The way some kids are drawn to animals is a sight to behold. For many of those kids, dogs top the list of furry friends. We say indulge that love of pups and plan a dog-themed party! Hopefully these tips will make planning a cute puppy-themed birthday party, well, not too ruff.
Caring for puppies is intense. Cleaning, training, walking, walking, walking…but at the same time, they’re usually pretty darn cute (not unlike babies!). It’s no wonder kids are often drawn to these fluffy little balls of fun. That’s why you shouldn’t be surprised if you get asked for a puppy party when you don’t even own a dog! (Warning: Knocking this party out of the party may lead to that request next.) Read on for tips and tricks to take this birthday off-leash, to see your birthday kid on cloud (ca)nine.
Entertainment and Activity Ideas
A puppy birthday party can be spiced up at any age (depending on your intestinal fortitude for controlling something like this) with a BYO option. (We wouldn’t advise inviting the whole class to this party, and you would want to vet both the dogs and the kids ahead of time to make sure the dogs are good with kids and guests aren’t afraid. You may also want to invite parents to stay for this gathering, if they’re going to be bringing their pups.) If you’re going to allow animals to come, best to keep the party outdoors.
Below are some other ideas depending on the canine-loving age group:
Toddler/Preschool: Grab some paper plates, construction paper, googly eyes, felt or fun fur and pipe cleaners and have each guest create their own little friend. Get them to name their dog, choose a birthday and tell you about their likes and dislikes so you can make each crafted pup a birth certificate and collar.
Middle Childhood: Cupcakes are the perfect bridge between the theme and the food. Hit up a bulk food store or the bulk section in your grocery story and grab some toppings that mimic dog features. Then, mix up a few bags of buttercream icing in different colours and with different icing tips. To up the ante, print off a bunch of pictures of dog breeds and have each kid choose one and attempt to make their cupcake look like the image they selected. If there are real live pups in attendance, high tables, people, high tables.
Young Teen/Teenager : If the majority of the crowd are dog owners, a craft involving something lasting is a trick any older dog could learn. Blank dog collars/keychains and fabric pens will allow guests to make personalized dog collars for their pooch pals. If you have a colour printer on hand, you can even print out pics of the kids and their dogs to put in the tags. This would take the heat off the loot bags a bit too.
What to Serve at a Puppy-Themed Birthday Party
There are many easy dog cake templates online—the easiest one I’ve seen involves using one layer of a round cake for the dog’s head/face, while cutting the second layer into ears to place on each side. Frost the face and ears in different colours and give that puppy a face. Cutting a square or slab cake into a bone is also a good option. As for the rest of the menu? It couldn’t get any easier. Hot dogs, a nice hearty beef stew with crackers, sugar cookies in the shape of dog treats. You might want to warn both kids and parents on that one…human food, not for puppies.
Loot Bag Ideas
Inspire creativity with cute puppy notepads or sketchbooks, along with an inexpensive package of crayons or markers. Stickers and small dog-themed toys will also work. I’d avoid anything that barks, otherwise you might see the canine teeth come out. Don’t forget to have dog treats on hand to reward those good puppies in attendance on the way out the door, too.
Extra Tips and Tricks
Don’t wind up in the doghouse with your child by phoning this in. Plan it with them, have some funny dog/puppy YouTube videos on in the background, create a game of pin the tail on the puppy (just spin them more the older they are!).
Looking for more tips, tricks, ideas and recipes to plan the perfect party? Check out our birthday hub.
