Sailboat Party -4yr- Sailboat Races

For my son's fourth birthday, he wanted a sailboat party.  I took blue construction paper cut to look like waves with the party info--Come sail with ____for his 4th birthday.  Then took a small paper sailboat I had made on the computer and glued to a small paper spring on the top of the waves.  We took all of this and put into a ziplock bag with sea animal glitter (fish, starfish, shells).  It turned out really cute, the sailboat looked like it was "sailing" the waves. 

When the guests arrived at the party we started with a craft (I like to do this since arrival times vary).  We cut out white card stock sailboats.  I had colored craft foam and other supplies to glue on and then decorate to the front sheet.  We put crepe paper streamers in the middle, and they colored the back.  Then we punched a hole in the top, wrote S.S.(Child's Name) on the bow, and tied yarn through the hole so they had a windsock to take home. 

We had decorated the party room in the house with balloons tied to crepe paper streamers in shades of blue and green  (The room has cathedral ceilings so with the helium balloons it gave an aquarium effect).  We also put up varied sea animals. 

After the crafts, we went into the backyard for games.  My husband took rain gutters and capped the ends, then filled them with water.  We took small sailboats and hand held battery operated fans and let the kids have sailboat races.  We decorated outdoors with more balloons, streamers and posters made from the computer. 

We had a fishing game where the kids fished for cellophane fish with paperclips on their noses in the kiddy pool.  We used dowels with magnets on a string for poles.  Then my son and I made craft foam lily pads and floated them in another pool.  The kids threw rubber frogs and tried to land them on the lily pads.  After 1/2 an hour or so outside, we came in and played pin the flag on the sailboat. 

Then we ate lunch (tuna sandwiches, goldfish crackers, veggies, fruit)  For a birthday cake I just made a square cake, frosted with light blue cool whip and blue glitter, then put an origami sailboat on top.  After food, we opened presents. 

For favors I took white paper bags and printed (via computer a sailboat on them with each child's name.  They got a sailboat, fish pencil and eraser, and a squirting fish. 

This actually was a very inexpensive party to plan and have.  My son and I usually make the games and decorations during summer break.  The kids had a great time and have all asked about next year.