Squishmallow Winter Birthday

Recently my oldest daughter turned ten and requested a Squishmallow Winter themed Birthday. Here is how we created an easy and fun party to celebrate with her friends and family using simple supplies, little expense, and time. I also made some themed printables and templates that are free to download below. Hope they can be helpful and fun for your kids too!

Decorations:

I used pink and white paper plates we already had and adhered them to the wall with painter’s tape to quickly create Manny, the Squishmallow snowman. Some construction paper and paper plate scraps in black and orange were cut out to form his eyes and nose. Neon pink paper plates were attached to create his scarf with stripes cut out of more blue paper plates. This took only minutes to put up, costed zero dollars as we had everything already on hand, and really help to set the scene over our little kitchen table.

I made a large balloon garland using a mix of white and pastel balloons and used a Sharpie and construction paper to create a few Squishmallow characters to decorate our living room. My kids displayed their Squishmallows all over. I also made a few photo props (displayed above) that are free to download here.

This file is best printed out onto white cardstock, cut, and adhered to wooden dowels.

I turned a purple punch balloon into a Squishmallow octopus by adding a pink flower cut out of construction paper, pink and purple crepe paper streamer as tentacles, and some white printer paper cut into an oval for her belly.

In the dining room, my kids helped me to make another large balloon garland with a mix of pink, white, blue, and light purple balloons. I made a penguin and snowman template to add to a few balloons to create more interest. They are free to download above fore personal use. The kids also helped me to paint a huge Manny the snowman on scrapwood to further decorate this space.

I projected images of Squishmallow characters, adding wintery elements like earmuffs onto the boards and outlined them with a black Sharpie. My kids helped me to paint them. They make wonderful photo props that can be made ahead, ready to pull out and just prop up on party day to quickly set the scene.

Here is my dad, cutting out Manny with his jigsaw.

Here is the birthday girl painting Maui the Squishmallow Pineapple with earmuffs for winter.

Here is little sister posing in front of the finished painting, wearing her own earmuffs.

In the playroom, we kept our artificial tree up and my kids helped me to decorate it. They used a mix of light blue ornaments and Squishmallow ornaments they received from Christmas. They also helped me to make large scale snowflakes out of blue wrapping paper, adhering them to our wall with painter’s tape. We displayed a few of the large cutouts they had painted. I made my daughter a birthday banner that is available here. I really enjoy creating banners for my kids. They are a vey inexpensive and quick way to help decorate a large space. Lastly, my kids helped me to blow up a bunch of white balloons to scatter as snow. These are all very easy and affordable ways to decorate for any winter themed party or celebration.

In the kitchen, the birthday girl helped me to glue cotton balls onto clear fishing wire to create snow falling from the ceiling. You just dip jumbo cottons balls into clear glue then squeeze the cotton balls around the fishing wire, leaving some space in between. This is a great decoration to make with kids because they tend to create more random patterns which will end up looking more realistic.

I made another banner to complete this space.

Party Activities

I found free Squishmallow coloring pages here and set up a little area inviting the kids to color.

I also made more coloring pages for the birthday girl that can be found here.

I used my projector to make a few large coloring pages for the kids.

I used a black Sharpie to create thicker outlines on the posters for kids to color. I purchased these white poster boards inexpensively from Walmart and used some Command poster strips to secure them to the wall. This allowed me to make use of the space in our hallway for another easy to set up activity for the kids.

Here is the finished Hoot the Owl ready to be colored in.

Here is a close up of Austin the Avocado with his winter hat.

I also made large coloring posters of the Squishmallow Hot Chocolate and Cam the Cat.

I purchased this adorable bead set and set up a little invitation to make necklaces. I laid out a variety of alphabet beads, colorful pony beads, elastic string, and pipe cleaners for kids to create. My daughters and their friends really enjoyed this simple setup.

I painted rocks from our landscaping black, then added an overlapping white heart and oval to create little penguin bodies. I filled a tray with adhesive googly eyes, chunky yarn, pom poms and paint pens for the kids to create little penguins wearing their winter hats and scarves.

I used my popsicle stick snowflake template to evenly space out my pipe cleaners before twisting them together for kids to decorate with beads.

I made some simple winter hats for the kids to color and decorate. This file is best printed out onto white cardstock, colored, cut out and stapled together after measuring your child’s head. They are available here and can be personalized with kids’ names, ages, or event.

I just added this simple sign to our giant Lego bucket to invite kids to build their own Lego Squishmallows. Sometimes kids just need a little nudge to inspire more creative building.

My kids received a lot of fake snowballs for Christmas. I simply filled white cups with them and made another banner, turning the kids’ play kitchen into a snowcone stand. The birthday girl’s little sister drew a sign to further complete the space.

My kids helped me to bake sugar cookies. I found the adorable Squishmallow cookie cutters here.

Decorating cookies is always a hit and setting up this activity was as easy as setting out vanilla buttercream frosting, these sugar cookies, along with some paper plates, plastic knives, and a few sprinkles, and letting the kids just go to town. My favorite recipe for vanilla buttercream frosting is from Two Sisters.

I found some cute Squishmallow tattoos here on Amazon. I also included snowflake tattoos leftover from little sister’s Frozen birthday. I love including a little area for kids dedicated to temporary tattoos as it is a super inexpensive and low prep activity that is always a hit.

I purchased these canvases from Walmart and used my projector to outline various mages from Coloring All to create canvases for kids to paint.

I provided kids with a mix of acrylic paints and glitter glue as well as a black Sharpie to sign their painting.

We made a Squishmallow pinata together from cardboard. This is an easy and wonderful way to make larger, more sturdy pinatas, that can fit into any party theme. You just need to cut out the shape of your piñata twice, add 3-4 inch cardboard strips to the sides, and tape everything up with masking tape.

We use masking tape as it can be painted or easily covered up with tissue paper and won’t show through.

We covered our Squishmallow penguin pinata with light purple crepe paper streamers, gluing on some white poster board for her body, and added a strip of pink crepe paper ribbon for her scarf. My kids always enjoy helping me to make and fill these pinatas. As the cost of making these are minimal, we get to splurge on filling them. We filled ours with the birthday girl’s favorite candy treats (Nerds) as well as a mix too for her family and friends.

As my daughter’s birthday is in the middle of winter, we like to include seasonal activities which she enjoys. A favorite activity is making snow globes.

This year, my parents had given us a Noble fir tree from their yard for Christmas. My middle daughter helped me to cut up a few branches from it to create little trees for snow globes. I made a Squishmallow inspired reindeer and snowman printable which we also used as cupcake toppers (see below), cut and laminated them, then hot glued them to the lids of small mason jars. I added some artificial snow at the base over the hot glue.

During the party, I added clear glue to the jars.

The kids filled them to the top with warm water, adding glitter, more artificial snow, and adhesive gems to decorate.

They also used my template (see above in decorations) to make balloon snowmen. They blew up white balloons, used Sharpies to draw snowmen eyes and mouths, cut and paste hats and noses, and glued on strips of crepe paper streamer as scarves.

I made a pin the winter hat on Fifi game from a spare sheet of scrap wood. I used my projector to trace the outline for my daughter to paint. I cut out a bunch of winter hats (using my winter hat craft template I made) from construction paper for kids to spin around with their eyes closed and stick on.

Food:

I laid out some of my daughter’s food themed Squishmallow stuffies next to some of our party food. We had Antoine the Squishmallow Jar of Peanut Butter placed next to a bowl filled with peanuts and Arnel the Popcon sit next to a bowl filled with white cheddar Smartfood popcorn. We also had a bowl of shrimp chips we labelled as snowflakes.

I threw some tomatoes, onions, lime juice, and cilantro in my food processor along with a jar of Pace mild salsa to make a semi-homemade salsa. I followed this recipe from The Cookie Rookie to make queso in my crockpot. I made some taco meat and also kept it on warm in the crockpot.

We enjoyed some twice baked potatoes which tastes so good with taco meat and queso ladled on top. I made these a day ahead and just popped them in my countertop roaster oven to warm before the party.

We served homemade baked beans, mac and cheese, and beef bbq. We also made traditional Vietnamese egg rolls. The egg roll recipe handed down from my mom can be found here.

Here is the birthday girl enjoying all her favorite foods.

We had a hot cocoa bar. This is something we always like to serve in any of our gatherings in fall and winter. I followed this recipe from Wishes and Dishes to make the crockpot hot chocolate and laid out some simple toppings (mini marshmallows, chocolate chips, cookie straws, and whipped cream).

We scooped out pink and orange sherbet and mixed it with a few bottles of ginger ale to make a Fifi colored punch. The party sign I made is free to download above for personal use.

My daughter requested a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting covered in fondant to look like a snowman. I used this recipe to make the chocolate cake and frosting. I used this recipe to make the marshmallow fondant. I piped some pink buttercream frosting and made white snowflakes using a mold I already had and some white Ghiradelli melting wafers.

My daughter requested pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. I used this delicious recipe from Live Well Baked Often. I made these simple cupcake toppers, cut them out, and taped them to toothpicks. The snowman and reindeer are available to download above for personal use (see snow globe craft section). The numbered toppers as well as the snowflake cupcake toppers are available here.

Favors:

I purchased plain white bags from Amazon and made these simple bag labels. I make more personalized bag labels here. The birthday girl helped me to add these stickers on top of little notebooks and filled the rest of the bags with party blowers, Squishmallow pins, candy nerds, and ring pops. Guests filled the rest of their bags with pinata candy and crafts they made. I found my daughter’s cute Squishmallow tee here from Walmart. The price point was so nice, I was able to purchase matching tees for her sisters as well as myself.

Here is the birthday girl posing with some of her presents. My greatest joy in creating these parties for my children is seeing all their excitement and happiness. I really enjoy planning and creating with my kids. I also love helping them to see that we don’t have to go out and buy all the things and can easily make everything from what we already have.

I create more printable activities for kids here with the goal of helping to grow kids who love to learn.

To see my other kids’ parties click here.

If you use these printables or party ideas, I would love to see it! Please use #sodangfun on social media, tag me @sodangfun on Instagram, or post to my Facebook page.

I hope this post inspires you to create something simple, low budget, and fun to celebrate your Squishmallow fan!