If you’re starting to plan a birthday party for your child, one of the first things to consider is the theme. While some years you may want to get super creative and use a fresh, unique theme, the reality is that doing so also happens to be costly and time-consuming.
If, instead, you’re more interested right now in going with an evergreen theme that’s easy to find gear for and that therefore won’t cost you a bomb, consider the following ideas.
Superheroes
This theme has to be one of the most popular ones in recent years. With so many superhero movies, TV shows, books and comics around, most young kids get obsessed with one or more superheroes at some point. To get in on the superhero party theme, let your child choose their favorite character for the event to be based on, such as Batman, Wonder Woman, or Spiderman, or make it a little more general and invite every guest to come dressed as their hero of choice.
As for party ideas, consider having kids decorate their own masks to take home with them, or buy a variety of capes for kids to wear. You could even set up a superhero runway where they can all strut their stuff. Thankfully, when it comes to finding superhero-themed invitations, you won’t have to look far to locate fun stationery options, either.
Princesses
Of course, no list would be complete without princesses on it. There is plenty of inspiration plus many product options to choose from, whether you’re looking to theme your child’s party in a general princess way or around a favorite character such as Frozen’s Elsa or Anna, or Princess Jasmine, Belle, Cinderella, or another royal character. Bring in crown-shaped cookies for guests, sparkly tiaras for children to wear, a princess-themed cake, and lots of pretty pinks, pastels, and glitter to dress up the venue.
Dinosaurs
Most kids go through a dinosaur stage, which makes this particular animal theme another popular one. It’s easy to find lots of stationery and tableware featuring dinosaur designs, or you might want to be more specific and theme the party around Barney the dinosaur from TV or Rex from Toy Story. Add lots of green and brown in your color scheme to up the Jurassic feel, too, and set kids up with a craft station where they can design “dino-mite” party hats using cut-out zigzag scales from paper or cardboard.
Fairies
You might be sick of everything fairy in your life if you have a child obsessed with the little fantasy creatures, but the truth is that a fairy birthday party for kids never goes out of fashion. Go all out with pink decorations in your home if choosing this theme, and add lots of twinkling fairy lights and pastel-hued lanterns for soft, pretty lighting. It’s fun to give attendees a pair of fairy wings to wear on the day, and you can also provide supplies for kids to make fairy wands during the party.
Pirates
If a more swashbuckling theme is up your child’s alley, perhaps go with a pirate theme. If you do, get ready to say things like “Ahoy there, matey,” “Argh!” and “Walk the plank” over and over during the day! A fun pirate extravaganza is simple enough to create, with lots of pirate-themed loot available, plus it’s easy for guests to dress up in the theme, too. Alternatively, provide eye patches and pirate hats for kids to wear on the day. Make youngsters feel like they’re on a ship by decorating your home with lots of treasure chests and gold coins, as well as boat-themed items. Then, play pirate-related games, such as sending kids off on a treasure hunt.
Jungle
Another theme worth considering is jungle. This is a great option for kids obsessed with animals and is, again, an easy one for you to coordinate as a parent. You’ll find plenty of jungle invites, tableware, gift bags, and decorations to set the party up, and you could bake or buy individual cupcakes with animal faces on them or one big jungle-themed cake to complete the festivities.
If you have the budget for it, also consider hiring a balloon artist for the party, or learn how to DIY animal balloons yourself. This activity provides entertainment for all the kids and leaves them with a fun souvenir to take home, too.
Children’s birthday parties may be a little costly and stressful, but if you go with one of the themes listed above, or other evergreen options (like robots, cowboys, mermaids, ballerinas, the circus, and more), the event will be fun and easier and cheaper to plan.
