Everyone loves a fiesta, and if you’re not crazy, you love Mexican food about as much as I do. We have a lot of August birthdays in our close circle of friends and family. So, it made sense that we decided to celebrate them all together with one fiesta birthday celebration! Chips and salsa, sugar cookies and cake, fruit juice concoctions, and a piñata! From party timelines and activities to dripping cakes, we’ll cover what you need to know!

Let’s dive right in:

When are the best times to throw a summer birthday party for kids?

Creating a timeline is one of the first things we need when planning a birthday celebration. Here’s our two cents:

• Propose timings that fit your guest’s age group.
  • For example, schedule parties for young children when they’re not too hungry or sleepy. There’s no better way to kill birthday party vibes than with cranky, crying kids. 
  • With that said, if you’re hosting a party for toddlers, do it AFTER nap-time. For preschoolers, use lunchtime. As kids get older, though, timing becomes less important.

Remember, you don’t need to entertain for hours! For toddlers and preschoolers, keep parties at about an hour and a half. For school-age kids, aim for two to three hours. Want more tips and timings? Check out Martha Stewart’s birthday planning guide.

Hosting for adults and children alike? Especially in August, any time after the midday heat has cooled down is perfect. Because we hosted our celebration at Old Bison Ranch, we were lucky to have a great breeze from the water and luscious trees to additional offer protection from the sun.

What do you do for an outdoor birthday party?

WHO LOVES A BALLOON GARLAND??!!

I totally do. It is a party waiting to happen. You can also add your DIY balloon garlands to other sections of your party. Balloon garlands are a simple and inexpensive decoration that adds color to your celebration. Best part? They take less than an hour to put together. Plus, it’s an activity you can do with your kids to get them excited about their birthday festivities.

Looking for more colorful fun? We chose a birthday piñata– fun for party-goers of all ages, and adds a fun element to an outdoor space!

Part of birthday celebrating is giving out birthday cards.

Instead of this traditional route, create a birthday post.

• For example, buy a large corkboard where each guest can write a short, casual birthday message and post it on the board.
• Use fun pieces of paper with bright colors, patterns, or cut-outs in different shapes. This way, your child has a loving memory from their party that functions as wall art too.
• Since it’s a corkboard, they can use this down the road for other projects.

Here, we used fresh elements from sliced grapefruits, cactus plants, and other local foliage, which added great color elements to the food and candies displayed. If you want to get super creative, buy some cool props like a small tree trunk or extra-large bowling pin. The kids can sign these, and your child can keep the prop for as long as they want! Whichever theme you’re going for, just make sure your prop aligns with that theme.

What do you serve at a fiesta party?

Want another crowd-pleaser? Create treats that fit your party theme.

For this fiesta celebration, we opted for:

• a chips and salsa bar
• fresh fruit juices celebrating summer colors – orange, strawberry, peach, and watermelon –
• a coconut cake
•  delicious, custom-made sugar cookies by Georgie Girl Bakeshop.

You can also use fresh ideas for your birthday cake. One of our favorite cake options right now is a dripping cake! It’s a great way for your birthday family and friends to feel a sense of adoration as they enjoy a fun birthday cake masterpiece!

How to use flowers for a fun centerpiece

Fresh flowers are never out of style for any celebration. And don’t they make you happy? They do me!

By featuring bright Gerber daisies paired with lots of green foliage, fresh oranges, and limes, the fun pops of color for the table settling were fun by their own right.

Using cactus leaves for a place-setting was a seasonally fresh additional that made for great texture, too! Just watch the pointy tips because they are soft and clear and we were all pulling them out of our fingers!

How to celebrate a summer birthday party during a COVID-19 quarantine?

Your kiddos look forward to their special day once a year. It’s their time to celebrate with tasty treats and exciting activities. Whether you opt-in for a traditional birthday or a virtual one, you can make both work safely.

Option 1: Virtual, The party is ON (line)!

Get your party on from the comfort of your own living room! Sky Zone now hosts virtual birthday parties. Kids can see their friends through an online network even when they’re stuck at home. The Sky Zone team guides kids through 20 minutes of active play, games, and a “Happy Birthday” sing-along. There are now many other virtual birthday party options. You can even try the Netflix Party extension in Chrome.

Option 2: No Contact, But we can still see you!

Option #2 will never disappoint – let’s host a neighborhood drive-by party. Just coordinate with party guests and have an in-person celebration without close contact. Ask your guests to organize a time to be out on their front porch or lawn. You and your kids can deck out your car with bright streamers, signs, and balloons. As you drive by every guest’s house, play some birthday jams as your kids can say hello to their friends. What a cool way to collect some birthday wishes?

Friends can also make signs for the drive-by and leave a wrapped gift on their lawn for you to pick up. Prepare your kids for an exchange too. For example, drop off a goody bag and thank you card in each guest’s mailbox. This drive-by will give your kids that birthday love without compromising safety standards. Plus, it will be a thrill for them to visit each lawn without knowing what to expect!

Option 3: In-Person- The Classic Summer Birthday Party with a COVID Twist

If the above options don’t work for you and you’d rather take the traditional route, we understand! For you, we’ve come up with a few ways you can host a birthday celebration that still aligns with CDC guidelines. 

Safety Starters

Some families began making “hug shields.” This allowed kids to safely embrace their grandparents during the pandemic. Why not use this concept for birthday parties too?

If you’re up for it,  create small stations for each child separated by a clear, plastic shield. There are hundreds of DIY options on Pinterest. All you need is some e $1 dollar store shower curtains and PVC pipes. This way, your guests can safely see and interact with each other and get some hug action in.

Don’t forget to enlist helpers! For example, assign one parent to manage the cake station and another to cover gift unwrapping. This way, you don’t have to watch everyone like a hawk and can enjoy the party too. Also, try creating plastic paw prints or tye-dye footprints to help kids navigate your backyard lawn and stay 6ft apart. Or, paint plastic or rock tiles in bright neon paint that show each 6ft mark.

Make a Welcoming Entrance

Besides 6ft signs, create some friendly entrance signs as well. Decorate them with a DIY balloon garland and write a message that tells your guests to wear masks. Take it a step further! Use a garden gnome or life-size Disney character doll and tape a mask to its face. This is a whimsical way to tell your guests about your mask requirement without sounding too medical or intimidating. 

Be sure to check with your guests and parents beforehand to see if everyone is on the same page. This will prevent any misunderstandings or safety issues.

Creative Games

Set up craft stations for your kids or a treasure hunt to ensure everyone remains 6ft apart. While each kid is waiting for their turn, host a kid-friendly Paint and Sip class. Kids can paint a piece of art that they can take home with them and hang on their walls. 

However, some classic games like musical chairs, and egg relay races may not be possible right now.

See! Your kiddos don’t have to miss out on their summer birthday party because of COVID. We wish you tons of birthday fun!

Maybe you could use some fun too? If you want to work together from the comfort of our own sofas, we’re offering E-Design. Find the details here.

As always, I am so happy to be walking on this journey of life, family, and beauty.

• Find me at courtneywarren.com

• on Instagram @courtneywarren

• See my Facebook page for design tips.

• Got design questions? Consult with me (safely), and let’s find ways to help you love your home!

I offer a complimentary, no-strings-attached phone call consultation. We can also consult by video conference. If you’d like to meet in your home, please know we will use all current safety protocols.

Email me to book a call time!