Invitation

The super duper cute FREE printable invitation came from Living Locurto.  I just downloaded the printables and then adhered a sticker back to the “Open with Caution” printables to seal the invitations shut.  Interestingly enough, I mailed 15 invitations, and 3 were returned saying that they needed more postage.  I can’t figure out why.  They aren’t large or bulky.

Decorations

For decorations, I had Tricia-Rennea design a Science Printable pack which included two banners, water bottle wrappers, cupcake toppers, place cards, science paper background and caution squares.

You can order the same set from her here for $12.95.   I also ordered a few pipettes, graduated cylinders and test tubes from American Science & Surplus.  They have great prices for the science materials and ship quickly, too.

Experiments

I found  most of the ideas for experiments on the Muddy Princess Blog.  She threw a Science Party for her son and had lots of fun experiments and great ideas!

Each child was given a clipboard and pen to begin the experiments (they each took them home after the party, too).  Every scientist needs a clipboard, right?  I found mine at Walmart for just over $1.00 each.

Then, each child had to scan their hand in order to enter the lab.

Next they were given a little instruction, separated into groups and then sent off to their experiment stations.

Color Symphony Experiment – This experiment uses milk, food coloring and liquid soap.  The kids loved this experiment because the use of food coloring was fun and the end result was unexpected!

Drops on a Penny –  This experiment was a hit because the kids got their very own plastic pipette and they had to “hypothesize” how many drops of water their penny would hold.  After they made their guess, they “piped” drops of water onto their penny and got to see how close they were to their hypothesis.

Magnet Fun – For the magnet station I ordered donut magnets for the kids and let them experiment with different magnetic objects.  They had the opportunity to draw different objects provided and write whether or not they had a magnetic pull.

Space Station – For the station devoted the the study of space, I set out a bunch of books on constellations and planets as well as black construction paper and chalk.  I asked the children to look through the books and then draw a picture of their favorite planet or constellation.

Making Snow – Probably the most popular experiment involved making snow.  I bought fake snow at the drug store and let each child make their own cup of snow. All they had to do was add water so it was super simple, but they LOVED it.

Physics – Each child learned about physics in the bounce house.  What better way to learn that what comes up must come down than in a bouncer?

Cake & Cupcakes

I’m convinced that kids don’t care what the cake and cupcakes look like as long as they get one.  So, this year I baked a 4 layer cake (alternating layers, white and chocolate) and Jeff decorated it.  I now know why people buy cakes from bakeries.  They are a lot of work.  The cake was moist though, and I thought the custom science theme decoration looked suberb.  {{wink}}

Food

We served pizza and fruit for lunch and had fun snacks like Ozone Oranges, Constellation Crackers, and Nerds in test tubes.

Party Favors

The party favors were one of my favorite parts of the party.  Each child took home their clip board, pen, and their bag which contained:

• a movie sized box of candy
• marbles
• a pipette of “snow”
• magnet (used in magnet experiment)

And that’s How to Throw a Science Themed Birthday Party.

Other Parties/Ideas I’ve featured:

• How to Throw a Circus Themed Birthday Party
• How to Throw a Wizard of Oz Party
• How to Throw a Parisian Themed Birthday Party
• How to make a Faux Spaghetti and Meatball Cake
• How to Throw Cowgirl Themed Birthday Party
• How to Throw an Alice in Wonderland Themed Party {tea party}