Sesame street birthday party

Below are my Sesame Street birthday party ideas with lots of suggestions for a Sesame Street party theme including party decorations, invitations, food and drink, and Sesame Street party games.

These Sesame Street party theme ideas are inspired by the main characters such as Cookie Monster, Big Bird, Bert and Ernie, Oscar, and The Count. However, I have a separate page devoted to Elmo birthday party ideas, so be sure to read this page too so you can incorporate some Elmo themed ideas into your Sesame Street birthday party.

 

 

Sesame Street Party Invitations

Below are some invitation ideas for your Sesame Street birthday party:

 

 

Edible Invitations

Edible party invitations always grab people's attention, so if you're able to hand-deliver them, you could make a batch of these Cookie Monster Cookies (below, by Katrina at In Katrina's Kitchen) and use them as the invitations for your Sesame Street birthday party.

 

Wrap them up in cellophane, tie with a ribbon and pop a sticky label on the back with all the party details on.

Or if you need to send your invitations by post, you can buy these gourmet chocolate Sesame Street lollipops below - USA only). You can buy these in packs of 12 so they work out around $1 each. If you want to embellish them further, present them in small decorative boxes.

To turn these into the invitations for your Sesame Street birthday party, just attach a small tag with all the party details on (see examples at Using Tags on the Create Invitations page). Either hand write these onto a decorative shipping tag, or you can have these printed quite cheaply incorporating your own photograph - see printed mini cards in the Photo Invitations section below.

 

 

 

Photo invitations

A cost effective way to make your own personalized Sesame Street birthday party invitations is with these printed mini cards (below) - they're only $19.95 / £12 for 100 cards.

 

 

 

 

 

Upload your own photo to print on the front (for example, the birthday boy or girl dressed as Cookie Monster, Big Bird or Elmo) then add your choice of text on the other side. You can then stick these cards onto a larger piece of colored cardstock and print the party details on your home printer (see example above right). As they're quite small, you can attach a few different photo cards per invitation showing your child in different poses.

See the Costumes section of these Sesame Street birthday party ideas for more costume like these.

 

 

 

Readymade Invitations

For a cheap and easy option, there are lots of cute Sesame Street birthday party invitations such as the ones below that you can buy, including one that you can personalize.

 

 

 

Homemade Invitations

If you want to make your own Sesame Street birthday party invitations you could easily do this using cardstock. Check out these below by Monica at Add a Little Dazzle for inspiration. She actually used a stamp to make these, but if you don't have one I'm sure you could just cut them out as the shapes are all fairly basic.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Elmo Invitations

Don't forget to check out the party invitation ideas on the Elmo birthday party page for some other ideas, such as these homemade Elmo and Cookie Monster pom-poms (below), which could make cute 3D invitations.

 

 

 

Invitation Wording

Here are some ideas for the wording of your Sesame Street birthday party invitations:

• Use the heading 'Can you tell me how to get, how to get to Sesame Street?'
  

• Spell out your child's name and give examples of other things related to the party that begin with each letter. For example:
  
  R is for Rosita's Spanish Word of the Day
  E is for Elmo's pepperoni pizza
  B is for Big Bird's bird seed milkshake
  E is for Ernie's rubber ducky ice cream
  C is for Cookie decorating with Cookie Monster
  C is for Counting with The Count
  A is for Alphabet Spaghetti
  
  All of which are waiting for you at Rebecca's Sesame Street birthday party!
  

• Have The Count announce how old your child will be:

  'One: One Year'

  'Two: Two Years'

  'Three: Three Years Old. Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha'

• Write: 'The party will be brought to you by the letter (insert first letter of child's name) and the number (insert child's age)'.
  


• Mention characters from the show ex, 'Join Big Bird, Elmo, Cookie Monster, Bert & Ernie, and The Count...."

 

 

 

Drinks

 

 

Below are some themed drinks for your Sesame Street birthday party:

 

Bird Seed Milkshake

Everyone knows Big Bird loves his bird seed milkshakes, but how do you make one that's actually edible? I came across a posting from 'Bear' on the Muppet Central fan site who's come up with a simple recipe. He used shelled sunflower and pumpkin seeds in a blender with some milk, a couple of scoops of vanilla ice cream and some cinnamon.

 

 

Ernie's Rubber Ducky Punch

This recipe for Ducky Bath Punch (right, by Cheryl at The Tidy Mom) was originally created for a baby shower, but I think it's perfect to be re-named as Ernie's Rubber Ducky Punch for a Sesame Street birthday party.

You can pick up some cheap mini rubber ducks here.

 

 

 

 

Cookie Monster's Milkshake

This recipe for a Chocolate Chip Cookie Milkshake (right by Maria and Josh at Two Peas & Their Pod) would make a perfect Cookie Monster themed drink.

 

 

 

 

 

Oscar's Trash Can Punch

Make this Wormy Swamp Punch (right, from Land O Lakes) but freeze the worms into the OJ ice cubes so they float on top like bits of trash. Use fish bone ice cube molds too and bits of fruit—anything that might add to the trash can look.

Sit your punch bowl raised up on a cake stand, then create a façade by wrapping them both in some thick card arranged in a cylindrical shape. Cover the card with tin foil to look like Oscar's trash can, and scrunch up some balls of news paper around it.

Serve the punch into silver plastic cups to resemble mini trash cans.

 

 

Big Bird Punch

Make this Yellow Pineapple Punch (right, from Tree Top) and call it Big Bird Punch.

Serve it in a punch bowl and then follow the steps below to turn the bowl into big bird's face:

 

 

 

 

• For the base: Cut the top, bottom and sides off a pineapple so you're left with a large block of pineapple that will stand up in your punch bowl.
  


• For the eyes: Stick two skewers into the top of the pineapple, so the top of the skewers stand an inch or so below the rim of your punch bowl. Then add a slice of apple (dipped in lemon juice to stop it browning) to the top of each skewer with a black grape in the middle of each. Cut 2 semi circles of orange fruit leather and put these on top of the apple slice as eyelids.
  


• For the beak: Peel a banana and cut a bit off one end to create a flat base. Cover in a little lemon juice. Then, using a skewer fix the banana into the pineapple base so that the top of the banana is more or less the same height as the apple eyes. Repeat with another banana for the bottom part of the beak. You can also line the inside of each banana with some red fruit leather to create the inside of his mouth.
  


• For the face: Then fill the bowl with the pineapple punch (covering the pineapple base) up to the bottom of the apple eyes / banana beak, and wrap a couple of yellow feather boas around the bowl to create Bird Bird's feathers.

 

 

 

 

 

Sesame Street Party Food

 

 

Below are some of my favorite recipes for a Sesame Street birthday party:

 

• I love this Sesame Street bento box (below by Texas Mom of 4), particularly the Big Bird Mac & Cheese:
  

 

 

• See my seperate Elmo birthday party page for pizzas inspired by Elmo's face.

 

 

• Similarly, you could make Big Bird mini pizzas using corn for the face, some yellow bell pepper for the beak, and mozerella or haloumi cheese for the eyes with black olives as the pupils.

• Or make Oscar the Grouch mini pizzas using spinach for the face, black olives for the mouth, pepperoni for the tongue, the underside of a mushroom cap for the eyebrows, and mozerella or haloumi cheese for the eyes with black olives as the pupils.


• To make bite-size pizzas, use these Cookie Monster / Elmo Cutters (below, USA only) to shape them. Or use them to shape sandwiches.

 

• This Oscar the Grouch bento lunch (below, by Lise at Veggie Bento) is really cute and you can easily adapt these to make simple open sandwiches. She used the Elmo cookie cutter above to cut out a bread base then topped it with mashed avacodo. You can make eyes by cutting out small circles of mozerella then adding black olives as the pupils.

 

• I came accross this picture of Bert (below from Mom's Crazy Kitchen) made for a bento box. I'm not sure what she used to make this but it got me thinking that it would be fairly easy to make something similar out of cheese (which could then be served on crackers). Use Nori to create the hair and eyebrows (or carve from the skin of a cucumber to make it more kid friendly), mozerella and black olives (or black grapes) for the eyes, and some pepperoni for his (open) mouth.
  

 

• Similarly, you could also make Ernie cheese and crackers by using some orange colored cheese (in the UK we have Red Leicester) and a cherry tomato for the nose.

 

• Check out these amazing Sesame Street faces made from fruit and vegetables (below, by Lauren J at Catch My Party) - it's such a great idea and a good way to add some healthy options to the menu. All the eyes are made from small cups of vegetable dip or vanilla pudding mix with whipped cream for the fruit ones. Big Bird is just pineapple

 

• Everyone knows Bert loves his oatmeal, so make a batch of these Blueberry Oatmeal Bars (below, by Jessica Seinfeld via Oprah) for your Sesame Street birthday party. They actually contain hidden spinach (don't worry, you can't taste it!) so are perfect to sneak in some extra goodness.
  

 

• Make these cute Ducky Desserts (below left, from Disney Family Fun) and serve them on top of blue jello as Ernie's Rubber Ducky Ice Creams. Or for something healthier make Bert and Ernie out of fruit (below right, by Jill at Kitchen Fun with My 3 Sons):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• Cookie Monster is always popular with kids so try making either these Cookie Monster Cookies (below left, by Katrina of In Katrina's Kitchen) or these cute Cookie Monster Cupcakes (below right, by Hannah at My Chocolate):
  

 

• To make other Sesame Street cupcakes such as Big Bird, Oscar, or Elmo you can pipe the frosting (like these below left, by Charmaine at Charmaine's Pastry Blog)

 

• or use sprinkles for the fur (like these below right from Cutest Food)

 

• Alternatively, for step-by-step instructions check out this video tutorial (by yoyomax12 on You Tube):
  

 

• If you prefer to simply decorate some cupcakes you can use these Sesame Street cupcake rings (below left), Elmo cupcake wrappers (below center), or these edible Elmo icing decorations (below right). See here for more info on all of these items

 

• Or there are these cute Sesame Street cake pops (below, by Bakerella).
  

 

• Cake pops can be a bit of a hassle to make. You have to bake the cake, crumble it, then mix frosting into the crumbs, roll into balls, then freeze a little to harden... all before you come to decorate them. An easier option is to use one of these Cake Pop Makers (below left) to make cake balls in less than 5 mins, then decorate with frosting. It's a well priced option at only $18 / £20. Alternatively, these Cake Pop Baking Pans will also do the trick (below right).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• A Sesame Street birthday party wouldn't be complete without some letters and numbers, so include some Alphabet spaghetti / chicken nuggets, or use alphabet cookie cutters (right) to shape sandwiches, pizza, fruit slices, jello or cheese into bite-sized portions.


• If you haven't already, don't forget to also see the food section of my Elmo birthday party ideas page for lots of other Elmo-themed recipes to add to your Sesame Street birthday party. These include a great little recipe for Elmo's Red Veggie Alphabet Soup Shots (below left), Elmo PB&J sandwiches (below center), and Elmo jello (below right).
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Birthday Cake

• This Elmo cake pan (below) is a really easy way to turn out an impressive looking Sesame Street birthday party cake. For extra presentation, serve it on a tray with lots of crayons scattered around it.

 

• If you don't want to bake from scratch, you can buy a cake and use these Sesame Street bithday party candles (below left and center) and toppers (below right) to decorate it. See here for these items

 

• For US visitors, you can have one of these edible cake images (below, USA only) personalized with your child's name.

 

 

 

Food and Drink Styling

Here are some ideas for ways to style and decorate a Sesame Street birthday party:

 

 

Buffet / Dessert Table

When I remember Sesame Street I always think of the urban street scene with the famous lamppost and street sign, the front stoop of the brownstone apartment building, Hooper's Store, Oscar's trash can, and Big Bird's nest (below).

 

So take this as inspiration for your Sesame Street birthday party decorations and create this scene below for your dessert / buffet table by following the steps below.

 

• Pick up a brick wall scene setter (below left) to use as a backdrop to the food table. Don't worry if this sounds a bit industrial for a kid's party - we'll be adding lots of colorful items on top to break it up. Alternatively, if you'd prefer something a bit softer check out the dessert table styling options on the Elmo Birthday Ideas page which uses a blue sky background (below center) with added clouds (below right) as the backdrop.

• If you're using the brick wall backdrop, start to build up the street scene by taking inspiration from the photo below of the Strong Museum of Play Sesame Street exhibit.

 

• Using card stock cut out some shapes to resemble open windows (with a window ledge, etc) and add these to the brick wall backdrop. Alternatively, you can buy this window scene setter add-on (below left) for just a few dollars. Then add some cut outs of some of the Sesame Street characters such as Bert and Ernie, Cookie Monster or Elmo so they look like they're popping their head out of the window (like Big Bird in the photos above). You can use the special Paint and Color game on the Sesame Street website to print off drawings of Sesame Street characters (below center). Just save them to your computer, enlarge them and print off yourself.

 

• Next, make the famous Sesame Street lamp post (above right) out of green cardstock and add this to the brick / sky backdrop. There's a fairly hi resolution image of the Sesame Street sign here. Alternatively, make a smaller tabletop version by painting a dowel rod or a large cardboard tube green. Use a Styrofoam ball as the bulb then add the Sesame Street logo sticking out to the side.

 

• Alternatively, US visitors can have their own personalized metallic street sign made with their child's name as the name of the street (below, USA only).

 

• I also think the clothesline complete with laundry in the above picture if a really nice touch. You could make this part of your backdrop (which would help add some nice 3D elements) by stringing a line of cute baby / toddler clothes accross the top of the brick wall backdrop.

• You could also cut the famous green doors of 123 Sesame Street out of card stock and add these to the backdrop too.


• Hang a simple Sesame Street birthday party banner (below left) along the top of the brick / sky backdrop. Alternatively you can have a personalized Sesame Street banner (below right) printed quite cheaply.

 

• For a dramatic 3D centerpiece for your Sesame Street birthday party, use one of these giant Airwalker balloon (below left) to bring Big Bird to life. Position it on the table (if you have enough space overhead) or to one side. You can also get an Elmo airwalker balloon (below center) or a smaller Cookie Monster mylar baloon (below right) for the other end of the table if you wish. See here for all Sesame Street balloons.

• At the other end of the table set up a metal waste paper basket (or cover a regular one in tin foil) and position an Oscar cut out (below left, from the Paint and Color game (above) peering out with a cardstock speech bubble that says 'scram!'. Alternatively, use this giant Oscar wall decal (below center, USA only), which you can re-use for your child's bedroom after the party, and add it to the brick wall backdrop - or just use a plush toy (below right). You can also dress around the trash can / plush toy with scrunched up balls of paper or other objects to resemble trash for added authenticity.

 

• In addition to the Oscar wall decal above, there are lots of other Sesame Steet wall decals available. These are a great way to decorate because you can use them again afterwards. You could use these as an alternative way to create a backdrop for a Sesame Street dessert table - just apply them to a plain wall.

 

• Use a green colored table cloth for your Sesame Street birthday party in keeping with the green and yellow Sesame Street colors. Raise up food items at the back of the table by covering boxes with yellow paper and adding a green strip of ribbon (see illustration above). Then use yellow and white colored plates and serving trays - in keeping with the Sesame Street colors. Or if you prefer, use a random combination of primary colored plates to add plenty of color to the display. I recommend these disposable Premium Plastic Plates (below), they're great value and look so much nicer than regular paper party plates.

• Print off the Sesame Street logo (above) and hang it accross the front of the table.


• Tie some bunches of balloons to each end of the table to add more splashes of color and balance out the brick backdrop.


• Scatter some foam letters and numbers (below, USA only) around the tabletop.

 

 

 

Alternative Backgrounds

• If you prefer a more colorful backdrop for your dessert table, a really cheap and easy solution is to use crepe paper streamers. Just twist and hang them in tight vertical lines from floor to ceiling (see below left from aestheticoutburst. blogspot.com and below right from mandjsherry.blogspot.com for inspiration).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• Below is an illustration to give you an idea how this might look.

 

 

• Another inexpensive option to create a backdrop is to use a 'wall' of balloons by fixing them to vertical strips of this adhesive balloon decorating tape (below). Hang each strip closely to each other to form a nice tight block. If they droop a little just use a small piece of double sided sticky tape in between each balloon to stick it to the next balloon over.

 

• Below is an idea of how this might look:

 

 

 

Food Presentation

• Serve candies and cookies in Sesame Street treat pails / buckets (below, USA only).

• Create the Sesame Street singing food by adding googly eyes and cardstock mouths to different fruit and veg and using these to dress serving trays or the table top.
  



• Make food labels for each dish that highlight the letter than each dish begins with, ex P is for Pizza

• Display cupcake on this Elmo cupcake stand (below, USA only)

 

 

 

Table Styling

 

 

Below are some ideas for how to style the dining table for your Sesame Street birthday party:

• For a quick and easy way to dress the table, there are lots of great Sesame Street tableware products available.

 

• Or if you're going for the crayon drawn decoration theme, you could use this Sesame Street coloring-in tablecover (below, USA only) for the kids to decorate themselves.

 

• There's also an easy Sesame Street 1st Birthday high chair decorating kit available for younger children (below, USA only).

 

• If you prefer not too use too many branded products, choose a solid color for your tablecover (with napkins in a different complimentary color) then just mix in one or two branded products such as Sesame Street plates (below left and center, USA only) which will go with most color schemes. Alternatively, pair them with this spots and stripes tablecover (below right, USA only).

 

• Another fun idea is to theme the table around one Sesame Street character, such as Cookie Monster, Big Bird, Oscar or Elmo. The easiest way to do this is to use a solid color tablecover in keeping with the character - such as blue for cookie monster (below left). Then create a faux fur table runner down the center of the table, using colored fur (below center for Cookie Monster). Or if budget permits, cover the entire tabletop using faux fur. Then choose solid color plates and napkins according to whatever secondary colors are associated with the particular character (ex, Cookie Monster would be white plates and black napkins, Big Bird would be orange plates and red napkins, Oscar would be brown plates and black napkins, and Elmo would be orange plates and black napkins). Finally, use a plush toy of the character as a centerpiece (below right), raised up on a colored box.

 

• Once you've chosen your colors for your Sesame Street birthday party, create a tablescape running down the center that uses lots of brightly colored objects and toys that start with the same letter as your child's first name (ex, if you child's name starts with G use goldfish, grapefruit, gingerbread men, gorilla, etc). You could use this as an educational game by deliberately including some more obscure objects and seeing if they can identify what they are (ex, Grapefruit—then have them taste a slice).

• If you want to take this idea one step further you could also group each object according to the number of your child's age (ex, 3 grapefruits, 3 gingerbread men, etc) and have them count them like The Count (ie, 'One Grapefruit, ah ha ha', 'two grapefruits, ah ha ha' etc).

• Spell out your child's name as a centerpiece using these cheap 8" paper mache letters (below -USA only) and cover them in things like glitter, feathers, sequins, polka dot stickers etc.

• Sprinkle the tabletop with some of this Sesame Street confetti (below right, USA only)

• Tie a balloon to the back of each chair, or hang one of these Cookie Monster / Elmo hats (below, USA only) to the back.

• Make these Sesame Street paper craft models by downloading the free templates for Bert and Ernie (below left by Keith Allen) or Cookie Monster, Oscar, and Elmo (below right by Free Paper Crafts and Models) and use them as place cards to tell people where to sit.

 

• I always think it's important to fill the space above the table too, so use a cluster of paper lanterns (below left, from Martha Strewart). You can also pick up cheap battery LED bulbs to make the lanterns glow without having to worry about power cords. Alternatively, for a more feminine look use tissue pom-poms (below right, Martha Stewart). You could add some simple cardstock eyes and mouths to turn these into different Sesame Street characters. See the decorations section below for how to turn lanterns and pom poms into Sesame Street characters such as Elmo, Cookie Monster and Big Bird.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sesame Street Party Decorations

Below are some ideas for general decorations for your Sesame Street birthday party:

• You should always start with a few party decorations outside to greet people. It could be as simple as bunches of balloons or chalking the pavement. Alternatively, use a personalized yard sign (below left, USA only), or a personalized Sesame Street banner (below right) over the door. Or you could use home made cut-outs of Sesame Street characters in the windows.

 

 

 

 

 

• If you want to personalize things even more, print a life-size cut out (below left) of your child dressed in a Sesame Street costume to stand at the end of your drive or outside your door. These can also be combined with a motion-activated voice recorder (below right, USA only) which are only $10. Simply pre-record a short welcome message and it will play everytime someone passes by.

• See my Elmo birthday party ideas page for more information about this brightly colored balloon wreath (below), which is perfect to hang on the front door for a Sesame Street birthday party.

 

• Alternatively, Airwalker balloons (available in Big Bird and Elmo shapes) make a big impression. You could use one of these at the front door to welcome people as they arrive.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• Inside, use these Sesame Street streamers (below left, USA only) and bunches of balloons to decorate large areas. Mix in a few Sesame Street themed balloons (below right).

 

• There are also these cute Sesame Street paper lantern garlands (below left, USA only), or if its a 1st Birthday party you can use these swirl decorations (below right, USA only).

 

• There are lots of Sesame Street wall decals and scene setters available online. Use these as party decorations, then re-apply them to your child's bedroom walls afterwards.
  


• Make your own letter and number cut-outs and stick these around the party and hang them down from the ceiling at different heights. You can make these more interesting by giving each one a different texture (ex, glitter, macaroni, foam, etc).
  


• For a Sesame Street birthday party theme, simple party decorations such as balloons, crepe paper streamers, and paper lanterns / pom-poms are often enough to add lots of color to your home or garden.

• You can also turn regular paper lanterns into different characters from Sesame Street by just cutting their features out of card stock and applying to a colored paper lantern. You can also add a cheap battery powered LED light to make them light up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• Similarly, you can use tissue pom-poms to add some more texture. These work particularly well for Big Bird's feathers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sesame Street birthday Party Games

See my seperate Sesame Street Party Games page for more ideas and activities for a Sesame Street birthday party.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sesame Street Costumes

There are lots of Sesame Street costumes available for boys and girls of all ages, so let the birthday boy or girl get dressed up for their party. Or photograph them in one to make personalized Sesame Street birthday party invitations.

 

 

 

sesame street birthday Party Favors

Keep things simple and pick up these pre-filled Sesame Street favor boxes (below left and center, USA only) or if you prefer to fill your own use these treat bags (below right, USA only). Both are available here

 

 

 

 

Thank You Notes

Follow up after the party with ready-made Sesame Street thank you notes such as these (below).

 

 

 

 

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Many thanks,

Matt

 

Matt James is a professional party planner and owner of event agency DNA Productions, which has produced events for Elton John, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kevin Spacey, Stella McCartney, David LaChapelle, John Waters, and Elvis Costello & Diana Krall. Since 2004, DNA has won 24 industry awards for excellence including Production Company of the Year.