We celebrated Smarty Pant's 7th Birthday with a Soccer Party. It wasn't what I had originally planned, but it all worked out and kids & adults had a great time. So here's what happened... four days before the party, I was notified that the Indoor Soccer Venue that I had booked two months prior was unavailable due to issues with the landlord. I'm a planner, not because I'm super organized, but because I don't do well in last minute, stressful situations... Sooooo.... Yeah, all that planning was for naught... I was more than a little stressed out!
Thankfully, with a friend's help, we were able to secure a park with a field, pavilion and picnic tables (btw, easier said than done). The weather even cooperated-- It was warm but nowhere near the 100+ degree temps of the previous weekend. Hallelujah!
pros: The kids got to play soccer, tug-a-war and dodgeball on the field AND play on the park equipment. The parents got to enjoy the beautiful weather and relax in the shade.
cons: I didn't get to hang-up the decorations that I made for the party. Bummer.
Later that day, Smarty Pant's asked why I didn't hang up the decorations for his party. I was surprised (and secretly pleased) that he cared/noticed, so I decided to surprise him on his actual birthday. I hung up the decorations on our family room mantel.
the tutorial for the hexagon paper medallions can be found here
Click "read more" for the full post
Anyhow, since it doesn't scream kid's birthday party, I think I might keep the decorations up for a while. :)
For the invitations, I created this simple design in Photoshop--
Unfortunately I didn't get great photos of the rest of the party decorations. In the pre-party rush, I forgot my camera at home and had to rely on my phone. I kept it simple-- the tables were covered with black table cloth; we used matching black/white plates, napkins and utensils; a small soccer goal decorated the food table (which actually helped keep things from flying away).
Here's a few shots of the actual party. We ended the party with a Kids vs. Dads dodgeball game. It was fierce competition and the kids eeked out a win. It was hilarious to watch.
I'm so glad everything worked out... Just seeing the birthday boy's smile made all the stress and last minute scrambling worth it! I can't believe I have a seven year old. sigh. It's just going by too quickly.