'B is for Boat' Birthday Party

For my son’s 2^nd birthday, I knew I wanted a nautical theme to mimic his new “big boy” room.  However, when it came time to start planning, my little B man was obsessed with the alphabet.  He loved pointing out all the letters he knew wherever we went.  I wanted a party for him that encompassed what he enjoyed; hence the “B is for Boat” party was designed.  B was the most recognizable letter to him at the time, especially since his name starts with a B.  I had a fabulous time creating a party that was so unique to him.  Everything started with the letter B.  Even the favors continued the B theme by giving each child a miniature bucket filled with bubbles, bubble gum, and a small baseball.

 The kids munched on baked goldfish and my husband smoked an amazing pulled pork for BBQ sliders.  However, my favorite snack on the table (and my son’s favorite) were the little “Bears at the Beach” gelatin cups sitting on “sand” (crushed graham crackers). 

Menu: 
BBQ Pork sliders

Bow tie macaroni and cheese
Baked goldfish
Blueberry parfaits
BBQ potato chips
Banana pudding
Bears at the beach (blue gelatin)

The "Bait Shop" dessert table was the perfect addition to this nautical birthday party.  The kids (and adults) nibbled on gummy worms and grasshoppers (chocolate covered raisins).  Guests used nautical embellished treat bags to take home their favorites. 

Bait Shop Dessert Table:

Vanilla cupcakes with whip cream frosting
Bobbers (homemade cake pops)
Fishing poles (pretzel rods)
Minnows (gummy fish)
Shark bait (gummy sharks)
Grasshoppers (chocolate covered raisins)
Crickets (chocolate covered caramel)
Worms (gummy worms)
Sailor’s rope (Twizzlers)

Get the Look:

Tablecloth: twin size navy sheet (Wal-Mart)

Natural fish net: (Oriental Trading)

Helm: from my son’s new “big boy” room

Bait shop sign: made using wood designed cardstock, black letters cut from card stock, and twine to hang the sign

Life preserver: made from a foam wreath, red paint, and thick twine (find the tutorial here)

Cupcake decorations: cut from cardstock then attached to lollipop sticks

Metal buckets: (Target) All the buckets came with a chalkboard square across the front except for two.   For those buckets, I painted two plain mailing labels with chalkboard paint and attached to the buckets.

Starfish: from our guest bathroom décor

Treat bags, napkins, striped snack cups, and kids paper cups: (Tomkat Studio) I embellished the bags and cups with nautical cutouts from navy card stock

Wooden stand for the metal buckets: my son’s tray from his Melissa and Doug band in a box  

Pinwheels: made from striped cardstock (find the tutorial here)

#2 candle: I couldn’t find a candle that complimented the bait shop so I made this one by painting an average candle red with a navy blue outline.  I was terrified it was going to burst into flames once we lit the candle but thankfully it didn’t.
Banana pudding & gelatin cups: Dollar Tree 

Activities:

The kids had a blast playing in our backyard.  They bounced a variety of beach balls (some as big as they were) and picked out fun wands to blow bubbles at the bubbles station.  I loved using the drink dispenser to hold the bubble solution for the kids to pour into individual bubble trays for their wands.  They also decorated the first letter of their own name with foam sea creature stickers. 

I loved planning this event for my son and I absolutely adored how specific it was to him and the things he enjoyed.  The same idea could be used for your child, family member, or friend.  Just use the first letter of his/her name as a guide and let your creativity sail away.  

Looking for more ways to save money on your next event? Check out these tips. 

Click here for nautical party printables from Kylie Mae Events.