If you are as crazy as me for theme parties then read along.
I am an event manager by profession and blessed with a daughter. I think it was my perfect excuse for hosting full blown birthday parties. So for the last 13 years I have had the pleasure of hosting 13 amazing themed parties for my daughter. It was a lot of work but the most rewarding too. All the kisses and hugs of appriciation are worth the fuss and running around. So here’s my journey:
I couldn’t even wait for her to be 1 and I had started planning for her first birthday.
6 Months Birthday Bash: So the first birthday party my daughter had was a half mark party when she reached her 6 month. That was honestly more of a Simba moment party from ‘Lion King’, but I went all out on making it a visual treat.
Half mark parties come with a lot of baggage. How do you do a half mark party ?? What theme do you follow? Etc Etc. But for me a half mark party is the time when you and your baby will actually come out of hibernation, and you can enjoy dressing up and dressing up your bundle. So I went all out and dressed up, dressed her up, chose a venue with lots of glitter and ribbons to attract her and get her in motion, and most importantly a big bar for my friends.
But the highlight of the day / party was when at the end of the party my daughter sat next to the cake and dug her hands in the cake. She stared at her hands and figured it smelled good!! must taste good too !! and the tiny fingers went on her face and in her mouth and the squeals of delight started !!
1st Year Birthday Bash: You Can Have Lots Of Fun !!
The first birthday is the biggest milestone, believe me .There is something about the first birthday which makes parents want to go all out, so how could I be left behind !! We named our daughter Shailaja, meaning “daughter of the mountains”. Letter “ S “ it was, so I redesigned the logo of ‘SUPERWOMAN’ and gave it more power.
Once that was firmed up everything just followed through. The invitation card, the cake, the décor. Oh yeah the décor (my favorite) had to be kryptonic, futuristic, and that could happen with just a few pink LED lights and some glass disco balls !!
2nd Year Birthday Bash: There is so much we can do !!
The second birthday is the time when your girl is running around! So I had a picnic for her with very cute red riding hood picnic basket giveaways, which had homemade jams and cookies and kinder joy egg and yakult milk bottles. It’s the best outdoor fun you can have with your child, when you have her friends over! All I did was, got some classic red and white checkered table cloth and buntings. The off set looked lovely with the green grass and Voila we were all set !! Lemonade, pizzas and cupcakes is all you need for the tiny tummies and the good old picnic basket take-away.
3rd Year Birthday Bash: Feel Happy and Free !!
For her third birthday ‘Sugar land’ it was !! (OMG I don't believe I actually did that)
Lots, I mean lot’s of candies and jujubes made their way into the party. I took the que from the candyland board game and created that in my garden. I got these large prints of lollipops and snowcones and gems to decorate the garden. The party was a huge treasure hunt with lots of candies hidden all over. Children had to lift pots, dig with showels, remove covers and even try to climb my tree! Believe me these kids have a natural instinct to find candies like Ants!! They went back home with loads of chocolates and candies !!
4th Year Birthday Bash: Give me some more !!
For the fourth birthday ‘Sun and Sand’ it was.
I converted my garden into a sand pit, threw in a lot of showels and toys and diggers and pails. Had a few water tubs for kids to mix sand and water and create castles and moulds!! I didn’t have enough space for sunbeds but would totally recommend that. Place some coolers, sunglasses and hats around. I created a small mocktail train for the kids to pick up their drinks every half an hour from the mocktail train !!
5th Year Birthday Bash: Move On A side here comes the popstar !!
This theme was totally motivated from my daughters heartthrob Barbies movie “Princess and the Popstar”
I must confess I went a bit all out on this, hiring a nightclub which gave these 5 year old a complete dance party experience. Shailaja (my daughter) practiced the song from the movie and gave a performance wearing a Barbie dress exactly like that in the movie (custom made by her dad). We had a confectionary counter, a photo-op area with props for kids to dress up like Barbie or Ken with guitars and hats and other props.
6th Year Birthday Bash:
By now the fad of entering and experimenting in the kitchen had caught up with my daughter and hence we had to have a ‘MASTERCHEF PARTY’
We had about 40 kids over and I called these wonderful chefs who helped me set up the area like the masterchef contest on long rectangular tables. For decor I had a rainfall of cupcakes and donuts cutouts hanging overhead with ribbons. A big donut was printed on a sunboard where kids were putting their faces and getting the pictures clicked !! and not to miss, I did this party at A Barn. The area was covered with hay and there were horses around the masterchef arena.
When the contest started under the guidance of the chefs it was a sight to behold, 40 bright red color caps and 40 aprons!! and out came 40 whisks and 40 bowls on the tables!! With large commercial ovens and cupcake moulds (each tagged with names), our much awaited cupcake contest began!!!!!
Soon after there were many fun games like eating the donut of a hanging string without using hands and the childs face was covered in the chocolate trying helplessly to eat the donut !!
7th Year Birthday Bash:
By the time her seventh birthday came around she was taken over by the bollywood storm. Smitten by the actress Shraddha Kapoor for her talent in dance!! My daughter had spent a whole year dancing to hits from movies like ABCD2 and hence the theme.
Nearly 6 months before her birthday it was decided that we are having a ABCD2 theme party (ABCD2 is a bollywood movie starring Shraddha Kapoor).The first thing was a choreographer to perfect my daughters moves from the song she chose. She was in the dancing school for freestyle dancing so it wasn’t a big problem to find a good personal teacher! She would stay back after her dance school class and take a further 2 hour class to practice the song !! my gosh, dedication for a birthday party !! Meanwhile my brain was cooking up the decor!!
We had this party at home. The living room was cleared out and the place was converted into the dance set of the song she was practicing. Half of the hall was for her performance and the other half was for the audience. This was followed by a dance party for the kids !! The mommies lounge was outside, while the mummies were catching up the kids were busy breaking the floor inside !!
8th Year Birthday Bash: We just can’t wait to GROW up !!
We took a heritage tour!! Piled up a few friends in our family car and took them to see the TAJ MAHAL, AGRA. Whole way was full of girlie squeals, donut party, and a lot of noise (u can or rather should carry noise cancellation headphones if u want a break). It was amazing to watch them, and it reminded me of so many childhood memories. I have to admit that I came back learning a few things from this gang of girls, that life is sweet and it doesn’t deserve to be taken so seriously all the time. And a little silliness is good for health !!
9th Year Birthday Bash: Welcome to the military grounds !!
Dress Code military !! A very hyperactive theme, get ready for the kids to get down and dirty, on their elbows, their faces rubbed in mud, but it was I think the best decision. For all the candy I had made these guys feast on plus my daughters' new found interest in exercising and workout. It seemed appropriate.
I reached out to a dear friend who owned the riding academy and he generously lent us the place and helped us set up the whole ‘Obstacle Course’ for the kids !! They had to jump over hurdles, go through a tunnel on your elbows, land over a hedge from a zipline, cross a shaky drawbridge, and climb a mountain, it was amazing !!
10th Year Birthday Bash:
Now that I am 10 I want a little posh birthday, was the theme I got from my daughter !!
So Movie Night it was !! We took all the kids to watch ‘Crimes of Grindelwald - Fantastic Beast 2’. Plain and simple, so relaxing.
This was the first time in 10 years I realised that maybe, just maybe I was coming to the end of the road of amazing personalized birthday parties. Soon my girl will be old enough to go out alone with her friends…… I have to say I was a bit sad.
11th Year Birthday Bash:
This birthday was also a ‘Movie Night’ but it was a movie under the stars birthday where I arranged for all the kids to enjoy the drive through movie experience. We chose to screen ‘Back to the FUTURE’ – they just had to see it !! The garden was spread over with big bean bags and some loungers with cushions and blankets. Small coffee tables had popcorn and personal service for the kids to choose between a choice of pasta (pink or red). It was a theme to remember and kids could take their blankies home !
12th Year Birthday Bash:
12th birthday was unfortunately a quarantine birthday with the pandemic. Still the enthusiast in me wasn't ready to give up and we took her out to a resort for a night. Resort had lots of birds and animals, a go karting rink, paintball games and other fun sports. Our cute little family birthday get away, loved every bit of it.
13th Year Birthday Bash: OMG my little girl is a TEENAGER
It’s HUGE, and I had to be prepared for everything. It could be another pandemic birthday or god willing a post pandemic birthday. So I had a plan for both:
Pandemic Birthday: We are definitely going away to the forest !! LANDSDOWNE the place was also final. I planned to create a bio bubble with another family. We all shall get tested 2 days before leaving and set out to the hike and camping, followed with Parasailing !!
Post Pandemic Birthday: I would set up the most exquisite spa party for her and her 13 besties at a hotel by booking its spa and beauty parlour!! Girls will be taking their plunge in the pool and then settle in the Jacuzzi, take steam and sauna (under my supervision obviously). Followed by cool sippers and blow drys / nail paints at the parlor !!
WELL we landed up doing a pandemic birthday :( but hope this nightmare will end soon and I’ll get to use my ‘Post Pandemic Birthday’ plan for her 14th birthday. Which means no more planning for the next birthday, I am all set.
Well I have loved hosting these parties for my daughter and yes I know I have gone totally overboard a few times but it was totally worth it. Enjoy it while it lasts is my life's mantra.
Do share some of your favorite birthday themes ladies. You might just make it easy for me for her 15th birthday ;)
Rasika Bhatia
( India )