(Photo by Kelly Lorenz Imagery) Planning a first birthday party felt like a lot of pressure. I had certainly done a good job of building it up in my mind. After all, we not only survived this first year of parenting, but also came out pretty nicely on the other side. But how should we celebrate? Who
A Paris-Themed Birthday Party for a 1-year-old Read More »
Having children has taught me to never say never. Before I had children, I attended my best friend’s child’s first birthday party. She made a three-dimensional duck cake and I said to her, “I will never do this. I will buy cake for my kids.” Lo and behold, here I am with an 8 year old
My eldest daughter’s first birthday party had all the pomp and circumstance of a royal wedding officiated by Jesus himself. Our guest list included more than 100 people. We had a bounce house. We had a professional smash cake. We had a piñata. We had special order tablecloths that perfectly matched the sugar circles so
First Birthday Party: A Cautionary Tale Read More »
In many homes, the basement is a good location for a playroom, but there is a lot more to making it kid-friendly than tossing down a soft carpet and telling the kids to stay away from the power tools. For the basement play environment your kids deserve, here are 10 things to consider. Inside Design
Creating a Safe, Healthy Playroom Read More »
A perfect party theme idea is cupcake decorating. At Bird’s Party, we’ve put together a few simple tips for your child’s party. These ideas are perfect for boys and girls of all age groups. 1. Cupcake decorating is the perfect playtime theme. It’s an activity that will keep kids happy and engaged. We make party
Cupcake-Themed Birthday Party Ideas Read More »
Party printables and DIY printable invitations offer the perfect solution saving parents both time and money. At Bird’s Party we have countless templates with countless themes offering all you need to instantly pull together a fabulous party for any occasion. When setting up the party, the décor should be disposable so clean up can be
Printable Birthday Party Decorations Read More »
What do I send to my camper at camp? Summer camp season is quickly approaching, and as parents send their children off for weeks to grow and become great men and women, we still want to share our love through care packages. “Care packages” are boxes or envelopes of goodies (toys, clothes, magazines, etc.) that
Summer Camp Care Package Ideas Read More »
Road trips with the kids are the things of nightmares for many parents. As soon as you begin to plan a journey, you think of ways that you can get there. Any way, that is, except the car sitting in your driveway. Parents, kids, and road trips don’t always mix well, but it should hardly
Keeping Kids Entertained in the Car Read More »
These cookies are a welcome addition to any birthday party and are the perfect party favor. Customize the colors to coordinate with the party’s décor. Keep in mind that the cookies must be prepared in advance because 6–8 hours of drying time is required for the decoration. Items Needed: • Your favorite sugar cookie recipe
Party Recipe: Personalized Ice Cream Cone Cookies Read More »
Party photo booths are all the rage these days. They are used at birthday parties, bridal showers, baby showers, weddings, and more. Every party needs a fun activity, and a photo booth is the perfect activity to wow and entertain guests. Plus, guests get to leave with a photo to remember how much fun they
How to Create a Party Photo Booth Read More »
I am the ultimate girly girl: makeup, shopping, hair, nails, the whole nine yards. I live, breathe, and write about style for a living. You won’t find me in sweatpants or without makeup. Here’s my secret, though: I absolutely LOVE to dig in the dirt. This love of all things dirt-covered started when I was
Time to Play: My Dirty Little Secret Read More »
Remember how you lovingly picked out each and every item that went into the nursery to accommodate your brand new baby? With that same care and attention to detail, you should design your child’s playroom in a way that will most easily accommodate them as they grow! Next to the nursery, the playroom (or play
Time to Play: Tips for Designing a Playroom Read More »
In our heavy tech-loving world it may seem like the only toys out there make a buzzing or a beeping sound. With two kids ages 5 and 22 months, it has been incredible to see just how quickly they gravitate (and understand) tech. While I appreciate its many benefits, I try not to rely on
Time to Play: My Favorite No-Battery Toys for Kids Read More »
You made it into motherhood without knowing very much about George Lucas’ epic saga Star Wars, the stories from “a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away.” But lately, you may find it harder to hold conversations, follow analogies, or grasp what junior is going on about. So, here is a FAQ of
Time to Play: Star Wars as a Mom Read More »
With spring already here and many students on spring break, here is a perfect craft to work on this spring break with your kids! My daughter loves to help out, especially in crafts, so she was thrilled to be able to do this craft with me. With only a few materials you and your toddler
Time to Play: Spring Craft Idea for Kids Read More »
Did you like math growing up? I absolutely hated it. I didn’t start liking it until I started teaching it to 2nd graders in East Harlem. I didn’t want my students to dislike it, so I found ways to make it fun. As a mom with two elementary school-aged children, I try to make it
Time to Play: Making Math Fun! Read More »
Growing up in the ’90s meant a lot of things. It was a time of grunge, it was a time where things started getting more open, and it was a time where women began to shed being “girly” and opted more for being one of the guys. Being overly feminine at the time was often
Time to Play: Being Girly is OK Read More »
As a mom, when my kids were little the thought of them being gifted a toy that made music of any kind made me cringe. I am sure that many of you feel the same way. However, toys that have musical components are not only some of the best toys for them to play with
The Positive Benefits of Musical Toys Read More »
I am a reader. A few years back I was a book buyer. This meant that I was knee deep in some type of literature at least 16 hours out of my day. Can you say divine? When I was pregnant, I knew this kid would be a reader, too. Her book collection started in
Time to Play: Raising a Reader Read More »
As Easter quickly approaches, I’m super excited to be sharing a fun craft you can do with or for your kids. I feel honored to be sharing it on Time to Play with you. As all the stores stock their shelves with Easter products, I thought I would share one of our favorite crafts that
Time to Play: Easter Bunny Craft Read More »
As a mom of a beautiful and intelligent little girl, I was very motivated in teaching her to read. But as you probably know, most children don’t start actually “reading” until around 6 years, and I believe that every child is different and will learn at their own pace. It is very important that we
Time to Play: Teaching Your Child to Read Read More »
There came a time in my life when I realized that as a mom of boys, I had to learn how to act, think and play like a boy. My husband has sort of taken on the reins in this department, and for a while, I was totally fine with that decision. With typical rough-and-tough
Time to Play: Girls Can Play Boys Games, Too! Read More »
For a long time we bought my son Benjamin every toy he so much as blinked at. It probably sounds like we were spoiling him, but really we were just desperate to get him to do what most kids do naturally: Play. See, because of his autism, playing is something that does not come naturally
Time to Play: Encouraging Play through Food Toys Read More »
Let me get my bias out up front: I believe all good games are social and that playing games should be a social experience. I spend many hours each month sitting around a table with friends playing board games both simple and ridiculously complex, and have tried to instill a similar sense in my three
Time to Play: Card Games with the Kids Read More »
