how to throw a successful birthday party for 4 year old’s in the rain

You might have heard that California is in the middle of its worst drought in history. And perhaps that while most of the country has been dealing with epic snowstorms and a winter that Elsa “the snow queen” just doesn’t want to end, we’ve been getting sunburned and eaten by mosquitos. It’s not right… but that also made me think that throwing an outdoor birthday party on the first week on March would actually work.

2/16: 68 degrees
2/23: 73 degrees
3/9:  70 degrees

But March 2nd?  It was 52 degrees, wind blowing, and threatening to rain at any moment.  Oops.

Did this mean that all of our best laid plans for a super awesome color run flanked by bubble games, decorations and short sleeve t-shirts went right out the window when we woke up to see that miserable morning weather? You bet!

Did it mean that there were discussions of cancelling the party up until the moment that the first guests were arriving? Of course!

Did it end up ruining a 4 year old’s birthday party? Not in the slightest.

Because kids don’t care about fancy balloon rainbows you ordered from China 6 weeks ago, or how the favor box display area is set up. They don’t care about any displayed food as long as there IS food. And weather? Well… it’s a birthday party… who cares!

So we threw out the old schedule and all the expectations of the original party… and revised.

• Instead of 2 hours… we’ll be there for no more than an hour!
• Hand out the favors immediately so kids are dressed and ready for the color run!
• Once everyone arrives, go straight to the pinata!
• Start the kid’s color run!
• Sing “Happy Birthday” to L
• Eat!
• Let people leave at their leisure

And it worked!

First… the favors! 

Everyone got a box (decorated with Crayola marker spray paint by Miss L herself), with rainbow candy canes, lots of Disney tattoos, a #RunDisney braceley and craisins! (To make sure that everyone was able to show their #RunDisneySide!)

They also got kid sunglasses and a white t-shirt in their size with the event logo…

THEN… the pinata!

The ANGRY BIRDS pinata was very angry. (Are we the pigs in this situation? Exacting revenge on the birds? Hmmm….) That’s why we made sure there were older brothers there to help beat the heck out of that silly red bird.

Then they ran!

Mr. M ingeniously used balloons and garden stakes to mark the course, and in spite of the wind all but one remained in tact!

The kids got covered in color and everyone got a rainbow running medal!

Then we sang Happy Birthday….

And then all the kids ate all of the glorious rainbow food (as seen here in no pretty way whatsoever as to keep it from blowing away)!

That would be Fruity Pebbles chicken strips (using the Cap’n Crunch Chicken recipe), rainbow fruit kabobs on rainbow paper straws, Rainbow Deluxe mini cookies, rainbow Jell-O along with rainbow cupcakes and rainbow cake. PHEW….

And then everyone went home to their warm houses, and we took the presents home to open them far away from the wind and impending cloudbursts that happened just 15 minutes after we finished cleaning up!

And that, dear friends, is how you throw a successful birthday party for 4 year old’s on a wet and soggy day.