Throw a back-to-school breakfast with ease.
Written and styled by Rhoda Brimberry and Anna Crelia, founder of Loot Rentals, Photos by Courtney Runn
Every year, our family gathers together with our neighbors and friends for a big back-to-school pajama pancake breakfast. The intention is to get kids back on their school schedule and to share the joys of starting a new year. It’s super easy to throw down blankets, set up a table and step out in your PJs. No big prep is necessary to have a great party, and the kids love it. It’s so fun for us to see neighbors stroll down the street in the early morning with coffee mugs in hand, ready to dig into a big hearty breakfast with those near and dear.
Menu
Simplified: Make it easy, as you’ll be up early to start the party by 7 a.m. Use your favorite just-add-water pancake mix and precooked bacon. Self-serve juices and milk will do the trick with ease. Adding in some fun garnishes for the pancake station like strawberries, whipped cream, syrup, chocolate chips and blueberries allows guests to choose how to dress their cakes to their liking.
Next level: One of our guests’ favorite options is our doughnut pops. Doughnut pops are simple to make and are a great way to get your kids involved in the party prep. But make sure you are there to supervise so they don’t end up eating all the treats before the party begins. We enjoy walking around the lawn and serving these on a remnant of pegboard from the local home-improvement store. In fact, check to see if the store has returned pieces from other customers because the cost will either be discounted or free. The store will also cut the piece down to your desired size.
Decorations
Simplified: This is a picnic, so not many decorations are necessary. If you don’t have enough picnic blankets available, it’s completely appropriate to ask guests to bring their own blankets when you send out the invitation. For the food table, just a few stacked books and some fresh apples make for the perfect way to set the back-to-school theme.
Next level: Your adult guests will appreciate tables and chairs if they are available, or some low tables with cushions. Loot Rentals has all that is needed to create the perfect back-to-school pancake breakfast, including matching blankets and vintage cafeteria trays. If you want to take the stage to the next level, Loot Rentals also has cushions, biergarten tables and benches. A rented teepee is a fun addition for a kid-centered setup. We also threw in some vases with greenery from around the yard to liven up the tablescape. Asking your children to forage and fill the vases is another great way to get them involved.
Signage
Simplified: A welcome sign and menus add warm touches to your affair. Use a chalkboard to enhance the theme.
Next level: We used Loot’s professor chalk- board, as it has a dual purpose as a backdrop and menu signage. We also created a word-search puzzle as a clever way to display the menu while including an interactive element for the kids to enjoy. There are many sites online that will create word-search puzzles if you provide the words. Just type “create word search” into your search engine to check out the free website options. Once the puzzle is created, print it out and recreate it on the chalkboard. Kids and parents alike will have a great time finding the words.
Get the look:
Items from Loot Rentals
Professor chalkboard
Gage table
Biergarten tables
Teepee
Ludlow tables
Kantha blankets
Moroccan cushions
Leather poufs
Vintage globes
Doughnut pops
Ingredients
Store-bought mini doughnuts or doughnut holes Cake-pop sticks
Pegboard
Directions
Pierce the doughnuts or doughnut holes with the cake-pop sticks, display them and enjoy.