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Jenné Claiborne, the creator behind the YouTube channel SweetPotatoSoul, isn’t just serving up delicious plant-based meals – she’s redefining what it means to raise a vegan family.
In a recent video, Claiborne invites viewers inside her home to show how she threw a 100 percent vegan birthday bash for her six-year-old daughter. Spoiler alert: every kid, vegan or not, had a blast.
Read more: Kid-Approved Vegan Packed Lunches (That Adults Will Love Too!)
As a longtime vegan chef, cookbook author, and now a two-time birthday party coordinator (for her daughter and herself – they celebrate just days apart), Claiborne is no stranger to creative celebration. “We celebrated this little girl’s sixth birthday,” she says, beaming at her daughter on camera, “and then four days later it was my birthday. That same day was also the 15-year anniversary of SweetPotatoSoul.” Oh, and her new cookbook Vegan Vibes had just dropped. “We had a lot to celebrate,” she says, so she pulled out all the stops for her daughter’s special day.
But what’s most inspiring about the video isn’t the cupcakes or crafts – though both are picture-perfect – it’s how Claiborne shows that a kid’s party can be joyful, inclusive, and totally vegan without sacrificing any of the fun. “People are constantly asking me, ‘How do you raise a vegan child? How do you deal with social settings like parties and birthdays?’” she says. “This was our party. Yes, so, of course it was 100 percent vegan.”
Let’s dive into how she pulled it off.
You can watch the full video here, and find out details below:
A butterfly-themed birthday bonanza
This year’s party theme? Butterflies – chosen by the birthday girl herself. “Previous themes have been Minnie Mouse, David Bowie, and Frozen,” Claiborne shares. The butterfly motif felt serendipitous, since the party day was unseasonably warm and spring energy was in the air.
Claiborne ordered butterfly balloons on Amazon and had them filled at the local grocery store. “It’s a little expensive, but it’s so worth it,” she says. She decorated the house with finds from Etsy and Amazon, transforming their living room into a whimsical butterfly haven.
Party prep happened the day before – a smart move that left the actual party day relaxed and joyful. “That way, when we woke up in the morning, the only thing we needed to worry about was getting the food warmed up and out on the tables.”
Kid-approved vegan food (yes, it’s possible)
Let’s be honest: food can make or break a kid’s party. Claiborne gets it. “For her parties we always serve cheese pizza,” she explains. But not just any pizza, it has to be kid-friendly vegan cheese pizza. This year, she ordered from Pizza Verdura, a vegan Italian pizzeria in her town.
“I love their pizza, but we were not sure if the kids would. But turns out all but two of the children loved it and asked for seconds,” she says. Her tip? “The key is to find a really simple vegan pizza that isn’t too gourmet… just got to be like regular thin or thick crust with a regular stretchy vegan cheese. They won’t even know it’s vegan.”
As for dessert? Skip the custom bakery orders. Claiborne swears by store-bought Rubicon Bakery vegan cupcakes from Sprouts. “They are honestly delicious,” she says. “These are vegan cupcakes but they’re not supposed to be a healthier alternative, which is great because kids who are used to eating standard non-vegan desserts really will not know the difference.”
And the verdict? “We got a lot of compliments… My niece, she didn’t even think these were actually vegan,” Claiborne laughs. “She was like, ‘Girl, these don’t taste like vegan.’”
Instead of juice, the kids washed it all down with water served in tall glasses with colorful butterfly straws. Cute, simple, and no sugar crash.
Bonus points for creativity – Claiborne created a caterpillar out of muffins and pretzels, adding an extra dose of magic to the snack table.
The activities: crafts, games, and glitter
Forget bounce houses and clowns – Claiborne created a hands-on craft experience that had the girls fully engaged from the moment they walked in. “We set out the tables in the living room, each with a different craft so that the girls could dive right into an activity when they arrived,” she explains.
One activity involved making butterfly wands with cardboard, stickers, gemstones, and sticks from the yard. The children also designed bracelets and necklaces. Another activity was coloring pages featuring butterflies (sourced from Pinterest).
“The butterfly wands were definitely the most popular,” she says. “Every girl did this and they did the jewelry, of course.”
And because no party is complete without games, Claiborne organized a few backyard classics like “pin the tail on the butterfly” and “statue in the garden.” But the biggest hit? Toilet tag. “I had actually never heard of [it] before,” she admits, “but they had so much fun playing this game and running in the sun in the grass.”
A home party worth repeating
Hosting at home made all the difference, both for budget and experience. “I was really, really nervous about having this birthday party in our house,” Claiborne confesses. But it all worked out perfectly.
“The kids had plenty of space in the house, and it was a beautiful day so they had the entire backyard to play in as well. I would definitely do this again.”
Even Claiborne herself was surprised by how much she enjoyed it. “It was even fun for me, which I definitely was not expecting,” she says. “I thought I was going to be stressed by the end of it, but I really did have so much fun.”
Best of all, Claiborne’s daughter had the time of her life. “She just loves having her friends over… even if they just came over for a play date and hung out in her room, I’m sure she would have had a great time. But this was just the cherry on top of the cake.”
Clean-up was surprisingly easy thanks to pre-made food and a plan to keep things tidy. “Even though it was such a success and so much fun, I am tired and hungry,” Claiborne laughs as she decompresses post-party with pizza and hummus.
Yes, you can raise happy vegan kids
For those wondering if it’s possible to raise vegan kids who feel included, nourished, and joyful, Claiborne has your answer. “It is totally possible to raise thriving, healthy, well-socialized children who happen to be vegan,” she says. “We’re doing it every day.”
From the decorations to the cupcakes to the games and laughter, Claiborne’s video is proof that a 100 percent vegan birthday party can be magical, even for the pickiest little guests.
You can find more plant-based lifestyle content and recipes on the Sweet Potato Soul YouTube channel.
Read more: 21 Kid-Friendly Vegan Recipes
