A Creepy, Crawly 4th Birthday

Description

This was a reptile-themed birthday for my son's 4th birthday. I used the colors orange, green and blue with a touch of brown to help tie it all together. It was hosted at a science center near our home. 

Design Inspiration

Like most little boys, my son is all about bugs and frogs and snakes and dirt. When he’s not outside playing make-believe with his animal toys you’ll find him on our iPad or iPhone checking out his favorite show, Monster Bug Wars. His love for all things icky screamed reptile theme so we decided to host it at the South Shore Natural Science Center.

Decorating Style

Classic with a twist.

Project Details

Invitation: Olliegraphic via Sarah + Abraham
Venue: South Shore Natural Science Center
Cupcakes: White’s Cafe & Pastry Shop
Cupcake Toppers: Cake Face Toppers
Party Hats: Bayou Moon
Activities: Pin the Tongue on the Snake & BENGO created by me
Favors: Personalized Placemats created by me
Decor: Houseplants by Lowe’s & Burlap tablecloth from Jo-Ann Fabric & Craft
Lollipops & Stickers: The Fresh Market & Olliegraphic via Sarah + Abraham
Menu: Python Pizza, Turtle Treats (chicken nuggets), Snake Cakes (cupcakes), Alligator Eggs (green grapes), Lizard Dip (carrots & green pepper w/ranch dressing)

iTunes Playlist: Birthday (Kings of Leon), Pumped Up Kicks (Foster the People) Syprtle the Turtle (SteveSongs) Crocodile Rock (Elton John), Jeremiah Was A Bullfrog (Three Dog Night), Reptile (Eric Clapton), Salamander (Jethro Tull), It’s Not Easy Bein’ Green (Rex Hobart & The Misery Boys), Alligator (Grateful Dead), Union of the Snake (Duran Duran)

Favorite Items

The custom invites really set the tone for the whole party, but I absolutely loved how the placemats turned out. They were the perfect favor for a group of 4 year old boys!

Advice

Although I expected this to be an easy party to plan, surprisingly I couldn’t find any birthday planning sites with reptiles as a theme.  There are some wonderful sites like Spaceships & Laser Beams and Hostess with the Mostess that inspired me, but Ben only wanted reptiles. Most party planning sites only offer ideas or products for bugs or insects, so I had to get wicked creative. Although being flexible is often key, in this experience staying focused on reptiles truly helped pull it together.