Unique 5 Year Old Party Ideas For Birthday Fun

Birthday parties for 5-year-olds are simply the "icing on the cake", mainly because they love party games and just want to have fun!

With a themed party, the world is your oyster! Five-year-olds are little bundles of energy and can be quite excitable, so, play games which are easy to set up and simple to play.  Here are some of our top tips for maximum birthday fun:

-Prep all the games before the little revellers arrive.

-Complicated rules just confuse, so keep it simple and fun.

-Hire a community hall or go to a park if you don't have enough space.

-Draw up a realistic guest list. It isn't always possible to invite the whole class, so stick to a manageable number.

-Make sure there are activities which entertain all kinds of children.

Ready to begin? Here are some birthday party ideas to amuse and amaze!

1. Princess or Frozen Party

Little girls love to dress up as princesses and if your daughter wants to invite boys, the more the merrier! Or, suggest an alternative...maybe a dragon or characters from the film Frozen?

With a princess party, you can co-ordinate with; invites, balloons, napkins, plates, cups as well as princess cupcakes and most importantly the princess 5th birthday cake, which you can bake or buy! If your child loves Frozen, they are sure to like all these special touches.

Games - Musical Frozen statues, you have to "freeze" when the music stops.

For treats, how about Frozen ice pops.

2. Monster Party

This is great party theme for children with big imaginations, and it's perfect for both boys and girls. Here are a few monster ideas...

-Make your own monster mask.

-Monstrously gruesome lucky dip.

-Decorate a monster cup cake.

-Bobbing apples.

-Pin the tail on the “monster.”

3. Pirate Party

Your little guests 'arrr' bound to love dressing up in pirate fancy dress!

-Organise a Treasure Hunt - a great party ice-breaker, you can either divide into two teams or pairs. Shout out things to find in the garden  (some you will have planted) so, for example, find "something you drink out of "something red". The winners are the team with the most items in their treasure bags.

-Find buried treasures in the sandpit.

-Make an eye patch.

-Paint a parrot picture, or better yet, get creative with some pirate face paint that every child will love!

4. Crafty Party

Who doesn't love a bit of sticking?  If you don't like too much mess, invest in a few messy mats or move the party into the garden.

Set up different tables with a variety of art materials and your party guests can move around the different art stations, a parent should be at each table to help.

A few ideas include; making a paper chain snake, finger painting and clay modelling.

5. Farm Themed Party

This is the perfect excuse for children to dress up as their favourite animal, have a picnic, with children sitting on straw bales. Try out these fun activities:

-Animal petting - if you have chickens, a pet rabbit or guinea pig and it won't traumatise them, let the children pet or feed the animals (with adult supervision).

-Welly Boot Tossing.

-Duck Duck Goose.

-Farmer’s Footsteps (grandma’s footsteps).

6. Cup Cake Decorating

This is a great party activity but, will need some prep. You can buy ready-made cupcakes from a supermarket or bake them, you just need to ensure there is enough room for the kids to decorate.

You will need a range of; fun cake toppers, edible transfers, pre-made icing sugar and sprinkles galore in bowls ready for little hands to delve into.

You can provide little aprons and chef hats and the best news is, the guests can eat their cupcakes after they have decorated them.

7. Superhero Party

The list of dress-up options is endless from Batman to firefighters, because as we know, not all heroes wear capes.

Superhero ideas include;

-Make your own masks.

-Musical "Superhero" Statues.

-"Spiderman Says" rather than "Simon Says" (or pick your child's favourite superhero).

-Hot "explosive" potato.

8. Water Games

If you want your party to create a splash, host a water party. Children can come in their swimsuits and bring spare clothes and a towel. You can have a beach theme with; inflatable palm trees, a paddling pool, deck chairs and beach towels. Set up outdoor music with music from Moana.

Game ideas include:

-Slip and slide (you will need good weather for this and washing up liquid to make the mat slippy).

-Hook the Duck.

-Set up a sprinkler.

-Water balloon or water pistol fight!

9. Traditional Party

This will be a blast from the past for many parents, but the classic birthday games are perfect for 5-year-olds.

-Egg and spoon race: You can use real eggs or alternatives include; a potato, tomato or small beanbag.

-Three-legged race: The aim of the game is to race against friends with "three" legs as fast as they can.

-Sack race: Children hop as fast as they can in a sack to the finish line.

Pick classic party foods like; crisps, mini sausages, pineapple and cheese on sticks, carrot sticks (a nod to the vegetable) and cupcakes.

10. Sports Day Party

On your marks, get set, GO! Perfect for energetic little ones to let off steam. You can pick a theme such as; football, cricket, gymnastics or basketball or keep the sports theme generic.

-Mini obstacle course; this can be set up using things you already own; a hoop to jump through, a tunnel to crawl through and a skipping rope.

-A ball pit.

-Set up a relay race!

-Bean bag throwing.

You could even create a podium and award medals or a certificate for the best athletes- everyone will be rewarded for their individual achievements.

11. Wild Party

-Go on a mini safari! Set up a treasure hunt in your garden where children can find small plastic hidden animals.

-Face painting, with wild animal designs.

-Scavenger hunt. Using a magnifying glass or binoculars, children can search for mini-beasts in the garden.

-Pin the Tail on the Zebra. The kids are blindfolded and have to put the tail on the zebra, the closest wins.

12. Bouncy Castle Party

Kids can bounce to their heart's content You can hire a themed bouncy castle and put it in your garden or a community hall. You can also buy inflatable castles if you want to make the investment for future parties.

It's important to focus on safety, so limit the number of kids on the castle. Organise alternate activities to entertain the other children, while they wait for their go.

One idea is The Bubble Wrap Game, where you roll out the bubble wrap on the ground, (inside or outside) and the kids take off their shoes off and carefully get as far as they can without hearing a pop!

13. Baby Shark Party

This is great fun to organise, and we all know the Baby Shark song!

-You don't need to play this song on a loop, but use it for some games like; musical "shark" statues,  pass the "shark" parcel and you can give little shark gifts as prizes.  

-Shark Doughnut on a string. Your "little sharks" have to snap the doughnuts off the string, just using their teeth, with hands behind their back.

-Bubble machine. Catch those bubbles!

14. Pizza Party

Prep the home-made pizza bases or you can buy pre-made and the children can add their favourite topping and eat when ready - delicious.

Toppings can include; mozzarella, onions, ham and peppers.

15. Garden Party

A celebration of all things natural for green-fingered five-year-olds and a great way to teach children about wildlife.

-Decorate your own plant pot.

-Paint a birdhouse.

-Make a bug hotel.

-Grow a sunflower.

For food, you can have a summer picnic and the children can take home what they have made, so no need for a party bag!