Elliot's 5th Birthday - Bouncy Kingdom and Dinosaurs

Well, my littlest boy is turning 5 ..... and yes, I am in shock how fast the time has whooshed by us.

Mommy and Elliot five years ago...

Elliot is a rough and tumble kid, with a heart of gold, a hot temper and a devilish grin. 

Hugs and time-out all at the same time ..... but he always make me giggle!

For his 5th birthday (going to big school in the Fall!) we wanted to do something special and a little bigger than normal. He solved the dilemma for us by asking straight out for a bouncy kingdom and dinosaurs.

We invited about 25 kids (plus five of our own) because when you have a giant inflatable playground in your backyard you want to share the fun! 

This looks a little deflated, but everyone was on-board just for a picture!

As far as party games and activities went, we kept it to a minimum. Past experience has taught us to keep it simple. The two hours we had planned would zoom by and the kids would be quite content with the bouncy house and cake. 

With the wide range in ages of the kids coming (18mths to 10years) I picked up a few giant bottles of bubbles, boxes of sidewalk chalk and inflatable beach balls just to fill in the gaps.

Sidewalk chalk and bubbles!!!

Small water bottles, chilling on ice in big tubs were around the yard. With outdoor activities, kids are always busy working up a sweat! I'm not a big believer in soda or sugary drinks, especially with all the bouncing involved. 

For refreshments, we kept it easy-peasy with picnic favorites like watermelon, grapes, carrots, cucumber, cheese and crackers. We also threw in some organic purple tortillas and pretzels for some crunch.

We served this halfway through the party, buffet-style on the deck. A nice break from all of the bouncing, giggling and fun! 

I didn't spend much time or money on decorations as the party was outside. We did have a few balloons in the trees and helium bouquets around the cake table. This giant #5 was awesome and was still floating around our house a week later!

I found foam dinosaur hats at our local Dollarama. The kids got to take them home at the end of the party as an extra party favour. What else would one do with 30 dinosaur hats?!!!

Soon it was time to serve up cake and ice cream! Everyone came inside to sing Happy Birthday, grab a cupcake and headed back out for one last bounce until their parents arrived.

Elliot handed everyone a favor bag and thanked them for coming. These little treats were loaded with bubbles, chalk, Dino gummies and a boomerang to mimic the party theme.

It was a fun day with a great group of friends. Thanks to everyone who attended. :-)

Happy Birthday Elliot!!!