100 fantastic kids' party ideas

Whether you're planning a child's birthday party, kids' Halloween party, mini disco or any other type of kids' celebration, our top 100 children's party ideas will help you throw an event to remember. With great ideas for decorations, party food, party bags, party games and entertainment, you'll find all the inspiration you need to host a fantastic kids' party, for any age.

Get some good old-fashioned fun going with these great party games. Suitable for kids of all ages, we've got indoor birthday party ideas and games for outdoors and larger spaces …

Make a parcel by wrapping up a prize in several layers of paper. Make sure the prize is wrapped in different paper so you know when you're at the last layer.

Sit the children in a circle, give one of them the parcel and when the music starts, get them to hand it around the circle. When the music stops, the child holding the parcel unwraps a layer.

Make sure there's a layer for every child to open, and include a sweet or small toy between each layer so everyone gets a prize!

Get all the children to sit in a circle, then pick one out.

The chosen child walks around the outside of the circle, tapping the head of each child as they pass, and calling out 'duck.'

After a while, the child says 'goose!' and starts running round the circle to get back to the place where they were sitting. The ‘goose’ child has to chase and try and catch them.

If the first child gets back round the circle before being caught, they sit down, and the chaser has their turn. If not, the same child goes again.

photo@kidsdiscoparties

Get a large piece of card, draw a donkey on it and make a tail from a separate piece of card or paper.

Blindfold each child and get them to attach the tail with Blu Tack. Write the child's name in the spot where they stick the tail.

The winner is the child who gets closest to where the tail should be.

You can vary this game according to your party theme – pin the horn on the unicorn or pin the parrot on the pirate's shoulder, for example.

Thread lots of round foods such as Hula Hoops, Cheerios or mini doughnuts onto two long pieces of string.

Get adults to hold the strings up at child height. Then divide the children into two teams.

With their hands behind their backs, they’ve got to eat everything on the string until it's empty. The first team to finish is the winner!

Photo @justaddconfetti

Get the children to follow a leader, maybe starting with an adult or really confident child to get the ball rolling.

The kids have to copy whatever the leader does as they move around, such as hopping, hands on head, jumping, running, skipping, silly walks, turning round, waving arms, being an animal …

This party game works well when you need to move kids from the main party space to the tea table.

You could also play the similar game, Simon Says.

A good calm party game – one for when things are getting out of control!

Get everyone to lie down and pretend to be sleeping lions. Walk around and try and disturb them by talking, or very gentle tickling them.

Anyone who moves is out. They can hen help you wake up the other lions.

Mark a straight line on the floor with string or tape.

Then get each child, one at a time, to walk along the string, looking through the wrong end of a pair binoculars.

See who can stay on the line for longest – it's tougher than it sounds.

This is a good game for small parties.

Hide treasure in easy to reach, safe places and draw pictures of where it's hidden.

Give out the clues one at a time and let the children race to find the prizes.

Get the children to sit at the table, or if there are too many, on the floor.

Give them a piece of kitchen towel, on which you place about 10 raisins or round sweets like M&Ms, a small container and a pair of chopsticks each.

The winner is the first person to transfer all the raisins into the container using the chopsticks.

In the garden, set up a pony jumping course, using things like boxes or flower pots with planks or bamboo poles suspended across them.

Give each child a numbered rosette. Pretending to be ponies, they then run the course with knocking the poles over.

You can even pretend to be a commentator to spur them on!

Take a fabric bag or box, and put a different item in it each time, for example an orange, cotton wool, shoelace, hairbrush, etc. Slime is always a good one as it feels disgusting! You can even make your own with these DIY slime recipes.

Ask the children to put their hand in the bag or box and guess what it is, without looking.

This active game needs a garden or a large room or hall, and is perfect for a pirate party.

Clear the space as much as possible. Then put some ‘islands’ (cushions, mats, beanbags, chairs, etc) on the floor, forming an obstacle course.

If playing outside you can also create tunnels from boxes, a crawl net using a blanket and hurdles.

The children have to go around the room, jumping from island to island, without falling into the river (touching the floor).

Whoever falls into the river the fewest times is the winner.

If you've got outdoor space, you could try some old favourites like egg and spoon race and the three-legged race, too.

Divide the children into groups of animals, then sing Happy Birthday.

When it comes to the third line, pick an animal (e.g. 'Happy birthday dear cats'), and all the children in the cats group have to miaow and purr the last line.

Give each group of animals a go.

Get the children to dance to some music. When the music stops, the kids have to sit down as quickly as possible.

The last one to sit is out. The last child left dancing at the end is the winner.

For a toddlers' party, make it easier by spotting the first to sit down each time. For older children, play Musical Chairs or use cushions for them to sit on and remove one each round. The last child with a seat is the winner.

Put some little pieces of ‘treasure’ (sweets, chocolate coins, little presents) on a tray, evenly spaced out.

Pour sand all over the treasure, so it’s completely hidden.

Give each child a little flag with their name on (make them from cocktail sticks with a slip of paper attached), then let them take it in turns to stick their flag into the sand.

When they’re all done, uncover the treasure. Each child wins the items closest to their flag.

This works particularly well at a pirate party.

Get the kids to dance around to music. When the music stops they need to freeze and stand absolutely still, like a statue.

If anyone moves, they're out!

You can vary this game by getting the children to dance like a particular animal that you call out. When they freeze, they have to pose like that animal.

Make it even harder by adding an adjective – like posh horse, mad monkey, sneaky cat.

In this traditional party game, all but one of the children stand in a circle, hold hands, and then lift them up into arches.

The remaining child weaves in and out of the arches to the tune of 'In and out the dusty bluebells' (check it out on YouTube).

When you get to the chorus ('Tippy tippy tappy on your shoulder'), the child stops where they are and taps on the shoulders of the person in front of them.

These two kids then form a chain and weave through the arches together.

Keep repeating the song while the chain gets longer and longer – and more chaotic!

Tell one child to shut their eyes, then put all the rest in a circle, holding hands.

Without breaking hands, the children have to tie themselves into the most complicated knot possible by turning around, stepping over each other’s arms, going under arms etc.

When they’re ready, the remaining child has to come back and unknot them, again without breaking any links – this is where it gets really funny.

A favourite memory game from childhood parties.

Put some small items on a tray, for example a comb, teaspoon, eggcup, scissors, a cuddly toy: about 20 is ideal.

Give each child a pencil and paper. Let them look at the tray for a minute, then cover it with a tea towel.

The kids have to write down as many items as they can remember. The one who gets the most is the winner.

This game is easy to play if you're having a party at home. If you have a party theme, you can choose items that fit with the theme, too.

One person is Grandmother. They need to stand with their back to everyone while the other kids line up at the other side of the room.

When Grandmother's back is turned, everyone creeps nearer. When Grandmother turns around, anyone who they see moving has to go back to the beginning.

The first person to make it all the way to Grandmother and tap them on the shoulder is the winner, and becomes Grandmother for the next round.

If you're making food for a kids' party, the key is to make it easy and small – bitesize pieces mean you're not left with lots of half-eaten food at the end!

These party food recipes are all quick, simple and tasty.

These easy meringues are ready in just 15 minutes. Add a splash of food colouring if you want to make them look extra special!

Microwave meringues recipe.

These delicious, natural ice lollies are perfect to cool down children who've been madly running around! They're ideal for a summer birthday party or outdoors party, too.

Apple, yoghurt and berry ice lollies recipe.

Macarons look super-pretty with their pastel colours and are the perfect size for kids. They're easier than you think to make, too.

Basic macarons recipe.

Brightly coloured and super-cute, we love this rainbow fairy cakes recipe. Use mini cupcake cases to make the mixture go further.

Rainbow fairy cakes recipe.

Because all kids love a potato wedge! These are great for party finger food. If you don't want to make your own dips, you can buy hummus and other ready-made sauces.

Potato wedges with dips recipe.

This recipe creates lovely soft cookies, perfect for adults and kids. Change it up by adding milk chocolate chips or smarties instead of white chocolate.

Chewy white chocolate and cinnamon cookies recipe.

These cheese and potato whirls are easy to make. They're great party food as don't require cutting up, and the kids love them!

Cheese and potato whirls recipe.

Traybakes are perfect, easy party food. You can even get your kids to help decorate your cakes with smarties and sprinkles.

Chocolate traybake recipe.

Cucumber and yoghurt boats with red pepper sails are perfect for a pirate-themed party.

Cucumber sailing boats recipe.

A super-healthy party food that will taste like a treat! These banana pops are easy to make and ideal for a Disney theme.

Frozen chocolate banana pops recipe.

Perfect party food for little fingers, these caterpillar treats are made from Rice Krispies and marshmallows.

Crawly caterpillar treats recipe.

A healthier alternative to sugar-laden ice-cream. Perfect for a bunch of rowdy kids! And you don't need an ice-cream maker, either.

Fruity ice cream recipe.

A great party activity to keep kids entertained is to whip up a batch of cupcakes and then provide icing, sprinkles, sweets and edible glitter so they can decorate their own. Thye can eat their creations afterwards.

Cupcake recipe.

This recipe is an unusual take on the traditional brownie, but these cranberry and white chocolate treats are sure to go down well at a party.

Cranberry blondies recipe.

Instead of buying in chicken nuggets, make your own! Tasty finger food that everyone will enjoy at a party.

Crispy chicken nuggets recipe.

These coconut squish cakes are the quickest, easiest cakes ever. They involve NO baking and only require three ingredients!

Coconut squish cakes.

Cake pops look really impressive displayed in a jar or stuck into foam and are a huge hit at parties.

Cake pops recipe.

Made from marshmallows and Rice Krispies, you don't need to stick to butterflies for this recipe, use whatever cutters you have in the cupboard.

Beautiful butterfly treats recipe.

Perfectly simple and totally delicious. These cheesy biscuits are a savoury treat that everyone will love.

Simple cheesy biscuits recipe.

These Rice Krispie lollies are really easy to make but look super impressive – they make a good alternative to cake pops. Get creative with icing and sprinkles to make them really stand out.

Rice Krispie treats on a stick recipe.

These are so quick and easy to make in a big batch ahead of a party. You only need four simple ingredients and they're ready in minutes!

Homemade Bounty bar recipe.

For a summer party or garden get-together, homemade lollies are a cheap and healthy alternative to shop-bought. You can customise the flavours, too.

Homemade ice lollies recipe.

A yummy party twist on traditional Rice Krispies squares including dried cherries and flaked coconut. You can mix up the fruit for raisins or apricots if you want.

Cherry coconut bars recipe.

This is an old family recipe from Taming Twins. It contains coffee though, so is best for older kids, a family party or special occasion.

Chocolate chip cookie pudding recipe.

Give your party guests a healthier treat that's still delicious. You can't beat this simple chocolate and vanilla ice pop recipe.

Chocolate and vanilla ice pops recipe.

If you're catering for a kids' party, make sure you check for any allergies or dietary requirements beforehand. This is a great gluten-free party recipe that everyone can enjoy.

Leave out the ham to make it vegetarian.

Gluten-free egg muffins recipe.

Gluten-free meatballs are a perfect gluten-free party recipe that kids will love, whether they're gluten-intolerant or not.

Gluten-free meatballs recipe.

Traditional iced cookies are perfect for birthday parties. A bit like party rings, only homemade!

Iced biscuits recipe.

Pasta salad is the perfect nutritious savoury recipe for a kids' party. It's cheap and easy to make and you can guarantee they're eating at least one portion of veg!

Pasta salad recipe.

These gorgeous Creme Egg cupcakes taste just as good as they look - if not better! They'll go down well at any time of year, not just an Easter party!

Creme Egg cupcakes recipe.

Most kids love a brownie and these taste so indulgent, they won't even know they're healthy!

Avocado brownies recipe.

These make a lovely change from regular pizza and they can be served cold, making them great as buffet food.

Pizza whirls recipe.

These delicious cakes are the perfect vegan party recipe. They're ideal for those with egg and dairy allergies, too.

Vegan chocolate cupcakes recipe.

Deliciously chewy and chocolatey, these egg-free cookies will soon become a party staple.

Chewy chocolate chip cookies recipe.

Banana cupcakes with toffee buttercream, absolutely delicious! Perfect for banana fans.

Banoffee cupcakes recipe.

A delicious chocolate beetroot cake. It may sound unusual, but the addition of raw grated beetroot gives this cake a lovely moist texture. You don't need to tell the kids what's in there!

Chocolate beetroot cake recipe.

This easy fridge cake with chunks of honeycomb will delight kids and parents. The best thing is, it takes just 15 minutes to make!

Chocolate honeycomb fridge cake recipe.

This colourful sweet treat originates from Australia. All you need is bread, butter and sprinkles and you've got a delicious snack, perfect for fairies.

Fairy bread recipe.

These scones are sugar-free so ideal for a toddlers' party. They're baked in a tray making them super-easy. Great for buffets.

Blueberry and lemon yoghurt scones recipe.

A party food classic! You can't go wrong with a chocolate crispie cake. Get the kids to help you make them at home beforehand, just make sure they don't eat them all first!

Chocolate crispies recipe.

Got a Frozen theme for your kids' party? This simple recipe with white chocolate and edible glitter will go down a treat.

Magic snow sparkles recipe.

Healthy, easy and so refreshing, this watermelon pizza, topped with tropical fruit, is great for a kids' party. It only takes five minutes to prepare but looks really impressive.

Watermelon pizza recipe.

All kids love pizza, right? Making your own can be cheaper and healthier than many shop-bought varieties and you can get creative with your toppings or make them look extra special with faces made from veg. Serve hot or cold in easy to pick up slices.

Simple cheese and tomato pizza recipe.

Got a car-mad child on your hands?

These easy, no-cook biscuits are great for kids' parties. All they require is some shop-bought sponge fingers, icing, chocolate buttons and jelly babies for drivers.

Sponge finger racing cars recipe.

Perfect for an animal or jungle-themed birthday party, these monkey-shaped sandwiches are almost too cute to eat. All you need are some round cookie or scone cutters.

Peanut butter and banana sandwiches recipe.

Looking for some kids' birthday cake inspiration? These fun recipes will help you create a cake to be proud of.

This is a super-cute birthday cake idea and not as complicated as it looks. Can you bear to cut into it though?

Owl cake recipe.

This cake is perfect for birthdays or any special event. Watch the kids' amazement when you cut into it!

You can mix up the cake colours to match a party theme or your child's favourite colours.

Rainbow checkerboard cake recipe.

If you don't want to create a traditional cake then this show-stopping Creme Egg cheesecake will make a big impression. This is definitely not just for the kids.

Creme Egg cheesecake recipe.

If you're pressed for time, this is a delicious, no-bake cake, which is so easy to make. With chocolate, shortbread and fudge it looks and tastes incredible!

Giant Twix cake recipe.

A classic chocolate cake topped with strawberries is an all-round crowd-pleaser. Perfect for toddlers who are too young to demand cakes in the shape of the most complicated cartoon character they can think of.

Chocolate cake recipe.

This simple vanilla cake will go down a treat with Frozen fans. You don't need to be Marry Berry to make it either, it's super simple!

Easy Frozen birthday cake recipe.

This cake is so simple. One batter, which magically divides into three delicious layers.

Chocolate magic cake recipe.

Perfect for a rainbow-themed birthday party, this kids' birthday cake is bound to impress. It's surprisingly easy to make, too.

Rainbow birthday cake recipe.

It's a birthday cake. But it looks like a doughnut! A real showstopper - perfect for any child's party.

Giant doughnut cake recipe.

A child's age is a classic birthday cake option. It's much easier than you think as well – just buy a number-shaped cake tin and voila!

For kids who've hit double digits, use two tins and double the mixture.

Number birthday cake recipe.

If you're looking to buy a ready-made cake and then decorate it yourself, this football cake from @sweetsensationsjo should provide some inspiration.

Pipe green icing for grass and use Subbuteo figures or toy footballers to decorate. Simple!

If you're not too confident in the kitchen, this quick-mix Victoria sponge is a great cake for beginners. Add candles and you're good to go.

Victoria sponge cake recipe.

This Paw Patrol cake looks awesome but takes only 20 minutes to put together, we've included some clever shortcuts in the recipe.

Paw Patrol-inspired birthday cake recipe.

Photo: Becky Evans (Spiritedpuddlejumper.com)

There are so many unicorn cake ideas on Instagram and Pinterest. Just make a simple sponge or chocolate cake and then take your inspiration from some of the great decoration ideas online.

We love this one @mycakehobby

How cute is this little lamb? As well as making a great birthday cake idea, the vanilla frosted cake would be perfect for Easter.

You could add orange food colouring to transform it into a lion.

Sheep birthday cake recipe.

This cake is amazing! Adding small toys as decoration is a great idea for any cake, it's simple and can work with any birthday party theme.

@ainadahalan_justbaked

Make sure your guests have fond memories of your party by sending them home with a party bag. Check out these original ideas for party bag fillers …

Throwing a unicorn party? Why not bulk buy some paper bags and get crafty to create these amazing unicorn bags. Check out the DIY unicorn gift tutorial on The DIY Mommy.

A book (or little collection of books) is a great gift for children of any age. You can pop them in a party bag or give them as a party bag alternative.

Try looking for wholesale or 'job lot' book offers online to really bring the price of this gift down - and make sure the books you find are age-appropriate.

Don't fancy decorating the kids' party bags? Make it into a fun party activity.

Buy some plain fabric bags to give to guests, lay out some feathers, buttons, biodegradable glitter and pom-poms and a big bowl of PVA glue and let kids design their own bag.

You can fill it with traditional party bag fillers such as whistles, bubbles, sweets and a slice of cake at the end.

A little pack of felt tips, a small colouring book, a mini art gift set - anything artistic is great for a kids' party bag, They can take them home and get stuck in on a rainy, 'I'm bored' Sunday.

Hair accessories make great party bag fillers. Save money by buying multi-packs and splitting them up between bags.

There's nothing wrong with the bells and whistles - literally - of the good old traditional party bag.

Party blowers, balloons and bubbles always bring a smile to children's faces. You can usually get a good price on party bag toys at supermarkets and online on Amazon or eBay.

Getting something personalised is always going to be a great gift. It's a way to show your guests that you really appreciated them coming along.

Bigger kids will love pens and pads, or why not look for funky personalised placemats or bookmarks?

Theme parties are always a fun idea for kids, and tailoring the party bags to match can make life much easier for you.

Princess parties could have tiaras, pirates could have chocolate coins or compasses, animal parties could have little stuffed animals ... The possibilities are endless.

If you want to forgo the plastic toys, a packet of seeds, or a 'grow your own plant' kit from the supermarket is a fun activity for your guests to take away with them.

This makes a good party bag filler for older children.

Deck out your party venue with these fabulous party decoration ideas …

These pom poms ares so simple when you get the hang of it!

Count out a pile of 10 sheets of tissue paper and lay them flat, then fold the paper in an accordion style.

Fold it in half to find the centre.

Wrap a wire around the middle and secure it to hold everything in place

Round the edges of both ends, with scissors, to make 'petals.'

Take one piece of tissue paper and pull it away from the rest of them. Continue pulling apart the layers of tissue paper

Once you finish one half, pull apart all the layers of the second half.

Fluff up all the layers until you get it into a good ball shape. 

Then hang it from the ceiling with some thread and you're good to go!

This pretty DIY party decoration idea from @anythingsheloves is super-simple. Cut paper doilies in half and stick them to ribbon to make lacy bunting.

These ice cream cone balloons from @playideas are fantastic and they don't require much in the way of craft skills!

Make cones from card, stick a balloon inside and add sprinkles.

We love these paper stars coloured in by kids from @roots.and.rings.homelearning. They're a great way to get children involved with the decorations.

You can make your own stars or buy plain paper decorations and colour them to match your party theme.

Another great decoration the kids can help with from @imakinnl. Use coloured pens and acrylic paint to decorate. If you're painting on inflated balloons, remind kids to be gentle!

For a fun party place setting that kids can take home, make some fun animals from old toilet rolls. Better still, have it as a party activity and let kids make their own.

At Halloween you can make monsters and spooks.

Cheap and easy to make, paper bunting is a simple DIY party decoration that the kids can help create. All you need is coloured paper or card and some string. Check out our step-by-step instructions to make your own bunting.

Paper rosettes are really easy to make. All you need to do is fold paper in an accordion style. Check out this YouTube tutorial for full instructions on how to make paper rosettes.

We love this party decoration idea from @happy1stday. Just string fabric scraps onto ribbon or string, and hang.

If you have some old fabric turn it into some gorgeous fabric bunting. You can bring it out each year or even hang it in your home once the party's over.