Eric Carles 1st Birthday Party

I figured since I haven't blogged about some of the birthday parties we have previously held for my first born that now would be an especially good time! But also isn't it the case when you have planned and hosted a party and the party is complete that once you are done you come up with even better ideas.  I thought maybe I would replicate a birthday party theme but for a different celebration like a preschool graduation party and display those cool new ideas! But for now here is an Eric Carle themed birthday party I threw for my son's first birthday. 

The Very Hungry Caterpillar!

Of course I have the cutest invitation made for this party.  Unfortunately I did not keep them so I can't show you. However, I ordered a picture type invitation from some company that had the background of the very hungry caterpillar and Brown Bear stories and put my son's picture and the details of the party on that invite.  Everyone loved it!

This book by Eric Carle is one of my favorites and you can certainly do so much with this theme it is unreal. However, for my son's first birthday this was the theme! His birthday is in January so I am trying to keep outside party themes to a minimum!

We have a large family so I thought it would be neat to have both the cupcake caterpillar with large cupcakes and a sheet cake with the Brown Bear, Very Hungry Caterpillar and the colors that you find in most of Eric Carles books. 

For the decorations I went online and ordered the Eric Carle's party kit. It came complete with headbands, streamers, happy birthday pennant, a pin the tale on the elephant game and a booklet of ideas for planning.  We put streamers on the ceiling and ordered colored balloons with a chameleon (a character from one of the Eric Carle books) and called it good. 

 We decorated the old house with Eric Carle books  and played the Pin the Tail on the Elephant game. (What a horrible picture of me!) Kids had fun. Little did I know that my son was fighting an ear infection that day and was not really wanting 50 family members and a few friends over to celebrate his first birthday.

Isn't the birthday boy so adorable. But really you can tell he was not feeling well!

I would love to do this party over or just make it a preschool party for the kids in my son's preschool class. I have so many other ideas for the kids games, art activities, invitations and games it is unreal! Once I do that I will surely post those pictures and the planning process that I went through to get that party done.  I tell you being a full time working mom but wanting the best experiences for your children it is worth the sacrifice of sleepless nights and planning over time to make those parties a success!