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Cupcakes with candles on them

Celebrate Good Times!: Fabulous Birthday Party Ideas for Kids and Adults

Tips for Creative Party Planning

Themed birthday party ideas can make planning a lot easier, since the unifying concept behind the event can be used to help you select everything from the cake and party games to the decorations. While themed parties can be thrown just about any time, they're extra-special when they're used to mark a milestone birthday. They also make for memorable children's birthday parties.

The first step in birthday party planning is to come up with a unique idea that's suitable for the occasion. From there, the rest of the pieces will fall into place.

Kids' Birthday Party Ideas

Some unique children's birthday party ideas you may want to consider include:

  • Superhero parties. These are very popular with little boys. You can have the kids dress up as their favorite superheroes and decorate the party room to look like Gotham City, Krypton or Metropolis.
  • Princess parties. The girl equivalent of a superhero party, a princess party can be great fun for your royal little miss and her friends.
  • Safari parties. Decorate the house to look like a jungle, choose themed icebreakers and activities and let the kids go wild! This theme also lends itself well to unique birthday cake ideas, which can be made in the shapes of jungle animals.
  • Scavenger hunt parties. Fun for kids of all ages, you can start the party by handing out a list of hidden treasures and give prizes to the guest or team that finds the most. Scavenger hunt parties keep kids happily occupied for hours on end.
  • Bowling parties. Get toy pins and balls and turn your recreation room into a makeshift bowling alley.

You can also tap into popular culture for kids' birthday party ideas. From Harry Potter and Dora the Explorer to Finding Nemo and The Incredibles, there's never any shortage of TV shows, movies, books and toys that can provide inspiration for the party theme.

Birthday Party Ideas for Adults

It's common for adults to celebrate milestone birthdays, such as the 21st, 30th, 40th and 50th birthdays, with special party themes, whether they're organized by the person celebrating the birthday or the party is a surprise for someone special. You can also give guests birthday gift ideas that will line up with the chosen theme.

Coming-of-age themes are common for 21st birthday parties; drinking and/or gambling themes are common, especially with males. If you're looking for 30th birthday party ideas, 40th birthday party ideas or 50th birthday party ideas, think nostalgia. You could opt for a This Is Your Life kind of theme, or go retro by having guests dress in fashions that were popular at the time of the celebrant's birth. Tribute bands are also a popular for adult birthday parties.