How to Host a Sandlot Birthday Party
DISCLOSURE: THIS POST MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS, MEANING I GET A COMMISSION IF YOU DECIDE TO MAKE A PURCHASE THROUGH MY LINKS, AT NO COST TO YOU. PLEASE READ MY TERMS OF USE POLICY FOR MORE INFO.My son was turning 5 and he was brainstorming birthday party ideas. He landed on the theme of Sandlot! He had recently watched the movie and was obsessed! He loves baseball too, so it was a great fit. It was super fun to plan and host this party. It made my “90’s kid” heart happy. :)
Invitations
Starting with the invites, I used the free Canva account to create this simple invite. Everything I did was using free elements on Canva. You can replicate yourself easily! I also made my invite available for purchase on Etsy for a few bucks. Find it here. I sent these out to our guests via email and text. I prefer to send electronic invites; it is easy and often low budget or free!
Here’s another invite option available on Etsy. https://thebirthdaypartymama.etsy.com/listing/1826583201
The Concession Stand
To make the baseball theme come to life, I opted for a concession stand for food! This turned out so great and guests really enjoyed it. It was easy to put together and added such a great themed element to the party.
For snacks when the guests arrived, I served popcorn with little paper hot dog holders. They were so cute! I also served Baby Ruth candy bars, of course! ;) I also put out some Go-Go Squeeze applesauce pouches, which is a nice option as a “safe food” for kiddos with a variety of food likes and allergies. I also made these cute baseball rice krispies treats. How to: Make your rice krispies as usual in a 9 x 13 or larger pan. Use a circle cookie cutter to cut out the baseballs. I used licorice (need pull & peel kind) to make the signature red baseball thread look. I wrapped them individually in plastic wrap, which is a totally optional step! I originally made these for a “take home treat”, but then decided at the last minute to just serve them with the snacks.
For dinner, I went with chili dogs for the main dish. It was classic and matched with the Sandlot theme. I hung up some twine in the kitchen and used clothespins to hang up individual bags of chips. I just loved how this turned out!
Easy Baseball Cake
No expertise needed for this DIY baseball cake! I decorated with the colors of the party and just made a giant baseball on top of the cake with my son’s name on it. Simple, but cute! Display on a cute versatile cake stand. I use mine for everything!
DIY Banners & Balloons
There was a lot of DIY banners and signs that I found online. Simply search what you are looking for + “free printable” and you’ll find almost anything you need. Here’s the concession banner that I used from Liz on Call. Print, cut, grab your twine and a hole puncher, and you’re good to go.
I made one of my classic balloon arches for this party. You can find the directions here. I used plain colors to do with the theme (blue and red) and added some accent white balloons to even out the colors. Find a kit here; this one even has a baseball glove and baseball Mylar balloons to accompany it. Adorable!
Check out this themed shirt for the party. You’re killin’ me Smalls… Happy party planning, friends!