How To Throw A Batman Themed Birthday Party

09/20/2013

Being the first one of my friends to have a baby meant that I was the first one to throw a 1^st Birthday party.  We took the challenge very seriously, and had an amazing backyard keg party on a beautiful Sunday afternoon.  Not very traditional I know, but we figured 1st birthdays are more for the parents then the adorable babes who won’t remember a thing!

Fast forward to my little man’s 4^th birthday.  He had been talking about his birthday since the moment we unwrapped our last Christmas gift.  Balance that with a little mother’s guilt I was feeling for having a baby who will always have his birthday on, or just after, the first day of school and we arrived at another huge backyard bash.

Selecting the theme wasn’t difficult.  My son is obsessed with two things, and two things only – Lego and Batman.  We headed out to Party Pros at 4242 Dundas Street W (in the Kingsway Mills Plaza beside Mastermind) and were thrilled to discover they had everything we needed for a Batman OR a Lego themed party.  Plates, napkins, invites, tablecloths, and and then we found the deciding factor:

From the moment we saw him, we knew a Batman theme was the way to go.  If the picture doesn’t do it justice, it’s a life size Batman Air Walker Foil Balloon ($29.99 at Party Pros, also available in Spiderman, Mini Mouse and Elmo)

Some of the other party hits were this amazing Batman cake made by sister in law – served with Batman plates and napkins of course! ($3.69 and $3.39 at Party Pros)

As well as the Batman Pinata ($17.99 at Party Pros – also available in Spiderman, Star Wars and Dora)

For any of you Martha Stewart types out there, I had also heard that hanging paper lanterns was the latest party trend and I was amazed at how economical they were ($2.99 at Party Pros)

To be honest, I was EXTREMEMLY nervous about hosting so many little people and their thirsty parents in our backyard.  What would I do with the kids for 3 hours in order to occupy them long enough for the parents to have a drink and relax?  West End Bouncy Castle to the rescue!  From the moment the castle was inflated (which only takes about 30 seconds by the way) my little guy was bouncing his way to oblivion.   (Pick Up Special, $125 from West End Bouncy Castle) The castle was great for kids of all ages, including Grandpa as seen in this photo!

We took advantage of their pick-up special but in hindsight I think it’s definitely worth the small fee they charge to drop it off and pick it up as it’s quite bulky to squeeze into a SUV after you’ve been partying all afternoon!  It was a breeze to set up, and I loved their severe weather policy which allows you to cancel your reservation free of charge if the weather looks too bad (luckily we had pure sun!)

Unlike previous parties where I spent the entire time in the kitchen, I opted for delivery for Subway and Pizza Pizza – guests of all ages loved it and it meant that I could spend my time enjoying the party instead of cooking.

The highlight by far was when my little man came racing across the lawn, threw his arms around me and said “This is the best party ever mom!”

Now, how on earth am I going to top this for next year?!

Want to throw your own backyard bash?  Comment below with the Birthday Party Theme you think your child would most like and why and be entered to win a $100 Gift Certificate to Party Pros!  Contest closes on Oct 31, 2013.