Last year's birthday party took place at a local clubhouse at the playground where Charlotte and friends spent some summers at a day camp. We had rented the clubhouse which consisted of a large room and a small kitchenette. Per usual, we're within days of the new theme and upcoming party for Charlotte, and rather than focus on those current preparations, I'm looking backwards at what we did last year. When Charlotte was eight years old, she took an interest in the solar system and I couldn't resist the play on words of there previously having been nine planets in our solar system but now there are eight.
As with Charlotte's previous birthdays, we utilized a Facebook event page to invite family and friends to her 9th birthday party. Below is the image we used. It was from an outing that a friend and I had when we took Charlotte to the Carnegie Science Center in Pittsburgh just before the holidays.
Lori, the former Parks and Rec Director, was easy to work with and allowed me to scope out the clubhouse before the party so that the wheels could start turning and the planning could begin.
Here is the itinerary I used to plan: Date: Saturday, March 8th, at Belleview Clubhouse in Steubenville, Ohio
Time: 1 - 3pm
Note: Cupcake treats will be served at end of party and favor bags will be sent with kiddos at dismissal!
Planet or Star Cookies from Bethany’s daughter in a baggie.
Cupcakes from Heavenly Sweets by Bethann: edible rice paper planets and stars due to allergies, We will have non-dye cupcakes with planets and rocket ships.
Centerpiece for cupcakes
Cupcake toppers
Mini Bottled Waters
Helpers: Emalie, Theresaš„°
Decorations - Do this after 10am on Saturday morning with Emalie?
Decorations:
Night time sky fabric for ceiling from Amazon
Planet mobile on mantle
Constellation cut-outs with foam stars?
Silver sparkly foam board for cutting out stars to put on tables (still need to cut)
Scissors
Packing tape for hanging up decorations
Foil ribbon for hanging balloons
Balloon air pump
Sparkly silver star coil to put in windows?
Hanging star and moon garland over kitchen counter area or fireplace
Galaxy tablecloths (3) to hang in fireplace?
Galaxy colored balloons to hang from ceiling panels
Sparkly shimmery purple table runners
Purple and blue tablecloths
Favors: Use these treat bags (100) — put papers from stations in the bags as a sort of cubby system
Flyers advertising summer camps at Belleview Park
Glow in the dark plastic stars (200 + 1 bonus moon)
Mini planet notebooks (24)
Planet bounce balls (24)
Space pencils (24)
Mini stampers (24)
Planet rulers (24)
Mini space erasers (24)
Space sticker sheets (24)
Small space sticker sheets (24)
Yellow star cut-outs (32) with names written on them to tape on favor bags or to scatter on tables
Time | Activity | Materials | Leader |
Arrival at 1pm | Greet kiddos and encourage them to go to a station of choosing. Coats can be draped on backs of chairs since there is no coat rack. Let folks know where the restroom is (just beyond doors in hallway on left). | 6 long tables and chairs - we are responsible for setting up and tearing down / cleaning after the party. Trash goes in dumpsters by stairs in driveway. |
|
1 - 2:30pm
Eight activities happening simultaneously | Table 1 Sign birthday book 
Table 2 Robot Travel the Galaxy Board 
Table 3 Design Own Rocket Ship and stars!
Color in a planet on colorful construction paper.
Scratch Magic to make galaxies.
Make star bracelets.
Table 4 Outer Space Word Scramble
Solar System Gizmo |
Black construction paper White crayons Colorful construction paper (Girls GIFT) Crayons (Girls GIFT) Markers (Girls GIFT) Rocket Ship board Scratch Magic paper / sticks Printouts of constellations
Yarn Baggie of star beads Scissors
|
Theresa
Emalie
Adam |
Read birthday book and sing Happy Birthday to Charlotte, then serve cheese sandwiches, constellation snacks, water, & cupcakes from kitchen counter!
 
Alternative Treats -- No colored cupcakes or icing (dye/corn/gluten).
Whole Group Fun! Conclude by 2:55pm.
|
End of party
Dismiss at 2:55pm | Favor Bags & Treats:
| Table by door |
Charlotte was so excited to take the cookies to school for her classmates to enjoy, too.
The night before the party, Charlotte was delighted to see her Grammy, cousins, and aunt who drove in from PA for the party the next day!
These were some of the planet and mooon cookies for the treat bags!
Treat bags are all ready to go to the party the next day!
These cupcakes were so delicious!
These cupcakes had icing that looked like the nighttime sky and had small depictions of the planets on them...on edible rice paper! The kiddos got a hoot out of the fact that they could eat the decorations on the cupcakes, too. ; - )
These were some of the activities we had set up in stations of unscrambling the letters to spell out solar-system inspired words.
This activity was a definite highlight for the kiddos. They were able to race the remote-controlled racers on the solar system mat! Even some adults got into this fun!!
The images on the windows and windowsills corresponded with the Birthday Book. During the readaloud, the kiddos were tasked with locating the setting and/or other distinguishing features from the solar system as they came up in the story. They were hooked and spellbound as both Charlotte and I read from the Birthday Book to them.
This station involved designing your own star / galaxy using the Scratch Magic, some coloring sheets, and making your own bracelets using the yarn and glow-in-the-dark star beads.
We tried our best to transform an ordinary playground clubhouse into a galaxy of fun for the solar-system themed birthday party to honor the newest nine year old on the .... planet!
I was so thankful for Theresa loaning us the race mat!
Inspecting the cake topper and cupcakes in the kitchenette!
Loved all the activity...and noise from this party!
Check out Adam's shirt! It was perfect for this occasion!
Liz's birthday was close to the party and I was able to surprise her with this sweatshirt as a gift. Her smile says it all. Also, I love when the kiddos match the theme with their clothing choices. Do you spy Isaac's t-shirt just behind Liz?
Everyone was so busy....I hope they have happy memories from this party!
Even the big kids, and Aunt Alisha, got in on the scratch magic fun!
Look at the rocket ship balloon the baker of the cupcakes (Heavenly Sweets by Bethann) inserted! How fun! I HIGHLY recommend her for your baking needs. She is so very easy to work with, sweet, and fantastic at what she does.
Fun fact: this was a left over bulletin board display from a project a group of my students made years ago. It came out of the art cabinet to be a station at this party! We also had a solar-system gizmo as a station activity on the opposite side of the room from this poster display...educational fun worked well for the various activities for the solar-system themed party.
It warmed my heart that Charlotte wanted to read aloud to her guests, too! What a surprise as Charlotte can be quite bashful at times. So proud of our girl!
We had star cheese and bread sandwiches and the children were encouraged to make constellations with their pretzels and marshmallows. I mean, how often are you encouraged to literally play with your food??
Loretta is wearing the birthday dress her sisters wore....and what Charlotte borrowed for her
first birthday party!!
Loretta wasn't in a smiling mood when this photo was snapped but she did have fun at the party! ;)
Big sister and little sister browsing one of the birthday book albums.
The children enjoyed turning their tongues different colors as they ate the solar system cupcakes.
Robbie did a fantastic job of sorting the letters to unscramble the words at this station!
Of course we had to play Keepy Uppy with the balloons toward the end of the party!
Our neighbors gave us the perfect card to go with the theme when we got home from the party!
Tag teaming to present the readaloud of the Birthday Book! This book was picked up in Texas the previous fall when a bookseller I know suggested it! She even gave me some small snails (the main character in the story) to give out to the children as favors to remember the story by - they were so thrilled to get their very own mini-snail!
This was one of my favorite gifts Charlotte got last year. It's solar system themed but grounded in scripture. What a neat find!
......and a sneak peek of the theme for her upcoming 10th Birthday Party! Keep soaring high, sweet girl!
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