Planning a birthday party for 5 year olds is an exciting task that can leave you with plenty of fun and memorable moments. With so many different elements that can vary from party theme to party theme, we will cover things broadly and cover the basics of things like what kinds of food and drink you can serve, some party supplies and decor ideas, and some basic party activities to keep your party guests having a good time!
We have a few fun themes that you can see if your birthday child has any interest in. We think many 5 year olds would like a unicorn party, a mermaid party,a superhero party, a dinosaur party, a pirate party, or a movie party where everyone gathers at the movie theater or your living room for a showing of your child’s favorite movie with some fresh popped popcorn and a cup of hot chocolate, a Super Mario party, a Star Wars party, etc.
No matter what themed party you end up with, or whether you’re renting out a private party room, or hosting the party at your own home, you’ll have plenty of ideas to work with after reading this post.
How to Plan The Best 5th Birthday Party
- Create your guest list
- Pick a theme (plenty of birthday party theme ideas below)
- Choose a venue and reserve, if needed
- Decide on a date and send out invitations (don’t forget an RSVP section)
- Pick out the cake, food and drinks to serve, if needed
- Determine games, activities, pinata, and party favors and get supplies as needed
Birthday Party Ideas for 5 year olds
Start by thinking about your child’s likes and interests, as this will help you choose the perfect theme for the event.
You could also try to incorporate elements from their favorite books or movies into the party to make it even more special.
Does you child have a special hobby or interest? Make a party theme around that!
Here are some top birthday party ideas for 5 year olds:
- Dance party – at home or at your child dance school- a lot of dance studios offer them
- Gymnastics party- at home or at a gymnastics school
- Swimming party- if you don’t have a pool or a community pool to look at renting out, check your local gym and YMCA to see if they offer party rentals on their pools
- Karate party- check out your local dojo to see if they offer birthday parties, many martial arts studios do.
- Movie party- Get one of those big projector screens and a projector to screen your kids favorite movies on while everyone munches on popcorn, pizza, and candies during the film. Or you could rent out a local movie theater.
- Ninja warrior party- set up a fun obstacle course. Some party rental places have these available now too.
- Trampoline park- visit the local trampoline park, or just get a big one for your backyard so the kids can enjoy it longer than just the birthday party. It’s a great, active party idea that kids and adults will LOVE!
- Party at the park- outdoor park
- Cooking party- check your local areas as these little places are popping up everywhere
- Painting party- great for those who love art, crafts, and painting things
- Princess party – Create a magical kingdom for your little princess with tiaras, royal decorations, and a castle-shaped birthday cake.
- Fairy party- Create a magical forest with fairy wings, flower crowns, and enchanting activities like making fairy houses.
- Bowling party- Throw a fun bowling party at your local bowling alley. Rent some lanes, bring your cake, and grab some bowling alley pizza. No alley, no problem! Make your own at home.
- Video game playing party- gather your child’s friends and have a few different video game stations set up. Let them all play together, break apart into teams, or hold competitions depending on what games the kids like to play.
- Sleepover with all his or her friends- It’s pretty self explanatory, let your child invite some friends for a slumber party. Play games, eat dinner, have some cake, and let the silly sleepover begin
- Tea party– let the kids get all dressed up and host a tea party. Get a nice tea set and a variety of tea options for everyone to try. Make some brunch food items like scones and other treats to enjoy.
- Rock climbing party– find a local rock climbing spot and inquire about renting it out or a few lanes of it out to host a birthday party at. They may already have birthday party packages available. This is great for any of those kids who are always seeking the next big thrill or have a ton of energy to get out.
- Campout party (in the backyard)- have guests bring tents, make a campfire, roast s’mores, sing campfire songs, and more!
- Spa day pampering parties- manicure, give them a fancy hairdo and maybe a pedicure to really give those spa vibes. You can do the nail painting yourself or hire someone to come in and pamper the kiddos with nails and a rejuvenating face mask!
- Construction Party- Build a construction zone with hard hats, tools, and construction-themed games like “Pin the Wrench on the Toolbox.” Serve up sandwiches in “dump truck” boxes and celebrate with a cake shaped like a bulldozer.
- Safari Party- Take a walk on the wild side with animal-themed decorations, safari hats, and a scavenger hunt in search of hidden treasures.
- Carnival Party- Bring the carnival to your backyard with games, prizes, cotton candy, and a colorful carousel cake.
- Beach Party- Gather up some of your kids friends and head to the beach for the day where you can have fun in the sun for your kiddos big day. Have popsicles, sandwiches, and bring some fresh made lemonade for a really special birthday.
- Sports Party- Set up different sports stations for the kids to enjoy. From soccer to basketball and baseball, let them engage in friendly competitions and award small prizes. Don’t forget to serve sports-themed snacks and a cake decorated with their favorite sport.
- Cars and Trucks Party- If your little one loves all things with wheels, a cars and trucks party is the way to go. Set up a racetrack, provide remote-controlled cars, and let the children decorate their own cardboard vehicles. Serve snacks in “traffic light” cups and top it off with a cake shaped like a race car.
- Super Hero Party –Transform your backyard into a superhero training camp, complete with capes, masks, and obstacle courses. Let the little heroes save the day and enjoy some super-powered snacks.
- Outer Space Party- Take the birthday boy and his friends on an intergalactic journey. Decorate the party area with stars, planets, and astronauts. Plan space-themed games and activities, and serve rocket-shaped treats and a cake that resembles a spaceship and don’t forget the rest of the galaxy decorations.
- Tie- Dye Party- At a Tie-Dye party, the main activity is, of course, tie-dyeing! You can have guests bring things they want to tie-dye or supply them each with a shirt or something to bring a splash of color to.
- Glow in the Dark Party- have guests dress in glow in the dark clothes, get some black lights, and more. Find out more about hosting a neon glow party in another post.
More fun birthday party themes
Think of your child’s favorite character and try seeing if they would be interested in that as a party theme. Here are a few common ideas:
- Fancy Nancy Party
- Batman Party
- Iron Man Party
- Spiderman Party
- Superman Party
- Octonauts Party
- Wonderwoman Party
- Any comic book character
- Encanto party
- Frozen Party
- Moana Party
- Mickey Mouse or Minnie Mouse party
Whatever theme you decide on for your birthday celebration, settle on a venue, get those party invitations out (here are some amazing tips at finding appropriate and fun invitation wording if you want to make your own invitations) in the mail and decide if you’re making the birthday cake or if you’re getting a bakery to make the birthday party cake.
Birthday Party Food and Drink Ideas
Planning the perfect 5-year-old birthday party includes finding just the right food and drinks. Refreshing beverages like flavored waters and juice boxes will keep the guests happy, while adding snacks like pita chips, cheese cubes, candied popcorn, or decorated pretzel rods, decorated rice krispie treats, and other snacks can keep them munching throughout the day.
For a special treat, donuts are always a hit, especially with younger kids! You can also have other desserts like brownies, cookies, or dessert bars.
For food, mini sandwiches can be made with small slices of bread and fun toppings like cream cheese, jam or peanut butter.You can also offer options that both kids and adults will enjoy.
Mini hot dogs, pizzas, mini burgers, s’mores bars, popcorn stations, veggie trays with dip, and fresh fruit platters are all popular choices. Drinks could include lemonade, apple cider or smoothies – there are plenty of delicious (and healthy!) recipes available all over!
Pizza is also a great option and most kids will love it, and the adults too! It’s hard to go wrong with this classic party food.
Some more fun bite sized or small handheld snacks or party foods you could serve are:
- Mozzarella sticks
- Cinnamon rolls
- Mini corn dogs
- Pizza rolls
- Pigs in a blanket
- Deli meat pinwheels
If you’re looking for more great ideas to serve your guests, round out your menu with some sweet treats like cupcakes or ice cream to give your little one’s friends something extra to enjoy!
Don’t forget to make some fun cake pops that all the little boys and your little girl will go crazy over. Cake pops are especially great for younger children who don’t need a full slice of cake, but you still want to offer them something sweet to satisfy their sweet tooth at a birthday party.
Birthday Party Supplies & Decorations
Throwing a birthday party for a 5-year-old can be a lot of fun! When it comes to decorations and supplies, you have many options. Balloons are always an easy and affordable way to give any space a fun festive atmosphere.
Don’t forget the fun and festive balloon arch that can go with any fun theme. Glow sticks make for great activities in the dark and look great too! Confetti poppers can be rented or bought – just set them up around the room for a surprise pop of color.
Stock up on paper goods as young children tend to go through more plates, napkins, and plastic utensils than you think necessary!
Birthday Party Activities
Once you have a theme decided, create a list of age-appropriate activities such as arts and crafts, scavenger hunts, karaoke, relay races, dance parties and bubble blowing contests. There are so many fun birthday party games to keep the kids active at kids birthday parties.
If the weather permits, we suggest getting this age group of kids outside and letting them run around and expel some energy. Too many 5 year olds inside can turn into a big ball of pent-up energy.
If you have the space and need some fun ways to get the kids up and moving, we have plenty of classic games and many ways for them to have loads of fun!
Some other fun ideas to keep the kiddos moving are:
- obstacle course
- red rover
- potato sack races
- hopscotch
- tug of war
- relay races (great for team games)
- musical chairs (and other classic party games like freeze dance, red light green light, or Simon says)
- hula hoop contests
- water games party (think water gun fights, water balloon battles, splash pad fun, small pool party)
- contest on your kid’s favorite video games
- treasure hunt
- nature scavenger hunt
- yard bowling and yard Yahtzee
- giant Jenga (such a great game, especially for adults and kids to play together at a party)
- laser tag
- tetherball
- ask the guest of honor what fun game they’d like to play at their birthday party and find a way to make it happen
If you have more low key kids, try seated activities, like coloring, painting (finger painting or regular brush painting), lego crafts or play-doh time. Any of these activities are always so much fun for the kids and adults can even get in on the action too.
Don’t forget to include some messy food-based activities like cupcake decorating or ice cream sundae making for those kids who love getting hands-on!
Bring the party to you
Kids of all ages will love these ideas that you can bring to your party:
- petting zoo with all your kids favorite animals
- face painting
- an appearance from your child’s favorite character
- magic show
As guests are getting ready to leave the party and head home at the end of the party, don’t forget to get your party favor bags out that you stuffed with your favorite party favors and pass them out to all your guests.
Here are some ideas to put in your goodie bags:
- mini play doh canisters
- scratch art set
- pop it bracelets
- wiki stixs
- mini coloring book or color by number
- party themed accessories that go with the rest of your party (jewelry, party hats, super hero masks, etc)
I hope that by now you have your child theme picked out and have some ideas on what to serve for food, drinks, how to decorate, what supplies you need, and plenty of ways to keep the 5-year olds running around and having a good time. Don’t forget to sing Happy Birthday!