Kid’s Party Guides

Uncover four important Ws that will lead you to the best theme for your child’s party!

WHAT: Your child’s interests

The star of the party is obviously the celebrant, so you’ll have to make sure your child approves of his own party theme!

For babies or toddlers, notice the way he repeatedly gravitates to a particular item in his room (could he be reaching out for his toy car amidst a sea of stuffed toys?). Pay attention to the way he gets excited—through bouncy body movements and squeals of laughter—when he sees his favorite character onscreen. You can also focus on his favorite activity (such as dancing or singing) and spin a creative theme around it.

For older children, make your kid feel extra special by granting him the option to pick his party theme. If he’s undecided or nonchalant about it, just take note of what he always talks about, which movie he enjoys watching, what he loves reading, and which toy he plays with all the time. These could be great indicators of possible themes he and his guests would automatically like.

WHERE: Your memorable trips as a family

When a child is too young to give his suggestions, parents opt for a locale that their brood has an affinity for such as the beach, the park, or the zoo. Think of memorable locations that you’ve gone to as a family and take the best elements from it. A love for sea, sand, and surf can transform into a Hawaiian luau party theme.

WHO: Your potential guests

Draw up a list of people you’ll be inviting to the celebration. From there, gauge how many kids and adults will be attending and skew your theme to the more dominant age group. Turn to friends with children to find out which party themes they’ve thrown that were the easiest and most enjoyable to throw, as well as the ones they’ve attended that had the most engaging themes.

Also consider how mobile and active your young guests would be and how much fun they would have with your prospective theme. Younger kids would appreciate a gathering with an amazing program (like a magic show or a musical medley), while older kids can be occupied by interactive party elements. Finding and answering clue cards to solve a mystery as a group just might tickle their fancy!

WHEN: Your time and resources

Before everything is set in stone, ask yourself: Will you have ample time and means to execute the theme you have in mind? If you’re on a tight budget, an easy way to cut down on expenses would be to choose a generic theme instead of one tied to a well-known franchise. Themes using popular TV shows or movies automatically mean costly party decors and giveaways, while a common character allows you to have free rein on all aspects of the party. Some character suggestions you might want to look into: ballerina, mermaid, bee, astronaut, superhero, racecar driver, and inventor.

Likewise, you can draw inspiration from the things you have at home. Are there unused items in your house that could be revamped and reused? Old encyclopedias and dictionaries gathering dust in your bookshelves could be used as table props for a library-themed bash, while a collection of vintage toy cars handed down from generations can be an interesting display for an automotive theme.

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