It’s the day after M’s backyard birthday party, and I’m still smiling. I’m so glad we threw this party at our house. I love bringing people together, figuring out what to feed them, and getting carried away with every little detail.
We had a hard time settling on a theme because M loves so many things. So we called it a “Favorite Things” party and made room for axolotls, platypuses, strawberries, rainbows, Pokémon, bunnies, and even a fairy egg hunt. I like thinking about how much fun it’ll be to look back at the photos and see what she was into at seven.
Most of the birthday parties she goes to are at venues, so I looked into booking one too. Then I got the quote. It was astronomical. Hosting at home took more prep, but the savings were worth it to me. Plus, we have a big backyard, and I loved the idea of sending the kids out to look for fairy eggs and Pokémon in spots they’d usually walk right past.
Here’s what we did, with all four clues and where to use them if you want to set up a hunt of your own.
Start with what you already have
I wanted to use up some of the party favors, craft supplies, and school-event extras we’d accumulated over the years. I found leftover pinwheels and geodes, plus a stack of plain white bags I’d bought in bulk for sports events. The bags gave me an idea for an activity while everyone arrived, and the geodes gave me an idea for the treasure at the end.
I kept the decorations fairly simple. I say “fairly” because I did spend part of the month making them, a little at a time. I made paper chains in a few different sizes with construction paper we already had and hung them around the house. I also painted Pokémon characters on scrap cardboard. I hope Nintendo doesn’t come after me.
For the table, I raided the playroom for a few toys, cut some flowers from the garden, and picked up a couple of bouquets at Trader Joe’s. I pulled out a mix of plates, a birthday banner, and some balloons we already had. I did order a few things I couldn’t resist, including axolotl eggs, squishy toys, and holders for the Pokémon cards we already had.
Plan the hunt
M and her friends like to build little fairy houses and leave notes for the fairies, usually asking for candy. The next time they check, the notes are gone. A few days later, the fairies usually drop off what they asked for. It’s become one of my favorite little traditions, and some of her classmates already knew about it. The fairy egg hunt felt like an easy way to bring a bit of that into the party.
We started at the fire pit and had four stops from there. If you’re making your own hunt, pick your final hiding place first, then work backward. At each stop, leave the clue that sends the kids to the next one.
Stop 1. Pencils at the fire pit
As the kids arrived, I set out the white bags with leftover construction paper, scissors, fun pens, and tons of stickers. Once each kid finished decorating their bag, they headed to the fire pit to pick up their first prize, a pencil. When everyone was ready, I read the first clue aloud. The kids took their bags along to carry whatever they found.
Your woodland adventure starts today!
Find the spot where you make mud pies and play.
Look high and low for eggs tucked away.
One holds a clue to show you the way!
Stop 2. Axolotl eggs at the mud kitchen
I hid the axolotl eggs around the mud kitchen. Once everyone had found an egg, I read the next clue.
Where plants stay cozy, green, and bright,
Pokémon are hiding just out of sight.
Find the little house where green things grow.
That’s where your team should go!
Stop 3. A Pokémon sanctuary in the greenhouse
I hid Pokémon cards among the pots in the greenhouse. This is the clue that sends the kids from the greenhouse to the woods.
You found the Pokémon! Now off you go,
To the back woods where the tall trees grow.
Find the little hedgehog waiting for you.
There’s something squishy and a brand-new clue!
Stop 4. A hedgehog in the woods
Our little hedgehog statue finally had a job. This was the spot for the squishy cubes, the vase of pinwheels, and the last clue.
Grab a cube and squeeze with me.
Ready? One, two, three!
Head to the stream and look around.
Rocks with sparkly secrets are waiting to be found!
Stop 5. Geode treasure by the stream
There’s a little stream in the woods behind our house, and I knew right away that’s where I wanted the hunt to end. I laid the geodes along the bank. Once the kids found them, we headed back to the fire pit, where they put on safety goggles and cracked open their geodes.
What I’d do differently next time
I thought the kids would want to linger at each stop and do more activities, but they were ready to find out where they were going next. Maybe it was because we’d just done Halloween, or maybe they just liked discovering what was around the corner. Either way, next time I’d keep the stops short.
I’d also say right at the beginning that each kid gets one of whatever they find at each stop. It’s a lot easier to explain that at the fire pit than when everyone’s already reaching for Pokémon cards. And if you have a group of early readers, having one grown-up read the clues aloud keeps everyone in on the hunt.
Make it work in your own space
You can fit a few stops into a small yard, a walk around the neighborhood, or a short loop at a park. A houseplant can stand in for the greenhouse, a favorite tree can take the place of the hedgehog, and the treasure can wait on a bench.
I asked everyone to come dressed for outdoor play in the rain. We lucked out with a sunny November day, and some of the kids didn’t even wear jackets. If it had poured, I could’ve moved a few stops under cover and tweaked the clues to match. If you’re leaving paper clues outside on a wet day, tuck them into zip-top bags so they’re still readable by the time the kids find them.
Party food
I planned the party from 2 to 4:30 p.m. so I could get away with serving snacks. Of course, I put out enough snacks that it probably counted as a meal anyway, I just can’t help myself! The jackfruit and mini bananas were a major hit.
Ask about food allergies ahead of time
A few of the kids coming to the party had serious food allergies, so I checked with their families before I planned the menu. My own diet gets pretty limited sometimes, and I know what it’s like to show up to a party and realize there’s nothing you can eat. We had nut, egg, dairy, and soy allergies to plan around, and I wanted all the kids to be able to eat the same birthday cake.
I found an Abe’s School Friendly cake at Metropolitan Market that worked for our group, and it was so good. Even the parents loved it. I pulled out some little woodland figures I’d found on sale years ago and used sprinkles to spell out M’s name on top.
I planned the kids’ snacks around the same allergies. We had lots of berries, mini bananas from H Mart, snacks I picked up at Grocery Outlet, and a little veggie tray with cucumbers we grew in the garden.
I figured a few parents would stick around, so I put out some snacks for them, too. I started with what we already had at home and filled in the gaps with a Trader Joe’s run.
A little snapshot of seven
I’m glad we went with “Favorite Things.” I don’t know what M will be into next year, but now I’ll always remember that seven was the year of axolotls, Pokémon in the greenhouse, and fairy eggs in the mud kitchen. And I’m so glad we got to do it right here in our backyard and I hope we made a lot of memories for everyone who came.
