9 Kids Birthday Party Ideas: Cake and Party Themes

1. Invitations - "Aged finish" paper that looks like old parchment paper, use Papyrus font, tear the edges (optional: burn a few edges carefully to get an ancient look, but will have black residue that comes off). Wording on the invitation includes searching ancient Egypt as archaeologists to find the Pharoah's lost treasure. If you plan to hand deliver: Roll the paper into scrolls, tie them with a thin gold ribbon and loop a Scarab beetle bead around one end (or simply hot glue a flat fake jewel). If mailing just simply leave flat and folded to fit your envelopes.
2. Dress as archaeologists wearing khaki's and Indiana Jones type hats. Can get inexpensive gear from a military supply store. Kids can dress up as archaeologists or Cleopatra. As the kids arrive, they are greeted at the front door by a large blow up mummy/ or Tropical Palm Tree.
3. Games - Pin "X" on the map. Get large brown mailing paper, cut a large piece & draw a "map" with black marker. Draw pyramid, camels, sand dunes, Mummy & draw an X for the kids for pin to.
4. Mummy wrap - Split kids into teams, tell them to pick an adult to wrap. Give them 3-5 minutes to wrap. Let someone judge who did the best wrap for a prize.
5. Make 8-10 clues for kids to decipher and search for the lost treasure of Pharaoh Tut & Queen Nefertiti. For the last clue you can have it be outside (if not raining). Use a string (yarn) to follow a maze to a hill of rocks or bricks (whatever you have) that hides the treasure box. You could even create a large pyramid with tarps on a swing set. Begin at the treasure and wrap the yarn up & down around things to make it fun, just end up where your last clue took them.
6. Pinata - Treasure Chest at local party store. Or Palm Tree - Egypt related of course! If it's hot where you live don't use chocolate in your treasure box or pinata. Use gold wrapped hard candies and/or toy gold coins & favors.
7. Cake - Make a pyramid cake. Or get a professional to do it for you. DIY you'll need to make two 9x13 cakes. Cut both into a square, spread icing on one, put the other on top of it. Spread more icing on top use remaining pieces to add on top. Then cut your pyramid shape (not easy) with four slanted sides. Spread icing onto outsides. (Best if cake is cold or frozen.) To get tan use one cream cheese, one milk chocolate. Save tiny bit white icing and add blue food coloring to make a little oasis next to your pyramid (see below). You might put tan icing around the blue so that your "sand" doesn't fall into the blue water. Then crush vanilla wafers (or graham crackers) for your sand spread around pyramid. Print out a camel or two glue to something thick that will make it stand. Use icing to "glue" it to the board. You could print anything Egypt related. You could take a darker color and ice "brick" lines on the pyramid. I found a cheap toy palm tree at the dollar store.
8. Favor bags - Plain brown bags with toy coins, favors, candy, treasure related items, Egypt related like mummies, camels, pharaoh.

Photo Credit: Liz Henry on Flickr. ND, CC Some rights reserved.

Use red, blue, yellow or any colors.
1. Table decorations - Use beach towels as table cloths, beach balls, shovel and pail for decor. Plates and napkins red, blue, yellow. Cups and silverware color blue (water) and yellow (sun).
2. Invitations - "Come make a Splash - Cause it's John's Birthday Bash!" - Invite information - Then say "Don't forget your swimwear and towel" and RSVP
3. You can first get the kids in the pool since that was what the kids love. If babies come, have a baby wading pool set up on the side.
4. Hot dogs with watermelon and chips. Put names on the cups along with a tiny umbrella. The cake can be an island cake. Bake two rectangular cakes and put them side by side to make almost a square. Frosted blue for water. Bake a cake in a round bowl to make the island. Put it in the middle of the "water" (the two rectangular cakes) and frosted it tan (mix chocolate and vanilla). Find dollar store tropical decorations such as palm tree, fish, tiny shells, or use barbie beach items like tiny chairs. See a picture below for a pool cake idea.
5. Games - Sidewalk chalk station. Ask for the best beach scene or underwater scene they can make.
- Squirt guns - put several water guns on a table (with a bucket of water to refill the guns). You can put up targets like empty soda cans, something light enough to fall over.
- Nose-ball race. Little balls that float, each kid pushes one with his nose to the other end of pool.
- For good swimmers, dive and search for treasures is always a great game, just supervise the little divers.
- Cold feet. Fill a bucket with ice and have the kids one at a time try to get as many ice cubes out of the bucket as possible in 15-20 seconds. Only using their feet.
- Beach balls - see who can sit on the ball the longest in the water.
6. Favors - A seashell collection in little baskets, a lei. Anything beachy or flip floppy.

Photo: Kid's Birthday Parties on Flickr. ND, CC Some rights reserved.

Invitations - Can be like an Army recruitment letter with OFFICIAL stamped on it. Inducted into the Armed Forces... etc. To report at Headquarters: (Your House) On: Date and Time >> for a SPECIAL OVERNIGHT MISSION. (Private First Class Brian's 8th Birthday!) All in a manila envelope, with an Uncle Sam "I want You" poster on the front. You can have a MAJOR PAIN stand and issue military combat gear: vest w/canteen; helmet; dog tags, army sticker; camo face paint; toy gun, army hat. Give further instructions along with their Mission. MISSION: Meet up with the TOP FORCE of young men (and women) to celebrate a special day!
Decorate with camo, black, and green streamers, and helium balloons. Use some camo material and make strips for arm bands. Use some for centerpiece. Print pics of tanks, army men, etc. and decorate the party area.
"Army music" from the local library and play as they were come in.
Camo Nets to decorate either the party area or a place where they'll "camp"
GAMES: - Target practice with water guns
- "Night Vision Tag" - Get glow in the dark items and tie them to each person and play game of tag
- OR a "Flashlight" tag - Each kid has a flashlight with either a red or blue lens. Divide into two teams and tag each other with the lights until all are out.
- "Bombs Away" Make two teams, and each with 60+ water balloons (black bombs) to throw. Whoever is hit, is out.
- March them around the yard or neighborhood singing army calls (found on the internet.)
Obstacle course - They can cross over and under "barbed wires" (strings) while others shoot water guns. Make a wild and crazy obstacle course!
Army Tank cake - Airbrushed green, oreo cookies for wheels, black licorice, etc. Little army men to decorate around the cake. Camo plates, cups, napkins. Or get green and brown everything.
Sleeping bags and go to the tent with glow sticks. Tell army stories, and/or read a story from a book.
Favors: Camo Army goods, pens, pencils, stickers, candy, dog tags in a camo bag.

Photo: Samdogs on Flickr. ND, CC Some rights reserved.

Invitations can be yellow and black. Get a Fear Factor logo and print and glue them on.
Print and hand out at the party: "Welcome to Brian's Fear Factor Birthday party. Compete in different challenges in honor of Brian's 11th Birthday! Each winner can get a reward. Prove that fear is not a factor for you!"
Decorations - Black & yellow balloons & streamers, Yellow plates cups & napkins. Yellow plastic tablecloth. Make Fear Factor stickers (or print, cut and glue). Put these on all of the cups, bags and table cloth.
Favor bags - Plain paper bags with F.F. logo. Bug stickers, eyeball bouncy balls, plastic bugs, gummy worms, etc.
T-Shirts (Optional): Fear Factor t-shirts for each kid using transfer paper printed from the printer. Put "I survived Brian's 11th Fear Factor Birthday Party! (These will only work if you can guess the sizes of each child.)
Gross Cake - Cake with gummy worms in the middle iced in chocolate (dirt) icing. Optional thin green icing poured over top oozing down the sides. Can add a Fear Factor logo. Add plastic bugs with some pushed halfway into the cake so it looks like they are crawling in & out of the cake!
Game Challenges - Worms in dirt and slime: Pull out and eat gummy worms from a sand pail full of chocolate cookie crumbs and pistachio green pudding with their faces only.
- Large or wide bucket of water full of eyeball balls. Getting as many as possible in 1 minute. Most eyeballs wins. (can tint water with coke, don't use food color, it stains.)
- Bugs in the Spaghetti: 3-4lbs of spaghetti cooked and cooled, put it in a big pot with ketchup and olives. Add plastic bugs and have them pull out as many plastic bugs as they can in 1-2 minutes!
- Fear Factor Tunnel: Using several chairs make a two parallel long rows. Run a string between all the chairs. Clothes pin FF flags (yellow) to the string along the way, about 10. Then drape blankets over top creating a tunnel for them to crawl through. Put plastc bugs and stuffed animals in the way. You can use a flashlight halfway through so it's dimly lit. Turn out the lights and time each kid that crawls through. Rewards for how many flags they got and who was the fastest.
- 7 "dog biscuits" from a table to a pail using their mouths, then run to a bucket of gross water (torn cardboard, leaves, tissue paper & lettuce) They reach in & find which bucket held the key. With the key they run & unlock whoever or whatever the prize is!

Photo: aresauburn / Nick Ares on Flickr. SA, CC Some rights reserved.

Kid's love to imagine sailing across the ocean in a fast ship with a pirate flag snapping in the breeze as they sharpen their cutlasses and dream of treasure chests heavy with jewels and gold! Even the adults enjoy the pirate swag gear and piratey talk, growling "ye' scurvy dog!" and "arrr, matey!"

Pirate Names for all the guests! Scarface Billy, One-Eyed Jack, Cutlass Sandy, Mark Moonscar, Bobby Bones, Dirty Dog Dad, Strong Arm Andy... writing them on their pirate hats, swag bags and saying them throughout the party and games.
Decorations: Red table cover with treasure chest (decorated shoebox) overflowing with candies and gold foil-wrapped chocloate or gums, dubloons. Red, white & black balloons everywhere, even pirate flags, skull and cross bones to decorate. Pirate themed plates, cups & napkins from the party store. Or just red, black & white color theme.
Games - "Walk the Plank." Two teams with two captains. 2" x 4" x 8' boards laid on the floor, end to end. Blindfolded guests were then challenged to walk the length of the "plank" without falling off.
- "Swab the Decks." Relay race to get 5 small balls across an expanse of floor using brooms. Two teams, split each team up across the room. After one mate gets the balls across the room, he gives the broom to the next mate, whose gets the balls back across. First crew to "swab the deck" and get their balls across the final line wins.
- "Sea Battle" - can be tossing bean bags at "targets" you've laid out. Such as a Pirate Ship, Treasure box, Sea Monster - Give or deduct points for each target hit.
- Tug of War: Play an on-going game of "tug of war," a useful pirate skill.
"Sorting the booty" is opening presents and having the birthday cake - Decorate a cake iced in parchment-colored swirls of brown (different shades) and then decorated to look like a treasure map.
"Swag bags" (favor bags) - Eye-patches, pirate swords, red handkerchiefs, and pirate flag, booty (candy).

Photo: Dougal Campbell on Flickr. SA, CC Some rights reserved.

Invitations to Tea: Compose a rhyme for the "Mad Tea Party". Don't Be Late For a Very Important Date! If you have the time, that would be sublime! Slip Away for a very Unbirthday!
Dress Up - Have your guests wear their "maddest hat." Make sure to have a few extras on hand. Some can dress as the Alice and Wonderland characters: Cheshire Cate, Tweedledee and dum, Alice or the Queen of Hearts. You can dress as the Mad Hatter. Your invitation could read: "Come in Foolish Clothes Where Anything Goes."
Decorations - Make things bigger than life! Make large playing cards on poster board for background decor. Make paper hearts, spades, clubs and diamonds. Tape these all around and on backs of chairs. Toss cards everywhere. Place hats and fill them with flowers or candy. Use old serving tea pots, cups and dishes for centerpiece and decor. Use print outs of bread and butterflies and hang above the table.
Food - What you might have at a tea party: Sandwiches, Cookies, Tarts and Tea or Koolaid.
Cake - Make a hat cake. Bake a two-tier round cake. Ice and add sugar flowers and a bow made from licorice strings. Cupcakes can be individual with the words EAT ME. Plastic wine glasses or tea cups for drinks. Tags on them that say DRINK ME. Use mismatched china and serve-ware.
Games - Play a game of croquet. You can get an Indoor set or you can make your own by using golf balls and dowel rods with empty soup cans wired at one end. You can cut wire coat hangers, shape and tape them to the floor.
- "Who is the Queen of Hearts?" Take a deck of cards and place them in a hat. Ask guests to draw one card at a time until someone draws the Queen of Hearts. Award a red rose or something similar.
- "Maddest Hat." Ask guests to vote for the maddest hat of the tea party. Winner can be the honorary Mad Hatter. Categories can be: most creative, most beautiful, the silliest, etc.
Favors Bags: Tea Pot, Flowers or Vintage Stickers or Bookmark, Flowery Pencils, Playing Cards, White Gloves, Bead Necklace. For the bags you can search for an Alice in Wonderland themed stamp to put on every solid colored bag. Maybe find transparent-like bags that will take a stamp without smearing.
See much more Alice in Wonderland Decoration Ideas Here

Photo: athena113 / Ruth Choi on Flickr. SA, CC Some rights reserved.

Invitations "We'll pick you up at (whatever time)!" Telling them to dress up and be hungry. If you can, pick up all invited guests in a rented limo. Very unexpected. Have camera ready.
Glamorous Restaurant reservations at a nice place!
Arriving home have a red carpet rolled out with flashing lights and pretend photographers. Interview each guest like they were a hot movie star. Have an award ceremony and give out awards like: Craziest friend, Longest Hair, etc., just make sure you include them all and they are NICE awards! Dress up and Make up for pictures like real stars! Make sure you have photo paper and ink on hand to print out for guests to take home.
Sleepover (Optional): Stars need beauty sleep!
Cake: A Star Struck theme, complete with camera, stars, lights, action, movie reel, tickets, popcorn. Or Cupcakes with movie star decor: Stars with Names, Hollywood, Red Carpet, Photos of Guests printed and taped to toothpick and stuck in each cupcake.
Favor Bags: Fill with superstar glamour! Rings, bracelets, bubbles, head band, glamorous pencils. The bag can be jazzed up with hot-glued bright colored feathers or bow. You could make Star Cookies, each guests name iced on and wrapped in plastic for them to take home. Don't forget to give them their photos you printed out!

Photo: Sugar Daze (LittleMissCupcakeParis) / Cat on Flickr. ND, CC Some rights reserved.