Pretend Play Birthday Party

 

Last year's Birthday Party play area was such a great success that I decided to set it up again this year.  I opted to use our playroom instead of our breakfast nook this time, as my parents are coming into town and we'll need the extra space in the eating area.  I used many of the same ideas from last year, but we also added on a few more things.  The above banner--Quinn and I chose the fabrics from my scrap basket.  I used letter stamps and brown stamp pad to put the letters for HAPPY BIRTHDAY.  I know Q will probably want to be writing this phrase, so now she can look at the banner to see how to spell it. 

 We changed the tablecloth on the little table.  I also put out some new flowers and we found a couple wooden birthday magnets in our playroom closet, so we put those on the metal tub holding flowers. 

 I raided my party decoration tub and Q fell in love with these pink lanterns, so up they went!  We also took the curtains off the play kitchen so that all the items could be seen.  You can see our party hats hanging from the side of the little kitchen.

 We've used this chalkboard a ton....I changed it from Taco Stand to say whose birthday party it is.  I wrote the words with a chalk pen and then Q can erase the name (written in regular chalk) and write each new celebrant's name.  It's already been changed several times in the last day.  :)

 Plates and party napkins:

 Our Melissa and Doug cake--we have the candles in a little wooden container and also the decorations--displayed nicely!

 I also set up our regular work shelf with more birthday party items. 

 Bags, wrapping paper and bows for gifts: (I cut the wrapping paper into smaller, manageable pieces)

 Tissue paper and gift boxes:

 Cardboard numbers covered in scrapbook paper--Q loves displaying the age of each "person" at the party

 Our Birthday Plate from Mimi, a cupcake candle, HOW DO DINOSAURS SAY HAPPY BDAY book, and a chalkboard sign for decoration:

 Cups for drinks and some large cupcake wrappers--for whatever!  Just fun to play with. 

 This metal stand holds faux strawberries in little mini muffin cups, felt cupcakes, and a piece of cardboard cake (cardstock cake template HERE--so fun!):

 This pan holds items to "bake" a cake so we can pretend to make it first--I will add a few more items as the containers become available in the kitchen (it: empty flour bag, empty baking soda box).  Right now it holds eggs, empty vanilla container, empty baking powder, sprinkles (with lid glued on).  I could also add a few measuring cups/spoons.  And our vintage eggbeater.

 I rounded up all our felt crowns for party guests to wear.

 Pieces of streamer for decorating:

 

Birthday cards:

We've already had tons of birthday parties just in the last couple of days!  We'll add more items as we think of them--actual birthday cards received, etc.  Such a fun pretend play activity!  I love that both of my kids can participate at their own levels even though they are 3 years apart.  Beck enjoyed the area last year at barely a year old, too!  So this is a very adaptable learning tool!