Outer Space / Buzz Lightyear -3yr- Cardboard Rocket Ship

For my son's 3rd birthday we did a Buzz Lightyear/Outer Space Theme.  We combined the two since he loves Buzz and all outer space things. 

I made the invitations on the computer using Microsoft Picture It software.  They had a picture of an astronaut where you could cut and paste the face you wanted.  So we used a picture of our son's face and pasted it on the astronaut picture…it was adorable.  On the outside of the invitation we wrote, "It's An Outer Space Birthday Adventure" and then on the inside it said, "And You're Invited!  For Space Ranger:  Star Date:  Launch Time:  Coordinates: (which we wrote, Cole's Space Command and our home address).  I also put stickers of Buzz, aliens, etc. on the inside of invite. 

We took the same astronaut picture with our son's picture and blew it up and attached it to our front door and it read "Welcome Space Rangers to Cole's 3rd Birthday Party!"  I did a variety of decorations using Buzz Lightyear and an Outer Space theme I had found (bought the Buzz decorations from Birthday Express.com).  Our basement was unfinished so we decorated one of the rooms as an outer space room.  We hung black tarp all around the room, floor and ceiling.  We bought a few black lights and hung them from the ceiling and I bought some styrofoam balls and discs and decorated them with glow in the dark paint to look like planets and mother earth and hung them around the room.  We also had some glow in the dark stars and planets which I found at Hobby Lobby and hung them around the room as well. 

My husband made a rocket ship out of boxes and aluminum foil which the kids could actually climb into.  It had a small window and we also put that in the corner of the outer space room.  I also made space jackets for all of the kids out of paper sacks that I got from the grocery store.  I made cut-outs for their heads and arms and covered them with aluminum foil.  They all had to put their space jackets on before they could enter "outer space."  We also blew-up silver and white balloons which covered the floor of our outer space room. 

As the kids arrived they were escorted to the basement to first make a flying saucer craft.  I used two paper plates and stapled them together to look like a flying saucer and then the kids could decorate it with glitter paint, stickers, markers, etc.  Next, when most of the kids had arrived they put on their outer space jackets and entered into "outer space".  My husband had an astonaut costume on and was waiting for them in the room. 

He had them sit around him as he asked questions about outer space and objects in the room (i.e. what planet is that in the corner, etc.).  The kids got a kick out of answering the questions and prizes (outer space stuff from Oriental Trading Co.) were given out to whoever got the right answers.  They also played a Moon Rock Hunt game where the kids had to find the rocks I had spray painted with silver glow in the dark paint and had scattered throughout the room.  Whoever found the most rocks won a prize. 

They also played the Black Hole Toss game.  I bought a big black board from Hobby Lobby and cut out a circle in the middle (about 16" diameter).  I decorated around the hole with white web spray paint so it looked like a black hole from outer space.  The kids then used the flying saucers they had made and took turns trying to toss the saucers into the black hole.  They also played a different version of Pin the Tail on the Donkey.  I drew a large spaceship out of white construction paper and cut-it out and attached it to a blue board.  I created flames out of orange, red and yellow streamers and had the children take turns pinning the flame to the spaceship while blindfolded.   

For drinks we made Nebula Punch (2-liter bottle of lemon-lime soda, large can or carton of pineapple juice, and lime sherbet).  We also added dry ice we bought from the grocery store to the punch just before serving which the kids loved! 

We had a store bought cake from our favorite cake shop which was decorated of course in the outer space theme.  I gave them some of my son's small Buzz and alien figurines and had found some outer space birthday candles which they put on the cake as well.  The cake said, "Happy 3rd Birthday Space Ranger Cole." 

For food we just did chicken fingers, pb&j sandwiches and other snacky type stuff.  We also rented a moon bounce for the kids which is always a hit.    For party favors I made little space bags for all the kids and used glitter markers and labeled each one with their first names on outside of bag.  I bought a variety of neon colored bags from Oriental Trading Co. and attached sparkly pipe cleaners to the bags for the handles.  I decorated the bags with stickers and cut-outs of space ships, planets, etc. and used glitter glue.  I bought most of the favors in the bags at Oriental Trading Co.  They have a ton of outer space trinkets, etc. that you can buy in bulk.  I had also found some rocket candy (plastic rockets filled with candy)from one of the party stores and put that in each bag along with different little space things.   

The party was a hit and the parents still talk about how amazed they were at the outer space room we created!  Of course they all think we over did it but it was well worth all the work we put into it!  Our son still talks about it and wants to have another outer space birthday party next year I don't think that will be happening though one was enough!