Ty's Kung Fu Panda Birthday Party

We had such a fun birthday party for Tyler this year. He wanted a Kung Fu Panda birthday party, and boy did he get one! We had 8 3-5 year olds at our house, and it was very busy, but very fun. He invited Isaac Teeples, Sam Gustafson, Garrett Kimball, Zach Gailey (who's sweet mom, Kristi, drove him all the way up here from Cincinnati!), Nathan Elison, Ben Haws, and Cohen Burnett.

First up was a Kung Fu Panda coloring contest (really, just something to keep them busy while we were waiting for everyone to arrive.)

James set up an obstacle course down in the basement, using things like 2 x 4s and food storage cans to make a balance beam, plastic deck chairs that they had to climb under, our kid-size picnic table they had to climb over, and various other items found throughout the house. Thanks, James! The kids loved it.

The best game we played was a contest to see who could keep their balloon up in the air without letting it hit the ground. They had to use some foam swords that I had picked up as a party favor (I'm sure all the parents loved me for sending swords home) to hit the balloon. They had a blast with this game and were even pretty good about not fighting each other too much. We played some other games, Master Shifu Says (Simon Says), Duck Duck Kung Fu Panda (Duck Duck Goose), and practiced some sweet kung fu moves while listening to the Kung Fu Panda soundtrack.

Next up was pizza and a Kung Fu Panda birthday cake. If I ever get around to it, I'll figure out how to upload the video from our video camera of the boys singing happy birthday.

Then it was present time - can you say CHAOS!!! By the end of it, I really wasn't sure which present came from which kid. But Tyler loved them all!


By the end, the kids were so tired, that I popped in a movie (what else - Kung Fu Panda) for the boys to watch while waiting for their parents to come get them. I thought it was so cute that as the boys raided their goody bags, they all put on the Kung Fu Panda masks that were in them, without prompting, in order to watch the movie.


Tyler and his friends had so much fun, and I'm so glad we got to have all those cute boys, who we love so much, over to help celebrate. Tyler has been so lucky to have so many great friends here in Ohio, and I know he is going to be very sad when he realizes that we are not going to be living by them.