1) Animal Invites: Cut ducks, turtles, dogs and other favorite animals. Use a bright gel pen to write your message and party information.

2) Animals Take Center Stage: Use a stuffed monkey, elephant or giraffe for a centerpiece and attach a bouquet of primary-colored balloons and streamers to the stuffed animal.

3) Put on a Show: Create & coordinate a puppet show – like those on Baby Einstein DVD's.

4) Double the Fun with Bubbles: Have toddlers blow their own bubbles with spill proof bubble bottles and wands. Or blow the bubbles yourself let the kids can catch them. Play music for this activity as well. This one’s best done outside in a fenced-in back yard.

5) Old Macdonald Had a Farm: Create a farm with stuffed animals, toys and posters. Make a farm animal hat for each child. Search for plastic chicken eggs, play “duck, duck goose” and sing “Old MacDonald Had a Farm!”

6) Special Me: Put a current photo of your baby in an oversized cardboard mat frame. Hang the photo along with acid-free markers in a conspicuous place and invite guests to write a message to the birthday child.

7) Toddler’s Relay Race: Place baskets at one end of a room and a pile of toys at the other end. Divide children into teams and let them take turns picking up a toy, crawling (or walking on their knees) to the basket, dropping the toy into the basket and returning to their team. First team to finish wins!

Play Parade: Give each child a toddler musical instrument. Play an upbeat song favorite and have a parade that snakes through the backyard.
9) Dominoes: Set up dominoes that spell the baby’s name or age.
10) Human Jack in the Box: Have kids pop out of a large, decorated Jack in the Box as toddlers turn a crank on the side of the box and all sing a tune.

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We need some more posts in here. A few 2nd birthdays have already passed and lots more are coming up.
What are you all planning to do?
Themes?
Places?
Activities?
Cakes?

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Rhylee's 2nd bday is going to be a cupcake theme. I still plan to have it at home this year as she doesn't like playing on the blow up things at the jumping places just yet, but I would like to have them there in the future. It will more than likely always be cold for her bday and rainy. I plan to invite family and friends and cook a big pot of something...We have so many Gumbo's for Christmas I'm not sure what we will do. We had Chili last year, it was good too! I may make some plain cupcakes and let the kids decorate their own. Get a bunch of different candy sprinkles and stuff. That's all I got so far.

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Abby's 2nd bday theme is goldfish. We aren't going all out tho for it. just close family. I have some things that have gold fish on them, but i'm mostly doing solid colors that match her dress. (I picked her theme from the dress...and found matching napkins on a vacation and viola! LOL). No games or party favors. Only one other toddler will be there...so there's really no point. But I still want her to have pics and know that her day was special

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Cute idea Lauren!

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Oh lauren that is cute! What will she be wearing?

Rhylee will be wearing this on her bday Thanks to Vicki! She sold me the dress!

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lauren-I love the theme you picked. cute.

cassie-did you find the tights yet? you need some bows for Miss Rhylee now.

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Ethan is 2 now! Where did my baby go?

Vicki - YEP! Someone seen me buying some CC and seen I was ISO of them and they were ISO of some I was buying. LOL! So we traded. They should actually be in my mailbox. It has been POURING so I will get them after while. Yes I need to check her bows to see which ones match. I'm sure she already has one/some Hopefully she will have LOTS of hair by her Bday!

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I don't know if any of you saw Koren's invites for Katie's first b-day - she did a rubber ducky theme. I think it was on page 9 or 10 of the first birthday themes. I'm thinking of maybe doing a duck theme for Hannah's 2nd birthday. She quacks every time she sees a duck and it is sooo cute. I was thinking of having her party at the park, b/c it would be nearly as cheap as having it at home. At the park near us, it's $25 to rent the pavillion, but I might look into another park where you can feed the ducks. I just bought some ducky computer paper while I was at the dollar store, just in case. I LOVED Hannah's first birthday invites, but I had a lot of trouble getting them printed and I spent a/b $70 just on the invites. I think I might just print a plain invitation on the duck paper and put a pic of Hannah in the envelope w/ it. According to Vicki, the 3d duck cake is cute, too. So we wouldn't be able to watch a video of Hannah at this one, but I guess the plan could be:
Get a snack
Play at the park
Feed the ducks
Have Cake & Ice Cream
Open Presents

Input???

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kelly-great ideas. Yes, the 3D cake is very cute and easy. It is not too expensive to buy either. I will try to dig up an old picture for you to see it. Actually I know I have an old one from a baby shower for my friend that I did it as a rubber ducky. Let me go check.....

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Ethan is 2 now! Where did my baby go?

Vicki - that cake is really cute. And since I've got 9 months, I bet I can find the pan on sale or with a coupon.

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definitely Kelly, I bought mine at Michael's. I would give it to you, but every year for dh's birthday I do a different type of duck. One year it was a Mallard, then a wood duck. I'm not sure what duck I'm doing this year. The wood duck was really hard, because of the colors. I'm thinking something easier this year. Sorry I'm rambling.

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Ethan is 2 now! Where did my baby go?

Kelly - In our Sunday paper we usually have a Michael's ad with a 40% coupon. I bet you can get the duck pans for a good price with one of them.

Vicki - WOW that is cool, do you have pics of those? I would love to show that to my DH!

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Vicki - how many people do you think that cake feeds?

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cassie-yes, I do I will have to dig them out and scan them. They were not on my digital camera.

kelly-about 17-20 people without a base that is edible. You can always put it on a 1/4 or 1/2 sheet cake (as a pond or tub) to add more servings.

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Ethan is 2 now! Where did my baby go?

I think that is a great idea Kelly. We had Charlie's 1st bday at a park and the kids loved the park and I didn't have to plan "games." You could do blue kool aid with those ice cube fish floating in it and ducks on top for punch or something. Good luck!

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We did Carter's first and 2nd birthday in the park and it was great but he has a Summer birthday and Riles has a November birthday. SO we have a big blow up bus that was Carter's that she has never seen that has tons of those balls in it so lastnight dh and I were talking and I think I may have it here at home with some of her friends from Sunday School. Her theme this year may be princess I think. We had the pink poodle one last year and I have even thought of a kitty party to go with some of the new kitty line Gymbo has. Found some CUTE kitty decorations and she does LOVE our kitty so that is a possibility.

I am not going all out with the cake this year. Last year was a huge production with a huge poodle cake and it wasn't even good even though I paid a fortune for it. So I am going to make cupcakes for everyone and have picks in them to match whatever theme I decide on. Time's a ticking I need to figure this out!

Here is the kitty theme I was thinking of...
Purr-Fect Kitty Party Theme
to go with this outfit...


Or the other option is Target and Michael's has some adorable princess stuff. I plan to make the girls foam tiaras with their names and the boys crowns. and she will still wear a tutu probably with a birthday princess shirt. Just not sure yet but whatever it is it WILL be girly and pink of course. I picture balloons everywhere and tons of fun.

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Karen that is really cute!

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Cute KAREN!

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