Birthday party themes, with decor, food and games for each
Picking a theme is the fun part until you realise the dinosaur party you saw online needs a garden and a big budget. Your todo.is agent suggests themes that fit the birthday person's age, interests, guest count and space, shows how each one looks on a real budget, and plans the chosen one down to the games and shopping list.
The prompt
- Suggest 5 birthday party themes for [WHO IS CELEBRATING], who loves [INTERESTS]. The party is [VENUE] for [NUMBER OF GUESTS] guests, with a budget of about [BUDGET]. For each theme give the decor idea, 2 food or drink ideas, 2 games or activities, a cake idea and a DIY tip to save money. Then plan theme number 1 in full: a timeline for a [PARTY LENGTH] party, a shopping list with links to example products, and an invitation text. Send it all as one PDF.
What to change
- [WHO IS CELEBRATING]: E.g. "my daughter turning 6", "a 13-year-old boy", "my husband's 40th", "grandma's 80th".
- [INTERESTS]: E.g. "space and drawing", "football", "80s music", "baking". Anything to avoid too.
- [VENUE]: E.g. "at home in a small flat", "in the back garden", "at a park", "in a rented hall".
- [NUMBER OF GUESTS]: E.g. "12 kids and 8 parents", "20 adults".
- [BUDGET]: Total amount and currency, e.g. "$200", "£150". Write "tight" if unsure.
- [PARTY LENGTH]: E.g. "2-hour", "afternoon", "evening". Two hours is plenty for under-7s.
Example result
- 5 themes for a 6th birthday
- Loves space and drawing · small flat · 12 kids · budget about $200
- • Space Explorers: black and silver balloons, glow stars on the ceiling. Food: "moon rock" popcorn, rocket fruit skewers. Games: planet bean-bag toss, astronaut helmet decorating. Cake: dark blue icing with sweets as planets. DIY: paper-plate planets on a string.
- • Art Studio: paper tablecloths everyone draws on, aprons from old shirts. Food: rainbow sandwiches, paint-palette cookies. Games: draw-the-monster relay, canvas painting. Cake: a paint splatter cake. DIY: frame each child's art as a party favour.
- • Little Scientists: lab coats from white T-shirts. Food: "test tube" juice, slime-green jelly. Games: baking soda volcanoes, colour-mixing. Cake: a beaker cake. DIY: printable lab badges.
- • Dinosaur Dig: a tray of sand with toy bones. Food: dino-egg cake pops. Games: fossil dig, dino stomp freeze dance.
- • Superhero Training: capes from felt. Food: power-up snack bags. Games: obstacle course with cushions, villain piñata.
- Space Explorers, full plan (2 hours)
- • 0:00 Arrival: decorate astronaut helmets (paper bags, foil, stickers)
- • 0:20 Planet bean-bag toss (each planet ring has points)
- • 0:40 Mission to the moon: obstacle course from the hallway to the sofa
- • 1:00 Food: moon rocks, rocket skewers, star sandwiches
- • 1:20 Cake, candles and "Happy Birthday" with the lights off and glow sticks
- • 1:35 Alien freeze dance
- • 1:50 Favours and goodbye
- Shopping list (rough budget)
- • Balloons, glow stars, foil, paper bags: about $35
- • Food and drink for 12 kids and parents: about $80
- • Cake: about $40 (or bake it yourself)
- • Favours (glow sticks, space stickers): about $30
- Invitation text
- "3, 2, 1... blast off! Join Ava's Space Explorers party on Saturday at 14:00. Come dressed as an astronaut or alien if you like. Please reply by Wednesday."
How to do it with todo.is
- Copy the prompt and fill in who is celebrating, what they love, the venue, guests and budget.
- Paste it into todo.is on the Today screen or send it to your agent on WhatsApp.
- Look through the 5 themes in the PDF. If you prefer a different one, reply "plan theme 3 instead".
- Ask for extras like a matching invitation image, a printable welcome sign or a reminder to order the cake a week before.
Tips for a better result
- Let the birthday child choose between 2 or 3 themes. They get excited and you keep control of the budget.
- Pick a theme that works with what you have. Space and art parties are cheap; a pool party is not if you have no pool.
- Carry the theme through a few things (cake, one game, the invitation) rather than buying themed everything.
- For adult birthdays, ask for themes like a decade party, a wine and cheese night or a murder mystery dinner.
birthday party themes: FAQ
- What are popular birthday party themes for kids? Classics are dinosaurs, space, superheroes, princesses and fairies, unicorns, pirates, art parties and whatever film or game they love right now.
- What are good birthday themes for adults? Decade parties (70s, 80s, 90s), casino night, murder mystery, garden party, karaoke, or a favourite film. Milestones like a 30th or 50th often use a gold or "vintage" theme.
- How do I throw a themed party on a small budget? Focus on the cake, one centerpiece decor idea and themed names for normal food. DIY decorations and printables cost little.
- Can todo.is order the decorations? No. Your agent gives you a shopping list with links to example products, and you buy what you want yourself.
JavaScript is required to use the todo.is app.