Just Chumming Around: A Shark Birthday

Choosing birthday themes with my kids has to be one of my most favorite parts of being a mom. What can I say? I like to party.

While all the bigs were away at summer camp, Luke and I snuggled on the couch and hit up Pinterest. And that’s when we spied it. Shark bait. Or, more accurately, a shark/beach party theme. I think he fell in love with the watermelon shark and I swooned over his shirt. Love at first bite. Enjoy the details of the party. If our Pinterest board tells the truth, we sure had fun planning it.

Luke dressed the part. He loved this shark shirt, found on Etsy. We’re not sure if the shark is eating Luke or burping his name. Either way, Luke thought it was hilarious.

When we moved our office to the front living room, the piano took over my old “party wall” so we did a little improvising with peg board and balloons. I think we have a new party spot, y’all.

Activities

The boys rotated to different stations. Up first? Color Me Sharked. This was a simple outline of the shark image I used on the invitation and the boys had fun getting creative on coloring their sharks.

Before long, the crayons got old and they were itching to go outside for – wait for it – Pin the Fin on the Shark. Y’all know what a party favorite that is of ours. We have pinning down to a science here at Casa Whitaker, whether it’s a cherry on a cupcake, a butterfly on an Eiffel Tower, a mustache on the birthday boy or a cloud on a rainbow. It is my go-to party game. Hat tip to my second oldest son for drawing a stellar free-hand shark at the last minute!

Then, it was time to get wet with Shark Bite Relay. Because kindergarteners and water games always mix. We poked holes in plastic cups, divided the boys into two teams and then had them fill their cups with water, race to one end of the yard, dump the water in a bucket and race back. Whichever team filled the bucket first, won. I wish I could describe how hilarious it was to see them race to the end, only to throw their water in the bucket, spilling more water out than in. No matter. Twelve wet shirts and lots of laughs later, we finally crowned our winning team.

Finally, we played Shark Attack. My original plan to have a balloon decorated as a shark and then “kept away” with pool noodles, turned into whack the beach ball with pool noodles. Oh well, the boys had a blast and enjoyed some free play in the backyard before we grabbed some grub.

The Food/Dessert Table

This is always the best part, filling their bellies and loading them up on sugar. Sorry, parents, it’s how Whitaker parties are thrown. Party food included our sea anemone (which I totally forgot to serve!), blue koolaid with shark fin ice, jell-o topped with swedish fish/sharks, sandwiches, popcorn and, the party favorite, the watermelon shark. Yes, the Mr. carved that and yes, it was awesome. That was one Pinterest idea that didn’t fail. The shark fin jell-o molds though? Um, not recommended. Thank goodness for swedish fish.

The birthday boy enjoyed a stellar cupcake, with a sneaky bite out of the “6,” while his guests chomped down on a-mazing cookies and Blue Bell ice cream.

Singing happy birthday brought me so much joy this year. Our house was filled with sweet kindergarten buddies and a few NICU buddies. My, how they have grown.

Party Favors

For a long while, I was really stumped on what to do for our guests. But, thanks to you, my sweet blog readers, I was inspired! The bags included a small beach ball, Lifesavers candy, a shark sucker and an edible shark tooth necklace. Party pro tip here: If you can’t find the candy you’re looking for at the grocery store, head to your local gas station/convenience store. They always have a great selection!

Luke chose well on this year’s theme. His friends had a great time and he enjoyed being the center of attention for one day. And, I’ll admit. This got me excited for Shark Week! Thanks for letting me share this fin-tastic party.

Vendor Credits
Cupcake/Cookies: Polkadots
Plates/Straws/Ruffle Garland/Plastic Milk Bottles/Paper Cups/Party Favor Bags: The TomKat Studio
Shark Suckers: Amazon
Shark Tooth Necklaces: Amazon
Beach Balls: Amazon
Printables: Me!
Shark “Luke” T-shirt: Priceless Kids via Etsy