Blake’s 4th Birthday Party: Part III

My son Blake can be best described as the type of person that is completely free and full of life. He is a ball of energy who dances to the beat of his own drum. He brings excitement into our home with his unique artistic outlook on life. So, for this four-year old’s birthday, I needed to make sure that he would have a party that reflects his personality.

Weeks leading up to his birthday he had expressed several detailed ideas of what he wanted. He wanted to wear his Iron Man costume. He also wanted his party at home with painting and dancing. My job was to combine these ideas to create one unique celebration. An Iron Man dancing paint party was born.

Blake was part of the process of planning his birthday party. He helped pick out decorations, the cake, the food, and the party favors. Blake also was a big part of helping with the guest list. He wanted to invite all the boys from his nursery school class and two girls. I was a bit afraid of the guest list. A bunch of boys in one room can get a little crazy. But I also figured that not everyone would be able to attend. It worked out that only eight kids were able to attend.

Red and yellow decorations are what made this Iron Man painting party theme come to life. My husband printed two Iron Man birthday banners. I tweaked a balloon garland that I had up from Dylan’s birthday party from a few days before.

The party was set to start at 3:30 P.M after school. My boys always have snack time after school so I thought that it would be best to have simple snacks for the party. I purchased mini bagel bites, juice boxes, and popcorn (Blake’s favorite). For the parents, I made caprese salad skewers with pesto sauce for dipping. For dessert, Blake wanted a chocolate cake and cookies. On Pinterest, we found an Iron Man cake idea that was not complicated. A simple three-layered cake covered in red fondant with an Iron Man figure on top. I added another little feature as a surprise for Blake. I got a battery powered light to place in the middle of the cake to represent Iron Mans arc reactor. Also on Pinterest, we found a cookie idea. I made Iron Man cookie hands using my regular sugar cookie recipe, a hand cookie cutter, and food coloring. The cookies were simple but made a big statement.

One of Blake’s favorite pastimes is painting. It was no surprise that he wanted some type of painting activity for his birthday. I purchased inexpensive canvases, brushes, paint, palette tray, and painting smocks. I borrowed a long folding table and laid it flat on the floor and covered it with a plastic tablecloth. I have activity trays at home that I used to make individual painting station for each child. The trays helped in containing any mess from painting. Not only was the painting a fun activity but it was also a take-home gift for each of the kids.

Dance parties are a common thing in our home. My boys attend Zumba class once a week. On any given night after dinner, we will have a family dance party. Blake had pre-requested songs to play during the dance party. It was so much fun watching the kids dance around. The kids also enjoyed playing freeze dance.

Blake’s party did not require much work. I was able to take care of most of the decorations, food shopping, and organizing. I did enlist the help of my good friend Annette to assist me in looking after Dylan, the baby, during party time. She also lent a helping hand during the painting activity. Blake’s party was the most stress-free and fun party that I’ve ever planned. All the kids had a blast. Blake enjoyed his party so much. There’s not a day that goes by that he doesn’t mention how much fun he had and how next year he wants the same exact party.