I love to plan the kids parties, and usually start asking them about 2 months prior what kind of party and theme they would like. It was no surprise when my son said Dinosaurs, because he totally loves them and talks about wanting to be a paleontologist all the time. So a Dino Dig Birthday party was the perfect theme for his 5th birthday.
To start I like to think of party décor and ideas. I knew we would be getting back from a big trip so doing a lot of DIYs was out of the question for me. I did manage to make a great Dinosaur wall art that I hung as a backdrop and a birthday shirt. For everything else I checked out Oriental Trading to see what they had in terms of Dino Décor and found about 3 different dino themes. I asked my son what he liked the best and the Dino Dig was the winner. I personally love to order the fun plates and napkins to help with the theme, but when I saw the Dino treat stand I thought it would be great big treat on the table. It was huge and really made a big impression and I was glad I got it.
For food we like to keep it simple and yummy. We had a fruit tray and made a dino out of strawberries, a veggie platter where we designed as a T-rex claw and used Chick-fil-A nuggets in the shape of a volcano and used red sauce for the lava. Add in some pretzel sticks for dino bones in the centerpiece and we were set.
When it came to activities I’ve learned it’s best to have 3 things planned, anything more is just too much, especially for younger kids. When I saw Pin the Head on the Dino I knew the kids would get a kick out of it and it included everything I needed so all I had to do was find a spot to hang it up.
I also made Dino Dig Eggs and set up an excavation station where I hid small plastic dinosaurs inside that they had to excavate. I have a full post and video up for how to make them and excavate them.
I also thought it would be fun to learn more about dinos so I grabbed the pack of 6 dinosaur information posters. Both the adults and kids liked this because they were learning about different dinos. I also had a little scavenger hunt for the older kids that were attending who can read and write on their own making it a great activity and something special for them. Plus I will put these up in the playroom as decor!
The cake was the big hit because it looked like a Triceratops and we all know kids love cake! I’ll have a full post on how to make the cake up soon as well.
As the party came to close I had Camden hand out the favors to his friends, a book and a few small dinos. I like to find books that are relevant to the theme and Dinos Dancing at the Beach was a great price and perfect reading level for a 5 year old party.
Overall the party was a big success, and I was so pleased with all the décor, games, food, cake and friends that joined us to help celebrate our buddy boy turning 5!
I also have a great Dinosaur Lover Gift Guide if you’re looking for gift ideas for a dino lover!
Do you have a Dino lover who would like a Dino Dig Birthday Party?
Disclosure: I was sent items from Oriental Trading to use for this party. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This post was originally published March 15, 2017.
Loved this dinosaur birthday party, it was the best!! The eggs with squirt bottles was a hit.
So glad you were able to come to the party!
My grandchildren would love this idea. You did a great job on the cake. Thank you so much for sharing this special party