tween birthday party essentials

We just hosted a birthday party for my daughter and her friend. I already posted the easy to make ice cream sandwich cake that we served. Here are the rest of the fun details from the party.

1. CAKE- Of course, you need cake. This ice cream sandwich cake was perfect for a summer outdoor party.
2. TREATS- The girls loved filling a small candy bag from this glass candy jar. I purchased it from TJ Maxx last year and it comes in handy all the time -for parties and for seasonal home décor. Such a good purchase.
3. WELCOME SIGN- This is always a nice way to welcome your guests and let them know you're glad they came. We made this simple welcome sign by spraying paint an old picture frame that we had  and attaching a welcome sign (created in Microsoft Word) with fun duct tape.
4. GAMES- One of the games with girls loved playing was a water balloon toss. We had enough balloons to play a few different water balloon games. My friend found these super cute marbleized balloons. They were almost too cute to break! (My friend bought them at our local toy shop. I'm still looking for an online link for you. Or if you know a source, let me know!)
5. FAVORS- One thing my daughter really wanted to include for her guests were these s'mores kits. We packaged three store-bought graham crackers, a full size Hershey's chocolate bar, and three store-bought marshmallows in clear bags tied with a ribbon. (I like to keep a variety of these clear bags on hand. They're super useful! You can purchase them at most craft and hobby stores.)
6. DRINKS- Another way to personalize the party was with these decorated water bottles. It was a warm and sunny day and the girls were swimming most of the time, I wanted to provide enough water to keep them hydrated. We ripped off the label of store-bought water bottles and wrapped them with this cute patterned duct tape. Then I added an address label so that the girls could write their name on it. This made it easier to distinguish water bottles keeping the party casual and making it easier for the guests and for me as the host. I use this little tip with cups too. (Of course, you can just write directly on the bottle or cup, but I find the ink always smears, so the label is a worthwhile extra step.)

What are you go-to party essentials?

Happy Entertaining,