Kids party ideas
Children's parties work best when they keep little hands busy. Every idea in this collection has a clear run-sheet of games and activities, timed so there's never a long wait, plus party food children actually eat and party bag ideas.
You'll find themed parties (dinosaurs, pirates, unicorns, superheroes, space), active parties (bouncy castles, ninja courses, football, water fights), creative parties (slime, crafts, baking) and parties with a hired entertainer, such as a magician, a petting farm or pony rides.
40 ideas
Backyard campout
Tents in the garden, a campfire with s'mores, a torchlit nature trail and ghost stories under the stars.
Backyard Olympics
Teams represent countries in sack races, egg-and-spoon and silly relays, finishing on a medal podium.
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.
Choo-choo train party
A wooden railway play zone, a cardboard train ride, ticket punching and a train cake with sweet cargo.
Christmas pyjama party
Kids arrive in festive pyjamas for a hot chocolate bar, a Christmas film, a 'ticket to the North Pole' and a sleepover.
Construction site party
Hard hats, diggers in the sandpit, a cardboard box building zone and a dump truck cake.
Cupcake decorating wars
A baking show style contest where teams decorate cupcakes against the clock for a panel of judges.
Dinosaur dig site
Bury plastic fossils in a sandpit and let young palaeontologists dig them up with brushes and goggles.
Easter bonnet parade
Kids decorate Easter bonnets and hats with flowers, chicks and eggs, then parade them for prizes.
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.
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.
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.
Kids disco party
Disco lights, a dance-off, party games like musical statues and limbo, and a glow-stick finale.
Kids Halloween disco
A spooky disco with costume parade, monster freeze dance, a mummy wrap race and glow-stick finale.
Kids' Valentine's craft party
Kids make cards, heart garlands and treat boxes for friends and family, with heart-shaped snacks.
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.
Monster mash for kids
Not-too-scary Halloween fun with a costume parade, a pumpkin hunt, monster crafts and a mummy wrap race.
Ninja warrior party
Trainee ninjas tackle a backyard obstacle course, balance challenges and a final ninja test.
Noon Year's Eve for kids
A New Year's countdown at 12 noon so children can celebrate without staying up: balloon drop included.
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.
Pony party
Real pony rides with a handler, horse grooming, a hobby horse race and a horseshoe hunt.
Princess garden tea party
Mini sandwiches, paper crowns, a flower-decorating table and a royal tea served in the garden.
Racing car party
A chequered-flag party with cardboard box cars, a slot-car racetrack, a pit stop challenge and a podium.
Santa's elf workshop
Kids become Santa's elves for the afternoon, making toys, wrapping presents and decorating cookies.
Santa's grotto at home
Transform a room into a grotto with a sleigh, snow and fairy lights for a visit from a hired Santa.
Slime making party
A slime lab where every guest makes fluffy, glitter and glow slime to take home in labelled pots.
Space mission party
Astronaut training, rocket launches and a moon rock hunt, with a galaxy cake for the countdown.
Superhero training camp
Kids make capes, pass an obstacle course and defeat a slime villain to earn their hero certificate.
Teddy bears' picnic
Toddlers bring their favourite teddy for a picnic, a teddy hunt, bear games and a bear-shaped cake.
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.
Water fight party
Water balloons, water blasters, a sprinkler obstacle course and a giant slip and slide on a hot summer day.
Witches and wizards potion class
Young witches and wizards brew colour-changing potions, make wands and sort into houses.