Budget-Friendly Where the Wild Things Are Birthday Party Ideas for Toddlers
For our little guy’s second birthday, we went with a Where the Wild Things Are theme. Honestly, I’ve always loved the look of this party style. My husband wasn’t a big fan of the book growing up (he thought Max was too naughty), but he had to laugh when I suggested it this year because it actually fits our two-year-old’s personality perfectly. The setup was simple, affordable, and easy to pull together, but it still gave us those “wild rumpus” vibes that made the day feel special.
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Everything I Bought
Here’s everything I bought from amazon, plus similar things like the moss runner (I bought it on sale at Michaels). The Max costume fit perfect and all the other items were good quality. I reuse the table cloths each party, and then I bought the backdrop stand because I know I will use it for a few parties. I was super pleased with the sturdiness of it, although it doesn’t collapse down very much.
The Backdrops
I kept the decor simple with two Amazon backdrops that honestly impressed me with their quality. For the main photo spot where we opened presents and blew out candles, I chose a plain forest-style cartoon backdrop. It wasn’t straight from the book, but it fit the vibe perfectly and gave us a clean background so our son (dressed as Max) could stand out in the photos.
Behind the food table, I went heavier on the theme. This backdrop looked like it came straight from the book: Max swinging in the trees with the Wild Things. To tie it all together, I layered in a moss table runner, faux greenery, a gauze terracotta runner, a golden star garland, and a simple tablecloth. I skipped balloons altogether, which made it feel a little more timeless and easy to set up.
The Food Table
Since our son is still little, I kept the food table minimal and focused on desserts. We served a small cake along with chocolate cupcakes, which were easy to make and still carried the theme. The cake was plain white with chocolate sprinkles, topped with a handmade boat from the book that I cut with my Cricut. For the cupcakes, I stuck with chocolate on chocolate and added piped white chocolate “horns” on top for a nod to the Wild Things.
The table itself came together with affordable finds. I scored sage green scalloped plastic plates on clearance at Hobby Lobby (cheaper than paper ones thanks to an end-of-summer sale) and paired them with simple gold paper cups. I pulled out my white scalloped cake stands, which I reuse for almost every party, and they worked perfectly here. We also set out little golden crowns as party hats, which added a fun touch for the kids and tied in with Max’s iconic crown.
Budget Breakdown
I aimed to keep this party around $100, and the biggest investment ended up being the two backdrops. They really set the scene and were worth it for the photos, but everything else I kept very minimal.
I reused what I already had, like tablecloths, cake stands, and even a fabric runner. I also made as much as I could myself, like the Cricut cake topper and the chocolate horns for the cupcakes.
One of the best savings came from Michaels, where I scored a moss table runner and greenery at 80% off during their spring clearance. The runner had originally been almost $50, but I grabbed it for $10, cheaper than anything else I’d found online. Those clearance finds made the whole table setup look more elaborate without pushing me over budget.
The Sweetest Moment
As much as I enjoy setting everything up, the highlight for me is always when we get to sing happy birthday. There’s nothing sweeter than the way toddlers take it all in, looking around the room a little shy but so happy. This year, our son really knew what was happening from watching his older brothers. Seeing him light up during that moment was the best part of the day and a memory I’ll hold onto long after the decorations are put away.
