Birthday Ideas for Kids

Themed Birthdays, Games, and Ideas

Whether it’s a child’s first birthday, double digits, the big 13, sweet 16 birthday party or their grand entrance into adulthood at age 18, birthday ideas for kids are fun and easy to implement, when you have the right party decoration supplies.  Kids’ birthdays are a blast to celebrate at any age; they can be simple or elaborate, reserved for family, dedicated to friends or both. Whether you’re hosting or attending a kids’ birthday party, the idea is to relax, have fun, and play a few party games. Here are some great birthday ideas for kids to help you do just that.

Barbeque at the Park:  No need to worry about the wind factor, when you use inflatable coolers to anchor all those festive party decorations. Park parties are fun and easy to enjoy, because everyone can spread out and explore the surrounding area. Cook up some fabulous food on the grill, and this is one kids’ birthday party that is sure to be a hit.

Scavenger Hunt Party: Depending on the age of the birthday boy or girl, this particular party can get rather innovative, creative and adventuresome. Pre-planning a scavenger hunt birthday party is required. Encourage guests to get excited with anticipation, by sending out party invitations that trigger curiosity and tempt them with the challenge.

Vintage Birthday Party: Remember the days of Pin the Tail on the Donkey, candy guessing jars, wheel barrow and three-legged races, and hands free cake and ice cream eating contests? Talk about a good time, as well as a chance to get away from texting and computer games for a while! It doesn’t take much to make this kids’ birthday party a huge success. Decorate with streamers, balloons and party tableware. Then let the kids (and adults) enjoy their fun!

Brainstorm more exciting kids party ideas and start planning your child’s birthday party fun today with this extensive list of party themes.

Spring Birthday Celebrations with Family

Make spring party theme ideas the basis for a special family birthday celebration.

To select a birthday party theme that also celebrates a “spring thing,” consider the birthday honoree’s interests. For many people, spring marks a return to gardening, birding, golf and other popular pastimes. These activities lend themselves well to birthday party themes that utilize color and decorations we associate with spring.

Take the family member’s hobby and work it into a birthday theme slogan: “Help Tim Tee Off on His 29th” or “Ella’s Garden Party Birthday” are examples. You could also tie the theme and slogan to a “first,” which is a natural for spring, such as the first firing up of the grill for the barbecue season, first spring flowers, etc.

Dora and Friends, a safari party or a “spring training” baseball party herald the return to green backyard adventures for the younger members of the family who have spring birthdays.

While it’s wonderful to plan an outdoor spring birthday party, it’s certainly not necessary if weather or other circumstances make the outdoors too “iffy.” In that case, just select a few standout spring party decorations for the great indoors. Look for:

A trio of towering 68” tulips to hang from the ceiling

Our rose topiary standee ready for your special birthday message

The photorealistic, dew-dropped Leaves of Grass banner from our Spring Banners collection

Green and pink argyle-patterned golf party supplies for the inveterate golfer in the family

An ivory birdcage centerpiece ready for bright spring greenery

Big, beautiful and textural tissue flowers, butterflies and topiaries

Shop Spring Party Supplies soon for the best selection and create a fresh combination of spring colors, activities and a special birthday for a memorable family celebration.

Snap Settings For Photographers

Photographer’s toolbox checklist:
• Camera (Check)
• Extra cards and batteries (Check)
• Lights and filters (Check)
• Toys and props for kids (Check)
• Backdrops, stand up cut outs, quick sets for parties—shopped at Shindigz (Check)

Today’s tips are for photographers.

      Did you know Shindigz has a ton of quick sets, backdrops, stand up cut outs, and so much more for any photo shoot? Whether you’re doing class photos, a wedding, or anything in between, we have something perfect for your toolbox.

      Shindigz understands that a natural backdrop of trees, a mountain view, or a brilliant skyline isn’t always available. But that doesn’t mean you can’t create a wonderful setting for your subjects. You can imagine you’re in a forest with the forest backdrop.

      Taking holiday card photos months in advance and need a winter setting? You could try a winter wonderland room setter to get in the holiday spirit.

      Taking pictures at an engagement party or prom? Why not use the heart patterned corrugated paper as a backdrop. It’s so sweet and romantic, and it’s also available in solids and stripes. For something bigger and more glamorous, try a hollywood entrance. That’ll set the tone for your party.

      Need a simple backdrop for professional headshots? Choose from the excellent selection at Shindigz. A metallic background will be simple and not distracting, while creating a hint of magic.

      Hosting a crazy party and want to add a little spice or silliness? Try a photo stand in cut out. Shindigz has over 250 to choose from and you can personalize them any way you want. They’re perfect for kids’ parties or fundraisers.

      If all else fails, make everyone look like a super hero and call it a day!

Caution: Party Under Construction

If your child adores hard hats and the heavy equipment of a construction zone, Under Construction is a great birthday party theme with its colorful backhoe, bulldozer and dump truck design.

It also makes a cute theme for a baby shower!

The Under Construction Party Kit comes in Basic or Deluxe versions. The Basic Kit includes latex balloons, curling ribbon, table cover and tableware for up to 8 party-goers. Deluxe has everything the Basic kit does, and adds streamers, birthday candles, a metallic mylar balloon and an Attach N’ Go banner you can customize.

Our Construction Yard Sign makes a great outdoor marker for the party, as does generous usage of orange construction cones. Indoors, hang the whimsical Giant Tool Cutouts. Provide photo ops with the Giant Dump Truck Standee or the Construction Stand-in; each can be personalized to capture the moment in time.

The Under Construction theme also gives you plenty of fun options for cake. Decorate a sheet cake with mini construction hats, construction truck and cone candles, or our new Construction Dig Cake Deco Set. Another sure hit is the “dump truck cake.” The recipe is below.

Dump Truck Cake

One packaged chocolate cake mix

Two 3 oz. boxes of chocolate pudding prepared according to directions on the box

One box of Oreo Cookie Crumbs (or make them yourself in your blender)

One 9″ X 13″” cake pan

One well-washed Tonka Dump Truck

One yellow shovel scoop

Prepare and bake the cake according to directions on the package. After cake is completely cooled, cut it into bite-sized pieces. Layer the bed of the dump truck with cake, pudding, and crumbs. Continue to add layers until the dump truck is piled high with “dirt.” Serve heaping scoops of dirt with the shovel.

If you are serving more people than one boxed mix can cover, we recommend that you simply bake an extra rectangular cake or some cupcakes – which also gives you the chance to accommodate vanilla-lovers who attend the party.

Find more baby shower and birthday party supplies on ShindigZ Theme Party pages.

Jungle Animal Birthday Cake

Try this easy but immensely kid-pleasing decorated cake for a jungle- or safari-related themed kid’s party. You’ll need:

One cake mix

Hard board surface on which to build the cake

Chocolate icing

White icing

Green colored sprinkle sugar

Cake decorating icing to write happy Birthday or a package
of Happy Birthday Pick Candles

Small hard plastic toy jungle animals (or Lion King™ characters)
to fit the theme

First, you’ll need to bake your cake. We like a good boxed mix, but of course a scratch cake is great. Chocolate or vanilla will work. To make the cake moister, try adding a handful of chocolate chips into the batter before baking. You can match chocolate chips to a chocolate cake or white chips to vanilla, or go for opposites for a contrasting “confetti” sort of effect.

Bake the cake in a rectangular cake pan per the directions, and let it cool completely.

While the cake is cooling, prepare a board to support your cake creation. Foam core works if you have it readily available or select a large cutting board, corrugated or other sturdy flat surface. Cover the board with foil.

Place the rectangular cake on the covered board. Create zebra stripes across the entire cake – remember to continue the stripes onto the sides of the cake – by alternating white and chocolate icing. The stripes do not have to be perfect.

Using leftover white frosting, ice the part of the board that’s sticking out beyond the cake. Sprinkle green colored sugar on the white icing to create a grassy feel. At this point let’s note that you will need to decide whether you are going to write “Happy Birthday” on your board or on the top border of your cake. This will depend on how much board is sticking out. If you choose to write on the board, do leave some space in the icing without the green sugar.

Create a leafy jungle border by placing plastic leaf garland around the top outside edges of the cake, except for leaving space across the front for the Happy Birthday message or toothpick candles.

Add the toy animals to the top of the cake. It is best to have one animal for each child at the birthday party so you can place one on each piece when you serve it. You can clean off the animals later, and send them home in gift bags at party’s end.

A last trick we like is to store the cake in the oven to keep it fresh until party time. Obviously you want to be sure the oven is completely cooled before you do this. Place a piece of tape on the oven control knob to remind everyone it’s in there.

We’re sure the young “party animals” will love this cake. For more ideas for a safari/jungle theme, check out our Jungle Party Supplies catalog.

Go West for a Backyard Birthday Campout

A Western theme is a great one for summer birthdays because it dovetails nicely with barbecues, evenings around a campfire and the ever-popular kids’ sleepover parties.

Perhaps one of the best parts of a summer campout party is that a child who is old enough to camp out in the back yard will also be able to participate in much of the party planning. Be sure to allow the birthday guy or gal to take the creative lead in as many of the following areas as possible:

1. Invitations. Select from our Star Party Invitations, the My Horse Invitations or the Create-an-Invitation option. Or, create your own invitation on the computer; get out the old wood-burning set and brown the edges, create pouches for them out of denim and/or bandanna fabric or attach them to inexpensive straw cowboy hats.

Remember that summer schedules fill up very fast! Try to get the invitations out as much as 4 weeks in advance for the best response.

2. Decorations. Bales of straw for seating, pop-up tents for sleeping, and a fire ring or pit turn the back yard into a Western campsite. Add strategically-placed pieces of fencing, ropes and bandannas. Place citronella candles in tin buckets with holes punched in the sides, or into Mason jars with an inch or two of sand in the bottoms.

3. Activities. If the party starts early enough for supper, serve standard barbecue fare or set up a taco bar. Later, try campfire popcorn and s’mores. Have the birthday boy or gal look up ghost stories on the Internet. Draft a real-life guitar hero for a ballad or two, and supply Uno cards for games by flashlight.

4. Favors. Old-fashioned red paisley bandannas with ends gathered and knotted in the centers make great theme-oriented favor containers. See ShindigZ catalog of Western Party Favors for more favor ideas in this theme.

See? With some advance planning, you and your child can flavor a backyard birthday sleepover with a taste of the Old West.