Feeling lost when it comes to kids party themes? You’re definitely not alone! Although you might find a few moms in the bunch who seem to have a knack for party planning, most end up needing a little help. Party planners Penny Warner of Danville, California and Deborah Stumm of San Diego suggest having a creative theme for a birthday party, which, they note, can really make it a success.
Give your child the best birthday ever by trying out one of these amazing birthday party themes for kids:
- Spa-day with mud masks and manicures (which can be done by older siblings or sitters!).
- Pirate party with costumes, eye patches and treasure hunts.
- Royal princess ball with fairy tale crafts, glittery cupcakes and princess gowns.
- Camping birthday complete with tents, a “campfire,” s’mores, and of course, camp songs.
- Nature adventure with a woodland hike and geocaching.
- Art party complete with mini easels, paints and smocks.
- Harry Potter-world with Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans, wizard costumes and a magic show.
- Lego party with Lego games, and of course, a Lego cake.
- Great British Bake Off party with a baking contest, cupcake tasting and judging.
- Jungle-safari where kids can dress like their favorite animals and have tropical-fruit salad.
- Bug-hunt! Supply magnifying glasses, bug houses and “dirt cake.”
- Archaeological excavation birthday — kids can dig artifacts out of plaster and dress like explorers
- A bubble wrap games party that includes bubble wrap freeze dance.
- Farm-themed party where you host kids at a farm, or have baby animals come to you.
- Reptiles! Hire a snake handler to attend.
- A slime and/or ooblek party.
- A Halloween-themed party.
- Karaoke contest — just make sure you have your earplugs handy!
- Ocean-life. Visit your local aquarium or turn your living room into an under-the-sea adventure.
- 1950s sock-hop.
- Robotics. Kids can learn about robots while eating “nuts and bolts” snack mix.
- Jewelry-making party.
- Renaissance festival with medieval garb, turkey legs and pool-noodle jousting.
- Backyard beach birthday.
- Kite-flying contest.
- A luau.
- Board-game party.
- Book-character birthday, where kids dress up like characters from their favorite stories.
- Glow-in-the-dark birthday theme. See “8 Games to play in the dark.”
- Rainbow birthday party. Just find the pot of gold!
- Ballet/Nutcracker dancing and viewing.
- Mystery “who done it?” party with a scavenger hunt, secret messages and magnifying glasses.
- Enchanted garden party.
- Pottery painting at a ceramics venue or at home.
- Movie-making, where the kids become filmmakers.
- A drive-in cinema.
- A mall hunt and movie party.
- Mermaid-themed party.
- Host a rodeo. Your little buckaroos can wranglesnow stuffed animals with jump ropes.
- Outer space.
- Geology party with the coolest rock candy cupcakes.
- Ice-skating/hockey-playing.
- Dress like heavy-metal rockers at a rock-star birthday.
- Pinwheel party.
- Sports. Take kids to an arena or play/ref a bunch of games.
- 80s birthday party.
- 70s disco dance party.
- A New Year’s Eve-themed party.
- Army-themed birthday with a crazy “capture the flag” obstacle course.
- Water games.
- Scrapbooking day with tons of supplies.
- Star Wars.
- American Girl at-home or in the store.
- Set up sand bags to kick at a karate-themed party.
- A day in the tropics. Set up mini pools complete with inflatable palm trees.
- Fortune-telling party with Tarot cards and crystal balls.
- Build the best snowman (with a hot cocoa bar at the end!).
- Play-dough contest where kids make homemade dough and sculpt cool things. (Learn how to make play-dough.)
- Tie-dye party.
- Laser tag.
- Barbie-themed party with toilet paper or tissue paper gown designs.
- Ice cream making.
- Video game/”Just Dance” party (to keep kids moving!).
- Field day.
- Make homemade bubbles (Check out 6 Super Recipes for Homemade Bubbles for some inspiration) and have a bubblegum blowing contest at the end!
- Puppet-making complete with a puppet show.
- Cheerleading party with pom-poms, megaphones and pennants.
- Pajama party (with or without a sleepover) with popcorn and pillow fights
- “Going Green” environmental-themed birthday.
- Game show party with fun challenges and prizes.
- Volunteering and raising money for a charity.
- Escape room party — either at a venue or at home with an escape room kit.
- Carnival complete with ring toss and cotton candy.
- Rocket-themed party with model rocket launch.
- Bike riding.
- Candy-making party.
- South Pole adventure. Get arctic with a polar bear- and penguin-themed birthday.
- Unicorn birthday party.
- The Wild West with cowboy hats and squirt guns.
- “Little House on the Prairie” party with bonnets, a covered wagon table and butter churning.
- Gone Fishing birthday.
- Cookie-making.
- Valentine’s Day party.
- Spring is in the air with egg dyeing and flower pressing.
- Bowling.
- Cops and robbers.
- Music festival where kids can try out different instruments and put on a concert.
- Crazy hair party.
- Fiesta with tacos, a piñata and mariachi music.
- “Tough Mudder” (kid-style) messy mud-run birthday!
- Alice in Wonderland, complete with tea party games.
- Yoga party.
- Teddy bear picnic.
- Planes, trains and automobiles party.
- Rock climbing.
- Go-karts.
- Miniature golf.
- Forts and fortresses. See what hideouts kids can their cardboard boxes.
- “Explore the world” birthday where you put up maps and have kids bring dishes representing their culture.
- A Pop-It party.
- Gymnastics.
The truth is, little kids usually don’t remember very much about their birthday parties, but at least they can have fun in the moment — and you can get some great photos — with these unique birthday party themes
Need some extra help organizing or setting up the party? Hire a babysitter or housekeeper to help out for a few hours.
Looking for some games and activities for your child’s party? Check out these Birthday Party Games for Kids!