Choose the theme with your child
≃ 1½ months before
Pirates, unicorns, football, space, princesses, dinosaurs… Suggest two or three themes and let your child choose: the fun starts here.
The theme then guides everything else: invitations, decorations and the cake.
How do you choose a party theme?
A theme is the little thread that ties the party together: it inspires the invitations, the decorations, the games, the cake… and even the little gifts for friends. Nothing is compulsory: a party without a theme can be just as wonderful! But if you fancy one, here is how to choose without the headache.
Start with what your child loves. Favourite heroes, current passions, what they love doing: dinosaurs, space, animals, football, dancing, magic or fantasy worlds… that is the best place to start. Tip: suggest three themes you have shortlisted rather than a blank page. Your child still chooses, without weeks of hesitation.
Think about their age. Toddlers love colours, animals and worlds they recognise at a glance. In primary school, it is all about challenges, mysteries and adventures. Older children often prefer a movie night, a sports tournament or a creative party. Tip: pick a theme the invited friends will enjoy too, even if they are not all the same age.
Choose a theme that sparks game ideas. A great theme is one you can live: a pirate treasure hunt, mini-Olympics, a young scientists' lab, a jewellery workshop… Tip: if you can picture at least two activities around the theme, you are there. The party no longer relies on decorations alone.
Keep an eye on the venue and the budget. Some themes fit in a living room, others need a garden, a hall or a specialised venue. A space party can be magical with a few stars, some games and a matching cake, without buying the whole decoration range. Tip: two or three strong touches beat matching everything.
Look at the big picture before you start. Invitations, decorations, cake, activities: can you easily find what you need for each? A mood rather than a specific character leaves more freedom: rainbow, jungle, enchanted forest or neon party. Tip: a broad theme is easy to personalise… and some items can be used again!
On LetzCelebrate.co: The “Who's it for?” filter shows activities suited to your child's age, and “Activity” those that match their passions: the theme is never far away!
How do you bring the theme to life?
The theme can pop up almost anywhere… without having to apply it to everything. Pick what you like!
The invitations
They set the tone from the start.
- visuals, colours and a font that match the theme (e.g. stripes, a big top and gold stars for a circus);
- a fun message (e.g. “Drumroll, please: the big top is opening!”);
- an optional dress code: costume, colour or accessory (e.g. just a red nose);
- a digital version that's easy to send to parents.
The decorations
A few well-chosen touches are enough to set the mood.
- balloons, garlands, bunting and a nice backdrop (e.g. striped bunting and a big-top backdrop);
- matching tablecloth, plates and napkins (e.g. red and white, or pastel);
- a poster with the child's name and age (e.g. “Léa's Big Circus”);
- small props (e.g. lion and elephant cuddly toys, hoops, juggling pins);
- a photo corner to capture the party (e.g. styled like a big-top entrance).
Games and entertainment
This is what turns the theme into a real adventure.
- a big game that tells a story (e.g. a parade, then each child's act in the ring);
- obstacle courses, sports challenges or team games (e.g. an acrobat course, ring toss);
- a creative workshop: masks, bracelets, painting (e.g. clown face painting);
- magic, juggling or a mini show (e.g. juggling for beginners);
- a professional party host, if the budget allows (e.g. a circus performer).
Ideally: one main activity, plus one or two extra ones, suited to the children's age.
The cake and treats
Snack time can become one of the highlights of the party.
- a cake in the theme's colours, with the child's name or age (e.g. a striped big-top cake);
- cupcakes, decorated biscuits, cake pops or matching sweets (e.g. popcorn and candyfloss);
- an original display (e.g. little carts, popcorn cones, stars);
- fun labels for drinks and snacks (e.g. “lion tamer's potion”).
No need for a spectacular cake: a few matching decorations already work wonders.
Little gifts for the guests
Friends go home with a souvenir of the party.
- a bag of sweets or biscuits (e.g. a cone of popcorn);
- a small item linked to the theme (e.g. a clown nose or juggling balls);
- a certificate, a medal or a badge (e.g. a circus performer certificate);
- the item made during the workshop.
A useful souvenir, or one linked to the activity, often brings more joy than a bag full of small items unrelated to the theme.
Costumes and accessories
Just the thing to step into the party's world in a flash.
- costumes or hats that are easy to put on (e.g. ringmaster hats, acrobat tutus);
- masks, funny glasses or small accessories (e.g. red noses, lion-tamer moustaches);
- a prop to make on the spot (e.g. a clown hat, a lion mask);
- a simple dress code, with no need to buy a full costume.
The little details that make the difference
- a name for the party (e.g. “Léa's Big Circus”);
- a welcome sign at the entrance (e.g. “Roll up, roll up under the big top!”);
- a playlist that matches the mood (e.g. circus and brass-band music);
- a certificate for every child;
- a group photo in front of the decorations (e.g. in the ring, like at the end of the show).
The secret: a few memorable moments rather than a mountain of accessories.
On LetzCelebrate.co: Some packages already include the cake, invitation cards, little gifts for the guests or an entertainer: see the “Catering” and “Services” filters.
Theme ideas, and how to bring them to life
Need a little help? Here are a few ideas that always work, to adapt to what your child loves.
A walk in the woods (2–6 years)
- Decorations: foliage, cardboard mushrooms and logs, wild flowers and paper butterflies
- Games and entertainment: pine-cone hunt, a den built all together, leaf-boat races and a “follow the fox” trail (he leaves paw prints everywhere…)
- Cake and treats: a hedgehog cake with flaked almonds, leaf-shaped shortbread and apple compote
- Little gifts: a packet of seeds to plant, a mini magnifying glass or a woodland explorer’s notebook
- Costumes: fox, beaver or hedgehog ears, crêpe-paper tails and leaf crowns
- The little extra: a “forest treasures” box that everyone fills during the walk
- Invitations: the fox, hedgehog or beavers card, with “Come and romp with me deep in the forest!”
The unicorn kingdom (3–7 years)
- Decorations: a rainbow of balloons, cotton-wool clouds, golden stars and a pastel photo backdrop with balloons
- Games and entertainment: everyone makes and names their own paper unicorn (Sparkle, Biscuit, Super-Gallop…), unicorn bingo, unicorn-style “Simon says” and musical statues
- Cake and treats: a unicorn cake with a golden horn, meringues and candyfloss
- Little gifts: glittery temporary tattoos, a mini unicorn notebook or a little bottle of “stardust”
- Costumes: unicorn horns on a headband or a cap, magic rider capes, and glitter on the cheeks
- The little extra: a fruity “magic potion” that changes colour when the secret powder goes in
- Invitations: the unicorn card, with “Step into my magical kingdom!”
The big top (3–8 years)
- Decorations: striped bunting and a big-top backdrop, a red-and-white or pastel tablecloth, cuddly lions and elephants, hoops and juggling pins
- Games and entertainment: every child becomes a star act: juggling, acrobatics (feet in the air!), lion taming (with the family dog), magic tricks, a clown routine, balloon throwing… then a grand parade around the ring
- Cake and treats: popcorn and candyfloss, a striped big-top cake and a “lion tamer’s potion”
- Little gifts: a clown nose, juggling balls or a circus performer’s diploma
- Costumes: clown outfits, ringmaster hats, acrobat tutus, red noses and lion-tamer moustaches
- The little extra: circus music, “Roll up, roll up, come into the big top!” as guests arrive, and the group photo in the ring
- Invitations: stripes, big top and golden stars, with “Drum roll please: the big top is open!” and a simple red nose as the dress code
All aboard, pirates! (5–9 years)
- Decorations: skull-and-crossbones flags, chests, ropes and treasure maps
- Games and entertainment: a treasure hunt with riddles and a spyglass, walking the plank (over a sea of cushions) and a contest for the best pirate cry
- Cake and treats: a treasure-chest cake and chocolate coins
- Little gifts: an eye patch, a few chocolate coins or a mini spyglass
- Costumes: bandanas, captain’s hats, eye patches and painted moustaches
- The little extra: a real aged treasure map, its edges singed by an adult
- Invitations: the pirate card, with “Ahoy, shipmates, join my crew!”
Space mission (5–11 years)
- Decorations: hanging planets, glow-in-the-dark stars and metallic balloons
- Games and entertainment: astronaut training (walking as if on the Moon!), building cardboard rockets and a hunt for hidden aliens
- Cake and treats: a galaxy cake, star biscuits and a “rocket fuel” drink
- Little gifts: glow-in-the-dark stars, an astronaut badge or planet stickers
- Costumes: cardboard helmets, bin-bag silver spacesuits and alien antennae
- The little extra: a group countdown before blowing out the candles… blast-off!
- Invitations: the space card, with “Countdown started: blast-off to my party!”
The friends’ match (5–7 years)
- Decorations: bunting in the team colours, mini goals and black-and-white balls
- Games and entertainment: penalty shoot-out, dribbling slalom and a little match where parents are allowed to play… on one leg
- Cake and treats: a football cake and “champion’s vitamins” fruit skewers
- Little gifts: a whistle, a chocolate medal or football stickers
- Costumes: numbered shirts, captain’s armbands and team-colour face paint on the cheeks
- The little extra: a trophy ceremony on a cardboard-box podium
- Invitations: the football card, with “Kick-off for my birthday!”
The champions’ cup (8–13 years)
- Decorations: a goal net, football boots, balls and a green-rug pitch
- Games and entertainment: a mini tournament, a keepy-uppy contest and a penalty shoot-out
- Cake and treats: a football-pitch cake and energy cereal bars
- Little gifts: a personalised player card or a chocolate medal
- Costumes: shirts, armbands and headbands in the team colours
- The little extra: a commentator on the microphone (a very enthusiastic parent) to announce every goal
- Invitations: the football goal card, with “Ready for the final?”
Head in the stars (2–12 years)
- Decorations: hanging golden stars, fairy lights and a starry ceiling made of paper cut-outs
- Games and entertainment: a torchlight star hunt in a darkened room, and a contest for the wackiest constellation (the Great Sock, the Little Pizza…)
- Cake and treats: a starry cake dusted with golden sugar and shooting-star shortbread
- Little gifts: glow-in-the-dark stars for the ceiling or a mini torch
- Costumes: star crowns, astronomer capes and glitter on the cheeks
- The little extra: everyone makes a wish, writes it on a paper star and hangs it in the party “sky”
- Invitations: the stars card, with “Come and shine with me!”
Let’s get fizzy! (2–13 years)
- Decorations: golden confetti on the table, streamers, party hats and clear balloons filled with glitter
- Games and entertainment: a parade of the craziest hats, a party-blower contest, a paper confetti battle and a streamer dance
- Cake and treats: a glittery cake with trick candles (the ones that relight by themselves!) and cupcakes with rainbow sprinkles
- Little gifts: a bag of party favours, a party blower and a colourful bracelet
- Costumes: party hats, crowns, bow ties and party glasses
- The little extra: a big confetti throw when the candles are blown out
- Invitations: the confetti or party favours card, with “Get ready, things are about to fizz!”
The treasure hunt (6–10 years)
- Decorations: a chest, old maps, compasses and gold coins
- Games and entertainment: a treasure hunt with clues, riddles, a map to piece together and a fake treasure to throw everyone off the scent
- Cake and treats: a chest cake and gold-coin sweets
- Little gifts: a mini compass, a magnifying glass or an invisible-ink pen
- Costumes: explorer hats and backpacks
- The little extra: a real chest locked with a padlock, its code won clue by clue
- Invitations: the treasure hunt card, with “Follow the map to my party!”
A cheeky little rascals’ birthday (2–6 years)
- Decorations: ribbons to untie, gift boxes, cardboard bones and balls of wool, and paw prints on the floor
- Games and entertainment: cat and mouse, “find the bone”, a contest for the best miaow and the loudest woof, and an on-all-fours obstacle course
- Cake and treats: a topsy-turvy cake decorated with paw prints, bone- and fish-shaped biscuits
- Little gifts: paw-print stickers, a bouncy ball and an “official rascal” medal
- Costumes: dog or cat ears, painted whiskers and noses, ribbon collars
- The little extra: a “rascal certificate” for every child, with their speciality (king of mischief, cuddle champion…)
- Invitations: the puppy or kitten card, with “Woof, miaow: the whole rascal gang is invited!”
The grand castle ball (3–7 years)
- Decorations: tulle, ribbons, a cardboard castle and crowns
- Games and entertainment: a crown-making workshop, a grand ball for princesses and princes, and a hunt for the glass slipper (never has it been so well hidden)
- Cake and treats: a castle cake and petits fours
- Little gifts: a crown to decorate, a candy ring or a mini notebook
- Costumes: gowns, capes, crowns and cardboard swords: princesses, princes and knights all welcome
- The little extra: a red carpet for the guests’ arrival, each one announced in turn as at court
- Invitations: the princess card, with “You are invited to the castle ball!”
The tournament of the knights of the round table (3–7 years)
- Decorations: shields, coats of arms, blue banners, a cardboard fortress and a big round table
- Games and entertainment: a cardboard sword workshop, balloon jousting, a dragon quest in teams and a hobby-horse race
- Cake and treats: a fortress cake and a banquet of little sandwiches and fruit “sword” skewers
- Little gifts: a cardboard shield to decorate or a chocolate knight’s medal
- Costumes: capes, tunics, crowns and cardboard helmets for knights of every kind
- The little extra: each child knighted with a cardboard sword, and a scroll of great deeds signed by all the knights
- Invitations: the knight card or the knights duo card, with “Hear ye, hear ye! Let the tournament begin!”
Wizard school (7–12 years)
- Decorations: spell books, candles, cardboard owls and a steaming cauldron
- Games and entertainment: a fizzing-potion workshop, wand lessons and a riddle hunt
- Cake and treats: a spell-book cake and colourful juice “potions”
- Little gifts: a wooden wand to decorate or a bag of “toad slime” (jelly sweets)
- Costumes: capes, pointy hats and round glasses
- The little extra: guests sorted into houses by a talking hat (thanks to an adult hiding behind it)
- Invitations: the wizard card, with “Your letter of admission has arrived!”
The little artists’ studio (5–12 years)
- Decorations: colour palettes, paintbrushes, bunting and hanging aprons
- Games and entertainment: painting on canvas, customising tote bags and a group painting made by a hundred hands
- Cake and treats: multicoloured cupcakes and shortbread to decorate yourself
- Little gifts: their own creation to take home, and a little pot of paint
- Costumes: aprons, artist’s berets and painted painter’s moustaches
- The little extra: a little exhibition of the works for the parents, with an apple-juice private view
- Invitations: the creative studio card, with “Come and create with me!”
Pop! The friends party (2–7 years)
- Decorations: balloons everywhere (really everywhere), confetti, colourful bunting and a big “Welcome, friends” banner
- Games and entertainment: keep-the-balloon-off-the-floor, a balloon-between-the-knees race, balloon popping in rhythm (by sitting on them!) and a worst-joke contest
- Cake and treats: a cake topped with little sugar balloons, polka-dot cupcakes and a sweet bar
- Little gifts: a balloon to take home, a friendship bracelet or stickers
- Costumes: party hats, funny glasses and bow ties
- The little extra: a photo of the whole gang under a shower of balloons, printed for everyone
- Invitations: the friends, balloon or party card, with “One, two, three… let's blow up the party!”
Little explorers: dinosaurs (3–7 years)
- Decorations: a jungle of foliage, giant footprints on the floor, a cardboard volcano and a photo backdrop with green balloons
- Games and entertainment: an archaeological dig in a sandpit, decorating dinosaur eggs, dino-style “Simon says” and musical statues: when the music stops, everyone freezes like a T-rex
- Cake and treats: a volcano cake, fossil-shaped shortbread and chocolate eggs hidden in the jungle
- Little gifts: a mini dinosaur figure, temporary tattoos or a palaeontologist’s diploma
- Costumes: explorer hats, felt dinosaur tails and cardboard claws
- The little extra: dinosaur footprints stuck on the floor from the front door to the cake, and one huge group roar before blowing out the candles
- Invitations: the dinosaur card, with “Come and celebrate my birthday in dinosaur land!”
A soft and cuddly birthday (1–4 years)
- Decorations: pastel colours, fluffy blankets, cushions everywhere and cuddly toys seated as guests of honour
- Games and entertainment: a teddy bears’ picnic, a hunt for hidden carrots, and the “sleeping bear” circle game (woe betide whoever wakes him up!)
- Cake and treats: a round teddy-bear cake, little pots of honey, carrot sticks and soft biscuits
- Little gifts: a little colouring book, soap bubbles or a mini jigsaw
- Costumes: bear or bunny ears, a little painted nose, and snuggly pyjamas are very welcome
- The little extra: a cuddle corner with blankets and cushions, and every child brings their favourite cuddly toy
- Invitations: the teddy-bear or bunny card, with “Come and share a cosy party tea!”
The rainbow party (2–6 years)
- Decorations: balloons in all seven colours, cotton-wool clouds hanging from the ceiling and a shower of golden hearts
- Games and entertainment: colour hunt (“find something green in ten seconds!”), rainbow twister and a painting workshop where everyone ends up a little colourful
- Cake and treats: a layered rainbow cake that surprises everyone when it’s cut, and multicoloured fruit skewers
- Little gifts: a mini colouring book, coloured pencils or rainbow stickers
- Costumes: rainbow face paint on the cheeks, headbands, caps or T-shirts in their favourite colour
- The little extra: each guest comes dressed in one colour: the group photo makes a rainbow
- Invitations: the rainbow card, with “Come and add some colour to my party!”
The disco party (8–13 years)
- Decorations: a mirror ball, golden balloons and sequin curtains
- Games and entertainment: a dance contest, karaoke and musical statues
- Cake and treats: a mirror-ball cake and colourful mocktails
- Little gifts: a light-up bracelet or funny glasses
- Costumes: sequins, sunglasses and shiny jackets
- The little extra: a playlist made up of the birthday child’s favourite songs
- Invitations: the disco card, with “Put on your sequins, let’s dance!”
The superhero squad (5–9 years)
- Decorations: city skylines, lightning bolts, stars and hanging capes
- Games and entertainment: a training course (gliding onto cushions, laser vision with water pistols), a cuddly-toy rescue mission and inventing a completely useless superpower (making broccoli invisible…)
- Cake and treats: a star or hero-logo cake, “energy bars” and superpower smoothies
- Little gifts: a felt mask, a power bracelet or a mini top-secret mission notebook
- Costumes: capes, masks, tutus or hero belts: superheroes of every kind put together their own outfit
- The little extra: every child invents a hero name and a superpower on arrival, and gets a diploma at the end
- Invitations: the superhero card or the superheroine card, with “Special mission: help me save the party!”
Night of the masked hero (8–12 years)
- Decorations: rooftop silhouettes, paper bats and a spotlight
- Games and entertainment: a detective mission around the city and a torchlight night-agent course
- Cake and treats: a starry-night cake and bat biscuits
- Little gifts: a felt mask or a mini torch
- Costumes: black capes and masks
- The little extra: a projector beaming the hero’s signal onto the ceiling
- Invitations: the masked hero card, with “Night mission: meet on the rooftops!”
King or queen of the party (2–6 years)
- Decorations: crowns, banners, a decorated throne and a cardboard castle
- Games and entertainment: a royal treasure hunt, a crown-making workshop and a grand procession where everyone waves to the crowd like a true monarch
- Cake and treats: a crown cake and petits fours fit for the kingdom
- Little gifts: a cardboard crown to decorate or a chocolate royal medal
- Costumes: capes, golden crowns and cardboard sceptres for princes and princesses
- The little extra: a real throne (a decorated chair) for the king or queen of the day, and a royal decree read out loud
- Invitations: the little king card, with “The king invites you to his castle!”
The friendly little monsters (3–7 years)
- Decorations: googly-eyed balloons, bright colours and little paper monsters hidden everywhere
- Games and entertainment: a hidden-monster hunt, a monster dance (the floppiest, the funniest…) and fishing for googly eyes
- Cake and treats: a multicoloured monster cake and googly-eyed cupcakes
- Little gifts: googly-eye stickers, a mini pot of modelling dough or a little pompom monster
- Costumes: felt horns, antennae and googly eyes stuck on glasses
- The little extra: a contest for the best monster face
- Invitations: the monsters card, with “Watch out, little monsters on the way!”
The spider hero’s web (8–12 years)
- Decorations: string webs, cardboard spiders and a cardboard city
- Games and entertainment: a course through the string web without touching it, and climbing challenges
- Cake and treats: a spider-web cake and cookies
- Little gifts: a bracelet, a sticky spider that crawls down walls or stickers
- Costumes: hero masks and gloves
- The little extra: a string web stretched across the entrance, to get through without touching it
- Invitations: the spider-web card, with “Hang on tight: my party is starting!”
The polka-dot party (2–6 years)
- Decorations: polka dots in every colour, giant bows, pink, red and gold balloons and a shower of paper hearts
- Games and entertainment: a hunt for hidden dots, a balloon dance (no dropping them!) and a best-drawn-bow-tie contest
- Cake and treats: a polka-dot cake, cupcakes and heart-shaped biscuits
- Little gifts: polka-dot stickers, a clip-on bow tie or a mini notebook
- Costumes: hair bows or bow ties, tutus, braces and anything with polka dots
- The little extra: heart balloons released for the photo
- Invitations: the balloons-and-hearts card, with “Come and party with me!”
The little chefs (6–12 years)
- Decorations: aprons, chef’s hats, utensils and colourful ingredients
- Games and entertainment: a baking workshop, cupcake decorating and a contest for the most beautiful (or the weirdest) cake
- Cake and treats: the cakes baked by the children themselves, flour on the nose included
- Little gifts: a paper chef’s hat, a mini spatula or the recipe of the day
- Costumes: chef’s hats and aprons
- The little extra: a recipe book signed by all the little chefs
- Invitations: the cooking card, with “Come and cook with me!”
Star for a night (8–13 years)
- Decorations: a little stage, microphones, fairy lights, golden stars and a red carpet
- Games and entertainment: karaoke, name that tune, shooting the party music video and a contest for the most over-the-top star pose
- Cake and treats: a vinyl-record or microphone cake, and a popcorn bar
- Little gifts: star sunglasses, a candy microphone or hair clips and bracelets to decorate
- Costumes: sunglasses, sequinned jackets, caps, wigs and a little glitter in the hair
- The little extra: each guest signs an autograph in the star’s guest book
- Invitations: the karaoke card, with “Grab the mic, it’s my party!”
The trainee detectives (9–13 years)
- Decorations: secret files, fingerprints, padlocks and magnifying glasses
- Games and entertainment: an escape game with riddles, padlocks and hidden clues
- Cake and treats: fingerprint biscuits and a “case closed” cake
- Little gifts: an invisible-ink pen, a magnifying glass or a detective ID card
- Costumes: magnifying glasses, notebooks, caps and fake detective moustaches
- The little extra: a stopwatch and a “door” to open with the final code
- Invitations: the escape game card, with “A mystery awaits… can you solve it?”
Everyone on the dance floor! (5–10 years)
- Decorations: music notes, spotlights, ribbons and a real dance floor in the middle of the living room
- Games and entertainment: a mini dance class (ballet or hip-hop, take your pick), a routine to learn, musical statues and a friendly battle where the most unlikely move wins
- Cake and treats: a vinyl or tutu cake, and smoothies
- Little gifts: a light-up bracelet, a dance ribbon or a headband
- Costumes: tutus, caps, hoodies, trainers or ballet shoes: everyone picks their own dancer style
- The little extra: the routine filmed and sent to the parents
- Invitations: the dance card or the ballerina card, with “Come and dance with me!”
The mad scientists’ lab (8–12 years)
- Decorations: flasks, bubbles, planets and white lab coats
- Games and entertainment: silly experiments: an overflowing volcano, sticky slime and a water rocket
- Cake and treats: a test-tube cake and “potion” drinks
- Little gifts: a little pot of slime, a magnifying glass or a mini experiment kit
- Costumes: white lab coats, safety goggles and wild, frizzy hair
- The little extra: a mad scientist diploma for every guest
- Invitations: the science card, with “Top-secret experiment on my party programme!”
Deep under the ocean (3–7 years)
- Decorations: blue drapes, paper fish and jellyfish floating from the ceiling, seashells and fishing nets
- Games and entertainment: a mermaid and diver treasure hunt, “Simon says” fish edition, hook-a-duck and the jellyfish dance (all wobbly!)
- Cake and treats: a wave cake with sugar fish, blue “ocean” jelly and seashell biscuits
- Little gifts: a seashell to paint, fish stickers or a little treasure chest
- Costumes: mermaid tails, shark fins, cardboard diving masks and pirate hats
- The little extra: each child paints a little chest and fills it with treasures during the party
- Invitations: an ocean-coloured card, with “Dive into my party with me!”
The pyjama party (7–13 years)
- Decorations: cushions, throws, fairy lights and a bedsheet tent
- Games and entertainment: a very gentle pillow fight, cucumber face masks, torchlight stories and a silly round of “would you rather?”
- Cake and treats: make-your-own pancakes, hot chocolate and popcorn in front of a cartoon
- Little gifts: a funny sleep mask, polka-dot socks or a mini notebook for secrets
- Costumes: pyjamas, slippers, dressing gowns and sleep masks
- The little extra: a photo of the whole gang in pyjamas, under the bedsheet tent
- Invitations: a pyjama card, with “Bring your pillow, it’s a pyjama party!”
The mini Olympics (5–12 years)
- Decorations: bunting in the team colours, hoops, cones and a cardboard podium
- Games and entertainment: sack race, egg-and-spoon race, ring toss, tug of war and a fancy-dress relay
- Cake and treats: a medal cake and “champion’s vitamins” fruit skewers
- Little gifts: a chocolate medal, a whistle or a bracelet in the team colours
- Costumes: headbands, T-shirts in the team colours and painted cheeks
- The little extra: a proper medal ceremony, with an anthem sung (off-key) by everyone
- Invitations: a sports card, with “On your marks… get set… party!”
Glow night (7–13 years)
- Decorations: black light, neon balloons, fairy lights and white tablecloths that glow in the dark
- Games and entertainment: neon painting on tote bags, glow-stick dancing, musical statues under black light and a challenge for the brightest photo
- Cake and treats: a neon cake, drinks that glow thanks to light-up ice cubes, and sour sweets
- Little gifts: glow bracelets, a glow stick or glow-in-the-dark stickers
- Costumes: white T-shirts (which turn neon), light-up glasses, light-up headbands or caps and neon face paint
- The little extra: all the lights go out for the cake: only the candles and bracelets light up the room
- Invitations: a neon-coloured card, with “Come and glow in the dark!”
Little builders (2–4 years)
- Decorations: traffic cones, hazard tape, giant cardboard bricks and little trucks
- Games and entertainment: a brick-building contest, toy car races, digging in the sandpit and dot painting of their favourite truck
- Cake and treats: a building-site cake with its digger, chocolate “gravel” and biscuit bricks
- Little gifts: a toy car, a mini building set or a hard hat to decorate
- Costumes: hard hats and hi-vis vests, decorated tool aprons and cardboard tool belts
- The little extra: a big “Caution, children at work!” sign at the entrance
- Invitations: the building-site card, with “Come and build my party with me!”
The fairies’ and elves’ tea party (2–7 years)
- Decorations: flowers, fairy lights, cardboard mushrooms and a little fairy door at the foot of a tree
- Games and entertainment: a magic-wand workshop, painting little fairy doors, a hunt for hidden elves and “Simon says” fairy edition
- Cake and treats: a party tea served in little cups, a flowery cake and mushroom-shaped shortbread
- Little gifts: a wand to decorate, a little flowerpot to paint or a pouch of “fairy dust”
- Costumes: fairy wings, flower crowns, elf hats and pointy ears
- The little extra: a little fairy door stuck to the wall, with a letter from the fairy for the birthday child
- Invitations: a flowery card, with “The fairies and elves invite you to tea!”
Dice, pawns and giggles (6–12 years)
- Decorations: giant cardboard controllers and game pieces, trophies and balloons in the team colours
- Games and entertainment: a board-game tournament, giant noughts and crosses on the floor, a treasure hunt and player bingo
- Cake and treats: a chequerboard cake and sweets shaped like game pieces
- Little gifts: a mini brain-teaser, a pocket card game or a mini puzzle cube
- Costumes: caps and headbands in the team colours, and a player badge to decorate
- The little extra: a scoreboard with a player nickname for everyone
- Invitations: a games card, with “Game on: come and play at my party!”
On LetzCelebrate.co: What if the activity carried the theme for you? Browse the “Activity” filter: sport, crafts, thrills, shows… your theme may already have its perfect venue.
Decoration ideas by theme
The birthday theme guides everything: the colours, the decorative elements and the overall atmosphere.
Dinosaurs
3–8 years
Decoration Foliage, footprints, paper volcanoes and little dinosaurs
Colours #AFC4AF · #EAD184 · #B79A3E
Space mission
4–10 years
Decoration Hanging stars, planets and metallic balloons
Colours #3F5F66 · #9DBAD0 · #E6C56A
Pirates
4–9 years
Decoration Treasure maps, decorated chests and flags
Colours #4A4A4A · #F9F8F5 · #C8AF52
Creative workshop
4–10 years
Decoration Colour palettes, decorative brushes and rainbow pennants
Colours #9DBAD0 · #EAA398 · #EAD184
Football
5–12 years
Decoration Pennants, footballs and a miniature pitch in paper
Colours #5A8A8A · #F9F8F5 · #1A1A1A
Enchanted garden
3–8 years
Decoration Paper flowers, hanging butterflies and fairy lights
Colours #AFC4AF · #FBEAE6 · #EAD184
Glow party
8–13 years
Decoration Fluorescent accessories, fairy lights and neon elements
Colours #E87F75 · #9DBAD0 · #EAD184
Junior detectives
7–12 years
Decoration Paper secret files, decorative fingerprints and scattered clues
Colours #4A4A4A · #F9F8F5 · #C8AF52