me cake (at playgrounds) he pretends to make cake (with his tool bench) and he is always at my elbow helping me bake in the kitchen.  It just had to be THIS theme.

It was a lot of work, but a ton of fun.  I love having a chance to get crafty and creative. This marks the end of our birthdays for awhile (phew) and I might have to give the 'themed birthday party' a break next year but for now, here are some pictures:

Decorations:

I large box of cupcake liners + string + tape = three kinds of decorations.  It was so bright and fun in here!  

My inspiration was found here and here and here

Activities:

On some crazy inspiration, we decided to have a 'kids only' birthday.  But, it was quickly apparent that it was SUPER helpful to have had the help of a few adults that stayed.

1. We started with 'treat box decorating' and snacks.  Each child got their own 'treat box' to cover in stickers and that we would fill with the treats we were going to make (so that they could take their sugar HOME with them instead of eating it all here)

(Silas waiting for his guests!) 

 

Completed treat boxes waiting for treats!

3. 'Play-doh' cookies. Next we started baking!  I found these and immediately fell in love with the idea.  I made the dough ahead of time with Silas, we coloured it and then rolled it into balls to store in the fridge so they'd be ready to go.  The kids each chose three colours, mashed them into a ball and then rolled them out like a snake.  They then wound them around in a 'lollipop' shape and we threw them in the oven.  SO fun.

Rolling them out with their hands 

on the baking tray

Final product

4. I tried to mix things up and do something at the table (baking) and then get the kids to run around doing an activity while I set the table for the next baking project.  SO they set out on a kitchen scavenger hunt.  We had hid some of my kitchen items upstairs and each child got a sheet with pictures of the items on it, and a pkg of stickers.  They had to find the item and put a sticker on it when they found it (without removing it from its hiding spot).  They actually had a lot of fun with it!

5.  Back at the table, the kids got to decorate pizzas for their lunches. 

6. While those were baking, they had some free play time and we tried to play "pin the candle on the cake" (a game which Silas and I coloured and decorated before the party) but it didn't go over super well.  Note to self: games where EVERY child is busy ALL AT ONCE are better than ones where they have to stand in line and wait their turn.

7. And then after eating pizzas and taking this group shot...

8. We started decorating cupcakes!  I made the cupcakes ahead of time and had numerous colours of icing, some icings in icing bags for the kids to try, and some gel icing (that you usually use to write with) for the kids to decorate.  They each got 3 cupcakes- one to eat, and two to take home in their treat boxes.  There was also a MASSIVE selection of sprinkles.  Each child picked 4-5 little containers of sprinkles and candies so they wouldn't be all fighting over one bowl and they went nuts....was so fun!

Lots of icing!

The sprinkles and gel pens: 

Toby getting in there too.... (he had his own selection of dairy-free icing and all the cupcakes were made dairy free)

 When everyone was done decorating their cupcakes, we stopped to sing happy birthday and then each got to eat one!

9. Last 'activity' was present opening and free play.  

 Toby was having a hard time at this point...."my present" he was saying....

Reading his friend Molly a story!

Goody Bags:

Each child got to take away their treat boxes and they also got to take some of the 'table decorations' - a small plastic measuring cup, a coloured spatula, and a small rolling pin for their home baking endeavours.  My dad supplied the awesome, authentic chef's hats and they each took one home as well.    

Silas and I had made these 'cupcakes on a stick' earlier in the week as a party favor as well.  They each got to take 2.  Essentially they consist of marshmallows dipped in chocolate, and then covered in candy melt coloured chocolate with sprinkles and smarties on top.  These were my inspiration.

And Silas' big gift, courtesy of Nana and Papa was a fabulous new kitchen!!! They've never had one and everywhere we go, Silas is playing in one.  We bought him some kitchen items over Christmas- as well as his Grandma and he was SO excited about it.  He has been organizing and re-organizing it over and over again.  

I didn't want anything intrusive and it fits this empty spot perfectly!  Now that we're having a girl next this thing will get TONS of us (I suspect).  Thanks Nana and Papa!

Happy Birthday Silas!  

It was so fun to celebrate you, with the people you love and doing the things you love!