Farmyard Party on TODAY show
8th April 2014, 12:14 PMAs a country girl raised in the rural outskirts of Tamworth, I felt very at home down on the farm for this adorable kids party segment on the TODAY show, you can watch the slightly cray cray segment HERE. I still have the tan line from my cowgirl boots growing up in the boot scootin capital, well not exactly, but I was part of the Guinness Book of Records longest line dance ever… Never thought I would pull that baby out of the closet – YEE HA!!
There is something very heartwarming about farm life, the outdoors really makes me feel alive, so I was very excited to inject a bit of farm lovin into this kids party, even if it was for only 3.5 minutes! Thanks to the incredible help from some pretty fab party gals, the set was transformed over a few hours (at 1.30am after the footy show finished – fun!!). A huge thanks to Michelle from Little Wish Parties and Karina from Boo Boo & Bear who helped style the set into the wee hours as well as provide some gorgeous props (see below for credits), Noeline from Kindi Farm who so generously brought her adorable petting zoo to the party, Jacki from Blissfully Sweet who whipped up some delicious sweet treats, Lama & Michelle from Paper Eskimo who supplied all the paper partyware and Amanda Metcalf who created the apple cake pops.
I was also able to ‘get my craft on’ for this segment, inspired by NATIONAL CRAFT MONTH last month, thanks to SPOTLIGHT. National Craft Month is a great initiative that launched this year featuring six mini festivals celebrating the essential elements of craft – Sew Fest, Kids Fest, Cake Fest, Yarn Fest, Bead Fest and Scrap Fest. I’ve really started to enjoy delving into the craft world a bit more over the last year, I have dabbled before, but I’m ready to ramp it up a little. Thanks to Spotlight, we made animal face masks, decorated flower pots, used material to dress the set, and used chalkboard stickers for labels.
Picture above – wire basket, shredded paper, hessian table runner, gingham table runner and ribbon from Spotlight, cookies, cupcake & marshmallow eggs from Blissfully Sweet, cute baby chicks from Kindi Farm, paper partyware from Paper Eskimo, milk bottle and tags from Boo Boo & Bear, cowboy boot from Little Wish Parties.
I’m not exactly sure what mad thoughts went through my mind when I suggested having kids and a petting zoo on the set together, I must have been high from the new fabric softener I got for my ruffle table cloths! Somehow we all made it through unscathed! Oh, except Mia that is… Poor darling ended up with some chicken poop smeared all over her during the middle of the segment, but guess it could have been worse, could have been from the kids! Luckily her very cute cousins Max and Isabel behaved perfectly, they are becoming quite the TV stars! Here is a little shot of them after the segment, love those kids.
Here are some farmyard party ideas to give you a leg up for your party!
Milk and Cookies Stand
A gorgeous kids vintage milk and cookies bar is a fun alternative to standard pop top juices and is super easy without sacrificing style or breaking the bank. It also goes very well with the farmyard theme and what a perfect treat for under 4’s age group! This particular setup styled by Boo Boo and Bear is available for hire from their Sydney office for a very affordable price, so if you are time poor, this could be the option for you!
Tips for DIY – Use dresser or side board for the table/base, paint chalkboard paint onto backdrop, bake handmade cookies with the kids the day/night before or buy store bought cookies as a cheat, use chalkboard tags, individual straws and tags for plastic bottles, props from around the house, milk jugs, cake stands, old crates or boxes. Hire or buy straw bales from a pet shop.
Mini Kids Table and Chairs
While little kids are very active at parties, it is still a good idea to have mini table and chairs for them to eat their morning tea or lunch and to do craft activities. They can also be a great decorative filler for any backyard or party setting. You can hire them for very affordable prices from Little Wish Parties in Sydney (other cities have hire companies as well) or if you want to DIY, Bunnings also sells them and you can use Gingham or Hessian material from Spotlight to cover them. If you don’t have chairs, hay bales can also work.
Farmyard Themed Sweets
This is where you can really have some fun, so many clever farmyard themed sweeties out there! The amazingly talented cake artisan Jacki from Blissfully Sweet has created some perfect treaties for this theme, below are some of my favourites – cowboy cake, tomato tree cookies, animal cupcakes, carrot cookies, marshmallow eggs, seedling mousse. Jacki also made little pigs in mud mini mousses for the TODAY show, but I didn’t get a photo of them! Wooden Truck with choc dipped strawberries can be hired from Boo Boo & Bear.
Animal Petting Zoo
Nothing beats baby animals for an awesome farmyard birthday party. Kids and adults alike are delighted by the cuteness of these gorgeous creatures, they melt everyone’s heart. Thanks to Kindifarm we had some on the set. If you are not in a position to hire some farm animals to come to the party, introduce your own pets into the party, or borrow friends or neighbours animals, play games with them and have the kids feed them.
Animal Face Masks
Kids can decorate animal face masks and act out the animals during the party. Pre-cut elements to this craft is important as smaller children aren’t able to cut and fold like older kids. There are templates you can print out online. For the PIG mask click HERE, for COW mask click HERE, for SHEEP mask click HERE.
Pot Decorating / Seed Planting
Super cute kids craft – Pot Decorating / Seed Planting, a take home party favour! Great for Farmyard or Easter theme, mini clay or terra cotta pots are perfect to decorate and dress up,and a great opportunity to nurture the children’s interest in gardening and the environment. Also teaches them responsibility to watch and care for the plant.
Sugar Coated Mama – Styling (along with Little Wish Parties & Boo Boo & Bear)
Blissfully Sweet – Cupcakes, Cookies, Pigs in Mud Mousse
Boo Boo and Bear – “Milk & Cookies” stand, the vintage farmyard props and hay bales
Little Wish Parties – tables and chairs, table cloths, mini boots
Kindi Farm – Petting farm
Spotlight – Craft, material, props
Paper Eskimo – Paper plates, cups, straws, serviettes