News

Chicago birthday parties

THE ACTIVITIES We turned our guest room into an “Adopt a Puppy” area! This dog adoption activity was a huge hit   Here’s how it worked: 1. Pick out your puppy  I ordered four types of these adorable stuffed dogs from Manhattan Toy (Corgi, Golden Doodle, Husky, Brown Dog) for kids to choose from. I cut a round hole in the front of craft bags so the dogs’ heads could pop up. So cute, right!? 2. Decorate a dog collar and name tag   I set out little cups of inexpensive, colorful beads and pipe cleaner. I also had small circle tags so they could add a name tag for their pup’s collar! 3. Fill out your official adoption certificate and color your certificate + your dog carrier with markers, crayons, and stickers!   I  ordered this adopt-a-puppy printable from Etsy and had the adoption certificates printed at FedEx. At this station, we had the adoption certificates, plus a bunch of coloring supplies. I  ordered this 50 pack of assorted dog stickers, and also had everyone’s favorite Paw Patrol stickers too! 4. Pick up dog food on your way out. I mixed together Reese’s Puffs + Cookie Crisp cereal in a little plastic cup with a lid. It looked like ‘kibble and bits’ and obviously, was edible for humans too!  5. Bring your puppy home and give it lots of love!  We also rented a big castle bounce house for the backyard, which was obviously a huge hit for the kids (and grownups too!). Lastly, I  found these Dog Bubble Party Favors and had these sitting by the front door for kids to grab on their way out. THE FOOD I decided to really lean into the puppy-theme and have fun with it the food! I  wrote the name of everything on these cute Dog Party Table Tents (which feature four different dog illustrations). We had these Dog Party Plates and Dog Party Napkins on the food table too. Here’s the menu: ‘Ruff-age’ Veggie Cups – small cups with ranch dressing in botttom, topped with celery, carrots and red peppers Pesto Paw-sta Salad – homemade pesto pasta salad with cherry tomatoes and mozzerella Fetch Sticks – pretzel rods Pup-corn – bagged popcorn in these Mini Popcorn Cups Bone-Shaped Rice Krispies – we made traditional Rice Krispy treats, cut them into bone shapes using this Bone Cookie Cutter, and dipped the ends in icing and sprinkles! Barkuterie Board – simple cheese and cracker plate featuring a variety of cubed cheese and different crackers Fruit Kibble – a huge rainbow plate of strawberries, clementines, pineapple, grapes, and blueberries