The day has finally arrived: your child wants their birthday party at home this year. In the past, the venue had food and entertainment covered. Now it’s up to you…so what do you plan? Don’t let the idea of hosting fill you with anxiety! Birthday parties at home can be more fun and budget-friendly too. The key to an amazing party is to keep kids entertained, so they aren’t running around your house or sitting bored. A planned and organized party with a clear theme will keep the celebration running smoothly. Here are a few at-home birthday party ideas for kids that will deliver smiles of joy and laughter!
5 At-Home Birthday Party Ideas
Adopt-a-Pet Party for Kids
Perfect for your little animal lover, this birthday party is all about adopting a surprise pet! When each child arrives to the party, they’ll find gift boxes with a surprise pet toy inside. Each child will select a box—which will also be their party favor!
Arrange a few activity stations, where kids will stop with their new pet.
Station 1: Kids can color their own pet adoption certificate and come up with their pet’s name.
Station 2: Decorate a ribbon collar for the new pet.
Station 3: Pick up a treat bag of “pet food” to munch on throughout the party.
Station 4: Party goers will decorate a gift bag they can take their pet home in, at party’s end.
For families who have a dog or cat pet of their own, we love this idea to end the party: surprise the child with a personalized pet gift based on their furry friend. The birthday boy or girl will love a photo puzzle of their pet, or a personalized book starring their dog or cat!
Storybook Party Idea
Host a book-themed party for your enthusiastic little reader! Plan a day filled with bookish activities that are easy and fun to host.
Activity 1: Host a read-aloud storytime to kick off the party. For the storytime, surprise your child with their very own personalized birthday book! A book like My Superfantastic Birthday Adventure is all about your child’s special day and comes with a medal they can wear.
Activity 2: Party goers can decorate their own bookmarks and bring them home to use in their books!
Activity 3: Lead a funny game of fill-in-the-blank. Have a story prompt ready and remove words in each sentence. Ask guests to call out adjectives, verbs and nouns to fill in the missing words. Then read the silly story aloud and see what you’ve come up with!
End your birthday party with cake, presents and party favors. If you’re having a smaller party, we love the idea of handing out coloring books—or even personalized coloring books, featuring each guest’s name—as party favors to take home and enjoy!
Sleepover Camping Party
Turn your home into a cozy camp site for an exciting sleepover! Set up blanket forts or small tents inside your home for each child to sleep in. If you don’t have the space (or budget) for tiny tents, create a cozy scene on the floor with blankets and pillows.
Gather in a circle for party games that take this birthday party to the next level!
Game 1: Play a game of camp-themed charades, with these words: fishing, tent, bear, hike, swim and kayaking.
Game 2: See how well you can convince others in a game of Werewolf! To play, each guest draws a piece of paper with their role: villager or werewolf. Only one person will be the werewolf, who has invaded your campsite. When the timer starts, every player must argue that they are not the werewolf in order to find out who is the werewolf. When the time is up, vote on who you think is the werewolf and see if you’ve got it right!
Game 3: Once it’s dark outside, play a game of flashlight tag. One party goer will be “it” and given a flashlight. Everyone else will hide outside. The “it” person will then seek out the hiders and locate them using their flashlight. Once they find someone, they will announce their name—and the hidden person will be out of the game. Once every person has been found, you will choose a new “it” person and the game starts over.
In between games, serve up grilled hotdogs for dinner and gooey s’mores bars for dessert—along with birthday cake of course! At bedtime, turn on a galaxy light that projects starlight on the ceiling so your guests can “sleep under the stars.”
Art Party at Home
Spark your party guests’ creativity with an art-themed party! To keep this at-home event mess-free, we recommend hosting the activities in your backyard so kids can hose off before birthday cake and presents. Plan for multiple stations, so the day is broken up into sections—keeping everyone entertained and busy!
Station 1: Set up a small canvas outside for each child, with a set of washable paint and a paintbrush. Kids can paint a picture from their imagination or create a picture based on a prompt (example: Paint a picture of an imaginary pet).
Station 2: Have kids make their own friendship bracelets out of string and beads. When they’ve created a few, they can trade with their friends!
Station 3: At this final station, kids will decorate their own picture frames. Set aside craft frames that guests can bedazzle with gems, glitter, paint, and more. Before the party ends, make sure to snap a picture of everyone. You can email the digital file to every parent, so their children can frame the picture in their handmade frames!
In between stations, have a dance break so kids can wiggle out their energy and wash their hands. When all stations are complete, enjoy birthday cupcakes and let the art dry. Each child will then receive their own canvas art, bracelet and frame as personal party favors!
Superhero Party
Make all your party guests feel special and super-cool with a superhero-themed party! Engaging and entertaining, this party has everything you need to fill the day with excitement. Create different stations of activities, where kids will create their own superhero costume and participate in fun challenges.
Activity 1: Every superhero needs a costume! At this station, lay out different colors of plastic capes, masks, and craft supplies. Kids will pick up a cape and mask and decorate them according to their superhero identity.
Activity 2: Play a hula hoop lasso game! To set up this game, place plastic dolls at one end of your backyard. Then scatter balls around the middle of the yard, and hula hoops at the other end. Kids will need to lasso a ball by throwing their hula hoop around it. When done, they will race to the other side of the yard to save the “doll in distress” and run back. The first to save their doll and race back wins!
Activity 3: Set up a piñata—a birthday tradition favorite! Have kids hit the piñata, to test their superhero strength, and collect the candy.
Finish your superhero bash with cake, presents, and a personalized book surprise like Super Kid! Starring your child as the superhero, this book is a perfect birthday gift to inspire a lifelong love of reading.
