Try It: A Nature-Themed Birthday Party
Written by Katie Hintz-Zambrano
Photography by Jillian Palucis
Photographed by Jillian Palucis
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Stylist Catherine Dash and HAWKs host a joyful birthday bash that celebrates color, creativity, and the great outdoors.
When stylist Catherine Dash set out to plan her daughter Coco’s sixth birthday, she had a clear vision: something vibrant, personal, and rooted in nature—with as little plastic and party waste as possible. The result was a cheerful, low-impact celebration co-hosted with outdoor education program HAWKs, set beneath the trees of Franklin Canyon Park. With bright enamelware table settings, hand-painted plant favors, and nature-inspired crafts scattered throughout the shady grove, the party felt equal parts whimsical and grounded.
“Traditional kids’ parties often create a tremendous amount of waste—from single-use decorations to plastic trinkets,” says HAWKs co-founder Emma Flanders. “Instead, we focus on experiences over excess. Kids spend the day outdoors moving their bodies, exploring trails, and learning through hands-on activities.” That philosophy was front and center during Coco’s party, where young guests decorated cardboard butterfly wings, created leaf creatures, made tissue-covered lanterns, and went on a scavenger hunt through the park—all led by HAWKs’ talented educators.
The day felt especially meaningful knowing it reflected Coco’s personal style—bright, bold, and full of creativity. “She was involved in every decision,” Catherine shares, “down to the fabric colors in the bunting.” A DIY lemonade bar (her must-have), a monster-themed crudité garden, and a cake dotted with colorful spots added to the sense of joyful personalization.
HAWKs, which has become a go-to for Los Angeles-based families looking for thoughtful, outdoor-based experiences, is now expanding its mission even further—with its very first franchise location opening this month in Orange County. “HAWKs birthdays turn up the fun while creating celebrations that are purposeful, memorable, and planet-friendly,” says Flanders. “Just like at our day camps, kids leave with real skills and experiences, lasting memories, and the planet benefits too.”
And if Coco’s party is any indication, this model of celebration—creative, eco-conscious, and deeply connected to the natural world—is one kids (and parents) will never forget.
Read our interview with Catherine on how it all came together, below!
You can follow Catherine on Instagram at @catdash and HAWKs at @hawks.kids
What was the overall vibe you were going for with this party?
"I wanted the party to feel like Coco—bright and cheery! She's very clear about what she likes and dislikes, and has strong opinions. So, she was included in every single decision—down to the fabric colors used in the bunting."
As a prop stylist, what was your vision for the tabletop design?
"I love mixing pattern and color—it's about playing with scale and finding harmony in the right balance of elements. Designing a table with no single-use products was important to me, but because the party was outside with a bunch of 6-year-olds, I couldn't use anything precious or breakable. When I was in Todos Santos early this summer, I discovered the Mexican enamelware brand PP.Peltre. Their cool designs were a jumping off point. And then, I mixed in even more enamelware (serving pieces, tumblers) from Crow Canyon and Falcon. It's such a durable, kid-friendly material—that's not plastic."
"When I found Solino Home's Cabana-Stripe tablecloth and Atelier Saucier's Mix-and-Match Chroma napkins the table design really came together. Colorful vintage flatware was sourced from eBay, and the hand-painted potted plants (created by Coco's dad AJ Mapes) were the playful finishing touch, and they doubled as party favors—each guest took one home. All of the tableware items I sourced can be used infinitely (at home or for events) and I can even loan them to friends for their kids' parties!"
“All of the tableware items I sourced can be used infinitely (at home or for events) and I can even loan them to friends for their kids’ parties!”
We love the DIY butterfly wings. What was involved with that activity?
"The butterfly wing craft was super simple, but also quite impactful given the large scale of wings and that the finished product was wearable. I used upcycle cardboard boxes (sourced via the buy-nothing group at Coco's school) that I cut into a kid-sized butterfly wing shape and added twine straps. Then, gave the kids a basket of paint sticks and let them go to town. They had a blast decorating the wings—and needed zero direction or supervision. And, no cleanup!"
How did you think about the food + drink spread?
"I wanted all of the food to be so appealing that the kids would actually eat it—bite-size, snacky, and playful. Displaying cut veggies in googly-eye-adorned glass vessels turned the ubiquitous crudité spread into an edible monster garden. Fruit cut into fun shapes and artfully stacked on skewers had both visual appeal and was easy for littles to grab and munch on while passing by the buffet table. Chef Michelle Laine helped us bring it all to life, and the colorfully dotted chocolate cake was made by Poems N Pastry."
"Our charmingly discerning Coco was adamant about having a lemonade bar—where kids could garnish their drinks with toppings like fresh mint, citrus slices, and Jubes. Filtering all of the party planning through her turned out to be the best decision I made. Not only was she supremely happy with the event, but so were the kids who attended—they were engaged the entire time! As it turns out, 6-year-olds know what other 6-year-olds like."
How was HAWKs incorporated into the event?
"Coco has attended HAWKs day camps and always comes home raving about her time and what she learned, so I knew partnering with them would be fail proof."
"The HAWKs team coordinated the most idyllic location in Franklin Canyon Park—a shady clearing adjacent to a pond (home to many ducks and turtles) and an epic climbing tree. Though we were out in nature—in a public park—the space felt intimate and cozy, almost like a private venue. Guests were thrilled by the location too, as it was a new discovery for most of them."
"I also coordinated with HAWKs on all of the activities, which were lead by their team of educators. They even created a custom scavenger hunt, which had the kids rambling through the woods in search of sycamore leaves, damselflies, and koi fish."
Tell us about the lantern activity and what is needed.
"You can repurpose any glass jar for this easy craft. I cut tissue paper into simple shapes, and tied neon cord onto the neck of the jar—to create a handle. The kids then used paint brushes and Mod Podge to decorate the exterior of the jars—layering on the thin, tissue-paper shapes to create their designs. HAWKs educators were there to supervise and give direction."
What about the flower crown actvitiy?
"We utilized a flower-crown-making technique that's so straightforward, even a toddler could do it. The base is made out of braided raffia—that's secured at the ends with a little floral wire and ribbon. We snipped small pieces (leaving about three-inches of stem) of a bunch of hearty flowers—ones that don't wilt immediately when they're out of water (a lot of flowers sold at grocery stores work well for this—varieties like baby's breath, mums, and statice)—that the kids could easily weave into the openings in the raffia braid."
How did you utilize the outdoor space to create lounge areas?
"Fortunately, the Heavenly Pond area at Franklin Canyon Park has several large, sturdy tables that we could use for the food, dining, and some crafting. But there were so many charming spaces under the tree canopy that we wanted to take advantage of. We used a couple of Block Shop tablecloths—plus several picnic blankets and throw pillows—to create a tented hangout zone for chilling and butterfly-wing decorating (aka: Club Coco)."
"Another stunning pond-side tree became the backdrop for flower-crown making—layered picnic blankets, throw pillows, and handmade fabric bunting (which we'll be reusing year after year) made the area feel festive and inviting. And the unexpected hit: the climbing tree! The kids naturally gravitated to this area—no prompting needed—and we found, as one parent put it: 'girls need no activities, if there's a climbing tree around.' Which was exactly the point—get these kids out into nature and they'll entertain themselves!"
“HAWKs focuses on experiences over excess. Kids spend the day outdoors moving their bodies, exploring trails, and learning through hands-on activities.”
We love the ways you incorporated leaves into the party—tell us more about that.
"The leaf confetti was just a fun decor moment—who needs pre-made, store-bought confetti when you have some leaves and a hole punch?!"
"The leaf creatures were an activity lead by the HAWKs educators. Kids were encouraged to forage for elements to create their designs, and we had a cordless hot-glue gun and some googly eyes they could use to bring them to life."
"Sticking with the theme...during our party prep, Coco and I foraged for leaves, decorated them with paint pens, and then tied them to the party favor bags—just to add a little festive flair!"
What sort of take-home gifts did you send the kids home with?
"Every year, I'm conflicted about the party favor goodie bags. They are really important to Coco, but she often gravitates toward including little plastic gifts that are fun for a few minutes, and then quickly lose their luster (then likely end up in a landfill)."
"In lieu of the standard-issue party favor goodie bag, we found these chic, recycled-plastic totes that were big enough to house a potted plant (from our table decor) plus all the crafts our guests made at the party, and did double duty as a gift in and of themselves."
What was your favorite part fo the day—and Coco's?
"My favorite part of the day was seeing Coco light up—she truly loves hosting and her sparkle really shines when something she's curated and envisioned is brought to life. This is a feeling I can totally relate to."
"Coco says: 'It was fun having a fancy party that was mine. My favorite part was hanging out with friends and family…and cake!'"
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