birthday party theme: master of disguise

by mari

Disguise glasses and costume dress up play for kids

So I think I’ve figured out my favorite birthday theme idea. It’s one I would love love love to do for Birdie, but 2 year olds in disguises just don’t hold up well. At all. So I’m going to save it for a couple of years while I gather lots of silly hats, glasses, and scarves from various vintage locations (we need a dress up bin anyway!). But what good is a blog if I can’t use it to bookmark and organize my ideas right? So reap the rewards of my research so far. Behold, the party favors and accessories needed for a kick-arse Master of Disguise Birthday. Let’s keep it classy, a little bit retro, and plan on taking tons of pictures.

    One must start with the ubiquitous Groucho Glasses. But ahem, there are more options to be had. In the image above (from left to right):

    We’re just getting started, in the image above (left to right):

    Other necessities?

    • A secret password in the invite that MUST be whispered at the door.
    • Parents dressed in overcoats and hats at all times.
    • A Spy-oriented treasure hunt with lots of cryptic clues.
    • Tape mustaches for everyone (see Salsa Pie’s dress up post for an example!)
    • Several bins and baskets of extra scarves, gloves, glasses, hats, and accessories placed strategically around your secret party location  – when your guests cover has been compromised, time to regroup, and redisguise!
    • Bake in some suh-weet toys and surprise treats into your birthday cake or cupcakes.
    • What am I forgetting? Add your ideas to the comments below!

    There are some great mustache-themed finds over at Etsy too, this is just the tip of the iceberg! In the image above (left to right):

    And here’s a couple more links to great disguise-themed items:

    { 10 comments… read them below or add one }

    1 Samantha January 4, 2011 at 8:28 am

    Love the idea Mari! Maybe for 3rd Bday? This is just too cool to wait too long. Perhaps a mystery to figure out during the party? Clues leading to a fun mystery for everyone? Such a great idea, I especially like the fact that it isn’t gender-specific. Awesome!

    Reply

    2 Miz Big January 4, 2011 at 8:56 am

    Thanks Sam! Once I started thinking about it, I wanted to do it right now! But yeah, best to wait until the kids would really enjoy it.

    Reply

    3 Vincent aka CuteMonsterDad January 4, 2011 at 8:53 am

    Nice post Mari. I think this idea would potentially go over well in small groups. Some children don’t always like having their faces covered so it would really be a trial and error type scenario.

    Vincent | CuteMonster.com

    Latest articles on CuteMonster:

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    Reply

    4 Miz Big January 4, 2011 at 8:57 am

    Good point Vincent, I think a “party planner” should always think through the specifics of the kids invited too.

    Reply

    5 Tiffany's Toy Box January 4, 2011 at 9:32 am

    Love this! My twins are having a small playdate/bday party this wkend, totally going to get disguises for all the kiddies! thanks!!

    Reply

    6 Miz Big January 4, 2011 at 2:33 pm

    Yay! I bet they’ll have a blast – you can find the groucho glasses at most party stores, some of the others may have to be ordered online. But I’m ALL for stalking the second-hand shops for bad 80’s glasses and some masking tape mustaches ;)
    Have fun – tell us how it goes!

    Reply

    7 Jo Green January 4, 2011 at 2:16 pm

    This would be a blast! I am planning my little ones b-day party, and I think this theme would be too fun! It would be fun to send each kid home with a photo of themselves all dressed up.

    Reply

    8 Miz Big January 4, 2011 at 2:35 pm

    Oh I am so glad you might do this theme. I agree, pictures of them all dressed up incognito would be great keepsakes (and those monster glasses are $7.99 a dozen, perfect take-home gifts!)
    You’ll have to tell us how it all turns out – I’d love to see the pictures too: email me at big@smallforbig.com!

    Reply

    9 Jennifer Fumia January 4, 2011 at 3:38 pm

    I’ve done similar parties. Josh’s 5th was a super hero party. I got fabric squares, sewed on some snaps, and had design your own cape. Then got some masks they could decorate. 3 years later the cape still comes out. For Jack’s 5th we rented the town community center, brought all the dress-up clothes from the house and let the kids play. Got some great pictures of bunny Chinese firefighters. Lots of fun.

    Reply

    10 Miz Big January 4, 2011 at 3:51 pm

    Jen, those ideas are both outstanding.
    I love capes for kids – as you may have noticed from Birdie’s halloween costume this year!
    I think bunny Chinese firefighters sound like perfection. Kids crack me up!

    Reply

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