Memories of Camp and Party Inspiration

The BIG party was yesterday and what a grand time it was! Everything went off without a hitch. The birthday boy was really happy and had a great time. My husband also overheard one of the little boys telling his mother that this was his favorite party ever. Could there be a better compliment? Some of the details and photographs are below....

One of my favorite details was the Camp Rules sign.....this was an easy and inexpensive project. I actually used an old piece of plywood that I had lying around. Since plywood is more porous than other wood, I had to prime it.....I used three coats.....then just painted with chalkboard paint. Due to shortage of time, I only used one coat of chalkboard paint but it still worked perfectly.

I think the birthday boy would say that the "Camp Wyatt" sign was his favorite detail. You should have seen his face when he saw it. It was priceless. This was also easy and inexpensive....a basic piece of foamboard with stick letters glued on. Also notice the pine cone bunting.....simple twine afixed to pine cones from my backyard.

I also made some simple stick frames from sticks and twine. Some of us had fun posing and taking photos with these.

As the main activity, we had a scavenger hunt. I created a list of nature items (sticks, rocks, feathers, acorns, etc) that the boys and girls had to find. Upon bringing me the complete list of items, each child received a "Camp Kit". Each kit contained a flashlight, handheld fan, poncho, compass, whistle and magnifying glass. This was a BIG HIT. The kids LOVED IT! I hand stamped each bag....

Personally I LOVED the kids table. I really liked camping when I was growing up and I always associate red and white checked tablecloths with camping. Since we had a tight budget for the party, I chose some cones and branches from a pine tree in our yard and used it to create centerpieces for the table. I was so happy with the end result.

One of the real highlights of the party was the S'Mores Bar. Of course. We had traditional S'Mores but we also had chocolate grahams and Reese Peanut Butter Cups on offer for a little twist. I highly recommend those....

Below is the shot of the pine trees I made from styrofoam cones and felt. They turned out pretty cute and provided a little detail on the gift table. I borrowed the moose from Sophie's collection of animals...

I think the party was memorable and magical for Wyatt. I'm very happy I could be a small part of that!!!

PS - Two great blogs provided inspiration for this party. I wanted to highlight those here!

Birthday Girl, Hip Hip Hooray

PPS - I am always interested in creative people and where they find their inspiration. You can find inspiration in the oddest places. The stick frames and pine cone bunting were inspired by this image from a Pottery Barn Kids catalog!!!