Strawberry Shortcake -5yr- Berry Special Day

We always go crazy with our birthday party themes.  This was one of the best parties so far so I just had to share it.  Some of the ideas I got from the website but some were new.  

Invitation: I copied an invitation from the internet with a picture of strawberry shortcake on a bike.  The invitation said come help us celebrate a berry" special day! Then I included all the details about the party.  

Decorations: Next we got busy making a strawberry shaped pinata by covering a balloon with paper mache.  After the pinata was filled with candy and a couple more layers dried we turned it so the narrow end was up covered it with red and green crepe paper and my daughter drew a face on it with a black marker.  She made the eyes look like strawberry seeds. 

I purchased a coloring book for $1 at a local Dollar Tree and made posters of strawberry shortcake and her friends to hang around the room to decorate.  We coverd the tables with red table cloths decorated them with streamers and put a strawberry scented candle on each table to make the room smell like strawberry shortcake almost all decorations were bought at $1 tree.  

Costumes: My daughter wore a dress that my mom made when I was 5 that looked like the old fashioned strawberry shortcake's dress.  Not sure if the pattern is still available. 

Activities: I put out strawberry shortcake puzzles books coloring pages and smelly markers for kids to do when they arrived.  We had also blown up balloons and just scattered them around the room in the floor.  It was a 75 degree day in early March so the kids took the balloons outside to play with until they all popped and the took turns taking swings at the pinata outside. 

Next we had set up a strawberry patch using green easter grass and strawberry filled candies from the Dollar Store.  We spread the grass over a long table so the candies weren't really hidden.  We either needed more grass or a smaller space for the strawberry patch.  But the kids just enjoyed getting more candy.  

Games: The kids loved playing the game strawberry strawberry shortcake a version of duck duck goose.  We had kids playing from 2 years old to 12 and they all had fun together.  Then we played pin the strawberry seeds on the strawberry.  I used red wrapping paper to draw a large strawberry shape on it added a green stem and cut out several black strawberry seeds from black construction paper.  The birthday girl helped spin each of her blindfolded friends and everyone watched as they stumbled around trying to find the wall with the strawberry poster. 

Everyone sang to the birthday girl and we played a cake walk game to take turns getting cake.  This is something I plan to do at our future birthday parties.  We placed numbers on chairs and I had corresponding numbers written on small pieces of paper in a cup.  We played the CD Strawberry Shortcake Dress Up Days guests danced around the chairs until the music stopped then I pulled out the number of the person to go get their birthday cake.  It made it much easier on those serving the cake to one child at a time.  

Cake: I purchased Strawbery Shortcake cupcake liners and a candle topper from Factory Card Outlet and Party Store.  We had cupcakes which were arranged in a tower with a small round layered cake on top.  I placed the cake topper on the cake with 5 regular candles.  I made the tower to hold the cupcakes by covering different sized boxes with red foil wrapping paper.  We also had basic red punch pink and red candy corn and vanilla ice cream with strawberry syrup.  

Birthday Chair: When everyone had their cake the birthday girl opened her presents in a birthday chair decorated especially for her.  We place the chair on the gift table so everyone can see the action even if the kids are getting excited and jumping up and down. 

Favors: I bought Strawberry Shortcake treat bags at Factory Card Outlet.  There was Strawberry Shortcake characters on flying discs that came in a package 3 for $1.  Fruit scented playdough from Big Lots 12 for $3.  Strawbery fruit snacks that can be purchased at about any grocery story pretty cheap and bright colored mini-yo-yo's from the party section at Wal-Mart. Hope you find some of these ideas helpful when planning your Strawberry Shortcake party."