If you’re planning a birthday party for yourself or a loved one, you’ll want to make sure everything’s just right, and the best place to start is choosing the perfect theme.
Whether that means a lowkey sleepover movie night or a night out on the town, there are so many options that will leave your guests talking about your party for years to come.
Here are some of our favorite trendy birthday party themes for adults and for children to get you inspired.
CHILDREN’S BIRTHDAY PARTY THEMES
Pastel Unicorn
Fairytales of unicorns have captivated children for centuries, and we have a feeling that won’t change any time soon.
So, bring on the food dyes, rainbow sprinkles, and cupcake pans because this has to be one of the cutest party themes we’ve seen all year! If you have a talent for baking, you’ll likely love the chance to decorate a cake or cupcakes with golden unicorn horns and flowing rainbow manes.
We’ve seen these sweet treats all over the internet, along with colorful pastel streamers and balloons to create the perfect setting. There are even unicorn horn party hats available to purchase online.
Games and activities within this theme can include pinning the horn on the unicorn, a unicorn ring toss, decorating unicorn cookies, and more.
Disney Characters or Movies
Disney movies have a special place in our hearts—children and adults alike. If your kiddo has a personal favorite character or movie, then you have the perfect opportunity to give them a night of Disney magic.
They can dress up as their favorite character and enjoy food and drinks themed after the movie. Take inspiration from the movie’s main color palette to create a cohesive look when choosing your decorations.
Many party stores sell disposable décor and dinnerware that already includes Disney themes, which makes throwing together a party like this super easy! And if your party is getting a little out of control, you can sit everybody down to watch the movie and give yourself a little time to recoup.
Dinosaurs
If your kiddo is obsessed with dinosaurs, they’d be far from the only one. Dinos never go out of style, and that means there’s no shortage of dino themed décor for your fantastic Jurassic party.
Some fun additions we’ve seen include volcano-shaped cakes, jungle theming, dinosaur onesies, dino egg cake pops, and white chocolate dinosaur bone brownies. For some extra fun, consider having a relative or friend dress up in an inflatable T-rex suit!
And here’s the best part: if you live near a natural history museum, a dinosaur themed party could be the perfect excuse to take your kid and their friends to the museum to learn more about their world. Your local museum may even offer a birthday package or discount on tickets.
Pool Party: Mermaid/Beach/Luau/Pirate
If your kiddo’s birthday falls during the hotter months of the summer, a beach themed birthday party might be just the thing to beat the heat.
With access to a pool, beach, or lake, you’ll have the perfect setting. Some local aquariums also offer packages for parties that would fit these themes perfectly.
Like the unicorn theme, mermaids have made a resurgence with a bright blue, coral, and turquoise palette, cupcakes with starfish and fish tail decorations, and mermaid dresses.
If your kid isn’t into mermaids, a beach or luau theme will be just as much fun with fruity snacks, pool toys, blow up floaties, water balloons, and squirt guns.
Another great pool party theme that’s more popular for boys is pirates. The kids can dress up with pirate hats, and some soft foam swords will keep them busy all day!
We’ve also seen parents put together a pirate hook ring toss, blue Jello cups with gummy sharks, treasure chest party favors with gold coins, and treasure scavenger hunts. It makes us adults want to get in on the fun too!
You may even be able to find a water park or theme park near you that can host your party and help you plan it.
Pajama Sleepover
Nothing beats a classic pajama sleepover party! The kids can build blanket forts, have pillow fights, do each other’s hair and nails, have a dance party, and decorate cookies together. Toward the end of the night, everyone can settle in for a movie to get them ready for bed.
When it comes to décor, we love celestial sky theming for a slumber party. You can make clouds out of white balloons of different sizes tied together, use star sprinkles on all your sweet treats, cut out moon and star shaped cookies, and gather as many pillows and blankets as you can find to create a cozy evening in.
ADULT BIRTHDAY THEMES
Murder Mystery Dinner/Masquerade
If you’re looking for a way to keep your guests entertained all night long, a murder mystery may be the theme for you. The thought of putting something so intricate together may scare you, but don’t worry—there are many companies that sell murder mystery packages.
These packages are all different and come in a range of sub-themes, but they will explain everything for you. They may include roles for everyone to play, clues to parse through, and even themed videos to explain important elements of the game. You’ll have to work together to find out one another’s secrets and discover the killer.
However, if the idea of hosting a murder mystery is still daunting to you, you can look into theaters in your area to see if anyone offers a similar experience.
Have everyone dress up as if they’re going to a masquerade ball for an extra touch of magic and intrigue.
Disco Dance Party
Let’s be honest—we’re all looking for an excuse to own a disco ball. All you need to throw a disco dance party is a disco ball or two (or ten), shimmery streamer curtains, colorful lights, and some good disco music.
You can go completely modern or ask everyone to throw on their best 70s outfits for a simple costume party with a psychedelic atmosphere.
Alice in Wonderland Tea Party
If you’re interested in putting together a party that’s more lowkey, then a themed tea party may be more your speed. This is perfect for those who would rather spend their time catching up with loved ones and enjoying their company than trying to yell over loud music.
If the weather is nice out, find a shady backyard or park and lay out an assortment of themed finger foods and drinks like “eat me” cakes and “drink me” lemonade.
As for activities, we suggest getting everyone a small canvas to paint together, setting up an area to take cute photos, and playing games like corn hole and croquet.
Roaring 20s/Great Gatsby
One theme that keeps coming up for adult birthday parties is the 1920s or Great Gatsby aesthetic. While it’s often used for New Years parties, it’s also the perfect idea for a birthday party for someone in their 20s or someone who is just saying goodbye to their 20s.
Turn the lights low and deck the place out in champagne and gold. Your guests can show up wearing flapper dresses and their fanciest suit or tux.
Cinema
If you’re surprising someone who is a homebody that would rather spend the night in, this is the perfect theme! Turn your living room into a movie theater for a night with a projector, low lighting, a popcorn bar for custom flavors, and some movie candy.
You can even get in on the Disney fun! We’re sure you’ve seen the trending Tik Tok parties centered around one specific movie, like Monster’s Inc., The Incredibles, or any of the classic princess movies. They often feature snacks and cocktails based on the color palette of the film and even guests dressed in pajamas, onesies, or costumes themed after the characters.
If you want to add some extra adult fun to the mix, you can play a drinking game as you watch through your movie.
We hope these fun birthday party themes have inspired you to plan your best birthday bash to date. Let us know what theme you decide to go with!
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