You know I love a good themed party. Well, I also love a themed playdate. It’s a fun way to try some cute ideas without the pressure of the all-out entertainment or perfection required at a party. I’ve seen a lot of cute ideas using The Very Hungry Caterpillar book and I thought a very hungry caterpillar playdate would be the perfect theme for Tate’s playgroup. Bright colors, simple activities, healthy snacks, and outdoor fun … a great combination for toddlers.
Inspired by a birthday party shared by Pottery Barn, I copied the hanging caterpillar idea but made it from balloons instead of paper lanterns. Scrapbook paper completed the face {pardon his droopy antennae}. I put a marble inside each balloon to weight it down and used ribbon to hang the balloons in a row from a tree branch. This balloon caterpillar would make a really cute backdrop for a food table but I hung it over the table where the kids would sit to eat.
The table was decorated very simply in bright green and red. I used layers of ragged fabric and paper plates and napkins. Clean rocks weighted down the plates so they wouldn’t blow away, an idea I use a lot for outdoor gatherings.
I provided a few simple stations to inspire some toddler play: an easel with paper and crayons …
… small containers of bubbles …
… big pieces of sidewalk chalk …
… and bouncy balls in red and green.
We always serve snacks at playgroup so I put out a few goodies, inspired by the book.
Water bottles wrapped in duct tape …
… sat in a vintage coke crate …
… and the kids munched on homemade mini muffins …
… cheese {with caterpillar holes poked in it} …
… strawberries, and an apple caterpillar {inspiration found here}.
And no spring playdate is complete without serving my signature lemonade iced tea for the moms. Spring and summer entertaining is always just a bit more fun!
The toddlers all had a great time playing and eating at the very hungry caterpillar playdate!
I love it! Even down to the caterpillar bites in the cheese. Can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings!
beyond cute! i love it 🙂
Cute. Wish I could join in…
This is perfectly adorable! Every detail…
I LOVE this, so cute! And yes, the details! The little holes in the cheese were especially adorable, how fun 🙂
This is super cute Randi! I love the little holes in the cheese! Thanks so much for sharing in this week’s link party!
This is so cute! I especially love the caterpillar balloons. I would love for you to link this up to my What I Learned Wednesday link party. Hope to see you there!
What a great idea! I love those Hungry Caterpillar balloons. Megan
I love the details, like the cheese and the apple caterpillar
Wow! This looks amazing. I am visiting you via the linky party at Somewhat Simple. I look forward to seeing you at My Dream Canvas.
Seriously..that is the cutest thing ever! LOVE this party!
I LOVE this! The balloons are definitely my favorite. 🙂
Adorable- I love this!! And my kids wish you were their mom. 😉 I’ll be sharing this at my Pity Party tomorrow. xo
I love it! This is one of my kid’s favorite books, and i adore the idea of a themed playdate. Following you so i can stay up to date:) Now i have to check out your sippers…
Jessica
What a fun party! My baby girl cried when she had to leave. She talks about going to your house all the time! You are my inspiration in party planning!
Aww what an amazing play date! I never would have thought of throwing a themed one but your right, it’s a great excuse to use up some of that creative bug vs just once a year at birthday parties!