As I mentioned briefly in a previous post, Clara chose her own party theme this year. Of all the things a two-year-old could love—monkeys, ice cream, firetrucks, and the mailman—she picked worms. That decision set the tone for invitations, decorations, food, favors, and activities, and we had a lot of fun pulling everything together.
First we picked a date (Saturday the 12th, two days before her actual birthday) and worked out a guest list: close family and friends, about 30 people total, roughly ten of whom are toddlers under four. Then came the invitations. We experimented with three designs before settling on one. The first option used photos from a 22-month shoot and had a sweet, soft feel, but it didn’t read “worms.” The second was more playful and worm-focused. The third version, which we ultimately chose, featured three chevron-patterned worms, a bold graphic style, and a photo of Clara inside the number two with the promise that “there will be worms.”
We ordered just enough invitations for our guests and saved some money by using a coupon. The invites were 5 x 7″ on matte cardstock and felt substantial—no strange printing lines or cheap finishes. Having a postcard-style option that allowed us to upload a full-bleed design without automated frames was important to us, which is why we picked that particular printer again.
When the invitations arrived we were thrilled. The larger format and thick matte paper made them feel festive and durable, perfect for a keepsake. With the invitations handled, we moved on to party supplies. Some items were reused from past celebrations—a yellow napkin dish picked up at a thrift store, the fabric banner I sewed for Clara’s first birthday, and a runner I made the same year. I also repurposed a paper banner from that party and added some bird-themed napkins we bought recently (birds like worms, right?).
New items included plates, worm-shaped candles, balloons, streamers, and paper lanterns. Much of the new decor came from Party City and Target. We even found an ice tray at Ikea that looked perfect for making worm-shaped ice or mini jelly worms. There’s very little actual worm paraphernalia available at mainstream stores, so we were delighted when we found worm-themed balloons.
Here are the worm-themed activities and food ideas we considered for the kids’ party—many are simple, inexpensive, and toddler-friendly, and some double as easy DIY decorations:
- Make pipe cleaner worms to hide for a worm hunt outdoors
- Create a “grass” runner and decorate it with gummy or plastic worms
- Collect paper towel rolls for a worm craft
- Drape streamers to mimic worms across beams or the patio
- Serve apple slices with a gummy worm peeking out
- Cut peppers, cucumbers, and cheese into worm-like sticks with dip for a playful crudité
- Skewer grapes or sliced fruit onto plastic straws to keep things toddler-safe
- Worm pizza: add a small nest of cooked spaghetti to kid-sized slices
- “Worm dogs”: hot dogs decorated with simple ketchup or mustard faces
- White-frosted cupcakes with crushed cookie “dirt” and a gummy worm garnish
- Jelly molds with gummy worms suspended inside
We won’t do all of the above, but having a long list helped us choose a handful of activities and snacks that are easy to set up and fun for little kids. A few days before the party I assembled favors because I like to get practical things done early—call it nerdy preparedness. One of Clara’s favorite outdoor toys is our watering can, so I picked up inexpensive green watering cans at Ikea to use as favor containers. In the toy aisle we found tiny stuffed snakes and repurposed them into worm toys by removing the pointy red tongues. Each watering can also includes a small bottle of bubbles and a plastic scoop, along with a bit of brown tissue “dirt” to hold the toys. I’m excited to see Clara’s face when she realizes every child gets the same kit: a watering can, bubbles, a scoop, and a worm toy.
We also grabbed a couple of soft balls for patio play—Clara chose orange and pink, which inspired some of the party color choices like streamers and the invitation accents. For food, we keep things simple: crowd-pleasing options like pizza for adults and kid-friendly twists for the little ones. If a family member prefers to cook, we happily accept the help—party planning is a collaborative effort in our house.
Finally, we’re building Clara a special birthday gift: a dollhouse. It’s a big project, but it feels like the perfect two-year-old present and something she’ll enjoy for years. I’ll share photos and a full breakdown after the party. For now, I’m trying not to dwell on how quickly time flies. How is our baby two already?
Side note: while we mostly listen to classic hip-hop favorites around the house, the new pop duo CD we’ve been playing non-stop has been a surprising and energizing soundtrack for dollhouse-building and party prep.