About a month before I decided to start this blog, I hosted a Pancakes and Pajamas Party for my daughter’s 7th birthday. I barely took any photos while baking, decorating, or during the party, and I totally missed the opportunity for a good photo of the finished cake. Luckily, my husband came to the rescue with a grainy screenshot pulled from a video, which is now our only evidence of the glorious cake.
But my daughter had an amazing time with her friends, and we made memories baking and decorating together, and honestly, that’s what mattered most. I’m sharing this party in case it sparks ideas for your next kids’ celebration, or simply gives you permission to keep things simple and fun.
The Theme
The theme started with a Pancakes and Pajamas party invitation from Etsy. From there, my daughter and I leaned into a pastel color palette, using decorations I already had on hand from her Rainbow Unicorn party last year.
We set the table using my mother-in-law’s Lu-Ray pastel plates, paired with disposable plastic tablecloths from Target (it is a kid’s party after all). I love these dishes and will share more about them in a future post, but they were perfect for this pastel-heavy party.
The Cake & Cupcakes
Dessert was the main event. I had a set of mini cake pans sitting unused in my cabinet, and this felt like the perfect excuse to finally use them. We made a pastel layer cake, tinting each layer a different color with gel food coloring.
I used the vanilla cake and buttercream recipes from Sally’s Baking 101 by Sally McKenney (also available on her site, Sally’s Baking), and the results were incredible. The cake received rave reviews from both kids and parents, and I had a hard time staying away from the frosting.
We layered the cake with pink frosting, topped it with edible glitter, and added some simple piping. It was beautiful and delicious.
Because of the pan size, we had leftover batter, so we used it to make cupcakes. I also used Sally’s Simply Perfect Vanilla Cupcakes recipe and the results were incredible. Just don’t double it! Something I learned from actually reading the intro to the cookbook. There’s useful stuff in there…
This was my daughter’s first time decorating cupcakes completely on her own. We tinted frosting in four pastel shades, and she piped and decorated every cupcake herself. It was messy, fun, and a reminder that not everything needs to be perfect to be special.
Activities
For activities, I leaned into a little nostalgia and went full 90s: puffy paint T-shirts. This was a hit with both the kids and the moms. The girls also made Fruit Loop necklaces, and sticker activities kept everyone happily busy.
The sleeper hit, though, was a kids’ swing my husband installed in the basement moments before guests arrived. Paired with a disco ball left by the previous homeowners and a K-pop demon hunters soundtrack, it turned into the perfect dance-and-play zone. I honestly think they would’ve been fine with just this activity!
The Food
The food was intentionally simple and store-bought. Costco and Wegmans did the heavy lifting, with a little help from Dunkin’.
I planned a relaxed brunch that would be easy to prep, easy to serve, and appealing to both kids and adults. The pancake puffs were a hit with everyone, which I expected since we already buy them for our family. What surprised me was how quickly the mini quiche went. The adults were the only ones eating them and kept raving about how good they were.
The girls sang Happy Birthday, enjoyed a relaxed brunch, and carefully brought their puffy-painted shirts home.
Menu
- Belgian Boys bite-sized pancakes (Costco; Wegmans sells them too)
- Cheese and grape tray (Costco)
- Mini quiche (Wegmans)
- Pigs in a blanket (Wegmans)
- Vanilla Greek yogurt with granola, berries, and honey (Costco)
- Individual mini waters (Wegmans) and milks (Costco)
- Hot cocoa and coffee (Dunkin’)
- Toppings – chocolate chips, mini marshmallows, crumbled graham crackers, and sprinkles (I used what I had in my pantry)
- Orange juice and Prosecco (Wegmans)
- If your Costco carries macarons, they make a great pastel-friendly addition and they’re always a crowd-pleaser. Mine was unfortunately out.
What I Used
Decorations & Table Setting
- Pancakes and Pajamas birthday invitation (Etsy)
- Disposable rectangular tablecloths (Target – light purple/white)
- Disposable party napkins (Target)
- Lu-Ray Pastels (vintage; commonly available on resale sites)
- Pastel decorations (Target)
Baking & Dessert Supplies
- Mini layered cake pans (Wilton)
- Carousel cupcake stands (vintage; similar styles available online)
- Glass pedestal cake stand (Crate and Barrel)
- Cake decorating supplies (piping tips and bags, angled spatula)
- Gel food coloring (Wilton)
- Edible glitter (Disco Dust edible glitter)
- Cake turntable
- Cupcake/cake carrier (for storing cupcakes before the party)
- Pastel birthday candles
Activity Supplies
- Tulip puffy paint (multi-pack and glow-in-the-dark)
- Plain white t-shirts
- Fruit Loop necklace supplies (stretchy string and Fruit Loops cups)
- Sticker activity sheets (cupcake and donut themed)
- Rope swing and gymnastics mat (swing hanger used)
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