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WATER PARTY
INTRODUCTION Make a splash at your child’s next birthday with a water party. This colorful party is perfect for younger kids who love the sand and the sea. Three easy going activities allow party guests to move from station to station as they please. They can visit the beach to build sand castles or play in a pool full of squirt guns and sponge balls. And everyone will love the balloon octopus centerpiece on a table full of refreshing food. But the fun doesn’t stop there. This party ends with a bang—bring out a surprise bucket of water filled balloons for the water balloon toss. So grab your towels everyone and prepare to get soaked. I’m sure you’ve guessed by now, but our favorite thing about parties is teaching you how to re-create every detail. This party has been photographed to show you our process so that you can have this same party yourself. But more than that, we believe parties are all about building memories. Most tutorials are kid friendly, so don’t be afraid to involve your child in creating this party. Because after all, we think children should be celebrated everyday. Feel free to use our party ideas, but remember to play nice. This PDF is for personal use only.
Be aware of the risk of drowning--always use caution when children are around water. Never leave kids unsupervised or allow really young children near any pool without an adult. Design & styling by Sara Westbrook and Brittany Egbert. Photography by Nicole Hill Gerulat.
PARTY OVERVIEW introduction printing invitations cake cookies towel blanket sea creature centerpiece the sandbox party games frozen fish bubbles sponge balls party favors fruit kebabs homemade popsicles frozen bananas water balloon toss party tips resource guide
PRINTING INVITATIONS
An awesome aquatic adventure needs an awesome
invitation to match. Give your guests the first taste of this party with a colorful octopus invite that you can print out yourself and fill in. We recommend using bright white matte photo or brochure paper from an office supply store. Be sure to use the highest quality settings on your printer. You can easily round the corners like we did with a corner punch or a pair of scissors. These invitations fit an A7 size envelope and the thank you’s fit an A2 size envelope. If you’d like stamps to match this theme, we recommend the Tropical Fruit and Wonders of the Sea collections from the US Postal Service.
For a cool invite that can be hand delivered or mailed, pour some sand into an empty water bottle. You can mail objects like this for $1-$2 as long as they weigh under 13 ounces (368 grams). Use a food scale to measure the weight if you’re unsure. Kids will love getting their own message in a bottle. For the water bottle address labels, use the colored labels in the party printables section. First, print out the colored labels onto white Avery mailing labels, #8163. Then type the party guests’ addresses into the preset layouts in Microsoft Word for Avery labels (8163) and print again.
Did you know that you can mail a plastic water bottle?
CAKE A yummy cake doesn’t have to be fancy. Sometimes easy is best. Just add a lobster cookie to the front of a simple cake and you’re ready to go. This yellow frosted cake has a contrasting blue decoration that looks festive and incorporates some of the party colors. If you don’t want to make a whole cake, you can always serve cupcakes instead.
SPONGE BALLS Supplies: sponges, sharp scissors, dental floss
Directions: Purchase a few packages of sponges in a variety of colors (you’ll need three sponges for each sponge ball). Arrange the sponges into different color combinations, the brighter the better for this party. Cut a sponge in half, then in half again, creating 4 pieces. Repeat this step with two more sponges. Arrange all of the pieces into your hand in a random order. Squeeze them together tightly and give them a little twist to keep it tight. Have a helper tie a piece of dental floss around the center and double knot it. Trim the ends of the floss. Now fluff out your sponge ball (see photos).
HOMEMADE POPSICLES
For a healthier treat, make your own popsicles. Using plastic
popsicle molds from grocery stores you can create a variety of flavors and shapes. Try alternating flavored yogurts with your favorite juices. Add slices of fruit and fruit purees for extra color. It’s best if you take a two days to make these, making sure each layer has enough time to freeze through before adding another layer. Store them in the freezer until ready to serve.
LET’S MAKE A SPLASH!
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