KABOOM! That’s my mind being blown from Paper & Cake‘s Cool Chemistry Inspired Science Lab Birthday Party (because it’s totally awesome, of course!). I can’t wait for you all to see all the brilliant photos from Missy Marie Photography with the boys geared up for wild experiments and clever/delicious dessert ideas like the Higgs Boson brownies. I highly recommend reading Abigail‘s party details (below), and if you actually need any more convincing, here is her hilarious opening line: “Science is very serious. Except when it’s a party!”

If you’re in the mood for browsing more Science Parties, check them out here!

PARTY HIGHLIGHTS to look out for:

• Apple “Pi” birthday tower, Higgs Boson brownies & Schrödinger’s lemon berry cupcakes
• “GMO” fruit kabobs and “bacteria” Jello displayed in stacked petri dishes
• Jack’s Laboratory table with safety goggles and white lab coats + guest chemist, Auntie Sarah!
• Kitchen island dessert table, test tube party favors, and hanging printable science theme silhouettes
• Goggles, microscope, Erlenmeyer flask and more chemistry inspired photo booth props

PARTY DETAILS, as told by Abigail…

Science is very serious. Except when it’s a party! A party simultaneously satisfying the curious brain of my ten-year-old son, Jack, and his friends, and allowing them to blow stuff up. If you have never witnessed the miracle of a group of kids completely engaged and entertained WHILE they are learning, I suggest you continue reading about our recent Science Lab Birthday Party. It was absolutely fabulous!

I started in the kitchen by designing lots of science and chemistry themed decorations. Silhouette cutouts hung from the ceiling, while signage, snack boxes and labels adorned the countertop. That mad scientist in the center is Jack, and overflowing in front of him is bits of dry ice in beakers and flasks filled with food colored water. He chose snacks for his party guests of popcorn, homemade pretzel bits, jello in petri dishes and fruit kabobs. And decided on desserts of apple pie, brownie bites and lemon/berry mini cupcakes from Meringue Bake Shop. As for party favors, we did what anyone with a Science themed party would do, get Sour Sandy Candy in test tubes (in a really cool rack)! I did end up purchasing a couple of new cake stands (because I couldn’t help myself) from Sweets Indeed, and she let me borrow her acrylic boxes – because they are SUPER cool.

Going outside to the yard, I set up our demonstration table with more silhouette cutout decorations, a birthday banner and safety gear for the kids. Luckily, we were able to borrow the lab coats, and I found a great price on safety glasses. Also on this table, I put out a newly designed set of Science themed printable photo booth props, SO cute. The spectacular sign behind the table really set the stage for what our party guests were in for – SCIENCE!

Now, for the hands on activities! I worked closely with an adviser to come up with the most successful set of experiments. Or, I just called my sister. She’s the brains of the family – with a degree in chemistry, lots of years teaching high schoolers, and her experience in dealing with ME, we worked up a list of 8 things that our party guests would love. I then took that list, typed out everything that each experiment would need, made a laminated instructional sheet with a matching 4×6 table sign, and gathered ALL the ingredients/supplies/mops and brooms. You would be surprised at how completely into it the kids were! Ages ranging from 8-14, our guests went through a gallon of vinegar, 3 squeeze bottles of food coloring, 25 ziplock baggies, 2 dozen balloons and a box of tissue! You heard me.

Oh, the fun didn’t end there… we still had an EPIC demonstration given by the chemist herself, Auntie Sarah. She started off by blowing up little plastic pipettes with dry ice to show how as the solid carbon dioxide warms inside, it sublimates to a gas. Then boom. After the appropriate ooohs, and ahhhs, she moved on to the big show stopper, liquid nitrogen! Because a rose will get so brittle after it’s frozen, it will shatter like porcelain! As will a banana and a marshmallow. She also held an inflated balloon over the bowl filled with LN2 and demonstrated how it contracts from the freezing air, then held it up while it re-expanded as it came back to room temperature. Spec. Tacular!.

Lastly, we spent some time singing and blowing out candles. And of course, the obligatory party guest group shot. Beautiful. I can’t tell you how much fun this group of party guests had (not to mention me too!!).