Dinosaur Birthday Party

My next foray into themed birthday parties came when Danielle turned four. She was obsessed with dinosaurs that year so the theme was obvious.

I started off simple. In fact, I made very little for this party because it was easy to find dinosaur party merchandise.  Almost everything (hats, masks, dinosaurs, pinata fillers) came from Oriental Trading.

Another fun, inexpensive party! I think one of the keys to hosting a really good kids' birthday party is not to do too much. I try to provide a framework without directing every minute.  I let the kids' imaginations take over and allow them to make their own fun.

The best part of the party was the Dino Hunt.  We started the kids at our tent, Danielle's Dino Base Camp. I love that Danielle drew the dinosaurs for the sign! Each child picked a safari hat from inside the tent.

Then they "discovered" dinosaur footprints that Kevin had spray painted on the lawn.  The hunt was on!

We filled a plastic wading pool and the sandbox with clean play sand. Then we buried tiny dinosaurs for the kids to dig up. They loved pretending to be paleontologists! Even though it was cold the kids spent more than an hour outside playing in the tent and making up games with their little dinosaurs.

 

 

After a chilly dinosaur hunt everyone went inside for cake.  The kids all got dino masks to wear.

 

 

When cake was gone we played pin the bone on the fossil. The party ended with a dinosaur pinata filled with candy, dinosaur stampers and wind up dinosaurs.

 

How many parties have you been to where the kids banged endlessly on a pinata without it ever opening? I went to one where the dad gave up and pulled out a saw! With younger kids I prefer a pull string pinata (having once seen a kid get hit in the head with a baseball bat at a neighbor's birthday party.)

 

All you have to do is cut out three sides of a rectangle on the bottom of your pinata. Punch one small hole in this flap and tie a ribbon through it. Knot it well. Fill the pinata and close the flap. Don't tape it shut! Then tape enough ribbons to the bottom so each child will have a chance to pull one (assuming the lucky ribbon isn't pulled early.) The taped ribbons will pop off when they are pulled. The tied ribbon will pull open the flap and release the treats.