"Dirt Cups," Waste-Not Banana Pudding, and Other Trash-themed Party Ideas

 My son absolutely loves garbage trucks. So when planning his second birthday, a trash-themed party was an absolute must.  Since this small outdoor event was held during a pandemic, I made sure that I was taking extra precautions to keep our guests safe by provided individually-portioned food and treats.  

"Dirt Cups"

(serves 4)

The birthday "cake" was an aluminum pan with filled with "Dirt Cups."  My son doesn't care for cake to begin with, so this creative birthday dessert combined some of this favorites - gummy worms, chocolate pudding, and garbage trucks.  The best part was how easy this was to make!

1 3.9-oz package instant chocolate pudding mix

13 chocolate cookies, like Oreos

2 c. cold milk

8-12 gummy worms

1. Place cookies in zip lock bag and crush with a rolling pin.
2. Whisk pudding mix and milk for 2 minutes, or until combined.  
3. Alternate layers of pudding and crushed cookie in a 4 9-oz cups.
4. Top with 2-3 gummy worms

Henry's Waste-Not Banana Pudding

(single servings)

Recipe Card

I needed a simple party favor that would please adults and kids alike, so why not go with an easy take on one of his favorite desserts?  I found this idea on Pinterest that used pre-packaged ingredients and, since the party was held in the middle of a pandemic, I was sold on the idea. That's when "Henry's Waste-Not Banana Pudding" was created.  

I designed a number "2" stencil that resembled the recycling symbol. Using that stencil, I spray-painted the design on paper sacks for the party favor bags.  Each party favor bag included:

1 single-serve bag of Vanilla Wafers
1 banana

1 vanilla pudding cup

Directions:

1. Open the cookie bag and fold the top of the bag over the sides.
2. Slice the banana into coins.
3. Add half the vanilla pudding to a medium bowl and fold in all the cookies and a fourth of the banana slices.  
4. Put another fourth of banana slices into the cookie bag.
5. Top the banana slices in the bag with the pudding mixture. 
6. Eat the remaining bananas and pudding.
7. Seal bag with a paperclip. Refrigerate at least 8 hours and up to overnight. 

I designed the above recipe cards using Google Slides, printed them on cardstock, and included them with the items in each favor bag.  All of the party favor bags were kept in a (clean) trash can so that guests could leave with their "trash."

"The Dumpster Diner," Trash-inspired Cuisine

A trash-themed party would not be complete with out a trash-inspired menu! Grilled hot dogs and baked potatoes became "Dumpster Dogs" and "Dumpster Spuds." Either main course selection allowed for a  number of toppings, depending on the creativity of the guest.  These were the toppings I included:

• Coney Sauce (LINK coming soon!)
• Shredded cheese
• Pickle Relish
• Bacon bits
• Chopped white onion
• Chopped green onion
• Sour cream
• Mustard
• Relish
• Ketchup 

I finished out the meal with two side that have been a hit at my past parties - "Compost" or Broccoli Slaw (Click HERE for recipe) and Mac n' Cheese (Click HERE for recipe)

Drinks were kept over ice inside this vintage tub, and guests were reminded to "dispose of all liquid in accordance with local regulations."  

Garbage Games

The best parties have games! I came up with a few ideas for simple games that would please our youngest guests and keep the grownups entertained.

“Trash Toss”

This game was pretty much what it sounds like. I had a collection of crushed cans to toss into a recycle bin several feet away. The adults even got into this game a bit too!

“Trash or Treasure?”

This game was fun for the kids to play and fun for the adults to watch!  I filled a kiddie pool with clean trash (paper, boxes, plastic containers, etc.) and little trinkets from the dollar store (bouncy balls, necklaces, plastic animals, packs of fruit snacks, ring pops, etc.).  Each child got a mini reusable grocery bag in which to collect their "treasures."  I stenciled a garbage truck on each bag to go with the theme.  The kids dug through the "trash" to find goodies that they could keep when the party was over.

Trashy Décor

I had a lot of fun with the decorations for this party. Everything was made from recycled items, so I didn't have to go out and purchase anything!  I used newspaper and food boxes to make a garland across the front of the shed.  I intended this to be a good "photo op" space.  The garbage man cut-out was made out of a giant box from an IKEA purchase in the weeks prior. Even the dog got in on the photo fun!  (OK, he was made to.)

The centerpieces for the tables consisted of coffee cans (to look like trash cans), plastic cones, and one of the many garbage trucks around the house.  The "trash cans" held individually packaged snacks for the guests to snack on throughout the event.