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Friday

Hiking 70th Birthday Party


Well, well, well... I've finally got a blog post up to share with you!  (I almost made it through the month without blogging!  Does that tell you how great our summer has been? Such a great one. )  

Today I'm sharing my mother-in-law's hiking themed birthday party.
Her most favorite thing to do is to hike.  She's been in a weekly hiking group for years and she just loves it when the family joins her hiking.  So...for her birthday we all headed up to Whistler, BC for a hiking birthday celebration.
Did I mention that it's her 70th Birthday? 
(One of her hiking friends made her this bib to wear while she celebrates.)



Of course we had to have some party décor to help jazz up the celebration. 

A simple pennant banner was made with my Cricut machine.  Styrofoam cones (trees) wrapped in coordinating wrapping paper and balloons added some color to the mantle.  (We stayed in cute, ski-lodge townhomes in Whistler Village. Loved the river rock fireplaces!)


Clever signs and food labels always elevate a party to a fun celebration!  The pretzels were labeled 'Hiking Sticks'.
'Ants On A Log' were actually chocolate chip 'ants' on peanut buttered celery sticks.
(These were gone in a flash!  I guess no one in the family really cares for raisins?)



The grandkids loved having a 'Pre-Hike Birthday Picnic Meal.'


Whistler water bottles were very appropriate for our party.



A blue plastic tablecloth with a green wrapping paper runner lined the table.  Paper plates and colored buckets were from Party City.  Napkins from IKEA.  The painted rocks were from this post many summers ago.
  (Yes, I hauled all this party gear into Canada.  No, I didn't try to explain to the border guards why we needed so much 'luggage' for one week-end.) 


Colored straws work well when placing signs in the foods.
Print out signs, glue to colored cardstock, trim and tape the sign onto the end of a straw.
(See bottom of post for links to print your own signs.)


After lunch, we all made our own trail mix for the birthday hike.(I basically raided the bulk food section of our grocery store!)


Each person was handed their own tiny paper sack to fill.


Can you even imagine the excitement from the kids when I said, "Make your own."!?

There WAS one rule. 
No eating the trail mix until you're on the trail.
(There may have been a little rule bending--from the adults?)




And one more thing for the hike... 

A Nature Hunt Hike Challenge. 

This was a great way to keep the kids interested in the hike.
During the hike they were to gather 6 things and place them in the bag.
1.  Something soft.
2.  Something smooth.
3.  Something green.
4.  Something rough.
5.  Something pretty.
6.  Something Nana would like.


When we returned home from the hike, everyone did a little 'Show and Tell' presentation for Nana.  The creativity was off the charts!



And the hike?!  The hike was spectacular!  Riverside Trail along the Cheakamus River was a perfect hike for our family.  We watched the river on most of the trail and stopped halfway to turn around at a small suspension bridge.  The kids and adults loved it.





Know what else they loved?  Coming home to my sister-in-law's homemade blackberry pie for dessert!




Happy Birthday, Nana!


PRINT YOUR OWN HIKING SIGNS AND LABELS:

Hiking Sayings Printables click here.


Hiking Labels to print- click here.


Hiking signs to print- click here.


Nature Hunt Hike to print- click here.


Trail Mix Labels to print- click here.




Want to see more of Nana's Birthday Parties?

Balloon Party


Sunshine Party


Beachy Starfish Party


Puppy Party


3 comments :

  1. So creative! You truly throw some of the best parties!!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks for a super creative party idea for my youngest son's birthday!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oh my goodness! This looks like SO MUCH FUN! I love the Nature Hike Hunt!!!

    ReplyDelete