Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase after clicking on certain links, I will receive payment!

March is an unforgettable month in my home. With two birthdays and Easter, we’ve been blessed with many opportunities to celebrate our wonderful family. This is the first year Samantha had a party with her friends, which she absolutely LOVED. When her actual sixth birthday came around, the pressure was on to come up with a plan to make the day special for her. Even though the plans were relatively simple, by the end of the day, Samantha exclaimed that she had the best birthday ever.

The Best Sixth Birthday

I started off the day with a simple, store bought face painting kit. This activity turned the morning into a festive celebration! My artistic skills are questionable, but no one minded. I followed an example and tried to get the whiskers where they were supposed to go. Samantha said that it was neat to have me be a part of the activity. When I painted Georgiana’s face, it was more difficult. She wanted to be a rabbit, and she refused to sit still, just like a rabbit would. I had to redo the rabbit teeth a few times. It was clear that age makes a big difference when you’re face painting. Six was the perfect age for trying a detailed, colorful face painting experience.
The best sixth birthday! (& Giveaway) on Theresa's Reviews - www.theresasreviews.com

What better way for a tiger to spend the day than to hunt for fish? I watched Samantha’s face light up when she discovered that she was going to pick out her first pet. She chose a couple fish that glowed in her favorite colors, pink and purple. This was the best part of her entire birthday. Six is the perfect age for a pet because it’s when kids are ready to show how responsible they can be. She is so proud to feed the fish every day.

The best sixth birthday! (& Giveaway) on Theresa's Reviews - www.theresasreviews.com

Samantha had a traditional, pink buttercream icing, marble birthday cake on her birthday with her friends. Celebrating the real 6th birthday called for a special cake. A chocolate cookie cake was different, and it was fun to try something new. Watching the cake topper was an unforgettable experience. When it was time to light the candles, I lit the center part shaped like a flower bud. Then, the flower opened up, sparkled, and lit the rest of the candles, while making a Happy Birthday tune.

P1060586

Although getting a first pet was the best part of the day, Samantha thanked everyone as she opened all her gifts. She ended up with so many items that were on her wish list as well as some brand new toys she didn’t even know existed yet. Educational Insights sent us a bundle of toys that arrived just in time for the sixth birthday. Samantha smiled when she saw these neat new toys. The toy bundle made the birthday even more exciting.

The Design & Drill Sparkle Works toy was perfect for sharing with Georgiana. While Samantha had previously tried several different types of Design & Drill toys, this toy had more functions. One of the coolest features is the Sound Activation Mode. This means that the lights inside the activity board respond to music and sound. The light-up activity board has a pretty, gold frame. Both girls love using the kid-friendly, translucent power drill to help make their creations using the colorful charm bits.

Another neat toy was the Hot Dots Jr. Ultimate Science Facts Interactive Book Set. I’ve been trying to get Samantha more involved with science. She enjoyed the books about dinosaurs, the solar system, and sharks. Using the interactive Hot Dots pen made reading nonfiction an engaging experience. While reading the books, I helped with the more difficult words. Samantha was excited to actively respond to the book using the pen.

The best sixth birthday! (& Giveaway) on Theresa's Reviews - www.theresasreviews.com

This past summer, Samantha helped me sample a class pack of Playfoam. The class pack is huge and provided a lot of fun, but I keep it stored away so it doesn’t get ruined. Recently, Educational Insights came up with individual Playfoam kits so kids can make their own small creations. Samantha received the Under the Sea Adventures Play Set and the Fairytale Friends Themed Set. These sets were the perfect size for her, and they provided plenty of entertainment. I liked that the packaging provided inspiration for how to design the Playfoam into a unique scene.

The best sixth birthday! (& Giveaway) on Theresa's Reviews - www.theresasreviews.com

Trying out the Jack and The Beanstalk Educational Once Upon a Craft kit was a neat experience. As a teacher, I can see the difference in engagement when my daughter has a prop when she reads. Including a craft kit with a classic storybook gets kids more involved in the reading process. The kit came with a mobile craft and a growth chart. Both involved coloring, which Samantha loves to do.

Games were a highlight of the evening. One of the games we received was the Ready, Set, Woof! Board Game. Samantha loves dogs. One of the first questions she had when she found out she was getting a fish was, “Mom, when the fish dies, will we get a cat or a dog?” Having a puppy would be her dream, but in the meantime, games that feature dogs are a huge hit in our house.

The last item Samantha received from Educational Insights was the Brownie Match game. We played the game before bedtime. It was simple to setup. Samantha liked that the brownies had tasty-looking sprinkles. Each player spins a board and uses a spatula to pick up the brownie pieces. Using memory was a key strategy because under each brownie, there’s a number. Remembering where each number is can help you with your objective, which is to be the first player to get five brownie pieces. To make the evening a perfect birthday experience, Samantha ended up winning.

2016-03-31 20.27.14

Giveaway

I love getting to share my goodies with my readers. To celebrate this big birthday occasion, I’m giving away one big bundle of all of the Educational Insights toys that I mentioned. The winner will receive Once Upon a Craft™ Jack and the Beanstalk, Playfoam® Fairy Tale Friends Themed Set, Playfoam® Under the Sea Adventures Play Set, Hot Dots® Jr. Ultimate Science Facts Interactive Book Set with Talking Pen, Ready, Set, Woof!™ Game, Brownie Match™ Game, and Design & Drill Sparkle Works. Simply follow the instructions in the Rafflecopter widget to enter.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Theresa's Reviews

Disclosure

This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase after clicking on certain links, I will receive payment! I received a free item, but it in no way influenced my opinion!

About The Author

Editor
Google+

Theresa has been writing since 2010 in magazines and online. Her lifestyle and parenting expertise has been featured in publications, including ShopSmart and Scholastic. She earned an M.Ed in Elementary Education from Vanderbilt as well as a BA in History from Flagler College, and she is a certified teacher.

30 Responses

  4. Jenny

    I think my almost 4 year old would love the dog game. I’ve never heard of most of the things you mentioned. So much fun and I love that they are learning activities! Great idea to get a fish for her first pet as a birthday present.

    Reply
  6. Rajee Pandi

    My fav memory is celebrating birthday with my dad on our roadtrip was so awesome

    Reply
  9. Debbie

    The Brownie Match game looks so cute! We’d love to try that one! I’m a big fan of Educational Insights. Love their stuff!! Happy Birthday to your beautiful girl!!

    Reply
  10. Debbie

    My mom used to have all of our birthday parties at home and one year, every child brought me a stuffed animal because they knew I collected them. My mom was so upset because she thought I told every child to give me a stuffed animal as a gift (but I swear, I didn’t! Everyone knew I was a collector!!). There were literally like 20 stuffed animals in a pile on the sofa after everyone left. It was pretty funny! Anyway, that was my favorite birthday party memory.

    Reply
  11. Tiffany

    What a great birthday! That cake looks delicious! I love the face paint as well! I bet she had a blast!

    Reply
  13. Hil

    That looks like such a fun party. Getting a fish is super exciting for a kid 🙂

    My fav bday memory would be just hanging out with my family and cousins.

    Reply
  14. Leigh Anne Borders

    One birthday that sticks out to me was my 30th one. I was so sad about turning that corner in my life that my friends helped me out all day by celebrating and providing surprises that seemed to be around every corner. That birthday meant alot to me.

    Reply
  15. Leigh Anne Borders

    I am a teacher, so many of the things that Educational Insights offers make me quite a happy person! I love the variety that they offer and how there toys teach! My students always enjoy playing with them.

    Reply
  16. Erin

    What a fun looking birthday! How special that she got her first pet on her birthday. I’m sure she won’t be forgetting that! Our kids love the Dots kits!

    Reply
  19. Ana

    Some great ideas shared! I am sure that kids are going to love this. And your daughter is so cute! 🙂

    Reply
  20. Kristin Cook

    Aww! Looks like you had a great day! I love the face painting! The things my family did for me on my birthdays were always so special and meaningful- not because of how grand everything was, but because of the time and love they put into it. This looks like a wonderful birthday!

    Reply
  22. Idaintyit

    What a lovely birthday! Them playfoam things look really good, I haven’t seen them before, going to have a look at these or my son.

    Reply
  24. Tracie Cooper

    My favorite birthday memory is having my dad cooking all my favorites for a special birthday dinner and my mom letting me pick out a pinata for my birthday party!

    Reply
  25. Tracie Cooper

    I entered previously but had to change my social media accounts to the following Instagram @traciemichelle05 and Twitter is @traciemich05

    Reply
  26. nadya kotik

    i would love to try Jack and The Beanstalk Educational Once Upon a Craft kit to help kids connect with the story!

    Reply
  27. nadya kotik

    My favorite birthday was when i was 10 and I finally got money to spend. I lived in Ukraine so it wasn’t often that I could buy an outfit that I chose myself!

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.