In the Smith household, birthdays are serious business.
Time has a sneaky way of surprising mom and dad – one moment your kids are babies; the next thing you know they’re racing through the stairs and going on adventures.
With three kids, I get three constant reminders that I only have a short time to enjoy their babyhood; so both Allen and I made a commitment to really making each birthday party a core memory. So when it was time for Sheldon’s fourth, we decided to put our whole heart into it.
My little guy’s simple these days – he adores dinosaurs. His previous three parties were Black Panther (1st), Old School Hip Hop (2nd), and Dinosaurs (3rd). Fortunately, our smart little boy bought the idea of having a dragon-themed birthday party for his 4th.
How We Came Up with Birthday Activities
I have to say that coming up with a birthday program really got my creative juices working. Sheldon is at an age where he gets bored… fast! This little guy would even come up to you to tell you out loud how bored he is. Lol. I just knew I had to take it up a notch for this fourth birthday!
Instead of the usual games, we went for birthday activities that will keep Sheldon and his friends highly engaged. We made sure the party won’t run out of activities that will keep them running, exploring, and enjoying major fun!
Sheldon’s eyes literally went big when he saw what we had prepared for him for his birthday – bounce house, face painting station, a petting zoo with live farm animals
(chickens, turtles, rabbits, ducks, horses, etc.), and pony rides!
Boy Libra mom here. I have a tendency to really go all out! Lol. It was pure shrieks and laughter the moment the party started. The activities were a big hit to the kids! My baby girl – Avery – also had a blast even though it wasn’t her birthday.
Avery loves animals more than Sheldon does, so during her brother’s birthday, she was in animal heaven – we had to convince her to step out of the animal cage so she could enjoy the other activities. She was one of the firsts to ride the cute ponies, and she did it with absolutely zero fear!
She even asked to have her face painted like a tiger! Boy did she cry when it was time to wash her face that night!
Even little Harper loved the birthday activities! He would call on the animals in the most adorable way!
Preparing for my son’s birthday helped me realize that birthdays should be special, but shouldn’t feel 100% complicated! Taking cues from the birthday boy himself made magic happen during his special event!
How Birthdays Help Me Keep Memories of Their Babyhood!
I think you can really feel the “babies are growing fast!” trope when you’re hosting a birthday party for your child. During Sheldon’s birthday, I took a step back and realized that so much has changed in one year.
He has grown so much since his third birthday – he’s a bright kid who’s starting to be independent and I’m just one momma working double-time to store all these precious moments in our family’s memory bank. The shrieks and giggles of birthday parties may stop when the event ends, but a memory celebrated lasts forever!
Anything that really etches my baby’s purest moments of joy in my mind is worth the splurge! Special thanks to Salina of SillySalinas Paintings for the awesome face painting sessions that the kids really loved!
Shoutout to Chamberlin Pony Rides for the petting zoo and pony rides that all the kids couldn’t get enough of! We’re impressed with how they kept everything safe and fun for the kids.
Rochester Event & Rental Equipment provided the tent and bounce house, and we have zero regrets about their service!
Baby Cakes Bakery Detroit – ahh! They made Sheldon’s cake a-do-ra-ble! Thank you so much! Wouldn’t have executed all the things planned for Sheldon’s birthday without these top-notch suppliers!
How about you? What do you think of birthdays and how do you plan for them?
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