I have lost count of the number of Frozen parties we have been fortunate to attend. So when my daughter insisted on a Frozen party for her third birthday, you can imagine my excitement. While doing a popular theme has its upsides - there are lots of Pinterest ideas out there (as evidenced by my Pinterest board) and there is a lot of merchandise available. It also is a big challenge. Like I struggled with my son's Star Wars theme, I also struggled with the Frozen theme - how do I create a Frozen party that I haven't already been too?
Decor
The entrance of the party is always important to me because I think it sets the tone. Before a kids party a lot of families are scrambling to get out the door, and schlepping kids from event to event can be draining. My hope is that a fun entrance helps get you a first smile, even if your guest was having a rough morning.
For the Frozen theme I couldn't resist - I got a snow machine on Amazon, and had it snow up the front walkway to our house. On the door I had a sign that said "Love is an open door, come on in!"
I am a sucker for a good ceiling decoration. I hung snowflakes on the ceiling in our front entryway and on the ceiling of our front hallway. I also hung them over the food buffet. I also covered some counter tops and ledges with fake snow (on sale after Christmas!). In one of the ledges in the front hallway, I had a little Elsa figure walking through the snow storm right before she sings "Let it Go!" My kids helped me make all the snow, and we had a great time crafting together!
For the tables, I kept it simple. I had turquoise tablecloths. I made small centerpieces with mason jars, silver burlap, and white hydrangeas.
Food
My original plan was to do sandwiches (because Hans and Anna finish each other's sandwiches) and pizza (for the kids who won't eat sandwiches). Then I saw the weather forecast, and there was a chance of rain and it was going to be cold. I decided I wanted to serve something warm and comforting instead. I figured a chile bar would be a perfect fit!
First, guests chose the "base" of their chile dish: bowl, hot dog, french fries, Tater Troll Tots, or pasta (gluten free). I figured if kids didn't want chile they could just get a hot dog and french fries or pasta.
Then they chose their chile: turkey or vegetarian (both very mild so kids would be OK eating them). I also included a marina sauce option instead of chile in case any kids just wanted plain pasta with sauce. I kept both chiles and the marina sauce in crockpots to keep them warm the whole time. I also borrowed some crockpots from friends and I had a backup batch of each warming up in two other crockpots so they could easily be switched out.
Finally, they chose their toppings: sour cream, shredded cheese, onions, olives, avocado, fritto corn chips.
I made Olaf's Summer Corn Bread (regular and gluten free, both from boxes from Trader Joes).
I made name tags for most of the food to tie in the Frozen theme using corner tiles I bought from Home Depot. I have gotten so much use out of them!
For drinks, I knew I wanted to incorporate Kristof in some way with the ice.
And have I mentioned how much I love using stickers for cups instead of Sharpies when the party is for young kids (who might write on my walls or themselves with a Sharpie).
For dessert we had a lot of different Frozen themed treats, including Frozen Hearts (chocolate covered strawberries). Instead of having a cake, we made mini cupcakes using my favorite doctored cupcake recipe (which you can find here). I knew I wouldn't have time to make the frosting, so I got premade frosting, which meant we could frost them the night before and not have to rush to finish them the day of the party.
These cupcakes are easy to make, inexpensive, and the kids had so much fun making them with me! While I do love a beautiful cake, this is one place I feel like I can save on budget. Many adults refuse to eat the cake, or will only take a small bite. Most kids just lick the frosting off. By making cupcakes, my kids get to help make something for the party, and I save a lot of money. I always get compliments when I make this cupcake recipe, so the flavor isn't sacrificed.
We decided to arrange the cupcakes on three different cupcake stands. One decorated like Elsa's dress, one like Anna's, and one for Olaf. I try to avoid using food coloring in frosting for kid's birthday parties, so I got cupcake liners the colors of Anna's dress and Elsa's dress and I decorated the cupcake stands with ribbons.
I like displaying cupcakes on a higher surface so kids cannot reach them without asking an adult (although I learned the hard way that this only works until they are about 6 years old, then they could reach them).
We also had a hot chocolate bar to help melt a frozen heart. Again, I incorporated frozen toys my daughter already had (and I bought some extra ones for the party, that were my gift to my daughter for her birthday).
Entertainment
I got a Frozen bounce house, but there was a chance of rain, and so I decided to also add some extra crafts at the last minute in case we had to move inside.
The first craft was "Do You Want to Build a Snowman?" I got white magic model dough (which is much less of a pain then regular play dough!) for the snowman body, black small pom moms for the buttons, googley eyes for the eyes, and orange ear plugs for the noses. This was a huge hit! The kids loved making these!
I also had extra foam snowflakes that the kids could decorate with stickers. Very easy set up, and the kids had fun doing it.
Of course, the heart of the entertainment was Anna and Elsa. They were amazing! I am still in awe of how they captured the attention of the 3 year olds for so long. They told the story of Frozen and performed all the songs. It was very interactive, and the kids had a blast. Then they did face painting. I have mixed feelings about face painting - I know some parents hate it, but it brings a huge smile to my kids' faces, so I decided to go for it. Anna and Elsa's face painting talents were just as impressive as their singing voices and acting! My daughter was in heaven!
Finally, they did a special "coronation" ceremony for my daughter before we sang happy birthday. After we got some pics of the birthday girl with Anna and Elsa, they were ready to go. They played in the snow with the kids on their way out, and the kids had a blast! (This was my favorite part of the party, and it was such a great way to end the day!)
Favors
This was one of the hardest aspects of the party for me. I have admitted before, and I will do it again, that I am not a big fan of favors. To alleviate my ill will towards favors, I try to think of favors as an extension of the party (a piece of the memory or party to take home), but I also like to pick something useful. My go-to favor is a CD mix of kids music that kids and parents will enjoy. (I mix classic songs with current songs and songs from Disney movies or children's shows).
I initially planned to do just a CD, as the "Soundtrack" of the Frozen party. Then I came across these amazing glove and hat sets on Pinterest (here), and I also saw a cute idea for Frozen chapstick. My daughter is obsessed with chapstick! In trying to put all these ideas together, I thought it would be fun to do a "winter survival" kit, with chapstick, a hat, gloves, a Frozen gummy snack, and a CD of my daughter's favorite songs.
My kids helped me make a sign for Wandering Oaken's Trading Post so it was like the favors were being sold at the store. I used a light brown foam core board to make the sign. I cut the letters out on my silhouette machine. My kids glued the cotton balls on the sign for the snow, and then we painted dark brown lines on the sign to make it look like it was made of wood. I attached the small "and Sauna" sign with 2 loose-leaf rings, and I hid the rings with the cotton ball snow.
