Farm Party -1yr- And Egg Hunt

Last year we had a birthday party for my son when he turned one in March.  We also had an Easter Egg hunt in April.  Both were fun events, and I looked forward to planning them again this year.  However, I soon realized that this year my son's birthday would be the day before Easter.  I thought I would have to give up the egg hunt, but instead found a clever way to incorportate the two. My son loves animals, so I decided to have a Farm Party. 

I made red barn invitations that opened up to tell the detailed information.  Surrounding the information were many "partying" farm animals.  I made the inside of the invitations on the computer, and I had found clipart images of a roller skating pig, horse-shoe throwing horse, dancing cow, etc.  The message on the inside read, "Please join us for Walker's Barnyard Bash."  The location was called the "Family Farm", and the time was from "4:00 until the cows come home!"  

When the guests arrived, they all received party hats... which could best be described as mesh trucker hats.  We had ordered them very cheaply off the internet and had used our computer and iron on printer paper to apply a clipart of a little boy playing with a tractor.  (It just so happened that the little boy in the picture resembled our own son!)  Above the picture were the words "Barnyard Bash" and below it was "2005". 

The children looked adorable just like miniature farmers. We had three different game stations set up, and the children took turns rotating between the three. 

The first was a duck pond where they pulled two ducks, trying to find matching colors on the bottoms. (Two reds, two blues, etc).  I had bought these ducks three for a dollar at the dollar store. 

The second game was a plastic horseshoe set, purchased for four dollars at TJMaxx. 

The third was a chance for the children to run and play.  I had set up a starting line and a small barn made from a large cardboard box.  The children were to "gallop" on the stick horse down to the barn, around it, and back to the starting line.  Since there was only one horse, they were really only in competition with themselves, but they thought it was the best game ever!

We had fried chicken, potatoe salad, cole slaw, baked beans, deviled eggs, and rolls for dinner.  The food was all served out of "farm gear" such as miniature wheelbarrows, tin buckets, and wagons.  We had lemonade and sweet tea to drink. 

The cake was amazing!  A local bakery made it.  It was a rectangle cake decorated to look like grass, dirt, and water.  On top of it was a red barn and a tractor, both made from cake, as well.   We used primary color decorations, and cow plates from the dollar section of Target. After the inside activities, we headed outside, where each child was given a metal bucket to gather eggs (thus incorporating the Egg Hunt!) Inside many of the plastic eggs were plastic farm animals.  

As the children left, they were given a goodie bag that contained animal crackers, CowTail candy, and a Sesame Street book about farm animals (also found at the dollar store). The party was a huge success!  The children had fun, and the parents took many adorable photos of the little ones running around with their farmer hats and egg buckets!  

Thank you cards were sent the next week and included a photo of each child collecting eggs during the Egg Hunt.  The thank you cards showed a barn, many farm animals, and a cow shouting, "Thank you very Mooo-ch!"