Birthday planning

My little ones Birthday is coming up, in a month, and I have begun thinking about ways to celebrate in a simple but memorable way. Here's her picture with Daddy from last year's party. I was thinking about a party at a local nature center, but we have 7 little ones that we need to think about, and the nature centers have a time limit. I will probably have it over my Mother's house, so we could celebrate around nap schedules. 

Now, for some activities for 4 year olds and then the younger children. Any suggestions? I was thinking of activities that I could have out, like a ball toss with beach buckets and balls, bubbles, sidewalk chalk, soccer balls and net, and a croquet set. I will probably bring out the little sandbox for the little ones and her play tent and tunnel. 

We do have some remarkably colorful sea shells that were brought back from my Grandmother from Sanabell Island. Maybe we could have a treasure hunt and the children could fill up plastic bottles with the shells and sand, like a peek-a-boo bottle. This could also serve as their parting gift. 

While, I am trying to keep things healthier, I need to keep things easier for myself, so I will be ordering pizza or maybe large grinders. After a few years of cooking for the party, I was too hectic to enjoy friends and family. I will offer some health snacks, like fresh fruit, tortilla chips with salsa and guacamole, a garden salad, and veggies with hummus. 

As for school, I would like to avoid the sweets and commercialized trinkets. I found some great ideas on notquitecrunchyparent.blogspot.com who suggests:

fruit skewers

cupcakes with homemade whipped frosting

large stawberries

popcorn in festive bags

pineapple boats

apples

soft pretzels

smoothies

small wooden toys, rocks, shells

I had these thoughts:

homemade muffins

bowl of mixed berries

trail mix

packets of flower seeds (I did these last year and the parents had such a positive response to them)

flower in a flower pot or a vegetable plant

watercolors or paints and a paint brush

bubbles

pinwheels

ribbon wands

wool jingle balls