Most parents spend around $500 on their kids’ birthday parties. They want their kid to have a birthday party to remember, but they don’t want to go overboard.
Often, the best party ideas have a great theme, party games, and party activities. Few kids care about expensive venues, balloons, and cake.
Planning a unique, fun party that your child and their friends will enjoy is easier said than done. But with a bit of creativity, you will help them enjoy their birthday with an event they will talk about for years to come.
Here are some of the best kids’ party ideas to get you started!
1. Plan a Themed Backyard Birthday Party
In a world where parents are throwing kids’ parties that look beautiful on social media but dull in real life, go old-school. Throw a classic, rowdy backyard birthday party that is 0% beautiful but 100% fun.
And if you make it a themed birthday party, you can still put up matching decorations, plates, and cake for a cohesive look.
Assist your child in choosing an open, non-restrictive theme. A Spider-Man theme, for example, doesn’t provide guests with a lot of costume choices. A Marvel Comics or superhero theme is still fun yet inclusive.
Plan on-theme activities like a costume contest and a trivia game for older kids. Bring out the BBQ and your Bluetooth speakers and you’ve planned an affordable, super fun birthday party for kids!
2. Book a Kid-Friendly Escape Room
Not everyone can host a birthday party in their house, let alone their backyard. If you need some party ideas outside of your home, why not book an escape room?
In an escape room, a group needs to work together to solve the puzzle in the locked room to get out before their time is up. It is a popular activity for adults, but there are plenty of escape rooms for kids, too.
Here are some great local escape rooms for kids:
- The Great Escape Room Pigeon Forge
- Mission Escape Games in New York City
- Escape Hunt in Houston
- Escape the Room in Albuquerque
They often have a limit on the number of people that can be in an escape room. So, it’s ideal for a smaller birthday party or you can book more than one room if you are hosting tons of kids.
3. Good Old-Fashioned Pool Party
All kids love a pool party. They get to show off to their friends, play with inflatable toys, and play fun pool games.
You don’t need your own pool to host a pool party. Lots of local pools are available to hire for a few hours and this has so many benefits. They are often bigger and with more amenities than home pools.
And always come with a lifeguard so you don’t need to worry about the kids’ safety. You can always bring a huge picnic for the kids to eat poolside after their swim.
4. Center the Party Around Sports or Crafts
Does planning activity after activity for your child’s birthday party sound exhausting? Then plan the entire birthday party around one sporting or crafting activity.
You could hire a sports field and create a field day birthday party. Kids can compete in races and competitions and you could plan an awards ceremony and buy little awards for the winners.
Or, if your child goes to a dance class, you could book a dance class for the kids too. Here are some other sports party ideas:
- Bowling
- Paintball
- Go-karts
- Archery
- Kayaking
Or, if your child isn’t into sports, you could have a crafting party instead. Here are some crafting party ideas:
- Ceramics
- Cross-stitching
- Card-making
- Tie-dying
- Origami
The best part about a crafting party is that the children can take home what they make with them. This type of party would depend on your kid’s friends having similar interests, but it could be great fun for them. Plus, for most of these party ideas, you would not have to host the party at home.
5. Go Camping in the Woods (Or Backyard)
If you have older kids who only want to invite a handful of friends to their birthday party, plan a camping party. You could go to a local campsite or host it in your backyard.
Head to a nearby lake for cool camping activities like canoeing and fishing. Then, at night, you could make s’mores, build a fire, and have a BBQ.
6. Movie Night Birthday Party
On a budget but still want your child to have a unique, memorable birthday party? No problem! All you need for a movie night birthday party is a big white sheet, a projector (which you can hire), tons of old blankets, and some snacks.
You could level up this party idea by hiring a popcorn machine or a cotton candy machine. If you have a backyard big enough, you could host it out there. And there’s nothing wrong with asking each kid to bring their own chair, blanket, and pillow, too.
7. If In Doubt, Include Animals
All kids like pool parties, but all kids love animals. If you are struggling to think of exciting party ideas to put the biggest smile on your kid’s face, the answer is animals.
You could arrange a trip to the local petting zoo if you have younger kids. Or, you could go to a real zoo if you have older ones.
If you are planning a backyard birthday party, then you can hire animals for an hour or two. Snakes, llamas, and alpacas are all winners. Plan an animal-themed backyard birthday party so the animal stays on the theme, too.
Party Ideas to End All Parties
Your child is only a child for so long and they only have one birthday a year, so it’s understandable that you want to make it special. And with these fun party ideas, you will no doubt throw them the best birthday bash they could wish for.
Want more tips to help you navigate the journey of parenthood? Our website has tons of articles on music and movies to keep your kids entertained for a long time!