Rubber Ducky -1yr- Throw Ducky Bubbles Game

For my daughter Hollyn's first birthday we had a rubber ducky themed party.  My daughter's favorite toy was a duck, so this seemed especially appropriate.  

Invitations: I used cardstock and cut out yellow ducks and orange bills and glued them to bright blue paper.  I also cut out a small wing and tucked a piece of string under it that was attached to a cut out pink balloon with the number one on it.  I then glued on a googly eye.  The inside of the invitation had a bubble border and read, "Ducky invites you for some Birthday Fun - Hollyn Nicole is turning One! Waddle on over to the (our last name) Pond for cake and icecream at (our address) on date.  Give us a Quack at (phone number) to RSVP." 

Decorations: I decorated with printed "Duck Crossing" signs and duck foot prints leading up our front porch, hanging duck punch outs and #1s from the ceiling, rubber ducky material draping the present table and goody bag table, all of Hollyn's stuffed ducks placed around the house, and a giant rubber ducky on the cake table.  In the bathroom we had a rubber ducky soap and hand towel out.  We had one mylar rubber ducky balloon tied to the mail box and one tied to my daughter's high chair. We also had blue and white regular balloons to look like bubbles. Also, because we had such a wide range of children, we attached a sign to our downstairs bathroom that said, "Wearing a diaper? No problem - a changing table is available in Hollyn's room.  Potty Training? Good for you! A potty seat is in the upstairs bathroom."

Food/Cake: We used blue plastic table cloths on the food table with food trays resting on blue bubble wrap.  For punch, we mixed blue Koolaid with Sprite and floated clean rubber duckies in the punchbowl.  In addition to regular party finger foods, we had colored gold fish and small galvanized buckets filled with trail mix labeled "Duck Feed."  We used plain yellow plates and cups for the regular food, but rubber ducky plates and napkins for the cake, which my mom made and decorated with a cute ducky picture.  Hollyn had her own cupcake to use as a "smash cake." 

Games: This party was for all ages so we only had a few games for the younger children.  For one of them, I blew up a picture of Hollyn taking a bubble bath playing with her rubber ducky.  I cut the ducky out of the photo and then printed rubber duckies on the computer.  I had each child write their name on one, blindfolded them with a scrap of the rubber ducky fabric and played Pin the Ducky on Hollyn.  The closest child won a stuffed ducky toy. 

Another game was to throw "bubbles" (styrofoam balls) into the baby bath tub.  Each child won a different prize, including ducky tooth brushes, ducky sand shovels, ducky kleenex, etc. 

Another game was to fish a ducky out of galvanized tub (carnival ducks purchased from Oriental Trading).  Each child won stickers and two children who selected the ducks with the stars on the bottom won large glow in the dark rubber ducks. 

We also had rubber ducky coloring sheets that guests were asked to decorate for Hollyn's memory book. 

Finally we had one adult game - guess the number blue and yellow M&Ms in a jar.  The guesses were made on rubber ducky paper purchased at a school supply store.

Goody Bags: I did two sets of goody bags - one for adults and one for children using the Wilton celophane candy bags.  The adult bags included yellow stress duckies, a key chain with pictures of Hollyn next to a ducky toy when she was first born on one side and a recent photo next to the same toy to show how much she had grown on the other side, and chocolate mini candy bars wrapped using computer printed labels with a cute ducky picture that my husband had drawn and scanned. The children's bags included small playdough tubs covered in larger labels with the same hand drawn picture and the words "Ducky Dough," a ducky shaped cookie cutter, a duckbill whistle necklace, and a mini rubber ducky.  Many of these items were purchased from Oriental Trading.  I also passed out (one per family) CDs that I made by buying children's duck songs on Itunes, including "Rubber Ducky," "Five Little Ducks," and others.  My husband made CD labels on the computer with the same duck picture and the song titles. The CD was played during the party as well. 

Thank Yous: I had a picture taken of Hollyn in a metal tub with towels and rubber duck and other props.  I framed this with a bubble border and the words "Thank You!" I then printed four to a page of thick paper and sent them as postcards. For the party, the birthday girl wore a handmade jumper and birthday bib that my mother stitched that had birthday cake appliques.  She also wore a pair of rubber ducky Robeez that I bought used on Ebay. The party went over really well except that Hollyn had a cold and got tired really early.  Everyone raved about the décor and theme and hopefully had a wonderful time.