I Threw a Party for National Princess Day!

It's November again, and that means all the princess movie anniversaries are happening. Today marks the 35th anniversary of my favorite movie, The Little Mermaid. November 18th, the anniversary of The Swan Princess, was officially licensed as National Princess Day. As an officially licensed holiday, this is a great time to do something big to celebrate our love of princesses. Last year, I celebrated this milestone with an event at the library that brought in a small group of royals who listened to a pop-up book of "Cinderella" and made some printable ornaments from Red Ted. This year, instead of a traditional storytime, I decided to throw a party fit for a princess complete with a photo station, durable crafts to take home, games, music, and treats. I got a little more than I bargained for when so many people showed up that the library was flooded with royals. Talk about a wild princess party!

As the party hostess, I made sure to dress the part in an official Giselle costume from HalloweenCostumes.com. I've always found it a little amusing how people can't tell princess dresses apart. One year, I wore Belle's iconic gold dress for Halloween, and someone asked me if I was Cinderella. Another time, I wore Ariel's pink tea dress, and I got called Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty. I frequently got asked if I was Anna when I wore Ariel's "Kiss the Girl" dress that was inspired by the Fairytale Designer Doll Collection, but those looked similar enough that the confusion was understandable. When I dressed as Giselle, one parent thought I was Elsa, and another said I looked like Cinderella. The dress was princessy enough to pass for the part regardless. Instead of going for the fully screen-accurate look, I paired it with my 3D-printed Amulet of Avalor from Sofia the First, which one little girl recognized, and a Swarovski crystal Belle-inspired tiara from Epcot.

I wanted to give guests a true royal welcome, so I got a full-sized castle backdrop for photo opportunities. Since the backdrop was hung a bit high for the little ones, I placed a large chair in front of it and called it our "throne." That way, everyone could sit in front of the castle and feel like royalty. After they got their pictures taken, the doors swung open to reveal the royal banquet within. Cupcakes with shimmery princess skewers were served along with bright pink sugar cookies to match the feminine theming. A table was set up with princess books available for check out, wooden wands, and foam tiaras in three different colors to decorate. The decorating kit came with a few sheets of press-on gems and colorful ribbons for the kids to add some sparkle to their accessories. Unfortunately, they were having a hard time sharing the gems, and some parents asked to cut them up so they could be divided among the kids. The event was so popular that supplies ran out within minutes of the doors opening. I tied bow bracelets with the remaining ribbons around the wrists of a few of the latecomers so they wouldn't feel left out.

I made sure there would be plenty to do outside the banquet so the party guests wouldn't need to crowd around the small room. In the main part of the library, we played "Pin the Crown on the Princess" using a poster print of Cinderella and some crown stickers that I numbered in silver metallics so the children could keep track of their progress. I also put on a Disney Princess playlist from Spotify for the entire length of the event to allow party guests to sing and dance to their favorite princess songs if they so desired. However, there were so many people there that it was nearly impossible to hear the songs until the crowds started to clear out. One final bonus activity for people waiting for treats or latecomers was a variety of princess coloring sheets and crayons that I left on a table just outside of the main party area. These were a huge hit. I ended up printing 80 pages, most of which disappeared almost immediately into people's royal collections of personal artwork.

This year's National Princess Day celebration was a royally unforgettable experience! With a photo station, durable crafts, games, music, and treats, the party was a wild success - maybe even too successful, as the library was flooded with royals! Despite the chaos, everyone had a magical time, and I was thrilled to see so many little princesses (and princes!) enjoying themselves. As the party hostess, I was delighted to dress up as Giselle and welcome guests to the royal banquet. The castle backdrop, royal throne, and princess-themed treats added to the enchantment. While the decorating station was a bit of a challenge, the kids had a blast making their own wands and tiaras. And, of course, who could resist singing along to Disney Princess tunes? All in all, it was a day filled with joy, sparkle, and plenty of princess magic. Are you doing anything special for National Princess Day this year? Let me know in the comments!