Sailboat Party -1yr- Treasure Chest Time Capsule

Sailboat party - 1 year old.  For my son's first birthday party, we decided on a sailboat theme after getting some ideas off of this website. 

I started with pre-printed sailboat invitations which had a life preserver to tie on, so I cut out a small picture of the birthday boy and put it in the middle of the life preserver.  Since this party was to be held in July in Phoenix, and kids of all different ages were attending. 

I set up many different water activities outside.  We had a large water slide for the older kids, a slip-n-slide, a larger inflatable pool for the older kids, and a small wading pool under an umbrella for the babies.  In the baby pool, I put in little sailboats that I bought at the dollar store.  I also bought plastic life preservers from Oriental Trading Company, and hung up fish net and other nautical and fish related decorations. 

For favors, all of the kids received a sailor hat (Oriental Trading Company) with, for babies, a rubber ducky with a sailor hat on (ebay), and a blue cellophane bag with fish shaped bubbles (Oriental Trading), a bag of goldfish, and tied together with a little life preserver found at the craft store.  The older kids received a sailor hat with a small bosun boat (nice quality -inexpesive on the internet), and the cellophane bag with the bubbles and a mini-M&M cannister. 

We had a craft for the older children including wooden nautical pieces to paint, glitter and decorate.  I bought an inflatable sailboat pool from Pottery Barn Kids and used it as a ball pit in the living room. - this was  alot of fun for all of the kids. 

I made several different cakes.  I made small, individual sailboat cakes for each child using a pan that is normally used to make easter eggs (so are shaped like the bottom of the boat).  I had purchased sailboat sail toothpicks from Oriental Trading and put one in each boat.  I used a football pan to make the bottom of a larger sailboat, and placed a dowel in this cake and hand painted a canvas sail to say "SS Jace 1."  I also made a life preserver cake that said "SS Jace 1" for my son to eat, and made another cut-out cake of a sailboat made from a 9X12 cake.  As you can tell, I was worried we wouldn't have enough cake!  I made blue punch and placed a clean sailboat in it, and we served submarine sandwiches and trimmings for the adults and kids. 

I also bought a small (2 ft X 1 ft) treasure chest from a local craft store (they had a nautical decoration area) and made this my son's time capsule.  I asked on the invitation that people bring a momento of the years 2003-4 to place in the time capsule for him to open on his 18th birthday.  In the time capsule, I also placed a sailboat napkin from the party (ordered on-line), a sailor hat and other little momentos from the party, plus all of the creative things people brought to put in the chest.  I was so happy to have found the treasure chest - it matched the party theme exactly. 

It was a great party, and I had a lot of fun thinking of activities and ideas to go along with this theme!  This website is just wonderful - thanks so much!