The Best Birthday Party Ideas for Kids of All Ages

From babies to big kids, these themes, games, and decor ideas will make planning a party a breeze

By: Amanda Mushro

Shop This Look

Photo By: Catherine Falls Commercial

Photo By: FamVeld

Photo By: olesiabilkei

Photo By: Jose Luis Pelaez Inc

Photo By: Niedring/Drentwett

Photo By: Anastasiia Krivenok

Photo By: Lumi Images/Alexandra Dost

Photo By: AleksandarNakic

Photo By: SolStock

Photo By: Aleksandra Nigmatulina

Photo By: Pauline St. Denis/Corbis/VCG

Photo By: StefaNikolic

Photo By: Elva Etienne

Photo By: Mrs_2015

Photo By: kirin_photo

Photo By: Astrakan Images

Photo By: nano

Photo By: SolStock

Photo By: Cavan Images

Photo By: eyesfoto

Photo By: Fran Polito

Photo By: Westend61

Photo By: DragonImages

It's Time to Celebrate!

After you’ve been to a few birthday parties for kids, it can feel like all of the good themes have been done again and again. When it’s time to start planning your child’s birthday party, you may find yourself walking up and down the aisles of a party store trying to come up with fresh and fun ideas, but falling flat. If you’re looking for a few out-of-the-box party tips that are still easy to pull off, keep reading. From age-perfect themes, to games, decor, and food, get the party started with these birthday party ideas.

First Trip Around the Sun

This super cute party theme would be adorable for a little boy or girl that is turning one. With a mix of decor that is sun, moon, and stars, you can create an out-of-the-world party for your little one. Need a take home favor idea? How about personalized cookies that are shaped like an adorable sun.

Baby You’re a Star Banner

If you need a simple DIY decor idea for your one-year-olds birthday, create a personalized banner where your baby is the star. Start by printing pictures of their face and attach the pictures to a banner. You can do this with a store bought paper banner or make a banner using fabric. This also makes a cute keepsake that you can display in their room.

Chuga-Chuga-Two-Two

If you’ve got a train obsessed toddler, this is a party theme they will love. Guests can dress up as conductors with fun hats, red handkerchiefs, and train whistles that are waiting for them at the party. If you have a treat table, grab a few old suitcases and place the food containers inside the luggage and make a sign that says "baggage claim."

Bubble Station

Need a fun and inexpensive way to keep toddlers entertained at the party? Create a bubble station by making your own bubble solution or buying the solution in bulk. Then fill a plastic baby pool with different bubble wands. You can even make a few from pipe cleaners. If you have bubble machines, add those into the mix and watch the bubble magic happen.

Three-Rex

Another adorable theme that can be personalized for your favorite three year old. Fill the party space with dinosaur toys, balloons, and inflatables. Create a selfie station with a few of the larger dinos. Cut out dinosaur tracks and tape them to the floor for an unexpected piece of decor.

Toddler Party Games

If you need to keep the littlest party guests entertained, introduce them to some of the best old school party games you remember. From musical chairs, hot potato, and freeze dance, these games are so fun that parents might want to join in on the fun.

I’m Four — Let’s Paw-ty!

Who doesn’t love a puppy party? For your four year old, deck out the entire party space in dog themed party decor. From puppy cupcakes, dalmatian spots on the balloons, and serving snacks out of oversized dog bowls, this party is sure to be a hit with all the party guests.

Mix Up the Food

Tired of eating pizza at every party? Mix up the food selection to serve up your kid’s favorite food. Also, have an adult option and a kid option. Your guests will thank you when they get a yummy meal to eat at your child’s party (especially if they’ve been to a lot of kids' parties lately).

Dive Into Five

From mermaids to fish, this theme works for all five year olds. If it’s a pool party, grab a few beach balls and pool floats. If you’ve got a mermaid obsessed kiddo, fill a treat table with mermaid themed treats. Create a selfie station with water-color balloons and green crepe paper that looks like underwater plants. Need a favor idea? How about personalized towels for all of the guests.

Party Stations

If you are hosting the party at your house and you are trying to plan out the day, create party stations to keep kids entertained. Grab a few extra tables and chairs and set up stations throughout the party space. From crafts, games, and activities, kids can move throughout the space and when it’s time for the big activities — like singing Happy Birthday before serving cake — everyone comes together.

Six O’Clock Movie

While you can actually have this party at any time, a fun theme for your six year old is a movie party. Host this party in your home or at an actual movie theater. Of course you’ll need all of the movie essentials like popcorn and candy. If you're not showing an actual movie, kids can pretend to be movie stars and walk the red carpet before the party starts.

DIY Cake

Sure you’d love an Instagram-worthy cake for your kid’s birthday, but if those cakes don’t fit your budget, there’s plenty of ways to take a store bought cake or a homemade cake and jazz it up. From buying fabulous cake toppers to adding lots and lots of sprinkles to trying a baking kit, there are so many ways to DIY a fabulous cake for your next party.

Lucky #7

Lucky charms, rainbows, and the lucky number seven, this fun theme is a great way to celebrate your seven-year-old. Set up a treasure hunt for kids and at the end, they can find a pot of gold. If you need a quick and fun favor for guests that doubles as a thank you, fill bags with Lucky Charms cereal and put a note on the bag that reads "I’m cereal-sly glad you came to my party."

Pumpkin Spice Party

Bring the best flavor of the fall season to the birthday party. While this is the perfect fall birthday party theme for the pumpkin spice obsessed, it’s still a fun idea all year long. First up, the drinks. Have pumpkin spiced cider for the kids and pumpkin spiced lattes for the adults. For older kids and adults, set up a pumpkin-spiced candle station and the younger party goers can mix up batches of pumpkin-spiced playdough.

Lawn Party Games

If you’re hosting the party outdoors, there are plenty of family-friendly lawn games that all your guests will love playing, like oversized checkers, cornhole, and even jenga. If you want a DIY game, make a Twister board on the grass with spray paint.

Skating Into 8

How about an old school roller skating party? If you grew up going to roller skating parties then you know how fun they can be. To make it even more fun — make it an 80s theme for kids and adults. Give kids glow sticks and 80s gear when they arrive to make the party more festive.

Outdoor Party In a Pinch

If you need a quick party idea that kids of all ages will love, move the party outside and make it a water party. For this celebration, you don’t need a pool, just nice weather and plenty of water. Start with a few baby pools filled with water, and then turn on the sprinkler or a Slip N’ Slide. Then fill tubs of water with plenty of water toys and water squirters.

On Cloud 9

Your birthday kid will feel like they are walking on clouds with this fun theme. Start with cotton batting (you can buy this in bulk) and stretch it across tables, the floor, and the ceiling to look like the party space is covered in clouds. Kids can make and enjoy marshmallow pops that they dip in white chocolate and sprinkles. Let party guests make their own cloud slime to take home after the party.

Birthday on a Budget

If you're trying to save a few dollars but still give your kid a rad birthday, consider changing the time. Rather than hosting a party and feeding everyone a meal, strategically choose a party time that is between lunch and dinner. This way you can offer cake, ice cream, and small snacks. You can also save money by finding a free venue for the party and sending out email invites.

Hang 10 Party

Give the beach party a birthday upgrade with this theme. Stock up on plenty of sand buckets, beach balls and sunscreen for party guests. Serve up fresh fruit and snacks that would be perfect for a beach day. If there isn’t an ocean nearby, baby pools full of water will do the trick for a few selfies with the birthday boy or girl.

Dress for an 11 Year Old Mess

From tie dye to painting on canvases, this party is all about being creative, making a mess, and celebrating the guest of honor. Stock up on towels, shirts, and socks and grab a few tie dye kits so kids can get to work. While they wait for their masterpieces to dry, they can create their own charcuterie board full of tween friendly food.

Let’s Glow Crazy for 12

This party theme is great for older kids because all the fun starts when the sun goes down. For this party, you’ll need plenty of glow-in-the-dark necklaces and glow sticks. Illuminate the party by placing bright-colored plastic cups over tea lights. If the party is outside, fill a baby pool with water and toss in a few glow sticks.

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: 10 Awesome Outdoor Birthday Party Ideas for Kids of All Ages, The Cutest Sip-and-See Themes, Celebrate College Graduation with These Fun Decorations

Follow TLC on Apple News