Kitten Birthday

I bought a collection of kitten clip art from TheDigitalChick on Etsy.  How can this cute little fluff ball not inspire an adorable vintage kitten party?

First, we decided to use the pink color from the kitten's bow and a turquoise accent color, similar to the butterfly's wings and the kitten's eyes.  Then we started making and gathering decorations!    Guests need to know where the bathroom is, so I made a "litterbox" sign to direct them:

I gathered some items from around the house - a couple kitty bowls, some yarn (kittens love yarn) and cute jars to hold the silverware.

I used the kitten clipart to make cupcake toppers.

Now that the scene was set, I needed some activities for the kiddos.   Each guest got to pick a kitten to "adopt."  (I bought all the kittens on amazon affiliate link).  They chose a name and I helped them fill out adoption certificates.  I found these certificates online  (there are puppy ones too) and then glued a cutout of the kitten clipart on the top.

Once the kittens were adopted and named, they needed a place to sleep.  I found this tutorial for making little houses out of foam sheets.  The original instructions called for punching holes and tying ribbon to keep all the sides and roof together.  I found that this was not very sturdy, so I hot glued the seams of the houses before the day of the party.  Each kid was then able to decorate a house for their kitten.

The last activity before heading outside to hit the piñata was Pin the Tail on the Kitten.   I used the kitten clipart as a template and drew a tail-less kitten on poster board.  

Ooblek

Kids are sticky, messy and sometimes smelly.  They love to get elbow deep in the mud, dirt, sand or even a bag of flour.  They love to explore how things feel.

example A:

example B: 

So to feed this love of sensory play, I decided to make my kids some good old fashioned ooblek.  I remember making this at preschool when I was little and then asking my mom to make it at home so I could show my little sister.  It's really quite easy and will entertain your kids for a long time. The recipe is not an exact science, as I am sure humidity and altitude might affect it.  If the mixture seems too thick, add more water and vice versa.

Ooblek
1 cup water
2 cups cornstarch
3 drops food coloring

I mixed it up in a cookie sheet with the kids out on the porch to save my kitchen another mess!