Eleanor’s fifth birthday is only a couple of weeks away, and Brandon and I had been asking her for the past month what kind of party she’d like. The answer? A horse/LEGO/Play-Doh/kitty theme. She had a Play-Doh birthday party last year (complete with the most amazing birthday cake), so after some further consideration, we’re going with horses this year. Which means I’ve been looking for horse birthday party ideas that don’t involve cowboys and cowgirls, derby hats (as much as I love ’em), or the presence of a live horse.
Some of the ideas are way over the top compared to what we usually do for the kids’ birthdays. A cute cake and some show ribbons? Great! A party on location at a barn with horse rides for everyone? I’m sure Eleanor would flip, but sorry kid, your party’s here at home. Still, I’ve had a lot of fun using Bing to search for inspiration. Each search earns points too, with their free Bing Rewards program (even when I use Bing on my phone). I’m going to redeem some of the points I’ve accumulated for an Amazon gift card, so all of my searching will add up to one very large horse-shaped balloon for free.
Here are some of the items and ideas we’ll be using for Eleanor’s upcoming party. I’ve already shown some of these to her, and she’s super excited!
-
Decorations for a Pony Party
The vintage vibe and color palette are lovely. -
DIY Horse Ribbons
These would be great for decorating, though I suspect they take some time to make in multiples! Vintage ribbons are plentiful on eBay and Etsy, too. -
Horse Party String Lights
After the party, these can decorate E’s bedroom. -
Horse-Shaped Jumbo Foil Balloons
Two or three of these ought to make a big impact. -
Horse Topper on the Cake
A toy horse is a sweet, simple way to decorate the birthday cake. -
Pin the Tail on the Pony
The perfect party game to play. -
Tiny Toy Horses
For the goody bags, along with stickers, candy, and other assorted items.
I’m required to disclose a sponsored partnership between our site and Bing. I have been compensated in exchange for this post in the form of payment, product or experiences. 
Giulia
April 15, 2014 at 1:16 pmCute. The Alison Show did a horse party last year (?) and has tons of fun ideas. I think she did have the real horse as well…but you wouldn’t have to show that part to E ;)
Making it Lovely
April 15, 2014 at 1:37 pmOh, I love Alison! Thanks for the reminder! I remember her tutorial now for the pony-shaped gummies. :)
Monica
April 15, 2014 at 1:42 pmTwo words: mini ponies. No need for full size horses, and these guys can often be rented from petting zoo folks.
Marcee ... ILLINOIS
April 15, 2014 at 1:49 pmOhmy. Need to catch up reading the blog posts Nicole! Love the birthday party ideas. Your daughter really knows what she wants!! Haa.ha. What a smartie! Actually, I just placed an order for the tiny horses. Perfect for the great (almost 3yo) nephew. Besides cars, trucks and the like, trying to direct Eli to other playtoys, build up his imagination. He adores animals. Has a huge collection of stuffies. For over a year now, I was going to begin with a few Breyer ponies from MYHABIT. A tad pricey. They are so nice though. I’d like them for myself. Excited to see Eleanor’s birthday party coming up. You certainly bake or order awesome cakes. Save all your loyal fans a piece. I love cake!
Peaches
April 15, 2014 at 2:04 pmIs Genuwine’s “Pony” song appropriate for 5 year olds? Probably not. But E might just be cool enough to handle 90’s smooth R&B at her party.
Jump on it…
Making it Lovely
April 15, 2014 at 2:07 pmLet’s do it…
Jessika
April 15, 2014 at 5:10 pmHow about some sort of play on “ponytail”? You can make fancy ponytail holders for hair or some sort of hair decorations. Fun craft project done!
Jenny G.
April 15, 2014 at 7:09 pmHow in the WORLD did you get your hands on that Alexander Henry Stablemates fabric??? I’ve been searching for it for years!!!
Making it Lovely
April 16, 2014 at 10:56 amIt’s a tea towel from Anthropologie that they had a year or so ago, but I looked up that fabric and definitely see the resemblance. The AH fabric is better though! There is a listing for some yardage in black on Etsy right now.
Alisa
April 15, 2014 at 7:39 pmHave you ever seen Ann Wood’s horse stampede art project? You could have kids decorate their own and then hang them up: http://annwood.net/blog/2009/05/29/cardboard-stampede/ Okay, maybe I just want to be invited to a party where we make those :-)
Making it Lovely
April 16, 2014 at 10:57 amThose are fantastic. I wonder if I can adapt the project to be appropriate for five year olds…
judy
April 15, 2014 at 7:57 pmHappy Birthday Eleanor and I think there ought to be a Unicorn in there somewhere-definitely a magical horse. P.S. I was 5 once upon a time-70 years ago. I know- I can’t believe it myself.
Making it Lovely
April 16, 2014 at 10:58 amShe does like unicorns too, so we may have to incorporate them a bit. :)
Sarah W
April 16, 2014 at 12:40 amI was going to mention Rachel Denbow’s pony party for her little girl but low and behold, it was the first link. Such a great theme, and I love all of your ideas so far! I totally signed up for the Bing rewards program after reading this because, what not? I’m excited! Although I think it may take me awhile to get anything. :)
Bethany R
April 16, 2014 at 8:20 amHave you seen the new Wee Wander fabric line?? It’d be perfect for you!
Making it Lovely
April 16, 2014 at 10:59 amOh, it’s very cute! Thanks for the tip!
Molly
April 16, 2014 at 10:05 amHere’s a tip: You can bring your foil balloon into a Dollar Store, and they will fill it up for just a $1!!!!
Making it Lovely
April 16, 2014 at 11:00 amI think we’re going to rent a helium tank, but that’s good to know. Those horses are almost four feet long, so I doubt we’d be able to see while driving with a bunch in the car!
BING!
April 16, 2014 at 10:30 amBING BING BING BING! BING! BING! BING!
Making it Lovely
April 16, 2014 at 10:57 amI’m sorry that you didn’t see more to the post than just a sponsorship, but thank you for your feedback.
Very Large Horse-Shaped Balloon
April 16, 2014 at 4:37 pmI, for one, found it to be highly informative.
lisa
April 16, 2014 at 10:57 amDown here in KY, the horse just happens to be the theme of lots of events. I’ve found that to separate the “cowboy western” from the horse, it can help to think horseshoes. It can be a party game (I’m sure you can find a lighter, kid friendly version). You can order a cutter and make horseshoe cookies. You could give E sweet little horseshoe necklace. They’re are plenty on etsy that are really affordable. Good luck!
Making it Lovely
April 16, 2014 at 11:07 amShe would probably love a horseshoe necklace! And yeah, she has nothing against all the Western stuff, but she’s definitely into horses and not the cowboy/girl related things.
jordan
April 16, 2014 at 1:23 pmNicole!
Check out this crown from my sisters etsy shop, it may just be perfect for E’s party! She is also a huge fan of your blog :)
https://www.etsy.com/listing/176081631/horse-birthday-party-felt-birthday-crown?ref=shop_home_active_2&ga_search_query=horse
Making it Lovely
April 16, 2014 at 10:34 pmThat’s adorable.
Elisabeth
April 17, 2014 at 7:08 pmFor my daughter’s Carousel Party, we put toy animals atop cupcakes and the children kept the animals. Party City and Oriental Trading have the kind of mini horses I mean.
Lily | Birch + Bird
April 24, 2014 at 11:33 pmOoh, I love that Anthropologie tea towel so much that I framed it for my daughter Lilah’s room a couple of months ago! (She’s 5 and a pony fanatic but I can’t quite stomach My Little Pony as room decor ;) Happy party planning!