We all know where to get cute party supplies (hello, Etsy!) and even the supplies that we need last-minute (hi, Amazon!), but sometimes we just need an idea to get us started. I have hosted and attended LOTS of birthday parties over the years so thought I would round up my favorite children’s birthday party ideas here — one hundred of them, to be exact! There is sure to be an idea or two below you haven’t thought of yet!
Boy Party Ideas
1. Car or Truck Wash
Come in a bathing suit and bring your favorite toy truck!
2. Superhero Party
DIY simple felt capes as the party favor!
3. Excavation Party
Dig up dinos from a sandbox!
4. Backyard Campout
Just add s’mores!
5. “Mad Scientist” Party
Have the children concoct their own formula from different juices and sodas.
6. Treasure Hunt
7. Firetruck Party
Have a firetruck come or ask a local fire station if they will host.
8. Lego Party
9. Farm Party
10. Nerf Guns
Bring your own Nerf gun and complete the “mission.”
11. Sports Party
12. Train Party
13. DIY Slime Party
14. Fishing Party
15. Magic Show Party
16. Golf Party
This would be great at a Putt-Putt place or DIY in backyard!
17. Minute to Win It Party
18. American Ninja Warrior Party
19. Rock Climbing
20. Sailor and Sailboats Party
Cute for a baby boy in a sailor suit!
Girl Party Ideas
21. Teddy Bear Tea
22. Baby Doll Party
A friend of mine made monogrammed burp cloths and pacifier clips for each child’s “baby” as the favors.
23. “Dress Like Your Mama” Costume Party
24. Twinkle Lights Fairy Party
Perfect for a summer evening in the backyard.
25. Carnival/Circus Party
See above photos for inspiration!
26. Tie Dye Party
27. Pancakes, Pajamas, and Puppets Party
28. Puppy Dog Party
Make it like Build-a-Bear and give guests small stuffed puppies in boxes. Have stations for designing collars, choosing a name, etc.
29. Garden Tea Party
See one I did here!
30. Faux Sleepover
For children who aren’t old enough for a sleepover.
31. Sleepover at a Hotel
Embassy Suites is perfect for this with their big suites, breakfast buffet, and indoor pool!
32. Backyard Movie with Projector
33. Jewelry Making at Home or Local Bead Store
We did one at Beading Dreams in Dallas.
34. Flamingo Themed
Pink everything!
35. Roller Skating or Ice Skating
36. Daddy/Daughter Party
We did this one year at a local rock climbing place as a joint party with other friends. I don’t even know if the dads remembered to sing happy birthday but they had the best time (and I wasn’t there to worry about every detail!)
37. Paint Your Own Pottery or Painting Party
38. Nail Salon Party
39. Saturday Morning Donut Party at the Park
With a donut cake, of course!
40. Lemonade Stand Party
41. Unicorn Party
Many horse rental companies will dress up their horses to look like unicorns.
42. Afternoon at the “Spa” Party
Pedicures, face masks, and cucumbers for the eyes!
43. Cheerleading Party
Pay a few local high school cheerleaders to run the party!
Literature Themed Parties
44. Mother Goose
See the one I did here.
45. Best Loved Doll
Based on the book by the same name. Everyone brings their favorite doll and the dolls win awards based on who is the oldest, youngest, traveled the farthest, etc.
46. Party in the Hundred Acre Wood
With games like “Pin the tail on Eeyore!”
47. Party in Mr. McGregor’s Garden (Peter Rabbit)
48. Alice in Wonderland
49. Eloise
50. Harry Potter
51. Dr. Seuss
52. Where the Wild Things Are Jungle Party
53. Go, Dog Go … with Cars and Dogs!
54. Madeline
Create a mini Paris!
55. Curious George
Bananas, monkeys, and a little paperback book as the favor!
Spring & Summer Party Ideas
56. Easter Themed
With an Easter egg hunt and egg dyeing — even have the Easter Bunny come!
57. May Day
With streamers galore!
58. Cinco de Mayo
Birthday girls wore Mexican dresses, decor was simple at a playground, and the piñata was a big hit.
59. Patriotic Party
Red, White, and Two!
60. Luau Party at the Pool
61. Summer Camp Party
62. Ice Cream/Sno Cone Truck
63. Slip and Slide Backyard Party
64. Lobster or Crawfish Boil
Good theme for a family party.
65. Strawberry Party
Simple but so sweet: Strawberry cake, strawberries on the table, perfect for a backyard birthday.
66. Summer Olympics
Fall Party Ideas
67. Apple Picking or Apple Themed Party
68. Farm Animals Party
69. Tractor Party
70. Halloween Costume Party
71. Goosebumps Party
72. Friendsgiving
73. Pumpkin Carving Party
Holiday Party Ideas
74. Christmas Cookie Decorating
75. “Be the Light” Party
Hot chocolate and Christmas light viewing!
76. American Girl St. Lucia Party
Like in the book, Kirsten’s Surprise. See the one we hosted here.
77. Nutcracker “Sugarplum Fairy” Ballerina Party
78. Little Drummer Boy (Musikgarten type) Party
79. Winter Wonderland
Rent a snow machine1
80. DIY Handprint Ornament Party for Babies or Toddlers
81. Cookie Swap
82. Party That Gives Back
Guests bring travel-size toiletries to make care packages for the homeless.
Tween & Teen Party Ideas
83. Karaoke Bus Party
84. Mall or Neighborhood Scavenger Hunt
85. Talent Show Party
86. Cupcake Wars
87. Fondue Night
88. Medieval Times
89. Escape Room
90. Hibachi
91. Rent Out Movie Theater
92. Sports Event or Concert with a Few Besties
93. Boy/Girl Dance
94. Sixteen Candles Throwback Sweet Sixteen Party
95. Kendra Scott Jewelry Bar with a Few Friends
96. Six Flags/Fair/Carnival
97. Surprise Birthday Party
98. Laser Tag
99. Party Bus or Trolley
Rent a party bus or trolley and decorate, then make fun stops for dinner and ice cream.
100. Video Game Truck Party for Fortnite
Find the recipe I used for this cute cake here.
What a wealth of great ideas!!! love this!!!
Thank you!
Great ideas!!! Thank you!
Thank you friend!
Great ideas! Thanks! We are doing Dino’s and donuts for a two year old boy this week. Serving donuts that will be decorated like dinosaurs…
Adorable! Thanks for sharing that cute idea!
I love that many of these are simple and wholesome. Most children do not care about the things we as moms tend to stress about (Pinterest-perfect decor, etc)—that’s more for us than the kids!
We’ve done a range of parties over the years, depending on what else is going on in our lives at the time. We attended a party at a neighborhood park recently with Chick Fil A snacks, uninterrupted playground time, and a few bins of LEGOs set up. My 8 year-old declared it ‘the best party ever’ and it was one of the least ‘fancy’ parties we’ve ever been to.