Birthday party ideas for every age
A good birthday party starts with the person it is for. A dinosaur-mad five-year-old, a thirteen-year-old who wants to stay up all night and a friend turning forty need very different parties, so every idea here tells you the age range it suits, how many guests it works for, how long it lasts and how much work it takes.
Each plan walks you through what to do two weeks before, the day before and on the day itself, with games, food and a shopping list. Use the filters on the homepage to narrow by budget or setting, or jump to ideas for a specific age below.
86 ideas
Backyard campout
Tents in the garden, a campfire with s'mores, a torchlit nature trail and ghost stories under the stars.
Backyard carnival
Carnival stalls in the garden: hook-a-duck, tin can alley, face painting, candy floss and a ticket-based prize stand.
Backyard movie night
A projector, blankets, bean bags and a popcorn bar for an outdoor cinema under the stars.
Backyard Olympics
Teams represent countries in sack races, egg-and-spoon and silly relays, finishing on a medal podium.
Black tie dinner party
A formal five-course dinner at home with place cards, matched wines, candlelight and a midnight toast.
Board game night
A games café at home with a menu of board games for every group size, snacks and a tournament leaderboard.
Boat party
Charter a river cruiser or canal boat for a sail with drinks, a buffet and a sunset playlist.
Bouncy castle party
A hired bouncy castle in the garden, with bounce games, a snack station and a picnic-blanket lunch.
Building brick challenge
Timed building challenges with plastic bricks, a team city build and a brick-themed cake.
Bushcraft survival party
Den building, fire lighting with a flint, knot tying and cooking dampers over the fire with an outdoor leader.
Candle making party
Pour scented soy candles in jars, choose fragrances and colours, and take home a candle and a wax melt.
Casino and game night
Play-money blackjack, poker and roulette tables, a dress code and prizes for the biggest winner.
Ceilidh party
A live ceilidh band and caller lead everyone through Scottish country dances, with a hearty supper and a dram.
Choo-choo train party
A wooden railway play zone, a cardboard train ride, ticket punching and a train cake with sweet cargo.
Comedy night at home
Book a comedian or two for a living-room comedy club, with cabaret seating, a bar and an open-mic spot.
Construction site party
Hard hats, diggers in the sandpit, a cardboard box building zone and a dump truck cake.
Craft beer and BBQ
A low-and-slow barbecue with a craft beer tasting flight, beer-paired dishes and garden games.
Cupcake decorating wars
A baking show style contest where teams decorate cupcakes against the clock for a panel of judges.
Dance class party
A dance teacher leads a routine to a favourite song, finishing with a filmed performance for parents.
Dinosaur dig site
Bury plastic fossils in a sandpit and let young palaeontologists dig them up with brushes and goggles.
Escape room at home
Locks, riddles and a ticking clock in your own house: teams solve puzzles to escape in 45 minutes.
Fairy garden party
Wings and wands, a fairy door hunt, mini fairy garden planting and a toadstool picnic.
Farm animal party
A visiting petting farm brings lambs, rabbits and chicks, with a hay bale picnic and tractor games.
Fashion show party
Guests design outfits from a dress-up box, have hair and make-up done and walk the runway for a photo shoot.
First birthday party
A relaxed first birthday with a smash cake, a milestone photo display and a sensory play corner.
Foam dart battle party
Team foam dart battles with barricades, capture the flag and target practice, plus protective glasses.
Football party
A mini tournament with skills stations, a penalty shootout and a trophy presentation for every player.
Garden party with lawn games
An English-style garden party with Pimm's, a croquet tournament, giant games and a summer buffet.
Gin tasting party
Taste four craft gins neat and with matched tonics and garnishes, then build a signature G&T.
Glamping weekend
A weekend in bell tents or pods with a campfire feast, a hot tub and woodland walks.
Glow-in-the-dark party
Blacklights, neon face paint, glow stick games and a dance floor that lights up after dark.
Go-karting party
A booked race session at an indoor or outdoor karting track, with qualifying, a grand prix and a podium.
Golf day
Book tee times for a friendly scramble, add nearest-the-pin and longest-drive prizes, then dinner at the clubhouse.
Grand prix race day party
Watch a motor race on the big screen with a chequered-flag theme, a race sweepstake and a sim-racing challenge.
Hawaiian luau
Leis on arrival, tiki torches, a limbo contest, a hula lesson and a tropical feast with pineapple everything.
Hen party cocktail class
A hands-on cocktail-making session at home, with a bartender or a step-by-step guide, games and a glam photo booth.
Horror movie marathon
A spooky film night with a duvet den, a scary snack bar, a jump-scare bingo card and a costume vote.
Hot tub party
A hired hot tub in the garden with fairy lights, floating drinks holders, a playlist and a robe for every guest.
Ice cream sundae party
A sundae bar with five flavours, sauces and toppings, an ice cream eating race and a vintage ice cream parlour look.
Ice skating party
Book a session at an ice rink, with helmets, penguin skate aids for beginners and hot chocolate afterwards.
Jewellery making party
A bead bar for bracelets, charm necklaces and friendship bracelets, packaged in gift boxes to take home.
Jungle safari party
Explorer hats, an animal tracking trail, binocular making and a jungle juice feast.
Junior detective party
Young detectives dust for fingerprints, decode messages and interview suspects to solve the case of the missing cake.
Karaoke night
A home karaoke stage with lights, duets, song-challenge cards and an awards show at the end.
Kids disco party
Disco lights, a dance-off, party games like musical statues and limbo, and a glow-stick finale.
Laser tag party
Mobile laser tag in the garden or a park, with team missions, scoreboards and a debrief over pizza.
Mad scientist lab
Safe fizzing, slime-making and colour-change experiments in lab coats and goggles.
Magic show party
A magician performs, then children learn three tricks of their own and put on a show for the parents.
Mermaid pool party
An under-the-sea pool party with a shell hunt, mermaid tail races and an ocean-themed feast.
Mini golf party
Build a crazy golf course in the garden from household items, play nine holes and award a green jacket.
Murder mystery dinner
Guests play characters at a dinner party and work out whodunnit across three courses.
Ninja warrior party
Trainee ninjas tackle a backyard obstacle course, balance challenges and a final ninja test.
Paint and sip evening
Everyone follows the same step-by-step painting with a drink in hand, and goes home with a canvas.
Pirate treasure hunt
A crew of young pirates follows clues and a treasure map around the garden to find the buried chest.
Pizza chef party
Little chefs make their own pizza from the dough up, decorate chef hats and bake cookies for dessert.
Plant swap party
Guests bring cuttings and plants to swap, pot up new finds at a repotting bar and learn propagation tips.
Poker and steak night
A stag or birthday night with a steak dinner, a Texas Hold'em tournament with chips, and whisky.
Pony party
Real pony rides with a handler, horse grooming, a hobby horse race and a horseshoe hunt.
Pottery workshop party
Hand-build mugs and trinket dishes with air-dry clay or book a pottery studio throwing session.
Princess garden tea party
Mini sandwiches, paper crowns, a flower-decorating table and a royal tea served in the garden.
Pub quiz night
Host a proper pub quiz at home with teams, picture and music rounds, a jackpot question and prizes.
Racing car party
A chequered-flag party with cardboard box cars, a slot-car racetrack, a pit stop challenge and a podium.
Roaring twenties party
Flapper dresses, pinstripe suits, jazz, a champagne tower and a speakeasy password at the door.
Roller disco party
Book a rink or clear a hall for a retro roller disco with skate games, glow sticks and 80s tunes.
Silent disco
Wireless headphones with three DJ channels, so everyone dances to their own choice without disturbing the neighbours.
Slime making party
A slime lab where every guest makes fluffy, glitter and glow slime to take home in labelled pots.
Spa and sleepover night
Face masks, nail painting, a pamper station and a movie, followed by a pancake breakfast.
Space mission party
Astronaut training, rocket launches and a moon rock hunt, with a galaxy cake for the countdown.
Stag adventure day
An active day out with axe throwing or paintball, a barbecue and a pub quiz about the groom.
Superhero training camp
Kids make capes, pass an obstacle course and defeat a slime villain to earn their hero certificate.
Sushi making party
A hands-on sushi class at home: roll maki, shape nigiri and finish with mochi and green tea.
Taco fiesta
A build-your-own taco bar, a piñata, papel picado bunting and fresh agua fresca.
Teddy bears' picnic
Toddlers bring their favourite teddy for a picnic, a teddy hunt, bear games and a bear-shaped cake.
Through the decades party
A milestone birthday where each guest dresses as a decade, with a music quiz and a photo wall.
Tie-dye workshop party
Everyone tie-dyes their own t-shirt or tote bag, then hangs out with snacks while the colours set.
Trampoline park party
A booked session at a trampoline park with dodgeball, foam pits and a party room for food afterwards.
Unicorn rainbow party
Glitter, rainbows and a unicorn horn craft, plus pin the horn and a rainbow cake reveal.
Vampire gothic dinner party
A candlelit gothic banquet with black roses, blood-red cocktails, a dark menu and velvet everything.
Video game tournament
A bracket-style gaming tournament with multiple consoles, a leaderboard, snacks and a champion's trophy.
Water fight party
Water balloons, water blasters, a sprinkler obstacle course and a giant slip and slide on a hot summer day.
Whisky tasting night
Taste five whiskies from different regions with tasting notes, water droppers and food pairings.
Wine and cheese tasting
A guided tasting of four wines with matched cheeses, score cards and a blind-taste guessing game.
Witches and wizards potion class
Young witches and wizards brew colour-changing potions, make wands and sort into houses.
Wood-fired pizza party
Fire up a garden pizza oven, set out a topping bar and let guests stretch and cook their own 90-second pizzas.
Yoga and brunch party
A private yoga class in the garden or a studio, followed by a healthy brunch spread and smoothie bar.
Zombie survival night
Teams complete missions to find supplies and the cure while zombies hunt them through the garden.