We did a Daniel Tiger Party for my daughter’s birthday and it was such a fun theme! If you need ideas for invitations, food, party supplies, cake, decorations, outfits, games, and gifts, you are in the right place. Read on for tips and tricks to make this party easy and budget friendly. Be sure to scroll to the bottom to get your free printable Daniel Tiger scavenger hunt game before you go! 

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Daniel Tiger Birthday Invitations

Because everyone outside of our house would be attending the party via Zoom, I didn’t need a physical invitation. However, I love to have a hard copy for the Your Birthday Book (this is my go-to gift for first birthdays and if you don’t have one, you are missing out!). I purchased a digital Daniel Tiger birthday invitation from Etsy that allowed me to text it to everyone and also print on cardstock to keep. Even in non-COVID years, downloadable invitations from Etsy are a great way to get personalized invitations at an affordable price.

This is a copy of my daughter’s invitation, name redacted.

Food Ideas for Daniel Tiger Birthday Party

I love delicious food and trying new things. But I think birthday party food should be something the kids are excited to eat. That’s why I wanted to incorporate foods my daughter loves into the Daniel Tiger theme. We did O’s Nifty Nuggets for chicken nuggets and Miss Elaina’s Mac and Cheese as the main dishes. Playing on Prince Wednesday’s favorite adjective, I also did Royal Fruits and Veggies to make me add a touch of nutrition to the meal.

Fudge Stripes made the perfect Tiger Striped Cookies (which my daughter now permanently calls tiger cookies). Even though I’m not sure how Daniel would feel about us eating them, Cheetos Paws were great Tiger Paws.

DIY Polka Dot Daniel Tiger Cake

My husband started baking as a hobby during pandemic life, including making his own buttercream frosting. (This is especially impressive considering his signature dish used to be ramen noodles with Kraft singles and hot dogs. Yuck!) I capitalized on this for a homemade birthday cake.

Originally, I planned to buy a plain cake and put Daniel Tiger figurines on it. Instead, I had my husband make a two-layer round cake with white icing so I could decorate it myself to fit the theme. I wanted colorful polka dots, so I used M&M’s around the sides and as a border on the top edge.

Then I added half of this Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood Friends and Family Set to the top (I gave the other half as a birthday gift for my daughter to open). The final touch was a colorful birthday banner cake topper.

Daniel Tiger Party Supplies

Because our party was only immediate family, I didn’t need tons of party supplies. A pack of these dessert plates set the tone for us. If I were throwing a normal party, I think this party pack is a great deal.

I love themed food tents, so I made some to label all the dishes.

Decorations for Daniel Tiger Party

The folks at PBS have tons of free ideas and downloads to throw a fun Daniel Tiger birthday party. I used their free paper pinwheel medallions download with the characters’ pictures and put them on these colorful paper fans. I hung them from the ceiling to decorate.

Self-sealing foil balloons have become my new favorite decoration for parties. You don’t have to worry about helium and they last for a long time. I got this colorful happy birthday set for less than $6 and was even able to pass it along to another mom to use the following weekend!

To match the hanging paper fans, I found a garland like this one to go around my kitchen island. There are tons of options when you go with a multicolor theme for the Daniel Tiger party, so find whatever works best for you.

I also printed a few signs on cardstock to hang around the house. Since the friendly neighborhood mailman is responsible for packages, I made Mr. McFeely’s Package Drop for the gift table. We did a Zoom scavenger hunt for socially distanced fun, so I made a sign with trolley and the gang that said Won’t You Zoom Along With Me? and hung it in the background. My daughter’s favorite was the sign where I put her head on Daniel Tiger’s body with a tagline of Welcome to L Tiger’s Neighborhood.

We have several Daniel Tiger toys and books around the house, we set them out in various places. We have plush versions of Daniel Tiger, Katerina Kittycat, Margaret Tiger, O the Owl, Prince Wednesday, Tigey, and Miss Elaina (who is almost impossible to find in stock). This trolley is also in our collection. We set out books as well. Toys and books you already have are a great way to make your party space feel festive.

Birthday Outfit

Dressing my kids for the party theme has become a birthday tradition in my house. This year, I went with a Daniel Tiger dress that isn’t birthday specific. Therefore, my daughter can wear it throughout the year. I got this trolley t-shirt dress from Etsy that is super cute and the seller was easy to work with. If you have a boy or want a different Daniel Tiger birthday outfit, Etsy has a ton of great options.

The rest of the family dressed in red to match, but that is definitely not required.

My daughter rocked her Daniel Tiger dress during her Zoom birthday party.

Party Games for the Neighborhood

I like to keep party games simple, but it is nice to have something structured to do during a birthday party. We did this game similar to pin the tail on the donkey, but with a Daniel Tiger theme. It doubles a poster for decorations and comes with fun tiger blindfolds.

Because this birthday fell during COVID, we did a Zoom scavenger hunt where kids and adults all participated. I made a list of items related to the neighborhood that guests had to find and show. My daughter had fun telling people her favorites. This could also be done in person as a race to see how many of the items people find in a set amount of time. You could divide them into teams to make it easier. As a gift to you, I made a free printable Daniel Tiger scavenger hunt for you to use at your party. Click the box at the bottom to download a copy.

Gift Ideas for Kids Who Love Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood

Obviously, Daniel-themed gifts aren’t required at a Daniel Tiger party, but I went all in this year. The toys I mentioned in the decorations section above were all presents my daughter received previously and she enjoys.

Since our family usually asks for birthday gift ideas, I thought I’d list some of the ones we like in case you need to pass along suggestions:

• Daniel Tiger’s Welcome to Mainstreet Game – My daughter developed a love of games during our extended time at home, and this one has become a staple in her rotation.

• Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood Musical Instruments – Spur their creative side with this set.

• Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood Singalong Toy – The microphone is a big hit with my daughter.

• Daniel Tiger Training Underwear – These super absorbent pajamas are great for the potty training kiddo.

• Daniel Tiger Socks – Great if you want a non-toy gift.

• Electric Trolley – This trolley plays songs and drives itself short distances. As a bonus, all the characters I used as the cake topper fit in the seats.

• Daniel Tiger Books – There is no shortage of books, many of which correspond to your favorite Daniel Tiger episodes. Some of our favorites are this 5-Minute Stories collection for bedtime, this trolley-shaped book, and this one with sounds. This personalized Daniel Tiger birthday book would also make a good gift.

• Personalized Daniel Tiger Puzzle – You’ll need to order it in advance, but this puzzle includes your child’s name in a personalized tin. This website has a ton of other items like lunchboxes, bedding, growth charts, and Daniel Tiger swag.

I hope this helps you plan the perfect Daniel Tiger Party. Let me what you think in the comments below. And don’t forget to download your free printable scavenger hunt game! Ugga mugga!

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