For my daughter's first birthday I have planned a rubber ducky theme. I first made the invitations on our home computer.
I took a picture of my daughter in a bubble bath with a TON of yellow rubber ducky's around her. She was smiling big for the picture! I downloaded the picture via our digital camera and created her invitations in a postcard format. I used a bright orange ducky bill color for a background and centered her picture. I wrote (on the computer) "Rubber Ducky, You're the 1 ... who's gonna make Kate's birthday so much fun!" On the back of the postcard I wrote, "waddle on over to the ____ pond" with the date, time, address. I centered a rubber ducky from clip art under the writing and then wrote "your presence would be just ducky!" with RSVP instructions. I included lettering reminding the guest's to dress in their favorite rubber ducky attire (water activities provided). I cannot wait to see what their interpretation of 'rubber ducky attire' is. I sent these invites out as postcards saving a bit on postage. The party colors are rubber ducky yellow, orange and water fun blue! For the party, we are doing a backyard bbq with water fun. I purchased a rubber ducky sprinkler at a local discount store. I will arrange various pools filled with many rubber ducky's. We are going to play the famous carnival "pick a rubber ducky game" and "ring the rubber duck" and "bullseye rubberduck." The bullseye game is a new creation as I have children ranging to age 5 who love water balloons. I am never too thrilled at them throwing them at each other, so I have created a giant rubber duck to attach to a tree. There are prizes for hitting the target, ringing a rubber duck in a pool and prizes for any duck chosen in the carnival pick a duck game. Everyone wins! The table will be covered in a blue table cloth representing water. The cake, balloons, and food will be placed on the table. Since we are doing a traditional bbq, I am going to place the hamburger condiments in a veggie type of tray and float a rubber duck in the center where the dip usually goes. For the cake, I am having a local a bakery frost the cake is blue representing the water with orange/while writing matching the invitation. I will place a rubber duck or two on the top (or maybe even just a rubber duck foot!) We will be dining inside due to bee's, so I have decorated the "rec room" as a big overflowing bubble bath. I have blown up clear balloons to represent the bubbles and plan to tape/string them to the walls to show the room is overflowing with bubbles. I had a friend trace duck feet for me and have since traced about 50 more onto thick yellow/orange paper which I have cut out each individually. I plan to tape the feet around the walls as if the duck is walking around the bath tub. I also plan to tape some to the entrance of the house and make signs out of wood saying "duck crossing." We have also purchased a duck piņata for the older kids candy needs. I purchased a rubber ducky book that I plan to read after gathering the kids on a blanket. This, I hope, will calm them down and get them placed for present time. For the party favors, I purchased at the dollar store in town, colored (yellow or blue) metal pails. I then purchased bubble bath from Kmart at .99/each in the watermelon flavor which happens to be an orange label and color. I plan to place a bubble bath and white wash cloth hanging over the side in the pails topped off with their own rubber ducky! We will be playing rubber ducky and splish/splash type of songs. I honestly cannot wait!
