Kid Party Themes That Help Make Birthdays Memorable And Fun

(... the stress free approach to birthday
party suggestions)

Deciding on a birthday party theme for your kids party can be a real chore. You want kid party themes that your child will love and you want the experience to be as stress and hassle free as possible. (Kid activities should be fun for parents as well!)

As a kids magic entertainer, I've been to over 1,000 birthday parties, and I've seen more kid party themes than you can shake a stick at! I've had birthday moms so totally stressed out by the all the work they had to do for their child's birthday party, that when I arrived for the kids magic show, they were so relieved that they could now "take a break" because the entertainment has arrived!

Your child's birthday party should be fun and hassle free. That's why I put together this info on birthday party themes, so parents can get solid, easy to do practical kid party themes that work in the real world.

The following birthday party suggestions (boys, girls and mixed parties) are a few kid party themes that I've seen at parties that both kids and parents loved.

Invitations: Use kids stationery that is decorated with dinosaurs. They'll love it.

Decorations: Cover the party table with a white sheet and paper dinosaur foot prints. Scatter the table top with rock candy and dinosaur fruit snacks, for color. Make a simple centerpiece by tying helium balloons to a large plastic or plush dinosaur. Tape Dinosaur footprints all over the walls, and floor.

Decorate with big rocks and ferns. You can use wide green crepe paper to cut out fern leaves. Large paper bags can be taped closed, slightly crumpled, and painted with gray, black, and white streaks to resemble boulders.

Using a large box, create a cave effect. Inside the cave, have the children draw or write by placing large pieces of poster-board or cardboard. You may even want to post some cardboard cutouts of prehistoric dinosaurs.

For matching dinosaur party-ware and dinosaur themed goodies, go to one of the best party stores and type in "dinosaur" under the "search the site" button... Dinosaur Party Supplies

Food: Offer your guests dinosaur shaped chicken nuggets or dino shaped sandwiches using a cookie cutter found in most kitchen stores.

Pterodactyl chicken wings:

Use whole wings instead of drummettes. Wash wings and dry. Hold onto wing tips and spread them so they look like they're flying. Dip wings in barbecue sauce and place on foil-lined baking sheet. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes at 375 degrees F. Turn wings carefully and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes. You can make these ahead and reheat in a 200-degree F oven for 15 to 20 minutes.

Volcano chocolate cake: a kid party theme favorite!

Bake three or four layers of round cakes. Frost between layers and stack. Use a knife to cut the layers into an inverted cone shape. Frost outside with chocolate frosting. Chill for one hour. Sprinkle cake with crushed chocolate sandwich cookies and broken red lollipop pieces. Pour strawberry ice cream shell topping (the kind that hardens when it comes in contact with cold) down the sides of the cake.

Games:

Pin the Horn on the dinosaur:

A kids activity classic that kids always love and will help make your birthday party theme fun.

Ring Toss with dinosaurs:

Another kid party theme game that will be very popular. Solid plastic dinosaurs are the targets for this game. Rings can be purchased or easily made with heavy rope and duct tape. Play just as you would horse shoes or Ring Toss.

Fossil Hunt:

What you need for one of the most popular kid party themes games.

1. Large plastic eggs

2. Rawhide bones from pet-food store

3. Small prizes to hide in eggs, or prizes to give out at the end.

4. Collection bags or baskets

Before the party:

Create a 'Jurassic hunting area' with caves (constructed from blankets and tables), ferns and other plants, big paper-bag boulders, painted cardboard dinosaurs, and other decorations.

Hide all of the eggs or bones (or you can do this while children are occupied with another kid activity.) If you have a wide range of ages, you may want to make an area where the items are easier to find, and give children boundaries for hunting based on their age. Count the number of items you hide so you will know when the game is over.

At the party:

Give each guest a bag, tell them what they're looking for, and send your paleontologists on their way.

Kid party themes suggestion: When all (or most) items have been collected, items may be traded in for a prize.

Goody Bags:

You can go to your local party store for goody bag items. For a better selection, go to FK Productions, (my party store) which has a huge inventory of dinosaur theme goodies that you can put in goody bags... Dinosaur Kid Party Themes

Possible items include...

Dinosaur Stickers

Dinosaur Tattoos

Dinosaur figures

Dinosaur fruit snacks

This is probably the most popular of the kid party themes for girls that I've seen over the years.

Invitations:

Use castle and fantasy graphics. On the outside of invitation write, "You are invited to the Kingdom of Princess 'birthday name' to celebrate a royal birthday." On the inside put...

Castle Location:
Date:
Time:

If you really want to get into it, hand write the invitations in calligraphy. Roll them like a scroll and tie with pretty pink ribbon. Ask the guests to wear their 'ball gowns and jewels' to the Birthday Ball.

Decorations:

Use pink, purple, and blue tablecloths, streamers and balloons. FK Productions, my party store, can supply you with princess plates, cups, and napkins.

You can also decorate with pink and white balloons, purple streamers, etc. Make large tissue paper flowers by fan-fold large sheets of tissue paper, put a twist tie in the center and separate the sheets to make petals, then attach to a dowel for the stem, sprinkle with glitter. Make enough so each girl will be able to take one home. Use paper doilies on top of paper plates with star confetti sprinkled around.

Use plastic table covers in lavender and draped them all over the ceiling and throughout which makes your room look like a ballroom. Buy the paper crowns for everyone to make their own. Use lots of jewels and sequins and the kids will enjoy making their own.

Another option is to have the girls make their own necklaces and bracelets using satin ribbons and beads. This is one of those kids party themes that has a real "hands on" approach that girls love.

Food:

Decorate the cake had all Disney (or Barbie) princesses on it. Serve ice cream and princess punch, (raspberry sherbet and sprite).

Games:

Make Star Wands:

Cut star shapes from thin wood or poster board. Glue to a length of dowel and spray-paint gold. The girls can decorate their own wand with glitter-glue, stickers and foil confetti.

Make Princess Hats:

Buy or make cone hats. To make, take poster board and shape into a cone, staple. Add streamers at the top. Let the girls decorate them with glitter, stickers and confetti like the hats.

Pass the Poison Apple:

Snow White kid party theme ale passed around and whoever is holding the apple when the music stops is out. Continue until only one person remains and receives the prize. *Note, as a kid party themes suggestion, I would have prizes for all the kids who play the game. (You don't want to reward just the 'winner.')

If you have an old mirror, you can use it for a 'magic mirror.' Decorate the mirror to make it look somewhat like a medieval mirror. When the girls arrive, have them simple makeup in front of the mirror. Make a cardboard castle from boxes and photograph each girl after she had put on her lipstick and princess hats.

Goodie bags:

Every kid party theme needs goody bags... an absolute must! Use candy that is pre-wrapped in gold foil (almond kisses, chocolate coins, rolos etc.), so as the kids leave they'll got a bag of gold. You could even use plastic gold coins from a novelty store.

This is one of the best birthday party themes to use for boys and girls. Even more so if you're having a magician perform at your party! Kids absolutely love magic, so you can't go wrong with this one.

Invitations:

Go to my magic party invitations page and you'll be able to print out your own invitations. It's a simple fill in the blanks invitation that lets kids know that your party is going to a blast! :) Of course if you're feeling creative you can simply design your own.

Decorations:

White and black streamers and balloons with stars on etc. You could either make your own magic wands from thin plastic tubing or cardboard and paint it white with black tips, or to save time simply order your magic wands, hats, kid party theme ware, etc from Birthday In A Box party store... kids magic party theme ware

Money saving kid party themes tip: Magic (top) hats are usually on sale at your local party store AFTER New Year's. They might say Happy new Year's on them, but you can simply cover this up with a magic picture or graphic.

Food:

Decorate your cake with a top hat and a magic wand or a bunny.

Do you want to see an awesome birthday party cake?

One of my birthday party (Larry Goldberg of Acton, MA) parents had this amazing cake for his sons party.

Check it out... it's awesome way to create an incredible magic birthday party theme cake! :)

Birthday party food can be simple, hot dogs, sandwiches, chips, etc. but a really great idea is to have a...

Magic Potion Drink:

Simply use green Koolaid mixed with ginger-ale served in a punchbowl. In the middle put green sherbet. It will fizz! The kids will love this magic potion drink. You could also put in star shaped ice cubes. Let your imagination run wild!

Games/Entertainment

As I mentioned earlier, the best (and easiest for you) way to make your child's magic birthday party theme truly memorable and fun is to hire a magician. Not only will your kids have a great time, many magicians will teach a magic trick for all the kids. This is a great way to promote fun, interaction and social skills for kids! In fact in my kids magic show, I have different tricks that I teach according to the age group. The kids go home and perform the trick for their parents, which of course makes you look great for putting on such a fun party.

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Here's a valuable kids magic idea: if you live in the New England area and are looking for entertainment for your kids birthday party, check out my kids magic show page...

Amazingly Fun Birthday Parties

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Note: If you're not in the New England area and are interested in having a magician for your kids birthday, email me with your location and I'll send you info about magicians in your area.

If you decide not to go with entertainment, you could do the following...

Buy simple magic tricks from your local toy store, have the kids practice the trick and have each on of them perform in front of the group!

*Note: if you go this route, make sure the trick is very easy to learn. Enough so that the youngest child can do it. What you don't want is some kid feeling down because he/she couldn't make the trick work.

A great simple inexpensive trick to buy is the "Amazing Magic Fish." This is a small red thin plastic fish, that when you place it in someone's hand, it mysteriously begins to wiggle and curl! This works automatically - the fish curls and it means that the child is a great kid! (Or whatever you want it to mean.) Kids absolutely love em! I have these available by the dozen at $4 per dozen. To order on-line using PayPal (3-5 days shipping), simply go to: Amazing Magic Fish

Goody Bags:

Kid party themes time saving tip: Many magicians provide awesome goody bags as part of their performance package. If you're going to have a magician, you're all set! In my goody bags I provide the magic fish I mentioned, a bunch of small toys,(goofy glasses, vampire teeth, Chinese yo-yos, finger traps, etc.), candy and a magic coloring/activity sheets.

Many parents have told me that they really appreciate that I do supply the goodie bags because it saves them the time and hassle of going out the local party store. It's one less thing to worry about! (Smile)

Check out my kid party theme goodie bags that help make birthday party parents life a lot less stressful.

If you decide to make your own goody bags an idea would be to have black paper bags with glow in the dark stars and moons stickers stuck on them. Inside could be small bag of jelly beans labeled "magic beans, some Aladdin stickers, and possibly a simple magic trick.

Amazing Kids Magic Home Page

Amazing Kids Magic: Kid Party Themes... providing children's party entertainment in Boston MA, Worcester MA, Framingham MA, Bridgewater MA, Springfield MA, Nashua NH, Manchester NH, Hartford CT and Providence RI.