We threw a puppy dog themed birthday party for my son, Sid’s, 5th Birthday and it was so much fun!! He loves animals. And what little boy does not love a puppy?! After all, they are man’s best friend! That was certainly the case for Sid. He loved our hound and everyone else’s. Thus, when asked what type of party he wanted to have he said “DOGS!”
When the guests arrived they were greeted by a “Helper.” I always hire neighbor kiddos that are late elementary school or older to help with parties. (I either pay them a little cash or give them a small present) For this party my oldest invited some of her girl scout friends and they assisted with the party along with one of our favorite babysitters.
The hosting crew welcomed each guest. Placed their gift by the entry table and then helped them get started.
The girls helped the kids write their name on a name tag. Each tag had one of our family dogs pictured on the tag. There were 3 groups: Cabby- our dog, Pepper- Paternal Grandparent’s dog (the black and white dog pictured above), Sophie- Maternal Grandparent’s dog. All dogs were in attendance at the party. The girls took special care to place each guest in a group. This allowed us to separate into groups during the party for activities. We could say “If you are in Cabby’s group come color doggies at the coloring station, etc.”
There are varying theories of levels of structure at birthday parties. From my experience, when you have a group larger than 5 it is best to have more structure. Help them navigate the event. When they walk in and it is a free for all, it often ends in someone getting hurt or chaos. My kids love to just hang out with their friends. I incorporate that into the structure.
For example, here is the structure of this party. This is an example of what I would have covered with the Girl Scouts and Party Hostesses.
After arriving each guest had the opportunity to adopt a puppy. It was so fun to watch the kids choose their puppy from the basket and name them. They all took great care of them the entire party. I have heard that many of the guests are still taking great care of their puppies – now 7 years later?!
Throughout the party the guests were encouraged to participate in various activities. In the kitchen they had an opportunity to create a collar for their puppy. We had tags, bottle caps, and markers for the guests to write their puppy’s name on the tag. Then we used clear bottle cap bubble stickers to place over the tag so that it would weather well and look like an authentic dog tag. I glued velcro on the ends of the ribbon pieces so that the guests could easily wrap it around the neck of their puppy.
Just outside the back door they could grab a leash to tie around their puppy.
These newly adopted puppies had a blast at the dog park! The leashes really came in handy so that no dogs ran away at the party!
The jump zone was a favorite spot for the kids outside.
The Girl Scouts on the Hostess team were great about keeping all the guests safe.
The original play house that my father in law built for us- Pre- garden and matching house paint job for those that follow along ;).
In the Playhouse the guests had the opportunity to color a doggie picture or draw a picture of their newly adopted dog. I often print a simple clip art image enlarged or a free coloring sheet from the Internet for parties. Really, anytime we have a family with small children over for dinner I put coloring sheets on a table with colors and markers. It is such an easy activity to have available for kids.
I mean how often do 5 year olds have the opportunity to pet a real, live dog?! What an inexpensive party activity, right? If you have a sweet, well behaved dog, this is perfect! Our dog, Cabby, was toothless by this point so she was a great dog to have for kids to snuggle!
My Dad is President of the Tulsa Dog Club so he teaches dog classes in obedience and agility. My parent’s dog, Sophie did some tricks for the kids.
A word of caution for piñatas. I have a complicated relationship with them. I’ve only used them twice at kids parties so my personal experience is limited. This dog was a great piñata. He broke after everyone had a turn and hanging him from our swingset worked wonderfully. We just unhooked the three swings when it was time to do the piñata. Here are my cautions…. We have used broom handles or piñata sticks and as with anything like that with little ones you have to be careful. We also gave kids little goodie bags so they could gather treats when it broke. For the puppy party we had several friends in attendance with food allergies so I mostly put miniature dog figurines inside and some all organic fruit lollypops that were mom approved. Some kiddos always get trampled on and some miss getting the goods. I always have some extra sitting aside for the little ones that need help. You will want to have helpers on hand to manage this one. Lol!
We had fun coming up with creative snacks and lunch food items for the kids. We had mini hot dogs, mini doggie sandwiches, coco puffs (looks just like dog food), veggie straws in doggie bags, etc. Placing food in fun packaging, using miniture spoons, and preparing individual servings make the food feel special.
Thankfully the weather was great! We did as much as possible outside. We sang and had cake and ice cream outside.
I love cupcakes for big parties. It is just more simple to hand each kiddo a cupcake. Cutting the cake and handing it out takes more time and effort. So, for larger groups I go the cupcake route! I usually order them and then put fun things on top. I put little dog figurines and houndstooth printed “5’s” on top of these.
This is my favorite way to serve ice cream at parties. You can absolutely buy those individual servings, but I love to scoop ice cream in these little paper cups and serve them with miniature spoons or paddles. I do this the night before and then place wax paper between the layers. I put them in a lidded tupperware and then pull them out of the freezer when we serve. Well, I usually have one of my friends or relatives go pull them out of the freezer. I take all the help I can get at these parties. Adults need jobs to feel comfortable at parties. Sometimes it is just awkward to stand around, so I give everyone a task that would like one. We all pitch in and there is more conversation, relaxing, and less stress throughout.
For decor, we stuck to the colors black, red, and white with an accent of houndstooth. Picking a theme and then threading it through the party pulls everything together. It creates a cohesive look throughout the event.
From the minute guests arrive, I like to let them know that a celebration is underway! I often print a sign and frame it with a frame I have on hand. In this case, I used some wrapping paper and ribbon to tie in the theme colors.
Hanging decor from the entryway chandelier is one of my favorite ways to decorate for parties. I think opening the door and having guests immediately see whimsy dripping from the ceiling sets the tone for fun!
One box of milk bones went a long way..
I printed some vinyl paw prints to place on the floor to guide guests through all of the party activities.
Party decor does not have to be extravagant or expensive to cultivate celebration in your home. Use what you have. Write a simple message on a chalkboard you normally reserve for grocery lists. Fill jars you use for flour and sugar with milk bones for puppy dog decor. A functional dog bowl that coordinates with the theme on a stand is art. A few spools of ribbon or streamers go a long way in creating an environment for fun.
The goal of party decor is to make the atmosphere feel extraordinary. Yes, there can be too much of a good thing. Less is more if it hinders the guests ability to focus on relationships. Think- can guests talk over this loud music? Can they see each other with this table decor in the middle of the table? My goal in decor is to enhance the party atmosphere, creating ease of conversation and play. A little bit of whimsy splashed here and there throughout the venue keeps the party alive.
In the age of all digital invites, I still believe paper invitations are relevant. Part of Hosting What Matters is finding ways to make people feel loved, seen, and special Paper invitations do that. I love the feel of paper in my hands. Texture is real. You can’t touch digital. There is an impactful connection that occurs with people as they pull something addressed to them out of the mailbox. Digital invitations serve a great purpose as well. I do use both- that explanation deserves it’s own post 🙂 I usually have an invite posted somewhere in the house to double as decor.
Thank you for coming to our party!! As a parting gift, I’ve linked some of the items we used at the party below as a resource for you. The puppy party was a hit! I would definitely recommend this theme for your birthday kiddo! If you throw a puppy themed party be sure to tag #hostingwhatmatters on Instagram. We would love to see your party and share it!
Recommended products or services may contain affiliate links that provide a small commission to Hosting What Matters if you purchase through the link. So grateful for your support of this little blog! All opinions are our own and we would never ever recommend something that we do not love ourselves!
Meet the Hostess
I'm a Southern girl who loves a good party, a house full of laughter, and a porch swing full of friends and family. I blog about how to host in a way that matters. Curious what I mean by that? CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE AND READ MY STORY.
Leave a Reply