A list of party theme ideas to use when planning a birthday party, social event, or celebration.

Use these party theme ideas to get creative when planning your next party.

Incorporate your chosen party theme into decorations, invitations, party food and drinks, party games and prizes, gifts, the venue, hired entertainment, and what the invited party guests should wear.

List of 16 Party Theme Ideas:

Restaurant and Maths Birthday Party for Kids
Depending on the age of the kids, provide each child with a small inexpensive or homemade wallet or purse, with money in it to pay for their own meal, cooldrink, and dessert. The kids will need to look at the menu at the restaurant and budget accordingly. Perhaps offer a prize to the child who is able to come closest to spending all their money, without them giving a tip of more than 20% (giving all their change as a tip just so they can say they spent all their money would be cheating.) Invitations? Perhaps in the wallet or purse (but they only get their money when they arrive at the restaurant with their wallet or purse invitation) or an invitation in the shape of and presented like a menu. Party venue, food, invitations, and party game all taken care of.

Slumber Party and Make Up Party Theme
Invitations written with lipstick on a scrap piece of material (pyjamas.)

Dinosaur Party Theme
Bony dinosaur invitations (traced dinosaur on cardboard with gaps cut out between the bones)

Beach Party
Beach party games, sandproof containers for the food and drink, wetwipes, get creative with the beach party invitations: on a small piece of white towel, in the shape of a a sun lotion bottle, sprinkled with sea sand, or an invitation in a small bottle (message in a bottle) or an invitation rolled up and tied with seaweed, decorated with small shells.

Pirate Party Theme
Flags, ships, black icing, black sweets, anchors, treasure, bottles of “rum.”

Chocolate Party
Depending on if the chocolate party is for adults or children, food and drink items may include hot chocolate, expensive liquer chocolates, chocolate liquer, chocolate fondue, chocolate cake, chocolate milkshakes, dark brown bread rolls, chocolate icecream with chocolate sauce, chocolate fudge, chocolate dipped pretzels, chocolate icing cupcakes, chocolate brownies, chocolate instant pudding, and chocolate custard. If the chocolate party is for children, make it very clear in the invitations that the party is going to involve a lot of chocolate eating, so parents can be prepared to deal with tummy aches that night! Even so, monitor the children at the chocolate party and try to make sure they do not eat too much. Offer other foods and drinks as well, that are not chocolate based. Play the chocolate slab game

Cowboy Party Theme
Belts and large buckles, toy guns, cowboy hats, cowboy boots, waistcoats, saloon doors, horses

Farm Animal Party
Venue: perhaps the zoo or a touch farm. Dress up as farm animals. Face painting.

Princess Party Theme
All invited girl party guests are to wear long skirts, and the boys are to wear waistcoasts.

Ballerina Birthday Party Theme
Pink and white decorations, cake, invitations, glossy pink ribbons

Science Fiction Party Theme
Colours: grey, silver, white
Use a lot of tin foil, plain white tablecloths, minimal but interesting decorations

Halloween Party Ideas
Have the halloween party at night. Bonfire or large fire. Roast marshmallows on the fire. Guests required to dress up in scary halloween costumes. Pumkin and candle decorations. Draped white sheets.

Cars Birthday Party Theme
Pack boxes beneath a tablecloth or two, to make the shape of a car for the main party table.

Hawaiian Theme Party Ideas
Plenty of pineapple eats and drinks, and plenty of large flowers.

Disco Party
Not necessarily just for teenagers, a disco party can be fun for adults too. Choose a 60’s, 70’s or 80’s theme and play music from that era. Decorate the walls with old lp records and record covers.

Green Party
Only homemade foods, preferably using ingredients from your own garden. Guests, dressed in green of course, must hug a tree when they arrive at the party.

These party theme ideas should give you plenty to think about – start planning that party!

© copyright Teresa Schultz 2014