A Teddy Bear's Picnic Birthday Party

Earlier this month, we celebrated a very special little boy’s birthday with a teddy bear’s picnic themed party! This year was different than last year because my son grasped the concept of a party and he became more and more excited as the day approached. One day I asked him who he wanted me to invite to his party. He responded, “Nanny and cake”. So I made sure to invite Nanny and had an incredible cake made by Frosting. 

Growing up, I remember singing along with Anne Murray to Teddy Bear’s Picnic. Our mom even took us to several teddy bear’s picnics where we brought our favourite fluffy companion and packed a picnic lunch. I wanted to re-create this magic for my son. 
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The first task was choosing a colour scheme. I wanted soft, cheerful colours and landed on pale pink, purple, turquoise, and yellow. Balloons in each of these colours were placed around the house to create a festive vibe. Bunting banners in the same soft colours were hung to brighten our space and set the tone. 

I created a little teddy bear adoption centre for our younger guests who each took home a teddy bear and an adoption certificate that included the child’s name and the name of their new furry friend. How cute are these teddy bears? The birthday boy loved taking home his own birthday teddy bear! 

I placed teddy bears dressed in party hats throughout the space. Some bears could be found sipping tea out of pretty teacups! 

Now onto the picnic! My husband, Craig Flinn, seriously outdid himself. My mouth waters every time I think of this gorgeous picnic buffet. Craig repurposed wood and essentially made a stage for the food. Set atop wooden discs and planks were sandwiches (1. Roast beef, smoked gouda, onion jam, and rosemary mayo. 2. Roast chicken, bacon, tomato, lettuce, and chipotle mayo. 3. Ham and comte on a baguette), cheeses, jams, crackers, little cups filled with crudité, and a bountiful arrangement of fruit. Each guest was also offered individual bags of kettle chips. I ordered labels for the chips complete with little teddy bears on each one. Guests were given their own individual “picnic baskets” and invited to take whatever and however much they wanted. Needless to say, the amazing spread was enjoyed by all!

​Craig also made yummy lemonade and we put out drink jars with lids and paper straws for each guest.  

For dessert, guests enjoyed the cutest cookies I have ever seen. Christine’s Cookie Box created honeypots, bears, bees, picnic baskets, and the No. 2. These cookies went fast even though they were (almost) too cute to eat. Each child was given an individually-wrapped teddy bear cookie with their name on it to take home. 
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The cake was a piece of art and tasted as good as it looked. This three-tier masterpiece had the most adorable details including bears enjoying a picnic on a patchwork picnic blanket and another bear covered in jam who enjoyed his picnic a little too much! 

My son had such a fun time at his party. It was a day I will never forget. I really cannot put into words how grateful I am for his life. He is a dream come true. I love watching him grow and learn. He is a caring, loving, intelligent little boy who reminds me daily that miracles do happen. These past two years have been the best years of my life and even though there are challenges along the way, my baby boy reminds me to be thankful. 

Thank you to Lindsay and her husband, Chris, for co-hosting and for all your help with set-up and tear down. Thank you for surrounding my son with love every day and making him smile. Thank you to each guest who took the time to attend our picnic. And thank you to my husband. You never cease to amaze me. You are such a wonderful daddy (or “Daaaaaa” as you are sometimes called). I am so happy to be on this journey with you. 

Happy birthday, little boy! Mama loves you so much!