This year for Killian's party we chose a camping theme. We made smores cupcakes and planned some camping related games for the kids to play. I have been worried all week because the weather forecast has predicted rain today, and most of our games really needed to have the space of the backyard. Sure enough we woke up this morning to a steady drizzle that showed no signs of stopping. With no other choice Matthew and I started trying to figure out how to move the games inside. Turns out that we didn't have to worry at all, because the rain had stopped and the sun was shining by the time the party was supposed to start! Not knowing how long it would last, we rushed outside to play our games.
The first game we did was a smores building race. The kids had a home base, and then ran to 3 other stations to collect graham crackers and marshmallows. Then they ran back to home base, built a smore and ran out to get more. We split them up into two races, to give the little kids a chance to win too. In the first race was Killian, Trevor, Takoda and Taylor.
Takoda cracked us all up because he would run and get all the pieces he needed, run back to base, set down his crackers, eat his marshmallow and then head out again! I think he ended up with 4 crackers and 0 marshmallows!
Killian ended up with the most smores built, he had 5!
Then it was Rowan, Kyialynn and Coles turn. After a little confusion, and some help from big brothers, they got the hang of it and had a great time running from table to table.
Rowan got the most with 4 smores, she was so excited!! Next we played a mosquito catching game, which was basically an Easter egg hunt, but instead of eggs the kids ran around picking up cards with mosquito's and smiley faces printed on them. The goal was either to have the most mosquito cards or the most smiley face cards to win a prize. Since the smaller kids aren't as fast as the bigger ones, I stacked the deck so that the little kids started in an area with almost all smiley faces, and the big kids almost all mosquito's. That way someone from each group was guaranteed to win a prize. Like most hunts of this type, it took longer for the adults to hide everything than it did for the kids to find it all:
Our last game was pin the tent on the campsite. The kids and I had sat down last week and made a piece of poster board into a camping scene and I printed out tents with all the kids names on them. Most kids tents landed either on the picnic table or in the fire, much to the delight of the kids waiting in line:
Although a few got close, only Trevor got it right on the X!
After games we let the kids run around the backyard while us grown ups chatted. We have a great group of friends, and since we have our monthly game nights everyone knows everyone else and the group has a lot of fun together. The kids are the same - no fights, everyone has fun and plays well together. Its so nice!
Killian got to the point where he was going to burst if he didn't open presents, so the kids hauled them outside and the real fun began. His top 3 requests had been Lego's, a Nerf gun and Calvin and Hobbes books. He ended up getting all three, and was beside himself with happiness.
The police Lego set was from Matthew and I, and we really debated whether or not to get it. It cost almost $100, and we have never spent that much money on one present before. We ended up deciding to go for it, because while Killian wanted it more than anything else, he wasn't expecting or demanding to get it. He is so good about taking care of his toys, and I knew he would be so grateful and really treat it well. Already he has thanked me more times than I can count, and said that he was praying all night that he would get that set. It makes me really happy to see my sweet boy so excited!
We didn't get a good picture of Killian blowing out his candles, because it was so windy outside it was difficult to keep them lit. We rushed through a quick happy birthday and Killian got to blow out the ones that the wind didn't get first. Here is a picture of the cupcakes we made:
They were from a recipe in the Martha Stewart cupcake book, and they were just okay. I think I liked the marshmallows on top more than the cupcakes! The kids enjoyed them though, and they were easy and fun to make.
One of the presents he got was a remote control airplane! The kids opened it right away, and has so much fun flying it around the yard.
Even with a yard the size of ours, that plane managed to get stuck numerous times! Steve was the hero of the day, climbing up onto the roof to rescue the plane!
Everyone stayed for almost 4 hours, and we had such a relaxing time hanging out and enjoying the day.
I am so grateful for this wonderful group of people we have in our lives, and for all the love and friendship they bring us. Killian had a wonderful birthday party because of it, and I am so happy to see him have so much fun! So thank you everyone for joining us on Killian's special day!
The first game we did was a smores building race. The kids had a home base, and then ran to 3 other stations to collect graham crackers and marshmallows. Then they ran back to home base, built a smore and ran out to get more. We split them up into two races, to give the little kids a chance to win too. In the first race was Killian, Trevor, Takoda and Taylor.
Takoda cracked us all up because he would run and get all the pieces he needed, run back to base, set down his crackers, eat his marshmallow and then head out again! I think he ended up with 4 crackers and 0 marshmallows!
Killian ended up with the most smores built, he had 5!
Then it was Rowan, Kyialynn and Coles turn. After a little confusion, and some help from big brothers, they got the hang of it and had a great time running from table to table.
Rowan got the most with 4 smores, she was so excited!! Next we played a mosquito catching game, which was basically an Easter egg hunt, but instead of eggs the kids ran around picking up cards with mosquito's and smiley faces printed on them. The goal was either to have the most mosquito cards or the most smiley face cards to win a prize. Since the smaller kids aren't as fast as the bigger ones, I stacked the deck so that the little kids started in an area with almost all smiley faces, and the big kids almost all mosquito's. That way someone from each group was guaranteed to win a prize. Like most hunts of this type, it took longer for the adults to hide everything than it did for the kids to find it all:
Our last game was pin the tent on the campsite. The kids and I had sat down last week and made a piece of poster board into a camping scene and I printed out tents with all the kids names on them. Most kids tents landed either on the picnic table or in the fire, much to the delight of the kids waiting in line:
Although a few got close, only Trevor got it right on the X!
After games we let the kids run around the backyard while us grown ups chatted. We have a great group of friends, and since we have our monthly game nights everyone knows everyone else and the group has a lot of fun together. The kids are the same - no fights, everyone has fun and plays well together. Its so nice!
Killian got to the point where he was going to burst if he didn't open presents, so the kids hauled them outside and the real fun began. His top 3 requests had been Lego's, a Nerf gun and Calvin and Hobbes books. He ended up getting all three, and was beside himself with happiness.
The police Lego set was from Matthew and I, and we really debated whether or not to get it. It cost almost $100, and we have never spent that much money on one present before. We ended up deciding to go for it, because while Killian wanted it more than anything else, he wasn't expecting or demanding to get it. He is so good about taking care of his toys, and I knew he would be so grateful and really treat it well. Already he has thanked me more times than I can count, and said that he was praying all night that he would get that set. It makes me really happy to see my sweet boy so excited!
We didn't get a good picture of Killian blowing out his candles, because it was so windy outside it was difficult to keep them lit. We rushed through a quick happy birthday and Killian got to blow out the ones that the wind didn't get first. Here is a picture of the cupcakes we made:
They were from a recipe in the Martha Stewart cupcake book, and they were just okay. I think I liked the marshmallows on top more than the cupcakes! The kids enjoyed them though, and they were easy and fun to make.
One of the presents he got was a remote control airplane! The kids opened it right away, and has so much fun flying it around the yard.
Even with a yard the size of ours, that plane managed to get stuck numerous times! Steve was the hero of the day, climbing up onto the roof to rescue the plane!
Everyone stayed for almost 4 hours, and we had such a relaxing time hanging out and enjoying the day.
I am so grateful for this wonderful group of people we have in our lives, and for all the love and friendship they bring us. Killian had a wonderful birthday party because of it, and I am so happy to see him have so much fun! So thank you everyone for joining us on Killian's special day!