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My daughter and niece were born one day apart, so celebrating their birthdays together every year feels extra special. While kids parties should be about the kids, it’s fun to create an environment and menu that both children and adults can enjoy. Instead of going really theme-y with children’s birthdays I prefer to have a few items that stick to a theme and build the rest of the party within a color palette.

This year we did Swan Lake poolside, incorporating a few swans and infusing lots of black, white, blushes and berry shades.

I created swan masks for the kids using dowel rods from the hardware store and some poster board.  A bit of glitter on the beaks added a little something extra.

A floral arrangement can be all the decor you really need.  These vases of peonies, dahlias and other moody stems helped continue the theme in a subtle and beautiful way.

The menu was light but full of things both children and adults love: tea sandwiches, crudités with lemon parmesan and creamy pistachio dips, truffle kettle chips, berry jars, sugar cookies and death by chocolate cake bites.

Don’t forget about the adults. They will appreciate a space for themselves in the midst of the kid chaos. Mix and match things you already have that are in the party’s palette to create a space they want to spend time in.