Personally, I’m excited about the idea of organizing any bday party, as long as it’s not my own. But it’s even more exciting when you are planning it outdoors.

Of course, my daughter’s first birthday could not go unnoticed, so I decided to hold one in the park.

Many think it’s a waste of time to celebrate the first year and that no one will remember it, I love to see my big smile and that of my parents and grandparents in a photo I keep of my own. 

Besides, don’t you think it is rewarding for parents to celebrate that first year of life full of challenges, achievements and emotions?

Even though June can have very hot days, the weather still gives us a chance to organize an outdoor celebration, without having the ice cream melt in 5 minutes.

And of course, holding a gathering outdoors can require more preparation than in a living room, so check out these tips to help you get organized and upgrade your next party in the park.

Location

In a celebration where there will be children, choosing the right location is crucial. I made sure to have a space under a big shady tree, right next to my daughter’s favorite playground. So the kids would have different options to be entertained.

This particular area didn’t have any tables, so I had to bring some folding ones, but I have previously used the ones in the park which work great!

Simple ways to decor

It’s a park! You won’t have to try hard or compete with nature. So keep it simple! Hanging a row of balloons is always a good idea.

I also like the decorations offered by Yooleta, where I found beautiful paper flowers that I hung in the park and later in my daughter’s room. Or you can use pom pom garlands, to give a boho style to your party!

Another nice way to add a touch of color to the table is to place some flowers and make them look like they were picked from the park itself.

As a tip, The Little Prince Flowers, located in Yehuda Maccabi brings you flowers wherever you want, as they have service in Wolt.

Table setting ideas

To set the table I like to use glass jars instead of tupperware. You can add fruits, cereals and even salads inside. This way we avoid annoying insects, less use of plastic and certainly making it look more stylish.

I try to make use of anything I already have at home, so I found acrylic brochure holders to organize the silverware, and baskets of different types to add more picnic style.

For serving snacks, these bamboo cones are also practical and fun.

Fun Shaped Fruits

Fruits, especially the summer seasonal ones, are perfect for making something fun and colorful for the table. Using cookie cutters and bamboo skewers, you can make creative kabobs or even a fruit cake! They always make a sweet treat and kids love them.

How to avoid a melting cake?

Depending on the day of the celebration, you can of course order a delicious mousse layer cake, like the ones from Shemo. But in addition to that one, I wanted to make my daughter and the tiniest guests a completely sugar free smash cake. So the night before I baked the layers and left the glaze ready (sweetened only with banana and vanilla), without assembling it. When it was time to eat the cake, it took me no more than 5 minutes to decorate it, since it was more of a naked style. It stayed fresh all the time… well after 15 minutes there was absolutely nothing left of it…Even the adults wanted to try it!.

Infused water instead of sweetened beverages

I consider myself a fan of flavored waters, as they are healthier than sugary sodas, iced teas or even lemonades.

You can add whatever you like and make combinations with flavors, using fruits, vegetables and fresh herbs. Here is one of my favorite recipes.

Cocktail station

A cocktail station in the park is a really fun idea. But wait, It’s a children’s party! Yes, but the grown-ups are coming to celebrate too!

Choose 2 or 3 easy-to-make cocktails and print out the recipe, so everyone can make their own. It’s a great way for guests to interact with each other as well.

• Lemon slices in jars
• Cocktail mixing glass and jigger
• Fresh herbs
• Symple syrup
• Sparkling Water
• Metal straws
• Liquor and beverages according to recipes
• Ice
• If possible, be eco-friendly and use glass cups.

Add some fun games

Parks are ideal environments to conduct some fun games. Depending on the age of the children, you can create a enjoyable activity suitable for them.
I knew I would have several toddlers, so I organized my favorite classic: “Treasure Hunt”, which always provides a ton of laughs.

To get everyone in the mood, encourage parents to help children dress up as pirates, by using water tattoos, eye patches, bandanas and other allusive items.

Choose the eldest of the group to be the pirate captain and give them a map with the first clue to the location that will lead them to the second and so on.
After about 5-6 clues, place a pirate flag where they will finally look for the hidden treasure. Of course always accompanied by a responsible adult.

Inside the treasure box you can add some more games. For example, in addition to tasty treats, blowing bubbles , sidewalk chalk, I added a notebook with fun pages and masking tape, which the kids could use to stick their polaroid pictures they got dressed up as pirates.

Now, you might be wondering how the hell do I get everything to the park?

A great solution to transport everything is by using storage containers, like these ones from Ikea, and a large cooler to transport the drinks.

VOILA!

I hope you’ve found some inspiration and ideas here, to organize your next celebration! And if you have any other tips to share, please leave a comment below to help out other parents.