Disguised for fun!

Since Maggie's birthday falls within the last half of October, we planned her fifth birthday with a Halloween/costume party theme. We held the party at our neighborhood's playground, and the kids enjoyed running around, playing, and having fun together. (The adults enjoyed huddling by the fire pit and drinking cider.) Other kids' activities included face-painting, giant coloring pages, lollipop ghosts, a pinata, and decorating their own cupcakes.

Here are pictures from the day. (Click on any photo to enlarge it.)

Maggie dressed as Harry Potter.

Princess Lauren (one of Maggie's new classmates), Harry Potter, and Minnie Mouse pose for the camera!

Pinata fun!!

Although I'd provided chocolate chips for the kids to use in making their own pumpkin eyes, noses, and mouths, Maggie decided to think outside the box and decorate her cupcake with gumdrops she got from the pinata.

These girls have been friends for years! (And don't you just love the costumes on Pia and Kimberly? These sisters dressed as their favorite colors!)

My friend Deborah painted the kids' faces ... and then took it upon herself to give Bobby this "costume."

Mattie took over toward the end of the party.

John was a good sport, letting her use his head as a canvas.

The Publix Harry Potter cake - not especially cute, but what Maggie wanted (and yummy!).

Blowing out her candles!

Party decor and food included, clockwise from top right: flowers from Fresh Market; signs printed and laminated at home; pumpkins, mums, and hay bales; pumpkin dip and ginger cookies (mmmm!); fire pit for keeping warm; jack-o-lantern treat buckets; more mums, much to Bobby's delight; fruit kebobs. I used fall decorations I already owned - and borrowed a few - to make each table's centerpieces (center photo).

Maggie was thrilled to see her Uncle David for dinner after the party!

Happy birthday, Maggie! Coming up next: pictures from Maggie's real birthday celebration - our trip to the American Girl doll store in Atlanta!