kid parties

We see a lot of adventurous birthday party themes for little boys, but who says girls can't also get in on the action? For little Reese's first birthday bash, her parents decided a safari theme was the only way to go.

"Reese's first birthday was a very special day," says Lisa Hanson of A Little Savvy Event, the party planners hired to execute the kiddie event. "The safari party inspiration came from the birthday girl herself. Reese loves animals, so her parents wanted to incorporate fun, live animals into her celebration.

"Being that Reese is very girlie, the color scheme was pink leopard print," Lisa continues. "The children had bean bags to play on, a binocular-making station, different food stations, and a dessert station featuring safari animal cookies. But the greatest activity of the day had to be the live safari animals. Reese loved seeing the snakes and baby alligators, and it added an unexpected and lively aspect to the day." Keep clicking to see all the sweet safari details!

What do you get when you put together an event planner mama (Angel Swanson of Love & Splendor), the Korean tradition of a Dol (an over-the-top first birthday celebration), and a whimsical under-the-sea party theme? Party perfection! This party, thrown for little Olive, has something for everyone: a baby lounge, kid-friendly entertainment, including an amazing bubble show, plenty of sweet treats, and gorgeous decor in shades of mint and pink. "Our original venue was by the sea, so we had adopted an ocean-inspired palette," Angel says. "We later moved the party to an inland location, but we kept the soothing hues of aqua, pool, and mint with hints of blush, peach, and gold accents. It was a feminine, Spring-y color scheme that felt perfect for the celebration." You have to check out all the details, beautifully photographed by Erin Hearts Court, of this dreamy party!

School is wrapping up (have you picked up your teacher appreciation gift yet?), Summer is unofficially starting, and the time for cool Popsicles is near! Whether you're set to stock your freezer with store-bought pops or want to make your own — check back soon for our awesome and easy kid-friendly recipes — you can prep for Popsicle season with the following nine printables, party extras, and kid-friendly goods, all featuring Summer's favorite frozen treat!

Suzie Boluarte of Project: Party Perfect knew just what the theme for her son Caiden's second birthday should be. "We live near a small airport, and he loves going to the observation deck," Suzie says. "It's on the tarmac, and he gets an up-close experience seeing small planes and private jets take off and land."

Suzie took that love of planes and created an inventive party full of high-flying clouds, crafts, and cute treats. "Because it was homemade and not a commercially licensed, themed party, it was a lot easier on the wallet," Suzie says. "I got to mix and match products and choose my own color theme with a budget." Budget-friendly, DIY, and adorable? Sounds like a party we can get on board with!

Regardless of whether you're a Hello Kitty fan or not, we're betting you're going to love this second birthday party, thrown by wedding and event planner Gloria Wong for her daughter Taylor's second birthday. "Taylor is a big Hello Kitty fan (as am I), so we decided to use Hello Kitty as our inspiration for the party," Gloria says.

Although the famed cat features heavily in this party on top of the cake, on cookies, and through the use of her iconic bows (guests were each given one to wear as a headband or bow tie; can you say "adorable?"), Gloria's stylish take on the theme feels totally modern — think of it as kiddie minimalism. While we definitely give this soiree's decor two thumbs up, the day's most important critic, 2-year-old Taylor, had one favorite party element. "She loves singing 'Happy Birthday' to herself on a daily basis," Gloria says. "So, to have a captive audience that sang along with her just sent her over the moon." Keep clicking for more sweet details.

"For my little guy's birthday, there was never any question about the theme: fossils!" says Gretchen Brittain, mom of three and the creator of adorable party printables shop Three Little Monkeys. "Zach is obsessed with dinosaurs. Obsessed. But not the cartoon variety. He digs real fossils, and we've watched so many documentaries I can identify just about every fossil. OK, not quite every fossil. But close."

Gretchen used Zach's love of fossils and her own addiction to all things vintage to create one of the coolest little-boy parties ever, styled to feel like an old fossil excavation site with a vintage map backdrop, replica fossils, and old books, trunks, and camping gear. Add in activities including fossil identification and a dino dig and yummy treats like homemade "rock" cupcakes, fossilized dino egg cupcakes, and cretaceous cake pops, and you have one dino-rific party!

Source: Three Little Monkeys Studio

"I am so grateful for my amazing mom," says Mercedes Papalia of Darling and Daisy. "She has given me everything, from the best relationship advice and cooking skills to tons of creative talents and some pretty darn good genetics (if I say so myself!). When Mother's Day rolls around, I like to find new ways to say 'thank you, Mom.'" We think Mercedes did a pretty amazing job with this whimsical bash, full of her mother's favorite treats combined with Spring-celebratory decor. We can't pick a favorite from the thoughtful details. Birdhouse cake displays? Terra-cotta cupcake holders? Everything is beyond cute and would work equally well for a baby shower or little girl's birthday party. Keep clicking to check out this stylish, delicious Mother's Day party!

Source: Darling and Daisy

We've yet to meet a kid who doesn't love sprinkles (one little girl was so obsessed, her mom planned a whole sprinkle-themed birthday party!), but why go for the typical ice-cream-and-sprinkles combo? We found 16 inspired sprinkled sweets, ranging from pancakes and popcorn to Rice Krispies Treats and fudge to cookies and cakes. Click through to see them all: we guarantee you'll be craving sprinkles by the end!

What's makes a great birthday party favor? According to moms who blog about party planning, the key is to gift something that's useful, theme-specific, delicious, or some combination of the three! From flashlights and shadow puppets for a "Finding Neverland" party to garden-starting seeds for a "Fairy Flower Party," these creative party-favor ideas are a perfect way to add a little extra something special to your child's next birthday.