Toy Story 4 (with Forky!) Inspired Birthday Party

The Toy Story movies are loved by everyone in our family.

They are a good mix of comedy and nostalgia. Plus, they teach good lessons and are so touching. With an abundance of cute characters and bright colors, Toy Story was the perfect choice for a party theme.

If you’re a longtime follower of the blog, you know that we normally celebrate the twins twice. We celebrate with family on their actual birthday, and then we have a big party on their NICUversary. I get a little emotional around their actual birth, but I’m always happy to celebrate the day they finally came home from the hospital.

Also, in true fashion, it’s almost their 8th birthday, so it’s about time to share their 7th NICUversary party.

The Decorations

Toy Story is filled with toys of all colors, so the two main characters, Woody and Buzz, provided the party theme colors. To represent Woody, I found red, yellow, and cow print items. For Buzz, it was light purple and green, as seen on his astronaut suit.

I then purchased balloons, table clothes, disposable dishware, and streamers in these colors. We decorated the backyard, since that was the scene of the party. I also did some paintings inspired by the movie.

The boys have plenty of Toy Story toys, so those were great additions to the food tables.

Plus, is it really a party without my signature gift bags?

A Little More About those Gift Bags

I know that some people hate gift bags from kids’ birthday parties. They don’t want that cheap junk or candy that often comes inside. Well, I disagree. I think it’s a nice way to say thanks to your guests, and I also try to include things that are useful.

This year, we had crayons and notepads, along with some fun Toy Story swag. Even if the parents don’t really like it, the kids always do, and that who the party is for, right? The bags were also used to collect the candy from the pinata.

So, in case you’d like to make your very own Toy Story bags, here is a closer look on how I put them together.

For Woody:

For Buzz:

For Forky, I simply cut the top of the bag, stuck on googly eyes, and drew his face. Finally, I stuck pipe cleaners in the sides.

Here are some supplies you may need. I’ve included my Amazon Affiliate links. Simply click through the picture to be taken to the product. If you make a purchase, I may earn a small commission. There is no additional charge to you.

The Entertainment

As I mentioned, we used the bags for the candy from our pinata. It tends to be a party tradition at our house. We always make sure the birthday boy (or boys) go first, followed by the youngest ones. We don’t want it to break too quickly.

I also try to find the pinata with the strings to pull, but they aren’t always available for our theme. This year, we did a rocket ship to go with Buzz Lightyear.

In addition to the pinata, we had two craft stations. The first was a DIY Forky. I used some Crayola modeling clay, plastic forks/spoons (it’s really hard to find sporks at a store, but I linked them below) those plastic googly eyes, and pipe cleaners. Unfortunately, it was a super hot day, and the clay was pretty goopy. So, once they were made, I took them inside to dry.

The other station was friendship bracelets. Again, pipe cleaners, along with a bunch of beads made for an easy and fun craft.

The Food

As with most of our parties, we kept the food simple. We ordered pizzas, had a cheese and sausage tray (I guess you call those Charcuterie plates now!) chips and dip, plus a cake. We also had soda, water, punch, wine, and beer.

Sometimes I get more creative with the food and drinks at parties, but this year simple was best. I did find some really cute paper bowls for the chips, though.

Party Time?

I’m not sure how party’s will look this summer, but I’m hoping we’ll be able to have friends and family over. However it happens, there will still be a theme, decorations, and a celebration of my amazing NICU survivors.