A Very Hungry Caterpillar 2nd Birthday Party

On Saturday, we celebrated our daughter's second birthday with an Eric Carle, Very Hungry Caterpillar themed birthday party. Our little girl is turning two, but most of the Very Hungry Caterpillar invites I found online were specifically for a first birthday, so I decided to make the invitations myself. It was my first experience designing invitations and I'm pleased with how they turned out. I like the rhythmic wording. I printed them two to a page -4x6 size- at the UPS store for under $3.

Guest were guided to our house by this little guy (old wicker paper plate holders, spray painted green) who stood at the corner of our street pointing the way. Party guests included two sets of grandparents and six of her little playmates. 

Our party activities loosely resembled an organized playgroup that most of the guests regularly attend. Upon arrival, did a brief circle time in which I read the book, The Very Hungry Caterpillar and sang a few favorite songs, such as Wheels on the Bus, If Your Happy and You Know It, etc. We also did a few rounds of Ring-Around-the-Rosie.

I love that my toaster is hidden from view.

Food labels displayed in champagne flutes of orange jello held by plastic forks.

We also ate "Caterpillar Krispies," which were quite a hit with the children.

After snacks, we opened presents and enjoyed free play with bubbles in the back yard.

The next activity was a caterpillar scavenger hunt. I gave each child a plastic container with an egg inside. (Containers were a dollar store multi-pack find) The egg contained a "very tiny and very hungry" caterpillar. The children, and their parents, were sent into the front yard in search of plastic eggs containing miniature toy fruit from one of the centerpieces. The kids were also encouraged to find additional items for their caterpillars, such as twigs, leaves, and grass.

The final activity was a parachute and balloon activity. This is another playgroup activity that the kids all love. First we played "balloon popcorn" bouncing the balloons on the bed sheet. The second parachute activity involves floating the sheet up and down while the children giggle and laugh underneath.

The party was such a fun event. Our daughter had a blast - grinning from ear to ear the entire time. 

Here are a few more pictures from the weekend:

Centerpiece with scrapbook paper table runner underneath. 

Birthday Wreath

Balloon Valance

Comfortable Birthday Hat

Fruit Puff Candle Centerpiece

Balloon Clusters

Caterpillar Icecream Cake

Most of the decor was made by me. See links in photo captions above for more info.

Special thanks to Puppies and Polka Dots for her help and inspiration, and of course, Eric Carle for writing this classic children's story.

(You can view my inspiration pinboard here)

Linked to Sugar Bee Crafts, Lines Across, Cowgirl Up, Oopsey Daisy, Sew Much Ado, Sugar and Spice, One Artsy Mama, Tatertots and Jello, Positively Splendid, Bear Rabbit Bear