The Ultimate Kids’ Birthday Party Planning Guide (Themes, Activities & Supplies)

There’s nothing more heartwarming than seeing your kids excited to celebrate their birthday. Whether you’re celebrating your little one’s first or your toddler’s second, we have the ultimate kids’ birthday party planning guide to help you plan the party of your kid’s dreams! 

Below is the list of the themes, activities, and supplies you can consider for your kids’ birthday party.

Classic Birthday Party

The most popular option for a kids’ birthday celebration – a kid’s party with a classic theme is all about timeless fun with traditional games and colourful yet typical décor. The key to brightening up the atmosphere for a classical celebration is to use traditional birthday décor, balloons, and classic birthday elements to stick to the theme.

Décor:

Make sure to choose primary colours such as blue, red, and green, or choose pastel hues for a softer touch – depending upon what your child prefers. Use helium balloons and scatter them around the venue or the main table. You can also create a balloon arch at the entrance of the party. 

Next, choose backdrops or banners. Pick a big “Happy Birthday [child’s name]” banner to attach at the front of a printed or simplistic backdrop and set up a photo booth with cut-out props like stars, cupcakes, or any other animated character your child’s raging fun of!

For furniture, pick a round table with folding chairs. Make sure the tablecloths and plates match the theme. You can also arrange centrepieces around the table, such as mini plush toys or a DIY Lego or toy set. 

Last but not least, hang mirror balls or festoon lights around the venue. If you’re hosting the party outdoors, such as in your backyard, hang the décor items by trees, gazebos, or patio covers. However, if the party is being held indoors, consider hanging the items around ceiling hooks, doorways, or along walls and windows.

Activities:

A classical party calls for old-school classical games – these games are fun and engaging and offer every kid present at the party the opportunity to participate equally. 

Classic party games include:

• Musical Chairs – turn that playlist on and let the kids enjoy!
• Simon says – fun commands that bring nothing but joy!
• Up and Down rollercoaster – a safe and fun journey for the little ones!
• Stepping Stones – Foster the children’s love for sports through these six different rainbow-coloured frog stepping stones!
• Little Tikes Slide – there’s nothing that excites kids more than slides. This slide is ideal for kids aged 2 to 6, with a locking support arm and easy-to-climb stairs!

Harry Potter Themed Birthday Party 

If your kid is a Harry Potter lover, there’s no better day to offer them than a day when they can step into the magical world of Hogwarts. 

Décor:

You might think decorating for a Harry Potter-themed party is a challenging task. However, with the right birthday party supplies at your disposal and little effort, you can pull off the perfect party for your precious one and take them to the wizarding world of Harry Potter.

Start off by creating an entryway depicting the platform 9 ¾ entrance using the 9 ¾ platform sign. Hang Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff banners around the walls. Moreover, make sure to add wireless uplighters to give the venue spooky shades of red, green, or amber and set the right tone for the party. A Harry Potter-themed light gobo projection with a Hogwarts school crest can also enhance the HP décor. 

For an added look, place wooden crates around the venue on tables and display potion bottles, spell books, or the Harry Potter series books. This will also serve as the perfect backdrop for photos!

Use a sorting hat and place it on a big chair. Assign each kid a house by giving out a house badge or sticker! If you do not want to go through the hassle of arranging badges or stickers, give each child a small rolled-up scroll with a house-related famous quote. For instance, “Slytherin – your cleverness and competitiveness will lead you to shine.”

To enhance the atmosphere of the party, use rustic wood tables and cube seats – Hogwarts style! Add a metal and glass centrepiece that aligns with the theme perfectly, and you’re good to go on the furniture!

When you think of Harry Potter – you think of Hedwig. A Hedwig birdcage makes the ideal décor item that can be placed around the main table or near the photo booth to enhance the overall décor.  

Activities:

A Harry Potter-themed party calls for Harry Potter-themed games and activities. Let the wizards and witches compete and shine with the following Hogwarts-themed games:

• Horcrux Hunt: Hide small objects representing horcruxes (antique watches, vintage necklaces, crowns, and trophies) around the venues and let the kids search for them. Whoever finds the greatest number of Horcruxes wins!
• Trivia Game: Host a trivia game and quiz kids for Harry Potter-related information and award-winning points for the correct answers.
• Quidditch Relay Race: Give the kids broomsticks and set up a relay race. Use Hula Hoops for Quidditch goals!
• Movie Afternoon: Put on a Harry Potter movie and give the kids some popcorn and other snacks to keep them engaged.
• Wand-Making Station: Provide the kids with some chopsticks and let them decorate them using paint, glitter, and glue. 

Children’s Mini Disco Party

Turn your space into a lively yet safe and exciting dance floor by going with a mini disco party theme! Who doesn’t love some music, dancing, and glow-in-the-dark elements? Allow your little one to get all that energy out by dancing around with their friends!

Décor:

To decorate for a mini disco party, your décor should be based around bright neon colours such as blue, purple, pink, and green, along with some glow-in-the-dark balloons, light sticks, and LED neon signs. 

Start off by hanging a disco ball or a mirror ball in the centre of the room’s ceiling. String up festoon lights around the table or seating area for an added glowing effect. Use glow-in-the-dark stickers or neon balloons on the entryway. You can also enhance your little one’s birthday celebration aesthetics by incorporating LED furniture into the décor and adding a vibrant glow to the atmosphere. Solid cubes for seating, along with LED hexagonal tables and globes, are an ideal addition to a mini disco-themed aesthetic. 

Finally, set up a mini dance floor with a sequin backdrop and let the kids dance it out! Additional birthday party supplies needed for a mini disco party include a speaker and a microphone (if you want to host a kids’ karaoke as an activity!). 

You can also provide disco-themed props to the kids upon their entry to set the tone for the party and get everyone in the mood to dance. These props can include big wigs or funky sunglasses and bracelets!

Activities:

There are many ways you can keep your little guests entertained when hosting a mini disco party. Start by playing the popular game of a freeze dance, where kids dance to the music until it stops – which is when they freeze. Other games include:

• Limbo: During a game of limbo, participants are required to stand in a line and dance one at a time, wobble, or make their way under a pole without touching it. If they fall, touch the ground, or the floor – they’re eliminated. To make the game more exciting, add prizes for the winners and play limbo music!
• Britain’s Got Talent: Let the kids show their competitive side and play a game of Britain’s Got Talent with parents as the judges!

Mini Olympics – Get Moving!

Is your get sporty and competitive? If the answer is a big yes, a mini Olympics-themed birthday party is going to make your little one’s day! This birthday party is a blend of rapid races and amusing competitions! 

Décor:

Turn your chosen venue into an Olympic stadium. Start by placing a huge banner that says [welcome to child’s name mini Olympics]. Set up a balloon arch in the classic Olympic colours (red, blue, green, yellow, and black). You can also hang international flags around the venue to represent different nations. 

No Olympic-themed birthday party is complete without Olympic rings – hang some of them around the venue, such as the living room, backyard, or even on the walls. You can also transform these rings into foods such as doughnuts, cookies, or colour-coordinated salad platters. 

Put children into teams and hand them a flag for each of their respective teams (these can be based on countries, or you can even let the kids decorate their own teams’ flags). 

For an Olympic-themed party, you will require simple furniture that won’t be a hassle to move away. Consider hiring round tables or folding chairs – especially if you’re hosting the party in your backyard. Use tablecloths in Olympic colours to stick to the theme. For the centrepiece, you can use a medal stand surrounded by Olympic rings or trophies!

Set up a photo booth to let kids capture their memories. Surround the photo booth with fun party props such as Olympic rings, trophies, and medals! You can also use a gold star photo backdrop for the photo booth. 

Activities:

Activities and games kids can engage in during an Olympics-themed children’s birthday party range from hilarious challenges, races, and relays to team games!

• Sock Wrestling: Let two players sit on a mat and take off each other’s socks without using their hands.
• Sack Race: A classic sack race where kids make their way to a finish line inside a burlap sack.
• Egg and Spoon Race: Where balance meets coordination – kids carry an egg on a spoon to the finish line without dropping. Dropping the egg results in elimination. 
• Mini Archery: Make use of an archery set if you have one available, or purchase a new one. Let each player take a turn to fire two or three arrows at the target and keep track of their scores. However, follow relevant safety rules since kids are involved.
• Hula Hoop challenge: Test to see who can keep their hula hoop spinning the longest (it can also be played in teams).

Alice in Wonderland Theme Party 

Step into the world of The Mad Hatter with an Alice in Wonderland theme birthday party. Whimsical décor, engaging and fun games, and a tea party make for the ideal day for your little ones!

Décor:

Create the perfect entrance to the wonderland using a tunnel or arched doorway, decorating it with playing cards, clocks, and Mad Hatter’s Hat Prop for a perfect entrance. A “This Way, That Way” signpost that provides directions around the venue can also be placed on the entryway.

Moreover, a white rabbit chalkboard prop can be placed around the venue to serve as a photo backdrop or enhance the overall look of the venue. 

Set up a trestle table with cross-back chairs or Chiavari chairs for a Mad Hatter-style tea party!

An Alice in Wonderland-themed house photo board can be used as the perfect photo backdrop and is also the perfect party prop to keep the kids entertained and amazed. Also, consider hiring printed backdrops relevant to the Alice in Wonderland theme to enhance the décor for the party. 

Activities:

Consider incorporating the following themes into your Alice in Wonderland-themed birthday party to make the day tenfold better for your little one.

• The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party: An Alice in Wonderland party is incomplete without a tea party. Add colourful cups, fun snacks, and mismatched plates, and host an amusing tea-time game. For instance, kids must only speak in rhymes or drink their tea with their pinkies up!
• Paint the Roses Red: A DIY painting station where kids can paint white paper roses red.
• Cheshire Cat Hide and Seek: Make the birthday boy/girl the Cheshire Cat, tell them to hide, and let the other kids find the Cheshire Cat!
• Tea Cup Décor: Give the kids ceramic cups, let them decorate them as they wish, and they can take these cups home as keepsakes!

Frequently Asked Questions – FAQs

What is the best day to have a birthday party for kids?

Weekends are usually the best days to host a kids’ birthday party, with early to mid-afternoon times being the ideal time. Plan a duration of around 2 to 2.5 hours so there’s plenty of time for the kids to play, participate in organised games, and, of course, cut the cake!

Where should I have a birthday party for the kids?

The location of your kids’ birthday party depends mainly on the birthday theme and budget you are planning for the celebration. You can host it at a park, playground, your house, your backyard, a farm, or even at a zoo. However, relevant décor depending on the theme and other arrangements, such as food, will still need to be made.

What are birthday party favours?

At birthday parties, kids may receive a small and inexpensive gift, such as a small toy. Or in some cases, gift bags or party bags. These serve as a gesture of gratitude to the guests for being a part of the birthday celebration. You can hand out party favours to the kids at your birthday party to show your appreciation for attending your child’s celebration.