First Down Party -1yr- Foam Fingers

My son's birthday falls right in the middle of the BCS games at the end of the year.  Knowing that I couldn't drag my husband and other family members away from the TV during this time of year, I decided that a football themed party would be the way to go for my son's first birthday. 

I called it XXX's First Down."  For the invitations I purchased pigskin-textured scrapbook paper from Michaels and cut four football shapes from each page.  I punched small holes and laced the football with white grossgrain ribbon.  I printed the invitation wording on white cardstock and attached it to the back of the football using football wording (kickoff for party start time location was XXX field etc.) and varsity font.  My son wore a football jersey with a #1 and his older sister wore a cheerleader outfit. 

For decorations I used pinted football themed plates banners and balloons.  I found we're #1 foam fingers  and put those around the house.  I found a variety of football themed trays bowls and platters to serve the food.  I also used some "astroturf" that we purchased from Home Depot for the table cloth and an inflatable goal post cooler at the end of the food table to hold the drinks. 

The food was mostly kid friendly snacks (fruit veggie and cheese trays popcorn goldfish snack mix etc) and spinach dip in a pumpernickel loaf (to look like a football) and a six foot sub.  Outside we had a tailgate where we grilled burgers brats and dogs and had cornhole going along with some adult bevs for the older set.  We hired some entertainers that did some face painting games and baloon twisting to keep the younger ones entertained. 

I also had a craft table set up for children to visit and make their own pennants.  For that I purchased stiff felt from Michaels and cut it into triangles and purchased a variety of self adhesive letters stars and football shapes as well as glitter pens and poms to decorate.  I used wooden dowels from Home depot cut into thirds and punched two holes in the triangles to complete the pennant. 

The other activity we had was a football toss where the football is tossed from three pre-marked lines.  My husband built the frame using 2x4's and I painted a drop cloth which we stapled to the frame.  This was a hit with both the kids and adults.  We actually had a prize for the adult winner as well as the kids.  Then it was time for cake! 

The cake was just a sheet cake decorated to look like a football field.  "Happy" and "Birthday" were written in each end zone and "XXX's First Down" was in the center of the field. We opened gifts and it was time to go. 

Party favors were a foam #1 finger personalized foam football (purchased from the Dollar store and wrote each name with paint pens) and a "penalty flag" filled with candy (I used a yellow napkin tied with yellow ribbon) for the boys.  For the girls I gave pom poms (from the dollar store) personalized hairbows for each girl's team (mostly where their parents went to college) and the same penalty flag.  I found a supplier on etsy that made personalized hairbows with each girl's initial in any color combination I wanted.  They were a hit.  What a party!!"