Beach Party Take 2

Yesterday was my sweet Ayla’s fourth birthday.  As she requested we decided to have a water party, complete with several wet outside activities.  Around Wednesday I saw the weather predicted to be rainy and 55.  Really?  It had been nice the past month, 90’s mostly, so I was sure the weather would change.  Bummer, their prediction was right, so on to plan B for the party.  Here are some things I was planing for the water party:

*Begin with free play with the pool, sprinkler, water table, painting with water, water swords, water sprayers (they work better than squirt guns), and a water wall.  I was really excited for this so I think I will make this later this week.  I was going to use an old milk jug, water bottle, etc. to cut and nail to our fence as a water wall the kids could play in.

*Relay races with ice cubes (made in the number 4), water balloon bounce on a sheet outside, water balloon pop to find sea creatures, and free play with colored ice cubes.

It would have been fun but luckily my daughter adapted well to the change and really enjoyed her inside beach party.  Here is what we ended up doing.

*When the kids arrived they have four different stations: Sand table dig for sea shells, Wall art (I set out summer/beach sticker and markers and had them decorate the large butcher paper, go fishing with fishing pools, and ice-cube melt.  I used a bowl and froze three different things in the bowl (bottom layer rocks, middle eraser fish, and top layer mini shells).  I gave the kids squirt bottles, old toothbrushes, eye-droppers and a small bucket of water, and salt to try to melt the block of ice.  This was by far the favorite activity.  Most of the kids crowded around and worked together to break the ice block.

*Lunch: My MIL made took care of that!  She brought bread, lunch meat, cheeses, and fruit requested by my daughter.  All I had to do was buy the cheese balls, as Ayla really wanted cotton balls!!  I served the meat and cheeses on frisbees and used a bucket to hold the silverware and cheese balls.

*After lunch we played the limbo with a broom, the kids seemed to enjoy that.  Then we played a version of hot potato.  I took a beach ball and wrote several different questions of the ball (Pool or sprinkler? What is your favorite sea creature?).  When the music stopped instead of getting out the person holding the beach ball answered the question.  Very fun!

* We finished with presents and cake.  My husband made a great flip-flop cake, and I made rainbow cupcakes.  I think there was one cupcake left!

All in all it was a great party despite the uncooperative weather.  My daughter was very pleased with all the people who came to show that they love her.

The sunshine welcoming the guests was the only sun we saw that day!

The sea shell dig. I expected a huge mess from this, but actually it was quite tame!

For the table I used beach towels as the table cloth and the center piece was a vase filled with various shovels and rakes.

We used the party favors as a way to assign seats to our guests. Ayla wanted to sit by Isaiah and her cousin Lydia, so we placed the kids before the party started.

We hung up a clothesline of swimsuits as part of the decoration.

I told my husband my idea of the balloons as the ocean floot with small sea creatures dangling to make it seem under the ocean. He did a great job making it happen.

Here is our wall of beach art, ready to be decorated.

Here is our fishing game. I wish I would have had them fish for candy but they just got fish!

The great flip-flop cake!

The birthday girl was listening to the ocean.

Here they are melting the ice.

Isaiah doing the Limbo.

The beach ball game.

She took about three breathes to blow them out, so dainty!

Advertisements