DIY Teddy Bear Picnic Birthday Party

Until this year, McKenna had never had a real birthday party. Last summer we were living in a hotel on her birthday. The years before she didn't really have any friends to attend a party, so we just had small family affairs with presents and cake. Luckily no one ever remembers their 1st, 2nd, or 3rd birthdays, so it was no big deal, but this year we were determined to make up for it. After talking her out of a SpongeBob-themed party, and a Strawberry Shortcake-themed party and a few other licensed characters-as-mascots, she decided she wanted a "Teddy Bear Picnic Party", so we ran with that theme.

I spread a few quilts on the hillside in our yard, Erik grilled hot dogs and hamburgers, we had chips and a vegetable plate, pool games and balloons - it was an easy-peasy  DIY picnic/party. The morning of the party, I decided we needed a game, so I got out all my felt and put together this felt board:

And then got out my fleece and faux fur and made this bearface blindfold and ears for everyone:

And they played "Pin the Bear on the Blanket."

 The night before I made the cake. McKenna requested a "Teddy Bear Carrot Cake," so this is what I came up with:

Made with two carrot cake mixes (my great aunt Betty Crocker's recipe), 2 cake rounds and one rectangle-shaped cake carved and reassembled into a bear body form, then slathered with coconut pecan icing which successfully hid the imperfections and looked kind of like fur, albeit moist and sticky fur. I almost attempted icing eyes and a nose until I realized I had something in my studio that would look way better - the eyes and nose I use in my kokoleo monsters.

 

 The kids were all begging for a piece of the face until I cut into it and they changed their minds and asked for arms and ears and feet instead. I found out later that Sage had told them I used deer eyeballs. Ew!

For gift bags, I made each kid a picnic pack. I wanted to put them on sticks like they do in old timey cartoons, but I didn't have enough sticks, so instead I just stuck a pinwheel in each one. They contained packs of gummie bears, Teddy Grahams, honey sticks from the farmer's market, handmade bumblebee-shaped multi-colored crayons from happy delusions, a jar of ice cream cone-shaped bubbles, and some tiny plastic ants.

 

Every teddy bear, that's been good
Is sure of a treat today
There's lots of wonderful things to eat
And wonderful games to play

Beneath the trees, where nobody sees
They'll hide and seek as long as they please
Today's the day the teddy bears have their picnic

 For every bear that ever there was
Will gather there for certain, because
Today's the day the teddy bears have their picnic