This weekend we celebrated Eleanor’s 2nd birthday with a WILD animal themed zoo party!
We’ve been talking about her party for weeks, practicing the Happy Birthday song, and convincing her to say “2” instead of “1” when she’s asked her age. Now the big day and come and gone, and it’s safe to say that Eleanor LOVED her birthday. She was pretty overwhelmed when everything got kicked off, but by the end she was smashing cupcakes into her mouth and asking everybody to give her rides in her new wagon :)
I made the girls matching animal shirts for the party using some iron-ons I found at Hobby Lobby – Everly had a lion and Eleanor had a zebra.
Decorating for our bright and bold zoo day was a ton of fun, and I found the decor a variety of places:
Eleanor’s play group buddies came over the day before her birthday, so I put together little zoo themed favors for them. I found these adorable little luggage tags for attaching to kids’ backpacks and diaper bags. I had a variety of animal tags and just hooked them to boxes of animal crackers – super simple, and not too expensive either!
For food, we kept things pretty simple. My friend Jordan helped me decorate cookies for Eleanor’s big day. We made elephants, E’s and 2’s using royal icing. I think they turned out awesome – plus, they tasted delicious! I also made cupcakes with animal print liners and had boxes of popcorn.
Beyond the sweets (which are the best part), we had a fruit plate, chips and guac/salsa, and hot dogs.
One of my favorite parts of the party was the photo booth. I used a striped table cloth as a backdrop and a few of the balloon animal heads to liven it up!
We also had masks for our “party animal” guests to wear in the shots! Eleanor wasn’t a big fan of the masks, but the adults enjoyed it ;)
Jeff and I gave Eleanor a soft Elsa doll and a picnic table for her birthday. Both were a big hit – she drags the doll with her everywhere and I’m envisioning lots of outdoor fun with the table this summer!
On Sunday we rounded out her birthday festivities with a trip to the zoo. She was pretty exhausted from the day before, but she still enjoyed being pulled around in her wagon. Long afternoon naps were a MUST for all of us :)
It’s hard to believe Eleanor is already 2 years old and it was a blast to celebrate her special day! Now it’s time to start planning Everly’s 1st birthday ;)
Your turn:
Where do you like to buy party supplies/decor?
Chocolate cake or vanilla? I’m a chocolate fan! :)
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